In a normal situation, the car should move smoothly on a level road at any speed. However, if you own the car long enough, there are high chances that your car will develop some vibration problems. It's one of those annoying problems that starts quietly and gradually, and is subtle enough that you don't notice or ignore it. This problem should not be underestimated and it is necessary to know the main causes of vehicle vibration.
Is it important to know the causes of car vibration?
As with any car wear problem, it is very likely that shaking and wobble will progress over time. You just might suddenly realize that your car sounds like it's going to fall apart any minute. Don't wait for this to happen because you will have to pay for expensive repairs if you don't fix the problem.
Diagnosing and finding the cause of a car problem is half the job done. If your car starts shaking and showing its age, you can check out the top 5 likely culprits for your car's vibration and learn how to fix the problem before it's too late.
Vibration due to tire problem
Tires are one of the most common causes of vehicle vibration at speed. One of possible problems that you may encounter in this context are not unbalanced tires (wheel imbalance). At slow speeds, problems will not be noticeable, but the shaking will increase as you accelerate to 55-60 km / h. The steering wheel or even the whole car will begin to vibrate. The tires will also shake in a special way.
Also follow correct pressure in tires, over-inflated tires will transmit road bumps to the car body as vibration. Correct the problem by inflating the tire to the air pressure specified by the manufacturer.
Vibration can also be the result of uneven tire wear. Check the tread on your tires, and if you notice that there is more wear on one side than the other, you should rotate or swap the tires to ensure they wear evenly.
One way to avoid future tire problems is to learn how to read the tread pattern, check your tires regularly, and you will be able to spot signs of trouble in a timely manner.
Wheels - out of balance
Vibrations caused by wheels are usually felt through wheel. One possible culprit for this could be a worn or damaged wheel bearing. Although they should last quite a long time, as with any other mechanical part of a car, they can fail at any time.
Another thing to look for is rod ends or ball joints. If the steering wheel feels normal while you're driving straight, but starts shaking when you turn, it could signal worn bar ends. However, if the steering wheel shakes in a straight line but stops when you turn, that could be a sign that it needs to be replaced as well.
The wobble can be another cause of vehicle vibration and shaking. The term refers to any deviation from a truly circular rotation and is measured by a special indicator.
car engine vibration
If your car's engine isn't getting enough oxygen, fuel, or spark that it needs to run smoothly, you'll notice that the vibration in your car is coming from engine compartment and often. This problem manifests itself in jerking, shaking and uneven engine operation when your car accelerates or rumbles in a certain range of speeds.
To get rid of this problem, you should check the spark plugs and install a new set if necessary if the old ones are worn out. Be sure to also check the condition of the fuel and air filters: if they are clogged or dirty, the engine will be deprived of the necessary fuel or oxygen. To prevent this from happening, be sure to change them in a timely and regular manner.
If your vehicle's vibration problems are not related to any particular speed, but occur when you stop at a red light or park, then the engine mounts may be worn or damaged and should be replaced.
Brake problems
If you notice vibrations when applying the brakes, it is very likely that you are dealing with a worn or worn brake rotor. If this is the case, then you will have the steering wheel shaking while braking or pulsing right through the brake pedal. Make sure the rotor is checked, good, or completely replaced.
Another cause is a worn or rusty brake caliper pin, but this usually only affects older vehicles. If this is the cause of the vibrations, you will feel that your steering wheel starts to vibrate at 50 kilometers per hour. As you increase the speed, it will intensify, and when you stop, you may smell a burning smell.
Keep in mind that from a safety standpoint, a car's braking system is one of the most important systems in a vehicle. It is sensitive to wear so be sure to keep it in good condition, checking brake pads, discs and all other components brake system regularly and in a timely manner.
Axis problems
If lately your vehicle there has been a collision or some other accident, the axle may have been bent or damaged. In this case, please note that the vibration in the car occurs when accelerating.
In this context, the problem is closely related cardan shaft, the mechanical component that sends engine power to the rear or front axle (depending on whether you are driving rear wheel drive or front wheel drive vehicle).
