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Car Shakes While Driving Questions - This category contains featured questions
as examples. They relate to most vehicles
Question: 2003 BMW X5 mileage: 61,000. Experienced serious shaking
and vibrating with the entire car; happened for a few minutes, then went away. Next
time I'd drive, it would be fine for ten minutes then the vibration begins again.
Escalated to a point where I thought the engine would drop to the road because the
vibration was so bad. Took it to dealership; "firing" problem, leak, or so the computer
diagnosis said. They replaced spark plugs, gasket cover and thermostat to a tune
of over $700 dollars. Drove away and within ten minutes it shakes and vibrates,
as bad or worse then before. What could it be now? Obviously, it wasn't the plugs
and gasket cover!
Answer: It sounds like the engine is miss-firing still, scan
the PCM to isolate the cylinder then replace the ignition coil for that cylinder.
Question: 1996 Jaguar XJ-6 mileage: 110,000. My Jaguar XJ-6 is quite possibly
the best car I have ever owned. I'm now approaching 120,000 miles and the engine
shows no signs of giving up. Outside of a new thermostat and regular preventive
maintenance, it takes little more than gas money from my wallet. The problem I have
recently encountered is a slight shaking noise in the front passenger side when
accelerating hard from a dead stop. The vehicle does weigh more than 5000 lbs, only
makes this sound below 8-10 mph, and then goes away as speed increases.
Answer: Check your cars engine mounts, it sounds like one
is starting to soften or is broken allowing the engine to move to one side causing
the exhaust system to contact the under body making the noise.
Question: 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD, miles: 96,000 I just purchased
this vehicle 1 month ago in EXCEPTIONAL condition but it has a BIG problem. Sometimes
when driving at or around highway speeds, 35+, and any sort of "bump" (crease in
the road, uneven pavement, ripple in pavement made from heavy machinery, anything
that would cause a quick movement of the suspension) is driven over, the whole front
of the vehicle shakes VIOLENTLY, the steering and steering wheel shakes and becomes
almost uncontrollable and I have to pull over or slow to <15 mph for it to stop.
It's like the vehicle picks up a vibration and then it resonates through the entire
front end. It is VERY scary when it happens because usually it is on the highway
in traffic at 50-70 mph. When I hit "bumps" at speeds >35 mph, I can sense that
the front end is not "tight" but the vibration is causes does not get bad at all
and if I hadn't experienced sheer terror at 70 mph 3 times before, I wouldn't notice.
What is wrong? I took it into the Dealership where I purchased the Jeep (not a Jeep
dealer) they took it for a test drive and since they couldn't duplicate the problem,
they had no advice. My guess is that there must be a stabilizer or something that
is broken or lose up front. My Jeep does not feel safe to drive.
Answer: Check the front suspension thoroughly for wear, then
check alignment, not enough camber can cause tire isolation (very violent). If that
doesn't work you may want to install an aftermarket steering stabilizer. They are
available at most off-road parts suppliers. This is especially true if you have
oversized tires and rims on your vehicle.
Question: 1997 Toyota Camry, miles: 145,000. The car shakes
when it is in gear with the brake on. The shaking subsides when the car is in park
or neutral and seems to get worse the warmer the engine gets. I have had 3 new engine
mounts (all except the transmission mount) replaced plus diagnostics computer test
of all systems ($750) and she is still shaking. Help! Losing my fillings in OHIO,
Answer: Check for for a tune up, make sure all cylinders are
operating properly, a compression check, inspect for vacuum leaks and check to make
sure the EGR valve is closed at idle and not leaking.
Question: 1997 Ford Explorer XLT mileage: 54,000. I recently purchased
the vehicle and have noticed that the ride is very uncomfortable. There is
shaking and I feel very bump in the road. Is this just because it’s a SUV?
Another co-worker has the same problem, which makes me believe I am not alone.
Also, it says its ALL Wheel Drive. What does that mean exactly. Some
people said that it is a 4-wheel drive, but there is no knob to switch to 4 wheel.
Answer: Most SUV (sports utility vehicle) type vehicles do have a firm
ride as they have the similar suspensions as light duty trucks. Your explorer
is equipment with all wheel drive, which is always engaged, and there is no switch
to disengage it.
Question: 1999 Dodge Intrepid mileage: 93,461. My car jerks
two to three times when just about coming to a stop. This is intermittent
and only happens when slowly stopping and is sometimes very pronounced. Feels
like the transmission incorrectly shifting but dealer says nothing wrong.
It is worse when car has been driven for longer periods of time. What can
be the problem? No codes indicating transmission problem.
Answer: Your car has a lock-up torque converter in the transmission.
It locks-up only in high gear. It is supposed to disengage at lower speeds.
Yours is not disengaging. There is probably a valve in the transmission “hanging
up”. The valve body will have to be removed and cleaned paying special attention
to the TCC solenoid. The TCC solenoid may have to be replaced.
