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Car Is Shaking Or Vibrating Inspection
Why is your car shaking or vibrating?
You pull up at a set of lights and notice that your car is doing the Lambada.
The people in the car next to you look over and obligingly join in by pumping up the tunes, creating a dance party atmosphere.
Your teeth rattle and the excess flab shimmies as you sit there wondering if your car knows you had that extra cookie at lunch and is trying to vibrate it off you.
In all seriousness, you're wondering what is going on with your pride and joy.
Is it sick and in need of seeing the car doctor?
The answer to that would be yes, and soon.
There are a number of reasons why your vehicle could be shaking and vibrating.
To identify this type of issue the cost can differ, as it is a matter of elimination.
The mechanic may find the cause in five minutes or it could take an hour.
Be prepared to pay around $20 to $170 to identify a shaking/vibration concern.
An AutoGuru qualified technician can get a grasp on that vibration for you.
How do you know there’s a problem?
Well, if the car moves in a way that is different to the norm, you should be on alert.
It could be that you may go over a speed bump and the vehicle bobs around or sways oddly.
You could hit the brakes and feel a shudder going through the car as if your driving on corrugated iron.
When your sitting in traffic you may notice the vehicle is idling roughly, causing the engine to shudder.
Or you may just notice a vibration that travels through to the steering wheel, yet the road is smooth.
Common reasons for the car to shake or vibrate
Brakes
Rotors may be warped, need to be machined or the brake pads may be worn and need replacing.
Engine Mount
There may be a broken engine mount.
The mounts secure the engine to the frame of the vehicle.
If one or more is broken it can cause shaking.
Check out this article if your Engine is Shaking or Vibrating.
Spark Plug
When you’re running worn or fouled spark plugs in your engine it may cause the vehicle to misfire.
This can create rough idling as the engine is struggling to fire at the right time.
Tyres
Unevenly worn tyres or tyres that have flat spots can cause vibration through the whole vehicle.
If you are driving on tyres that are not designed for your make and model of car, it may produce a rough ride.
The wheels may also not be aligned properly.
This will create a slight vibration that can be felt through the steering wheel.
Wheels that have not been balanced correctly could cause the same issue.
Suspension
Have you ever gone over a speed bump and the car bounces more than it should?
If so, you may need to replace the shock absorbers or struts.
If you have been creative with your cruiser and decided to fit non-recommended or modified suspension, then you may find the vehicle does not handling correctly and moves around more than it should.
Exhaust
This one is a pretty obvious because you will hear it as you feel it.
If your exhaust comes loose of its fittings, it may bang around under the car.
This can create vibration and a lot of annoying noise.
How is the car shaking or vibrating inspection performed?
It’s always a good idea to take mental notes when your vehicle is behaving in an unusual way.
When a mechanic needs to find an issue, it's a good idea to give them some feedback as to when it happens and what you have been experiencing.
The mechanic will listen to your feedback and base their initial steps on what you have observed.
They may take the vehicle for a test drive to see if they can reproduce the issue is it’s not obvious.
Then they will start the inspection and elimination process.
Once the cause is identified the mechanic will advise of the fault and let you know how much the repairs will cost.
How important is the inspection?
If you were shaking around for an extended amount of time do you think that your body could handle it?
Just like your body, over time the shakes will eventually cause other issues.
Left unfixed, a vibration or shake can cause other components to wear or fail.
Find the culprit of the vibrations and get it fixed soon before other parts start to join in on the party.
