In this Steve's Garage video I cover how to diagnose a failed CV axle or CV joint on a front wheel drive car. If you have some clicking or grinding coming from the front end, it may be a CV axle making noise. The car in the video is a MK4 VW Jetta, but this video will apply to any FWD or AWD car that has axle shafts in the front. Technically this video would apply to any car with a CV axle on it, but there are different ways to diagnose a CV axle if it's on the front of your car as opposed to the rear.
There are many signs of a failed CV axle, this video shows one. Typically a failed CV axle will make a clicking or popping noise when you're rolling. Sometimes the noise from the CV axle can come and go depending on load, which may mean the axle is just starting to fail. In the first half of my video I cover a worn CV axle verbally, and in the second half I take my car for a drive so you can hear the CV noise when it's failing. Keep in mind that there are a lot of parts in your front end that can make noise, but if you know what to look and listen for, you can pinpoint a bad CV axle, or rule it out and look at something else.
If your CV axle is making noise, it's best to address it sooner than later. If you catch a worn CV axle quick enough, you may be able to rebuild it. If you let it go, you'll end up needing to replace the whole CV axle. Worse yet, if the CV axle fails when you're driving it could end up damaging other parts of the vehicle
If you're interested in replacing CV axles on a MK4 VW, check out my video here:
If you're interested in rebuilding CV axles, check out this video:
If you want to know the difference between quality cv axles and cheap aftermarket, check out this video:
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