Question: 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan mileage: 130,000. I am having a problem
with a wheel shimmy in the front passenger side. It only seems to happen when first
starting to accelerate and is more pronounced on right hand turns. It seems
to go away at speeds above 20-25 Mph. I have had it checked by my mechanic,
he replaced the 2 struts, 2 strut mounts, a motor mount and did an alignment and
this did not solve the problem. If you could send me in the right direction,
I would appreciate it!
Answer: Try replacing axle assemblies, both left and right axles should
be replaced. Also, check the tires for cord separation.
Question: 1999 Ford F-350 mileage: 30,000. I have a f-350 that is
giving me considerable sway getting up to highway speed and on deceleration but
not so much at cruising speed. I have new 4 ply radials, balanced, proper
inflation, etc. I have 3'' springs, 6 leafs. I have utility body, welder,
torches, and tools on board, but am well under gross vehicle weight. Leaf
springs do have a little squat to them. Would helper springs be in order or
should I be looking elsewhere? Also has rear anti-sway bar.
Answer: Your swaying problem may be due to worn out front
end components. Replace failed tie rod ends, drag link, and all bushings as
needed, then realign.
Question: 2002 Ford Thunderbird mileage: 43,000. Last August a small
shudder showed up when the car shifted into 3rd gear (automatic) and the engine
was under a slight uphill load. This only occurred when I was very lightly pressing
on the gas pedal. If I accelerate even a small amount, the shudder goes away.
Over the past few months its gotten worse, meaning more frequent. But I have
noticed that it never happens when the engine is cold. It has to warm
up for a while. I have had it to a transmission shop that comes highly recommended.
They say there is nothing wrong with my tranny or torch converter. There is one
more observation worth noting. When it does occur and I can keep it in the
'shudder mode', it sort of cycles in and out of the mode, cyclically and very periodically
like it is part of a failing servo loop or something. If I were to guess,
I would say it’s like the fuel to the engine is being modulated like the system
erroneously thinks, the engine is running to rich so it leans the mixture, which
causes the engine to stumble slightly. This stumble (shudder) causes the system
to richen the mixture and the engine pulls harder, then the process starts over
again a few moments later. I have thought about seeing if I could find the
oxygen sensor and unplugging it to see if that would affect the problem.
Answer: It sound like you need a major tune up including spark
plugs, spark plug wires, fuel filter and air filter. Replace as needed to repair
problem.
Question: 1999 Dodge Caravan mileage: 110,000. Hi Guys, well I put
in new half shafts at 99,000 miles, a 1,000 miles later both where out. I
replaced struts, motor mounts, new tires, brakes calipers and rotors. I had
the Dodge dealer align the front end and check the motor mount alignment.
Now at 110,000 miles, there is one out again. Any reason why or is it because
they are rebuilt; they where purchased at Napa. It shakes between 30 to 45
mph then lets up past that or if take your foot of the gas. Thanks
Answer: Try replace the CV joints with new parts. Some of the rebuilt
units use old CV joints instead of installing new parts. You can find quality auto
parts at eAutoPartStore.com
Question: 1998 Chevy Cavalier Z-24 mileage: 103,000. When traveling in
residential areas or where slow speed is required, the car starts shaking violently.
This occurs whenever I try to maintain speed around 25 MPH (second gear).
Above this speed the shaking stops. Below 25 MPH, it does not shake either.
When idling, the car has a noticeable smoky exhaust. I was inspecting the
tail pipe and noticed a carbon powder build up around the end of the pipe.
I have so far replaced the Idle Speed Sensor and Throttle Positioning Motor.
I bought an oxygen sensor and have not yet installed it. I am not sure what
else to do. The plugs and wires were recently replaced. I use premium
oil when I change the oil (about every 5000 miles). I pinged the ECM and got
trouble codes 22, 35, and 44, but I am not sure what they mean. Any suggestions
would be most helpful.
Answer: Code 22 is – low TOS voltage. Code 35 is IAC
speed error. Code 44 is lean exhaust. A compression check would be a
good idea also.
Question: 1999 Acura Integra mileage: 120,000. Strange vibration.
5 spd trans, in 3rd gear accelerating hard from 35 mph to 60 mph, engine oscillates
and brings steering wheel and gearshift vibration to extreme. Can be felt
in other gears. I have balanced tires, cut rotors, replaced front center motor
mount, and reduced vibration by 50%. It seems root cause of vibration still
exists. On rack with brakes applied and torque applied to drive line engine
seems to set up an oscillation when brakes and engine speed simulate road condition
noted above. Found right upper motor mount body securing bolt shifted to left
side of car (tight), when loosened motor shifted to right side of car and some of
the vibration was eliminated. It does not appear that axle shafts are bent
or Michelin tires have hidden defects. Note: rack test was with and without
tires --still vibration. Has anyone seen this problem before?
Please help. Thanks!
Answer: Yes we have seen similar problems. The CV joints
on the drive axles are probably worn out. Replacing them should fix your problem.
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