My car has excessive vibrating sometimes. Is it the ball joints?

ANSWER : With over a quarter million miles on your car, it really could be anything. There are about a dozen moving parts in your car’s front end that are subject to wear, including the ball joints. Any number or combination of bad tie rods, ball joints, control arm bushings could cause a problem that you will feel in the steering wheel. But most vibrations actually begin in the tires. If your front end is in bad condition, a minor vibration caused by a bad or unbalanced tire can easily become a major one. You can have the front end components inspected at your convenience by contacting Your Mechanic. they will send a technician to your home or office to check out your vibrating Cherokee and let you know what it’s going to take to fix it.

ANSWER : Hi There,
It sounds like you may have a dirty or faulty mass air flow sensor. The problem this can cause may also be compounded when the engine is cold due to the change in air density in cooler weather. The mass air flow sensor monitors air intake as it is mixed with fuel prior to being injected into the motor. This sensor relays information about fuel and air temperature, air speed entering the motor and many other things to the ECM which uses this to make adjustments to fuel supply to the motor. A dirty or faulty sensor can cause an imbalanced air/fuel load to be supplied to the motor which results in an over fueling or under fueling situation depending on the conditions. This type of inconsistent fuel supply to the motor may cause a hesitation, loss of power, a jerking reaction, potentially a bit of black exhaust smoke and typically a strong smell of fuel when this sensor is malfunctioning. I would suggest having a professional from Your Mechanic come to your home to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.

ANSWER : There are two principal possibilities: faulty motor/transaxle mounts, or an engine operating or mechanical condition including the possibility of a faulty harmonic balancer. To obtain a conclusive diagnostic, please simply request an engine vibration diagnostic and a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, will get this resolved. If you do need new motor/transaxle mounts, genuine OEM Nissan mounts are recommended in order to maximize the chances of resolving the problem. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : Hello – yes, the Recall was for front spring issues. While it is not common for ball joints to fail at your mileage, many factors come into play: potholes and road conditions where you drive, stop and go vs smooth highway motoring, etc. I would recommend an inspection of the front suspension by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs. This will validate the claim of the mechanic (or not) if you don’t have complete faith in the previous diagnosis. Failing ball joints may not provide as noticeable symptoms as other suspension components, but they are are certainly dangerous when they fail.

ANSWER : Hello – I would be suspicious of an exhaust system hanger which has gone weak, and is allowing the exhaust to bump into the chassis at an idle. It is also possible that the fuel pump is wearing out, and the "chattering" that a worn fuel pump makes is transmitted through the fuel tank into the car. It would be easier to notice at a stoplight, but fades while driving as other road noise increases. I recommend a vibration and noise inspection performed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, and give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.

ANSWER : Hello. The ball joint is available separately, and as part of the control arm assembly as you note. Although it can be purchased separately, removing it and replacing it into the control arm requires heavy duty presses and tooling (great force required). And if the control arm is aluminum, it is a more risky process since the aluminum is softer than steel, and the remove/replace process may not result in the ball joint fitting as tightly in the control arm as would be safe. For the mechanic, sometimes the separate ball joint is not readily available, only the control arm with ball joint. And the labor time to press out the old, press in the new may result in a more expensive repair anyway because of the additional labor cost. It’s a toss up sometimes, especially with parts availability being a deciding factor.

ANSWER : This sound like you may be having an engine misfire. Have the system checked and scanned to see if codes are present for an engine misfire. If it is, then a mechanic can check to see if a coil or spark plug has failed. You may have oil leaks in the valve cover seals that has caused the ignition to short out in the spark plug holes. A repair of your valve cover gaskets may be necessary, along with the other components that I’ve mentioned. I’d recommend having the vehicle looked at by a qualified technician who will be able to diagnose these misfiring symptoms and fix it accordingly.

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