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Question: 1999 Ford Escort mileage: 136,000. My car was running pretty
good until my girlfriend's dad replaced the sparkplugs and wires. It drove fine
for 30 minutes then the engine started to shake and vibrate then it died. I tried
starting it later. In still shakes and vibrates. It will not idle. You have to constantly
push the gas pedal to keep it running and it vibrates like crazy.
Answer: Double check the sparkplug wires to make sure they
are on securely. Also check the sparkplugs for a cracked or broken one and check
to see that no vacuum lines were knocked off during the tune-up.
Question: 1997 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer mileage: 70,000. I checked the previous
questions and maybe the solution to my problem is worn CV joints, but who knows?
The truck is in excellent condition. The problem that I'm having is at high speeds
say around 70-75 mph. There is a vibration in the front end with a little shimmy
in the steering wheel. The vibration causes the passenger seat to shake a little,
and I can feel it under my feet. The truck is in drivable condition though. The
vibration is on and off and was not present when I bought the truck new. The truck
has not been into an accident at all, has had several alignments; tires balanced
over and over, front end checked (everything is tight) upper and lower ball joints
replaced on both sides, etc. After having the ball joints replaced, it cured it
a little but the vibration is still present. I know of a few customers that are
experiencing the same problem. I've been trying to figure out what's causing this
to happen. The front end has been looked at quite a number of times and everything
is tight. I've put a lot of money into trying to fix the problem. I don't want to
spend any more money until I really find out what's going on.
Answer: Check the drive shaft from the transfer case to the
front differential.
Question: 2002 Ford Windstar mileage: 104,000. Our van started
shaking and pulling to the right. We had the tires balanced, new tires put on the
front, all tires rotated, and we finally took it to get a check-up. We were told
that the axle under the passenger side was bent and needed to be replaced at $280.00.
One question is: How would an axle bend if the van has never been in an accident
or run off the road? Second Question: Is this a reasonable cost for replacement?
Third Question: Can it be left alone in this condition without any major
damage?
Answer: You should take your car to a different repair facility
for a second opinion. Have them try rotating the tires front to back. Sometimes
the tires can make a slight pull even if the car is in alignment.
Question: 1999 Chevrolet Lumina mileage: 74,000. The other day I took
my car riding in the country on some dirt roads and now when ever I get it above
45 MPH my wheel starts to shake. Could you help tell me what it might be?
Answer: Check for a tires that might have separated in the
tread. Also check tires balance.
Question: 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager mileage: 64,000. Guys, I need
some help. I have a noticeable shake in the front end that occurs at about
60 MPH - but only if accelerating. The faster the acceleration, the
more noticeable the shake! Speeds above and below 60 MPH, no problems.
I have replaced the front tires, struts and mounts, had new tires examined and rebalanced,
and a front-end alignment. What should I try next? HELP! Thanks
Vic
Answer: From what you have described, it appears the CV joints are starting
to fail. You will need to replace both axle shafts.
Question: 1995 BMW 525I 2.5L mileage: 97,000. I recently purchased
what appeared to be an exceptionally well maintained 525I, which at the time of
purchase had identified what appeared to be a wheel balancing problem. As
it turns out this did not rectify either a mild shudder, which is evident throughout
the vehicle, or a speed dependant vibration, which is both, transmitted through
the steering and the seat of your pants. Subsequently, the entire suspension
system and drive train has been checked on several occasions, and the BMW mechanics
have replaced the drive shaft, which had no impact, followed by the left rear axle,
which appears to have removed the general vibration, which was evident at all, speeds.
What remains is a persistent vibration which comes in at 55 mph, becomes more violent
as you approach 60 mph, and then tapers off, but remains at a lesser degree of severity.
The BMW mechanics appear to have no solution, and are unwilling to replace either
the tires or the wheels. For my money, the problem is either one or two slightly
buckled rims (two rims are well scuffed), or out of round tires, or a combination
of both. I have no way of confirming this by way of a conventional balancing
machine, most of which do not exceed 30 mph. Basically, my question is, where
do I go from here? Any assistance would be most appreciated.
Answer: Try having the wheels rebalanced, check the
front end alignment, and double check the lower ball joints.
Question: 2002 Ford Explorer mileage: 69,124. I am having a problem
with a shimmy/shake in the front end at speeds from 40 mph & up. I have recently
replaced the steering rack, lower ball joints on both sides. The inner Tie
rods are new and the Outer have no play in them. There is no movement in each
tire, so the bearings are tight. The tires have 30% wear, and have been
balanced. The alignment is fine. The symptom feels like a side to side
shake in the steering wheel, but calms down when turning the steering wheel further
than 20 degrees in a turn. There are currently no TSB's or recalls for this symptom.
Any Ideas you might have would be greatly appreciated by me and Ford Motor Company.
Answer: The shaking you describe is unusually due to tire cord separation.
Rotate tires front to back. If this fixes your problem, have your front tires
replaced.
Question: 1999 Pontiac Grand Am Quad 4 mileage: 99,000. My car steering
wheel is shaking at 55-60 mph and sometimes when I put on the brakes at 50 mph.
