New Member With Problem Options

[NigeStoke]

Firstly I'll say hi

First post and I already need some advice, I promise I'm not always like this lol

Brought the car a couple of weeks ago and the last few days I have noticed a problem that has me baffled and am hoping its a common easy fix on the Celica

When I get in the car its fine, I drive for about a mile and it gives a feeling that you have a flat tyre, steering wobble etc, No noises,knocks or grinding etc, pull over, then pull back off and its gone, no wobble nothing and it wont do it again!

Its happened literally 4 times in 2 weeks, it might go a couple of days without doing it and when it does happen simply pull over and then pull off and 99.9% of the time it will be fine again

Any ideas?

[CelicaST_CALI]

do u have all your lug nuts on?How many miles on your car?stock rims and tires?

[NigeStoke]

do u have all your lug nuts on?How many miles on your car?stock rims and tires?

Yeah all lug nuts on, car has done 150,000 after market rims and tires!

only owned the car a couple of weeks, it was fine for the first week or so then has started doing it the last 7 days! and when it does it once I stop and then pull off its gone and wont do it again until the car has been parked for a while and even then it might not do it

This one has beat me lol

[Bigblock]

Check front suspension & steering linkage. Check trans fluid level.
Odd that it would go away...hmmm

I'm sure you'll get experienced answers--hang in there!! Drive safe

[NigeStoke]

Check front suspension & steering linkage. Check trans fluid level.
Odd that it would go away...hmmm

I'm sure you'll get experienced answers--hang in there!! Drive safe

Thats what has me confused, Ive considered all the obvious, like fluids, bearings etc but its the fact that as soon as you pull over and then drive off its gone and it wont come back until the car has stood and even then it might not do it

[SwissFerdi]

After you start driving again, is it usually a long trip? The only thing I can think of is something related to temperature, i.e. components cooling down when you let the car sit.

[NigeStoke]

After you start driving again, is it usually a long trip? The only thing I can think of is something related to temperature, i.e. components cooling down when you let the car sit.

The car would be cold when it does it as it normally happens less than one mile into the journey, but even on short journeys once its done it then it wont happen again, it seems as if stopping for a few seconds then pulling back off cures the problem

This post has been edited by NigeStoke: Jan 25, 2010 - 9:05 PM

[GriffGirl]

Sounds like it's suspension related, you need to get it into a shop where they can put it up on a lift and check it out soon, it sounds really unsafe to drive. Could be anything from the wheel just not being on securely to a major suspension issue like a broken tie rod, strut mount, endlink or bent control arm.

[NigeStoke]

Sounds like it's suspension related, you need to get it into a shop where they can put it up on a lift and check it out soon, it sounds really unsafe to drive. Could be anything from the wheel just not being on securely to a major suspension issue like a broken tie rod, strut mount, endlink or bent control arm.

But wouldnt any of them problems mean it would be like that all the time you drove? after its happened Ive drove for nearly 2hrs solid and the drive has felt fine, no steering wheel wobble, no noises, no grinding or bumping and even when it happens there is no noise that would alarm you

[GriffGirl]

No, not necessarily. You should get it checked out soon, not only for safety reasons but because you could be doing more damage to it every time you drive it.

[DGAF]

To tell you the truth I'm 99 percent sure you have an issue with one of your drive axles. Even if the axle boots look good the internal ball bearings inside the axle specially on the outside "tire side" will not move freely because of contaminated grease or bad bearings and it will cause the simptoms you are descriving. And the reason you feel it does it only when you first start driving is because the grease in the axle will eventually lossen up as you drive and make the simptoms go away.

If you take your car to the shop they should be able to tell you which side is the problem. If you want to do it yourself, you are going to have to remove one axle from the spindle and move the tip in different directions. If you feel it's hard to move it then it means you have found the issue.

Good luck and I hope you solve this issue. ; )

[HaysoosKreesto]

are your tires balanced and aligned? My non celica car tends to do that after some odd and extended time, I got the tires re-aligned and balanced and that fixed that problem.

[NigeStoke]

To tell you the truth I'm 99 percent sure you have an issue with one of your drive axles. Even if the axle boots look good the internal ball bearings inside the axle specially on the outside "tire side" will not move freely because of contaminated grease or bad bearings and it will cause the simptoms you are descriving. And the reason you feel it does it only when you first start driving is because the grease in the axle will eventually lossen up as you drive and make the simptoms go away.

If you take your car to the shop they should be able to tell you which side is the problem. If you want to do it yourself, you are going to have to remove one axle from the spindle and move the tip in different directions. If you feel it's hard to move it then it means you have found the issue.

Good luck and I hope you solve this issue. ; )

Wouldnt that cause a grinding noise though? its going to have to have a mechanic look at it as its driving me round the twist lol

are your tires balanced and aligned? My non celica car tends to do that after some odd and extended time, I got the tires re-aligned and balanced and that fixed that problem.

Mine is always within the first mile of the journey, stop for 10secs pull off and its fine

[DGAF]

Not at all. The grinding noise you are reffering to happens only when the boot brakes and al the grease falls out. at that point when you make a hard turn you will hear the clik clik clik on the tire because of dry dirty bearings. But if you consider contaminated grease or even grease that is not rated for axles the you will se this type of problem that happen only when the grease is cold.

[delusionz]

I once lost a front engine mount bolt and it felt like my wheels were gonna randomly fall off.

[NigeStoke]

Not at all. The grinding noise you are reffering to happens only when the boot brakes and al the grease falls out. at that point when you make a hard turn you will hear the clik clik clik on the tire because of dry dirty bearings. But if you consider contaminated grease or even grease that is not rated for axles the you will se this type of problem that happen only when the grease is cold.

Sounds like an option, although surely if this was the case it would feel like the tire was flat as soon as I drove off as at that point everything is at its 'tightest' and cold but it wont start doing it until a mile up the road

I appreciate everyones input in this

[NigeStoke]

Drove it this morning after it had stood for at least 12hrs, drove roughly 20miles and it was fine, jacked it up, no movement in any wheels etc

Going take it in sometime this week try get to the bottom of it as I'm lost as what it could be

[CastrolCelica]

I had issues with my front axle and needed it replaced. Ended up building what looked like 10 pounds of grease near my wheel. Sigh, my car had all sorts of "fun" problems with it when I first got it. After the initial expense, your car will last a long long time though .

[pittfirefighter]

when you say "flat tire feeling" do you mean it pulls to that side?

[soulshadow]

Check to see if your axel nut is attached to the drive axel.