Clio II RXE Auto - Does the ABS sensor affect Auto transmission drive - veritas66

Just fitted new front brakes and for some reason after lowering the car the Auto transmission will not drive in D or R...just clicks.

If I roll the car back and fore in D it sometimes engages.

When I give it light revs the speedo goes up!

As I said all was fine before I changed the brakes, could it be the ABS sensor?

Edited by Avant on 09/06/2014 at 20:08

Clio II RXE Auto - Does the ABS sensor affect Auto transmission drive - The-Mechanic

Sounds like, for some strange reason a driveshaft has popped out when car was jacked up, or there's a failiure of one of the joints/shafts ? The ABS sensor would bring the warning light on but have no effect as to whether the car drives or not.

When you say the car sometimes will move if it's rocked back and forth in drive suggests to me either a CV joint has gone or the shaft has pulled out of either the diff or hub end and momentarily catches when the car is rocked.

You'll need to jack and axle stand the front end so the both front wheels are free to rotate, chock the rear wheels with the handbrake on. Check both front driveshafts are properly fitted into the diff on the gearbox. If they are, then gently run the car in drive and check which side wheel rotates. If one won't move or moves sporadically, there's a good indication it's a problem that side shaft or joint.

Edited by Avant on 09/06/2014 at 20:08

Clio II RXE Auto - Does the ABS sensor affect Auto transmission drive - veritas66

Did what you said to do. The side I did not touch was not turning but could turn wheel freely, but the other side I worked on does not turn freely and makes a clicking sound if you turn it with your hands and tries to engauge and starts turning a little but with a louder clicking sound.

Edited by veritas66 on 09/06/2014 at 20:31

Clio II RXE Auto - Does the ABS sensor affect Auto transmission drive - veritas66

Ok with the car on axle stands I rotated the wheel I was working on with the stick in park position. After a few turns of the wheel with clicking sound there was a positive thud and the wheel was more difficult to turn but the other wheel started turning in the other direction.

So I started the car and put it in drive and both wheels started turning and no clicking.

Did a few 4 point turns on the driveway and the took it for a short trip and no problems or strange sounds.

Thanks for your help you saved the day!

Any ideas of what the problem was?

Clio II RXE Auto - Does the ABS sensor affect Auto transmission drive - The-Mechanic

Glad to have been of help.

The only thing I can think of that maybe caused this would be the inner CV had pulled out of the diff slightly and the splines hadn't engaged ?

The inner and outer joints do have a degree of 'slack' to allow for shortening/lengthening as the suspension moves up/down but when the car is jacked up, sometimes they are at the limit of their travel and can become dislodged.

Anyways, glad you've got it sorted now,

All the best.

Clio II RXE Auto - Does the ABS sensor affect Auto transmission drive - gordonbennet

Most inner joints a held in place on the splines by a sprung circlip, i wonder if the inner joint on one side isn't clipped in place and needs pushing 'home', might be worth checking OP, if you grip the inner CV joint you shouldn't be able to pull it out from its normal running position without some serious leverage and then some pressure on the lever too, you'd feel it 'give' as the sprung circlip comes out of its groove, if it is 'home' and you can pull it out without leverage i'll call you sir should we ever meet:-)

If its free sliding and doesn't push 'home', check the other side, i haven't come across a drive shaft that isn't held in place somehow, but always a first and i'm hardly familiar with Renaults, its possible that the sprung circlip i'm referring to is missing/broken.

Confess with the 'clicking' referred to in the OP i was worried that some strain had been applied with the box in P, damaging the parking pawl, thank goodness that appears to be not he case.

I prefer the driveshaft attaching system on the Subaru, my inner joints don't slide into the final drive as most, there are adaptor joints fixed in place, driveshaft inner CV is a female spline which slides onto these extra joints and held in pace by an easily driven out/in roll pin...much better idea IMO, to service drive shaft simply drive out roll pin and slide off, no fluid loss and the diff oil seal remains uncompromised, and the CV joints are easily fully dismantled on the bench with normal tools...why do other makers have to make such things so damned difficult to service.

Edited by gordonbennet on 10/06/2014 at 09:24

Clio II RXE Auto - Does the ABS sensor affect Auto transmission drive - veritas66

I did pull on it to check it was locked in and all felt good. The thud I described while turn the wheels sounded like something clicking and locking in place.

While doing the brakes I also changed a coil spring. On youtube a guy said to stand on the brake disc to push everything down to get the base of strut in place. I did this and I think this is what pulled out the shaft, as the boot was pulled tight.

Never trust everything you see on youtube :-)

Never done this job before so will know better next time thanks to everyone who replied.

Clio II RXE Auto - Does the ABS sensor affect Auto transmission drive - gordonbennet

Blimey, so it didn't pull out of the transmission, it pulled the CV apart, glad it all clicked back into place with hopefully no damage to CV or its dust boot.

I find make specific forums best for how to's, including home made videos, within a matter of days others likely to have done the same job will have had a chance to comment, as you say Youtube videos need a health warning, you can't go by comments there cos of the number of half wits that inhabit the place.

Clio II RXE Auto - Does the ABS sensor affect Auto transmission drive - veritas66

Ok 6 months have now past and all was fine until yesterday. I was at a junction and went to pull off and lost all drive.

got the car back to the house and have the following issues...

no drive but can tell the gears are engaging in R, D , N, 1 & 2 when going back to park can hear a loud clicking noise like gears not quite meshing.

any ideas?

I think its the shaft had issues with 6 months back.