Any ideas what might have gone?

Question

I'd just bought my first car the other night. I drove it about half way home from collection with no probs apart from a bit of a whirling noise, then all of a sudden the car just started to lose speed, it was revving but was losing drive. I had to pull over going up hill as I wasn't going to make it. My friend who I was following back home came and looked at it, it didn't want to get into gear. The clutch feels fine but it just wont get into gear. I've had two mechanics look at it. One thinks it's the clutch, the other the gearbox, both nightmare jobs I reckon. Anyone got any ideas on what it might have been? and whether the seller would have known it was about to die on me?

Sorry it's a VW Polo Fox 1.1, it is old 1990 but only has 84,000 miles on it. To look at it is in vgc, no rust at all and under the bonnet loked fine too =(

yeah it does seem to go into gear but the car wont move once there

Answer 1

Yes, it's the clutch. Classic sign when your rpm goes up and you slow down. Happens under load going up a hill. It's your clutch! Yes, I'm sure the person sold it to you knew. That's one reason why they sold it to you. LOL

Answer 2

If the engine revved up, and you did not go faster, then the clutch was slipping or the pressure plate failed.
By "going into gear" do you mean it will not shift or that once in gear it will not go?
This is not cheap to fix, it will take at least 4 hours labor (+parts). You will need to replace the clutch disk, pressure plate, pilot bearing and have the flywheel resurfaced. When you get into it you may find out that the pilot gearing was gone, and the input shaft if the transmission is scrammed. This may explain why the transmission will not shift.
This will cost much more, as the transmission will have to overhauled or replaced.

Answer 3

that was the clutch that started slipping on it ,when it started revving on the hill and stopped pulling it was burning out the clutch in it,you have it checked out by a good mechanic but i believe he will tell you that its going to need a clutch put in it,that will also make it not go in to gear,its hard to say whether the seller knew this or not,they could have ,but these things can just happen all the sudden,you can ask them but either way you,ll have to get it repaired before you can drive it again,good luck with it.

Answer 4

Sorry for your problem. However you forgot to tell us what the heck this car is? year make model motor size and how many miles. Most likely the former owner loosened the clutch cable and the car moved just long enough for the new buyer to hand over the cash.

Answer 5

it seem that it was a low maintnance car if they at least want to sell the car they should've changed the clutch .. i'll suggest byuing a new car for everyone cause on the long run it's worth it,good cars like chevy aveo hatchback , ford focus hatchback, toyota yaris ,kia rio, hyndai accent, those are good gas milleage car if u drive it nice and they last , well the bigger the engine the better lasting so i'll go with focus and they are attractive too ., but if ur on low budget then get the yaris and if the budget sucks then get the chevy aveo .

Answer 6

Talk to the seller its probably the clutch

Answer 7

they say the choice area of the international to the Bermuda Triangle is the area of the backyard of Eden. So perchance for the reason that humanity became born interior the Eden, humanity will die interior the triangle.

Answer 8

90 day as is i would take the back . i my a.s.e