Diff in gearbox failed - how to get repaired cheaply?

[ajck]

I'm in the UK and took my car for it's annual MOT test. The diff in the gearbox failed while they were road testing the car. It's a 2002 S60 2.0T, 89000 miles. Obviously I want to minimise cost and a new gearbox would be very expensive. How do I minimise cost here - can the diff be replaced or repaired? (it's not something I can do). Could I find out the part number of the diff and buy a replacement from ebay (used is fine) and get someone to fit it?

Any suggestions very welcome! I don't want to ditch the car as I just spent £700 on new suspension arms and MOT!
Thanks

[MarvinMitt]

Is it manual or auto?
What happened with the differential and what indicates it?

If it's manual, then manuals are very durable and therefore cheap from breakers so replacement manual box would be cheaper than a new differential.
I'm not sure about auto boxes.

[ajck]

Thanks. Yes it's manual petrol.

[wynnj]

Originally Posted by ajck

I'm in the UK and took my car for it's annual MOT test. The diff in the gearbox failed while they were road testing the car.

Why were they road testing it for MOT; it's all done in the garage these days?
What are the symptoms and was there any indication of something wrong before?
Are you sure it's the diff and not a drive shaft that's failed, or even the clutch?
I don't recall ever reading of a failed diff on this forum before, and if it really is that what the h*ll did they do to it?
I'd definitely get a 2nd opinion before doing anything.
By suspension arms I assume you mean the lower suspension arms. Did the same garage do these? If they did before or as part of the MOT sounds as if they may well have disturbed the inner drive shaft joint and then trashed it as they drove it afterwards. If so they'd be responsible as they didn't do the job properly. Also, £700 sounds a lot for suspension arms.

[reggit]

That answer above is exactly what I thought when I read your post. I’d bet the Inner CV on drivers side has a sheared cage.
It will have popped apart when they changed the suspension arms at an educated guess.

[harveys]

Very strange , Road test on Mot AWD car may be if they don't had the correct rollers.

Yes more like drive shaft fell to bits inside boot when arms have been changed. the boots would be split if this was the case.

[barrybritcher]

you mean rolling road brake test? or on an actual road lol - not part of MOT

[Dippydog]

As Harveys says above I believe there are some brake rollers on which you can't test an AWD vehicle in which case the tester would use a Tapley meter in the passenger footwell drive the car apply the brakes and note the readings.Depends on size of premises doing the test as to whether this would be carried out on the road or on their premises/customer car park.

[wynnj]

But this is an S60 so standard test procedures apply!

[davebb]

You would change the gear box about £100-200 ebay, and when it is apart you could fit a new clutch and DMF, If you are paying to get it done , when I talked to the mech when I got my mot the other year
he said about 6 hours to do the clutch so the same to do gearbox change, so if the garage that did your arms did not do it correctly , get them to correct it, or pay for some one to do it , as you paid £700 for them to bugger your car, not fix it,
Dave