If you feel like the car is bouncing up and down the front (in FWD vehicles) and you notice vibration and crackling noise coming from that part, you may be dealing with a worn or broken constant speed joint (CV joint). The solution is to repair and install the CV joints or completely replace the driveshaft.
That being said, if your car bounces up and down in the rear (in RWD vehicles) and you notice that the vibration increases as you decelerate at high speed, you may be dealing with worn universal joints (U segments) on the drive shaft. In this case, either the (V) connections or the entire driveshaft must be replaced.
The sources of vibrations during movement can be different, but in any case, they indicate malfunctions in certain parts of the car. By their nature, it is often possible to identify a malfunction. How to make such a diagnosis and what to look for in case of vibrations, we want to tell in this article.
1 What are vibrations and when to sound the alarm?
Vibrations occur in the car as a result of the action of centrifugal forces. Moreover, they are present in any car, even a new one, and this is normal. Accordingly, the car owner needs to feel the threshold when the vibration, when driving, goes from acceptable to "unhealthy", i.e. indicating any malfunction. There is no device that measures the level of vibrations. Therefore, you need to rely only on your own feelings.
Of course, it is not easy for novice motorists to cope with this task, so you should pay attention to the following symptoms:
- objects lying on the torpedo, even when moving on a flat road, move and fall;
- even with a light touch on the steering wheel, vibration is clearly felt;
- in the rearview mirror it is impossible to catch the focus.
Please note that vibrations have the most negative effect on the condition of the entire car. Therefore, it is necessary to identify them as early as possible, find the cause and eliminate it.
2 Isn't it time to fix the weight on the disks - from simple to complex
The most common cause of vibration is wheel imbalance. Therefore, troubleshooting begins with it. And it absolutely does not matter when the last time you performed wheel balancing was a month or a week ago. Even if you left the service station and "caught" the hole unsuccessfully, the setting may be broken. Also, unbalancing often occurs as a result of unscrupulous service station workers who fix the weights poorly or perform the settings incorrectly, for example, do not wash the wheel before fixing it on the stand.
Vibration associated with wheel imbalance, as a rule, appears at low speeds - 30-40 km / h, sometimes - 60-70 km / h. With a set speed of up to 80-100 km / h, it turns into a real shaking, at which it is impossible to continue moving. There is only one way out in such a situation - to call in the nearest tire shop and fix the problem, escaping with a slight fright and several hundred rubles.
Sometimes vibrations occur due to uneven tire pressure. Therefore, be sure to check it and, if necessary, correct it.
3 Vibrations of the internal combustion engine - the power unit is peddling
If vibrations appear only during acceleration, problems must be sought in the operation of the engine. As a rule, they are accompanied by a loss of power, twitching that occurs only at certain speeds and a decrease in vehicle dynamics. In this case, first of all, it is necessary to check the fuel system. Start looking for the cause from a simple one - replacing the fuel filter.
It must be said that fuel filter can become unusable not only due to high mileage, but also after filling low-quality fuel. If the fuel pump is clogged, then the carburetor/injector will probably need to be flushed as well. Note that flushing the carburetor may be required even after a long period of inactivity of the car, for example, if you do not use the car in the winter.
If there are no malfunctions in the fuel system, attention must be paid to the electrician. Unfortunately, they manifest themselves in almost the same way as malfunctions. fuel system, therefore, it will not work to determine by the symptoms why the vibration is going through the car. Most often, the following elements of the ignition system fail:
- candles;
- candlesticks - even a small, barely noticeable crack in the cap is enough for the candle to work intermittently and cause the engine to "tune";
- high voltage wires.
I must say that in some cases you can even hear a characteristic crackle under the hood, indicating a breakdown high voltage wire. To find out exactly where the spark jumps, we start the engine in the dark and open the hood. Most often, a spark can be seen visually. If the wires and candles are normal, on modern cars check electronic sensors. It will not work on your own, so you should contact qualified specialists with special equipment.
