car shaking randomly at various times
My car is randomly shaking at various times.
Sometimes it vibrates when in idle. This is regardless of if it's in Drive, Reverse or Park or if I shift to one of these gears once it's already shaking, at other times it doesn't do this.
Sometimes it shakes when driving. This happens either when I am slowing down to stop at a red light and then waiting for the green or when I am driving 40-60mph. If it's at those speeds it's mostly when trying to maintain the speed although twice when giving more gas to pickup more speed. At other times it won't shake at all.
Sometimes
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi there. Typically when you don’t have a fuel or ignition system component failure, a vacuum leak or loose motor mounts will be the source of this type of vibration. If you’re having this vibration all the time, I would suspect the motor mounts as being the culprit. The best way to verify that this is the issue is to have a professional mechanic come to your location and complete a car vibrates while driving inspection.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
The most prevalent cause of vibration is problems with your wheels or tires. The potential problems include improper wheel and tire balance, uneven tire wear, separated tire tread, out of round tires, damaged wheels and even loose lug nuts.
Common reasons for this to happen:
Loose connections at the positive and negative battery terminals. Very dirty or clogged air filters can also cause your engine to underperform. Loose timing belts are another likely cause. A mechanic will check these and replace them if they appear loose and worn.
Shaking or vibrating may be caused by many different things such as faulty spark plugs, poor fuel pressure or misfires. Other things such as a faulty idle air control valve may cause the engine idle to drop below the normal idling RPM which may also cause the motor to shake or vibrate more than normal.
Any unusual shaking or vibrating forces coming from the engine is cause for concern. It could be something as simple as old spark plugs producing an uneven power delivery, it could be something serious like worn or broken engine mounts, or it could be even more serious in the case of internal engine damage.
Motor mounts: It`s the job of the motor and transmission mounts to dampen vibration. When they break, you`ll feel excessive vibration, especially at idle. You can diagnose this yourself by putting your car in neutral. If the shaking lessens, you very well could have broken mounts.
Some simple warning signs that the transmission is having problems: Transmission is slow to respond when shifting. Grinding, shaking, vibrating.
Toyota Camry Vibration at Idle
The most common cause is an imbalance in the engine`s rotating assembly. This can be caused by worn or damaged bearings, pistons, or connecting rods. Another potential cause is a problem with the engine`s timing belt or chain.
If you begin to feel persistent shaking in your car, it`s best that you get to the problem right away before continuing to drive. Continuing to drive with the shaking can result in further damaging parts, ruining your tires, and other costly problems that could be avoided by a quick trip to your mechanic.
If your spark plugs are dirty or worn, your vehicle will shake when you`re stopped. Dirty or worn plugs misfire because they cannot ignite the piston cylinder fuel properly. Thankfully, new plugs aren`t that expensive.
Vibration While Driving. Because the CV Axle joints are located right next to the vehicle`s wheels, any damage to them can directly affect your driving. If you suddenly feel as though your vehicle is vibrating more than normal, it can mean that you have a damaged halfshaft.
What could the problem be? Along with faulty spark plugs, a build-up of dirt and grime is the likely cause of cars stuttering when idle. A clogged filter or fuel injection system can starve your engine of fuel or oxygen, causing your car to judder and shake.
Shaking or vibration may be caused by many different things such as faulty spark plugs, poor fuel pressure or misfires. Other things such as a faulty idle air control valve may cause the engine idle to drop below the normal idling RPM which may also cause the motor to shake or vibrate more than normal.
You usually notice your car shuddering because it feels like it`s vibrating. Your car will vibrate even when you`re not going very fast. The shuddering makes the car lag and is very noticeable. Some vehicles have a transmission temperature indicator that will let you know when your car`s transmission is overheating.
Some common symptoms of a failing transmission include unusual noises, slipping, grinding, and jerking when engaging and shifting gears. A failing transmission can lead to various issues ranging from your vehicle making loud noises, behaving erratically on the road, or being undrivable.
The most common reasons for your car to excessively vibrate are a problem with your tyres, wheels, brakes, steering, suspension, axle or engine.
The most common reasons a Toyota Camry shakes when braking are bad brake rotors, bad brake pads, or a bad wheel bearing.
Poor Alignment
That said, if the alignment is off by enough, it can even cause your vehicle to shake! As the front wheels right with the rest of the car, vibrations can develop which travel up the steering column and rattle the steering wheel, shaking you in your driver`s seat.
It is quite normal for your car engine to vibrate at optimum levels during operation. The rotation of the crankshaft, transmission gears, and other vital components inside the car engine can cause slight vibrations.
Another common cause of car shaking when accelerating is a malfunctioning AC compressor. Damaged air conditioning exerts an excessive demand on the engine, causing huge vibrations. Accelerate the car while the air conditioner is on to diagnose this.
