I have a 220D and yesterday morning my girlfriend called me and almost cried when the car didn't move an inch. I put on my shoes, ran there and sat down in the drivers seat. The car started and the gears worked flawlessly. I put in a gear and released the clutch and nothing happened, but I heard a slight sound. So I looked under the car and I saw the drive-shaft spinning.

Then I was like, "Okay, I need to find another differential". I noticed the right axle moving, but not the wheel, so I excluded a broken differential. I also noticed that the left axle had been changed sometime in the past, because it was still black and had the product sticker on it. The car has gone over 604,000km, so no wonder things are getting worn. And obviously the left axle had been changed for a reason.

Well, my real question is: since the axle is moving, I assume the splines are no more, but do I need to change both the axle and the drive flange (is that the word?) or is it just one of them that has given up? Fast answers are greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,
Christoffer