4 Transmission problems - how to diagnose?
Often the causes of vibration are related to the transmission. Determining them is quite simple: if the box is mechanical, we simply squeeze the clutch while driving. On the automatic transmission, you need to switch the lever to the "N" position. If the vibrations are gone, then this indicates problems in the gearbox. True, on rear wheel drive vehicles, in addition to the box, a cardan, or rather, its crosses, as well as a gearbox can serve as a source of vibration rear axle. The latter, in the event of a malfunction, makes a loud noise during movement.
There are situations when vibrations appear only after pressing the clutch pedal or shifting the lever to the "N" position on the automatic transmission. In this case, the following components of the car can be blamed:
- torque converter;
- clutch basket;
- flywheel;
- crankshaft;
- unbalanced connecting rods and pistons.
To prolong the life of the box, do not forget that it also requires an oil change, even if the manufacturer himself reports that the oil is filled for life and does not need to be replaced. The fact is that by the standards of automakers, the life of a car is only 5 years.
You are unlikely to learn more accurately to identify the cause of transmission malfunctions. Actually, this is useless, since in any case, to eliminate them, you must contact the service center.
That's all the most common causes of vibrations in the car while driving. True, another source of them is the suspension or steering system. However, identifying such problems is usually not difficult even for beginners, since vibrations are accompanied by characteristic knocking sounds and manifest themselves when driving on rough roads or when entering turns at high speed.
Professional drivers are well aware that the vibration of the engine at idle is transmitted to the bodywork in every car. This is a working vibration, it can be very difficult for a beginner to determine its permissible parameters. Modern machines show detonation of nodes 70% lower than, for example, a VAZ 2106 car, but it still exists.
If a noticeable vibration of the steering wheel begins to appear in the car, the body on low revs, during braking, acceleration, speed - this always indicates a breakdown or wear of parts. You can correctly and quickly find the cause by observing the situation in which uncharacteristic shaking appears.
Common causes of engine vibration on idling associated with malfunctioning nodes power unit, less often - with breakdowns of transmission parts. Shaking at idle is felt immediately after starting the car, and when stopping. Causes of body shake can be:
- failure of the pillow (support) of the engine;
- clogged fuel pump, worn filter;
- faulty spark plug;
- wear of the CPG (details of the cylinder-piston group of the internal combustion engine).
An engine support is a rubber-metal or hydraulic gasket between the engine and the car body parts. The main purpose of the pillow is to soften vibrations and detonation from a running engine, which transmits vibration to the body.
Most often, the engine is mounted on four or five supports, the failure of one of them causes the body to vibrate outside the box.
In 90% of cases, the failure of the support occurs due to the breakage of the rubber part of the metal support. The average life of the engine mount is 100,000 km.
If the fuel system in the car is faulty, shaking can become noticeable when the engine is idling, high speed, acceleration. There are interruptions in the supply of fuel, which is manifested by a sharp decrease in speed or a sharp increase in it.
When diagnosing, it is required not only to check the filters, but also to test the injectors. Checking the operation of the nozzles is carried out on a special stand using hydraulic equipment.
The shaking of the car at idle occurs when there is a malfunction in the electrical wiring in the car. The motor troit, a slight oscillation of the body is created. This indicates a malfunction in the spark plug, a possible crack.
When driving
If your car vibrates at speeds that increase as you accelerate and don't stop while driving, the problem could be wheel imbalance. In addition, shaking during movement is associated with a malfunction of parts of the suspension, electrics:
- shock absorbers, racks;
- thrust bearing;
- tie rod end;
- hinges;
- broken high voltage wire.
When a high-voltage wire breaks, the car begins to vibrate while driving and a characteristic crackle is heard. Finding the breakdown site is quite simple, a spark is noticeable when the engine is running at idle. But if the wiring is in order, but the appearance of extraneous sounds under the hood, you should check the electronic sensors.
During acceleration
If body shake is observed only during acceleration and stops when accelerating to 80–90 km, the problem should be sought in the operation of the internal combustion engine and the fuel system. Checked for purity fuel filters correct operation of the injectors. Some other causes of failure:
- When the wheels are unbalanced, the vibration during acceleration of the car appears at a speed of 30 km, does not stop and becomes stronger.