If a thermostat goes bad, causing the temperature to go way high or have trouble warning up in winter, then the engine can perform poorly. It could be a cause of engine-jerking, but there are also a number of other possible causes for that.
When coolant is low, your engine will start to heat up. The feature will automatically shut off the engine to prevent damaging the engine. Once your engine cools down, you will be able to drive your car again.
If an ignition coil is not working properly, your engine will likely misfire. A misfiring engine results in a jerking or sputtering feel when you are moving at normal speeds. When you stop, a misfire from a bad ignition coil may cause your vehicle to run roughly, vibrate or shake.
When your tie rods go bad, the symptom you`re most likely to experience first is a vibration or shaking sensation in your steering wheel. You may also hear associated clunking and rattling noises, especially when turning the vehicle at low speeds. These sounds are caused by tie rods that are starting to wear out.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Replaced alternator on car 2 times each time shows it’s charging 14v let car run for a little bit then test drive and car voltage
ANSWER : There are reports that the replacement alternators will not communicate with the engine computer and will not charge correctly. I recommend using only the manufacturer approved replacement part. It can be new or remanufactured but approved for use in the vehicle. Some lower cost alternators on the aftermarket will have charging problems since they will not communicate with the ECM on the vehicle and will stop charging.
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car shaking randomly at various times
ANSWER : Hi there. Typically when you don’t have a fuel or ignition system component failure, a vacuum leak or loose motor mounts will be the source of this type of vibration. If you’re having this vibration all the time, I would suspect the motor mounts as being the culprit. The best way to verify that this is the issue is to have a professional mechanic come to your location and complete a car vibrates while driving inspection.
Read Full Q/A … : car shaking randomly at various times
car shakes when idle and accelerating
ANSWER : It is very possible that you have a valve cover gasket or spark plug tube seal leak on your vehicle. These type of leaks will allow oil to leak onto the spark plugs causing misfires. When the engine misfires due to oil getting on the spark plug, the engine oil will burn. Since oil and tires are both petroleum products, they will both smell similar when they are burning. I would recommend having an oil leak inspection performed by a qualified professional to determine if there is an oil leak. Consider YourMechanic as an Oil/Fluid leak inspection can be peformed at your home or office.
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Why my car randomly shakes on start up.
ANSWER : I believe that it is very possible that you could have another ignition coil going bad. If the first ignition coil resolved the issue you were having and it was actually faulty, it is not unlikely that another ignition coil may have gone bad at the same time. If your vehicle has a Check Engine Light, this would be helpful in determining which cylinder is misfiring. Whichever misfire code is stored in your PCM, will tell the technician which cylinder is having the issue. If the affected cylinder is not the same one you recently had issues with, you likely have another faulty ignition coil.
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Car starts, shakes then Dies out within seconds!
ANSWER : Hi there. The dreaded rotten egg smell is caused by either a clutch that is damaged or the catalytic converter that needs to be replaced. I would recommend before you take your car to any repair facility or attempt any repairs; first have a professional mechanic come to your location and complete a car starts then dies inspection. This will allow them to pinpoint the source of your issues and recommend the right repairs.
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I put the wrong key in my car and a few weeks later my car just shut down and it will not start I believe it’s the computer but…
ANSWER : Hi there. What had happened is the wrong key set the security to the vehicle. This is to prevent the vehicle from starting with the wrong keys. Try removing the battery cables (+) and (-) for 13 minutes. During that time, put the original key in the ignition and turn it on. Activate everything in the car even though there is no power. Then remove the key and hook up the battery cables. The computer should have reset and reset the security. If the security is still being tripped, then I recommend seeking out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you
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My car will not start Intermittently. I purchased a new battery 2 weeks ago and yesterday the car wouldn’t start. Got a jump and
ANSWER : The issue you are having is probably due to an intermittent fault in the starter motor itself or a deficiency in the starter electrical circuit, for example a large voltage drop due to a poor ground or a high resistance connection. These issues can be readily diagnosed and resolved on a mobile basis if you request a hard starting diagnostic. If you request that diagnostic, the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you promptly. Based on Toyota’s Factory Service Manual, the battery should not be disconnected if the vehicle engine is running. The battery acts as a large resistive voltage sink and consequently taking the battery out of the circuit, while the alternator is still running, can create a voltage spike on the car’s electrical system which is not good for voltage sensitive components such as the engine computer. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
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The car shakes and randomly cuts off while driving. The car has steam/smoke coming from under hood.
ANSWER : Hi and thanks for contacting Your Mechanic. If your engine light came on for the secondary air pump sensor, then it is possible that the secondary air pump (smog pump) has failed. The pump has oil in it and if the pump seized up, the case may have broke and leaked out the oil or burned the oil causing the smoke. Also, there could be a coolant leak causing the smoke under the hood. If the pump is not working, then I suggest replacing the air pump. If you need further assistance with the engine having a lack of power, shaking, and crating smoke under the hood, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you solve this issue.
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