Hi all,

After being away for 3 weeks, with the car (99V reg 1.9TDi Octavia) unused, I came to drive off yesterday and something seems to have seized up so that it broke when I moved off. Looking for ideas what it's likely to be.

Engine started fine, could put it into gear no problem (forward or reverse), but when I can to move off there was appreciable resistance (as though the handbrake was still on - which it wasn't). With more revs and coming off the clutch a little more, the car moved off and there was a "crunch". I turned the car around, came to a halt and re-parked, and there was quite a bit of fluid in the road, which looked like it was coming from somewhere in the centre of the car. No warning lights, so I made the short trip I needed to make, during which the car seemed to handle fine. When I got back, whatever fluid it was was no longer visible, so probably not oil.

Any thoughts on what may have broken?

Thanks,

Robin

I think your handbrake was probably just stuck on. Quite common if it's been sat for a while unused with the brake applied.

Quite common for brake pads to stick to the discs slightly when the car has stood still that long, especially if it's been wet at all during that period. As you drive away the pads release from the disc with what can be quite a crack. The fluid sounds like water if it dissapeared when you returned.