- Uneven tire pressure causes the car to vibrate when accelerating and braking.
- A low oil level can reduce dynamics and lead to vibration of the body, jerks appear at low speeds.
- Breakage of the gimbal U-joint.
- The automatic transmission filter is clogged.
- Wear of balls, clips of the inner shtrus.
In 30% of cases the cause overhaul becomes ignoring body vibrations associated with wear cardan joint.
At a certain speed
If the car vibrates at high speed, the cause may be malfunctions in such nodes:
- transmission;
- steering system;
- suspension.
If vibration appears on the body at a speed of 100-120 km, the silent block on the suspension arms, ball joints are checked. The failure of the units is associated with driving on bad roads, frequent hits in the pits.
Depreciation of the shock absorber spring, strut support bearing leads to shaking of the car when driving over uneven areas at speeds above 80 km per hour.
Wheel imbalance is the first cause of steering wheel shaking from 50 to 100 km / h. At high speeds, driving with such a malfunction is impossible and dangerous.
Steering tip wear will result in big backlash in the knot, this will create an unbalance of the front wheels, leading to shaking of the car at a speed of 90 km / h.
If the gearbox is the cause of the vibration, it's easy to check. It is necessary to squeeze the clutch while driving on the manual transmission, on the automatic transmission, set the handle to the “N” position. If the shaking has stopped, the problem is diagnosed in the gearbox assembly.
When braking
Vibration of the body during braking can occur due to wear of the brake system components, wheel imbalance, due to poor, “bald” rubber. Causes of vehicle vibration can be associated with breakdown or wear of the following parts of the brake system:
- hubs;
- brake discs;
- drums.
If at idle the engine runs smoothly, acceleration, driving pass without noticeable shaking, but when braking, the car “throws” - you need to check the bolt pattern rims and tightening of all screws.
Vibration in a car can occur for many reasons, and the situation is complicated by the fact that a breakdown may not give any special signs. The car can shake either during acceleration or when driving at speed. If you feel vibration emanating from the steering wheel, then you need to urgently inspect the car, find the cause and eliminate it by replacing the desired unit. What could be causing the car to shake at speed? Need to figure it out.
What harm can vibration do during acceleration and at speed?
The vibration emanating from the car delivers significant discomfort to both the driver and passengers, and besides, it is harmful to the car itself. Fluctuations can cause cracks, because of this phenomenon, nuts and bolts can loosen by themselves, and this is fraught. In addition, the driver can suffer from this, because vibrations can cause problems with blood circulation, vasoconstriction, salt deposits in the joints.
Important! Take a close look dashboard. If there are any violations in the car, the indicator will show this.
Causes of vibration at speed
You are extremely unlucky if the car shakes at speed. The difficulty lies in the fact that you, as a driver, constantly feel the vibration from the steering wheel, and this has an extremely negative effect on yourself. In this case, you need to urgently find out why the car vibrates at speed.
Inspecting the wheels
Wheels can be the main cause of vehicle vibration while driving, with shaking at a particular speed being the main symptom. Often the vibration of the car goes at a speed of 100 km / h. If you have an accident, and the wheels are hit, then the body can vibrate precisely because of this. Defects can be detected even by visual inspection. The problem may be in the balancing weights. If they fly off, then the body will vibrate at a speed of more than 80 km / h. In this case, you will have to go to the specialists on and, since it is impossible to find out on which wheel the weight flew off.
violated
Wheel alignment violations can be considered one of the causes of vehicle vibration that occurs at certain speeds, although vibration can also occur during acceleration. Externally, a similar defect is visible in uneven wear tires. If external or inner side tires are badly worn, then it's time to re-adjust the alignment.
Tire quality
The quality of tires directly depends on the wheel alignment. If you have corrected the corners, then it is impossible to correct the rubber, since it is already “used” to ride that way. You can either put new tires, or move carefully and at low speeds to make the wear even.
Cause in the running
There can be several problems with the chassis:
1) Racks and suspension shock absorbers. If these parts are worn out, the car will sway from every pothole. This is fraught with damage to other machine components due to too much vibration. When replacing these items, inspect the strut support bearings.
