Drive Shaft Damage: Best Verification Methods

Hello everyone,

How can I best narrow down a potential defect in the driveshaft?

The problem:

When shifting gears and simultaneously turning, there are knocking sounds coming from the direction of the drive shaft.

Vehicle: Seat Leon ASV, with EGS transmission.
(Is there a known issue here? According to my search, it doesn't seem to be a common problem...)

On stage, we quickly identified the internal anti-vibration joint, but it could also be the differential.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to narrow down the problem to the driveshaft joint or differential, ideally without having to disassemble anything?

Thank you for your help.

Hi Jochen.

Hello Jochen,

Are you sure it's not the tie rod?

Darius.

Hello Darius,

The inner joint of the driveshaft is making those noises, that's as far as we've gotten.
You can even feel it when you firmly grip the cuff and turn the drive shaft.

The problem now is:
Does this make joint noises because the defect is being transmitted from the differential/transmission, or is it solely the joint that is failing?

Best regards, Jochen.

Hi,
Since you can already identify the defect in the drive shaft, I would also recommend repairing the joint first. That way, you can see how things progress. (A faulty joint can cause all sorts of problems.)

Gerade bei inneren Gelenken wird das Fett hart und die Gelenke fangen an rau zu laufen und sogar zu schlagen. Abhilfe schafft meist reinigen (Waschbenzin, das verdunstet und das Gelenk rostet nicht) und neues Spezialfett rein. Manschette unbedingt überprüfen, bei Rissen auch gleich neu machen. KIt's not much.

To check if that's the problem, you only need to remove the inner joint, add a little oil, and screw it back on. If the noise is gone after that, then the above procedure is sufficient.

If you drive a lot and/or plan to keep the car for a longer period, it's better to replace the joint or install a replacement shaft.

Best regards, Rudi.