Vibration!!! HELP!, Using this topic also for presentation Options

[Abner78]

Hi,
I'm new to this site and I just bought a six gen Celica of 1997 .
I'm from Italy, so I suppose my model will be slightly different from yours.

But I'm in need of your help! My car would be perfect if it weren't for a vibration that happens when I'm accelerating from 30 mph till 50 mph (50 km/h till 80 km/h) and then disappears. The vibration gets stronger till a "uuuuuuhhhh" sound (it seems something makes a resonance) that makes vibrate even the floor of the car!!!

This vibration is stronger when I use the 4° & 5° gear.... what could it be?

Thank you for all the replies!

[khye]

Sounds like you have one or more of your front wheels out of balance.

If you have an unbalanced wheel, it will cause a vibration between 30 and 50,
then the vibration will dissappear at speeds in excess of that.

Sounds exactly like what you are describing, The balancing of the wheels is carried out by means of attaching a small lead weight to the inside of your wheels.(This should be attached by the auoshop who supplied and fitted the tires, usually a free service when purchasing a tire)

Maybe you have checked this out already?

If not it would be a good place to start....

[Abner78]

QUOTE (khye @ Jul 7, 2003 - 6:31 AM)

Sounds like you have one or more of your front wheels out of balance. Maybe you have checked this out already? If not it would be a good place to start....

Uhm... I took my car to my mechanic (he's a friend of mine) and I thought he did it.
Now I'm not sure ....

The sound is so strange that I escluded a wheel problem... but if you say so, I'll check it, thanks...

[Raek]

check your tires too...sometimes a certain area of tire is worn down more than others...

[Abner78]

Ok... went to the mechanic (half a mile from here )... checked the tyres.... One of them was really unbalanced (hope u understand, dunno if the american term is correct speaking of tyres)

The vibration has been reduced and now it's present ONLY at 50 mph.... could it be a CV joint?

[khye]

QUOTE (Raek @ Jul 7, 2003 - 7:23 AM)

check your tires too...sometimes a certain area of tire is worn down more than others...

Yup!

When your wheels get a bit bent out of shape, (even slightly) the rapid rotation of the wheel may cause a vibration which is usually at its most intense at around 50mph - 60mph.

Your mechanic adds little bit of lead weight to the inside of your wheel to counteract this vibration,
The weight is usually placed at the opposite side to any dent in your wheel.

The fact that you have now balanced the wheel should reduce the vibration, but since the wheel was out of balance in the first place means that there may some extra rubber wear on one spot of your tyre/tire

This is exactly what happened to me, checking the wheel visually may not immediately show you that there is a flat sopt in the rubber, but it may be possible that it is there.

After a few hundred more miles the rubber should wear into a more uniform pattern so do not be surprised if the vibration gets lighter over time.

Keep us posted, I would be interested to find out what happens,

All the best...

This post has been edited by khye: Jul 10, 2003 - 8:44 AM

[95STHATCH]

i thought it sounded like Blown struts up front, I just changed mine today. I had the same exact symtoms.

[nigz]

nah CV joints vibrate your car like anything, u'll know if its CV joint mate........its extremely bad, when u turn it should make a creaking noise like mine, cost me a bit to install new ones.

[t96f]

I suggest check your wheel be=arings thats what my vibration was,,

[Zephyr]

How is a bearing check performed? Can anybody just get under their car and do it?

[khye]

If you want to check the bearings you can do this by sitting down along side the wheel.
Put both hands on the tyre rubber and attempt to rock the wheel inwards and outwards.

If the bearings are in good shape, then the wheels should not move.

If on the other hand the bearing is damaged, the wheel should move slightly, sometimes with a knocking sound as the loose bearing moves in and out.

I just replaced my Celica's bearings last week and they seemed to give out a grinding sound rather than a vibration, but it is definetly worth checking out.

Sometimes a bearing can just be loose and may need tightening.
I forked out $230 for a new rear bearing and when the mechanic went to fit it, he noticed that the bearing was just loose.

We tightened it up and everything was fine again. (Saved myself $230 into the bargain)

[Abner78]

Thank you all for the replies...

After many tries, even I think it should be the bearing...

My mechanic says that if it's the bearing, the vibration will get worse with time... so I should only wait and see....

Thank you again!