2) Ball joints. Due to their wear, play occurs, which gives vibration. Keep track of the service life of these elements.
3) CV joints. You can check their integrity simply: grab the shaft and scroll it. If there is a backlash, even the slightest, the element must be replaced. The rubber component of the anther may also be damaged.
Causes of vibration can be damaged wheel bearings, poor mounting of brake discs, bending of the wheel drive shaft. With such damage, the machine vibrates at any speed.
Other reasons
If the car vibrates at high speed, then the engine should be suspected first. The reason for the vibration of the engine may be its incorrect installation. It is clear that this phenomenon appears after a major overhaul of the motor or its replacement. To fix this, you need to remove the suspension, slightly loosen the mounts that hold the engine, and then return the suspension to its place. At speed, the cardan shaft can also vibrate - the crosses are to blame. If this is the problem, then it is necessary to dismantle the shaft, inspect the crosses, which should move freely even with a slight pressure, the presence, at the end - a spline connection. The solution to the problem is to replace the entire shaft.
Causes of vibration during acceleration and how to eliminate them
The most dangerous situation occurs when the car shakes during acceleration. In this situation, you need to check the following parameters.
Low oil level in the gearbox
Insufficient oil can cause both engine vibration and shaking of the machine as a whole. Vibration during acceleration in this case can be eliminated very easily. And to determine this particular reason, you need to start accelerating, in which you will feel jerks, and when you press the accelerator pedal, the dynamics will drop.
Clogged transmission filter
If there is an automatic transmission in the car, then a clogged filter can lead to the fact that there is strong vibration during acceleration. This is especially noticeable at high speed. A clogged filter must be replaced.
Cardan joint wear
Vibration at speed also occurs when the cardan joint is worn. The shaking is most pronounced when the propeller shaft is untwisted with idle move. If this element is worn out, it must be replaced as soon as possible. After all, because of this, the car can fail completely, and repairs will be very expensive.
Note! If the car is manual box gears, and the car shakes during acceleration, then the reason is most likely a worn cardan shaft. If the machine is with, then you need to inspect the consumables in it.
Vibration in a car is always bad, which means you can’t let everything take its course, otherwise there is a possibility that inaction will cost much more.
Probably, not every driver noticed such a phenomenon, but still a lot of motorists were faced with the fact that the car was shaking while driving. The most common causes of this defect are:
- Poor wheel balancing (you can find out what wheel balancing is by following the link);
- Problem with brake discs;
- Play of one of the driving wheels;
- Other reasons that are almost impossible to determine on their own;
We have already discussed what balancing is, but we repeat that when there is an imbalance on the wheels or on one of the wheels, this will certainly affect the smoothness of movement. In this case, the car will definitely start to shake, and the faster the car moves, the more noticeable the shaking will be. If the imbalance is on the front wheels, then the steering wheel may begin to shake at speed, and if on rear wheels, then the shaking will be transmitted to the car body.
To test this version, you need to thoroughly wash wheel disks outside and inside. It may be that 20-30 grams of dirt give a very noticeable imbalance. If after these steps the problem has not disappeared, then you should go to a tire service and ask to check the balance. If even after balancing the problem does not go away, then you should think about other reasons.
Why can shake the steering wheel at speed
If we have discarded the first possible reason, then we will move on to the second. It is important to understand that if the steering wheel shakes at speed, then the problem is somewhere in the front of the car. Perhaps you recently had a long trip, or you braked for a long time and then got into a puddle. I bring to the fact that perhaps your brake discs have been driven, and they have ceased to be the form in which they were originally. That is, an imbalance also appears here, but not as a wheel, but as a bundle of the hub, disk and wheel as one whole. The reason is unlikely, but there is a place to be and this must also be checked and excluded.
Also, according to the statistics of service centers, one of the probable causes may be the play of one of the wheels parallel to the ground. If there is such a possibility, then raise the car on a lift and check this version and also exclude it.
Among all possible causes it can be anything, so to be sure of this, you will need to use the services of specialists, because this is your safety.