dojcsany

I have an 2000 A6 2.7t with the 6 speed manual transmission, today while I was driving I went to shift from 3rd to 4th and heard a clunk and lost all my gears. I can't shift gears while the engine is running without depressing the clutch, so I think the clutch and shifter are still intact. I was not experiencing any strange performance or noises before this happened.

Any ideas on this for thing to check or possible causes would be greatly appreciated.

SloopJohnB@mac.com

What's the problem? If it shifts ok now you just failed to get it into 4th fully and it popped out.

dojcsany

What I meant was the shifter linkage and gears inside the transmission still act normally. no extra sloppiness or inability to shift from one gear to another.

However regardless of what gear I'm in 1 - 6 + R, there is no response when I release the clutch.

4Driver4

Tell the rest of the story: What work was done recently?

Either one of the CV joints was so badly neglected that it grenaded or one of the joints came unbolted from the trans.

SloopJohnB@mac.com

What do you hear when you release the clutch while it is in gear? Does any gear work, reverse included, or make noise?
It's possible you have a false neutral in the transmission somewhere with a broken fork.

dojcsany

Nothing really, I replaced a coil pack 2 months ago. about a year ago, I replaced a cv axle that had a torn boot, and replaced a bent lover control arm. So I will have to check the cv's and make sure everything is ok there.

But I would think that with the AWD even if one of the front axles was spinning freely I would still have power in the rear end.

dojcsany

There is nothing in any gear, no power, and no noises.

All of the gears still shift in and out smoothly, and the clutch feels the same, didn't get any harder or softer.

GTA_Driver

That would be the case with locking differentials. Quattro uses open differentials and torque is distributed with the help of the ABS system which applies brakes selectively to the spinning wheel so power can be transferred away from it to other wheels that have traction.

When an axle brakes, no amount of wheel braking will prevent that axle from spinning.

4Driver4

Start looking here.

SloopJohnB@mac.com

Hard to say…anything broken would normally have some sound, even a functioning gearbox has some gear noise/sound…it's the changes you're looking for. A broken transmission input shaft would still make some noise different. It has to be in the clutch or gearbox if you're not getting any output torque at either front or rear wheels…if a front axle is broken you should still get some torque at the rear through the torsen interaxle diff.

Looking more and more like you'll have to drop the transmission and see what's what.