Could my car need the wheels aligned? Never have had done yet. Just
got 4 new tires on car and was inspected but shaking has been going on 2-3 months
prior to changing the tires. Thank you.
Answer: Check the front end alignment and check the lower ball joints
and the rod ends for wear. Also, recheck the tire balance.
Question: 1999 Ford Crown Vic mileage: 80,000. I have recently bought
this car with 80,000 miles. The problem is that while climbing uphill between
the speeds of 40-50 mph I feel vibrations just like you feel when you pass over
a road with groves in it before a traffic light. Duration of vibrations is
5-7 sec and it keeps repeating every 10 sec till the speed goes above 50 mph. Is
this a transmission problem like slipping gears?
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: 2002 Toyota Camry mileage: 38,000. When I hit 65 mph while
driving my steering wheel shakes and shakes, as soon as I go slower, the shaking
stops.
Answer: Check the front end alignment and check the lower ball joints
and the rod ends for wear. Also, recheck the tire balance.
Question: 1999 Dodge Caravan mileage: 120,000. When accelerating between
speeds of 38 to 41 mph I notice a shake and rattle in the front end as if a loose
metal part is hitting the frame. I have tried to shake all moveable parts in the
front end nothing seems loose. The rattle only occurs when the van is passing thru
this speed range. I have noted the rpm during this and the rattle is independent
of the rpm. This has been going on for some time and is only noticeable when the
car is eased thru this regime. A quick acceleration and the rattle does not occur
when passing thru this speed range. I have had the wheels balanced and the front
end checked nothing seems to work!
Answer: The C.V. joints on the front drive axles may be worn out. Replacing
the C.V. joints or drive axles should cure the problem.
Question: 1999 Chevrolet 3500 mileage: 23,000. My truck shakes violently
when going over railroad tracks, but not all of them. It also does this when going
over dips that aren't particularly deep and this seems to happen only when it is
uneven on one side of the road. Usually this happens with the left side of the truck.
The speed at which this occurs is 30 mph. I know you mentioned tire rods, CV joints
etc. Could that be the culprit? What’s the average cost for some of these repairs
(I know it depends on what part of the country you live in, just a ball park figure)
and how long does it take (hours) for some of these repairs?
Answer: Tie rod ends can cause your problem. Your truck is
not equipped with CV Joints. Other possibilities are ball joint or/and worn steering
box. If you have oversized tires on your truck, they will magnify the problem. A
wheel alignment service center should be able to check out your truck. The cost
of the necessary repair varies with the amount of work done. If in doubt, get 2
or 3 estimates.
Question: 1999 Nissan Maxima SE 3.0, mileage: 67,000. I have
a tire/wheel balance problem w/ stock 215/55 16 wheels. Several facilities have
tried to balance them successfully however they still are not perfect. Nothing bent
or out of round. Tried a replacement wheel tire package, stock size, and $1800 later
new wheels and tires sitting in garage. The shimmy occurs at 65 mph+. In addition,
my brakes continue to warp. Replace front pads twice (all Nissan stock) and recently
replaced rear. I do all highway miles and generally do high-speed stops (I’m a cop).
Thought about replacing w/ performance friction carbon metallic. Any suggestions?
(I like the brake feel and performance on 98 police Crown Victoria I drive, what
kind of brakes). If replace with performance friction carbon metallic brake pads,
do I need new rotors or can new pads be installed with resurface rotors. The shimmy
is annoying and the brakes are just expensive. Suggestions please.
Answer: The problems with wheel shimmy and the brakes maybe
related. In doing several high-speed stops, all the energy is transferred to the
brakes causing them to heat up. Excess heat will warp the rotors causing the shimmy
you are experiencing. New brake rotors would help because they are full size with
more mass to dissipate the heat. The metallic brake pads you mentioned may help
but they will wear out the brake rotors quicker. The brake systems on police cars
are usually equipped with larger brake rotors and pads. They also try to get more
air circulation to the brakes with vented style rims.
Question: 1996 Eagle Vision TSi, miles: 57,200 . It started
shaking while being driven, with the worst shaking at about 35 mph. I had the tires
rotated and balanced, hoping that would solve the problem. It did not. The steering
wheel shakes back and forth (not a great deal, nor violently) as well, and the car
shakes, almost a pulsating feel. I asked the shop to rebalance the tires, and they
did, which didn't help. I took it to another place, where they checked for various
things, one of which was a bent rim(s), what they checked turned out fine. They
also rebalanced the tires. I decided to take it back to the store where I bought
the tires. They rebalanced the tires as well; I'm not sure what else they checked
for. I took it back to them again, and they could not figure it out either (but
they did rebalance again!). My car has the best-balanced tires in Alaska. However,
I'm wondering if maybe I just have bad tires? I don't know what else it could be.
Any suggestions?
Answer: After reading your question, it is safe to assume
your tire balance is not the problem. Here are some possible causes: 1. Worn tie
rod ends, 2. Steering rack rubber mounts, 3. Front axle "C-V" joints for wear, 4.
Have suspension checked for wear. A wheel alignment service center should be able
to do the checks for you.
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