Vibrates at 65 mph

ANSWER : A few different things can cause the vehicle to vibrate at freeway speeds. The brake rotors, brake pads, and tire balance are a great place to start. Other common causes would be the tire itself, bent rim, wheel bearing, or a suspension component failure. I suggest getting assistance from a qualified technician who will be able to diagnose the vibration you’re experiencing and perform any repairs that are required.

ANSWER : Have the driveshaft checked for a binding or a bad U-joint. This will cause the vibration to go throughout the entire vehicle. If you had the vehicle on a lift and ran the vehicle to the speeds indicated, you will feel the vibration in the drivetrain. A certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, can come to your car’s location to diagnose your vehicle’s vibration issue and let you know what needs to repair.

ANSWER : This may be a sign of a dirty or failing mass air flow sensor. The mass air flow sensor is a unit in the intake system that monitors air intake as it is mixed with fuel prior to being injected into the motor. When this fails, this 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 may cause a hesitation, loss of power or jerking reaction when this sensor is malfunctioning. When this is not working properly, you may also notice a strong smell of fuel. I would suggest having a professional from Your Mechanic come to your home to diagnose your mass air flow sensor.

ANSWER : Whenever there are multiple causes of vehicle vibration, which is probably the circumstance you face, it is best to fix the obvious causes first because that will greatly simplify diagnosis and identification of the remaining causes. So, in your circumstance, you should request replacement of the motor mounts and then continue on with the vibration diagnostic. If you do end up replacing motor mounts, genuine OEM mounts are recommended in order to maximize the chances of resolving that portion of the vibration problem. If the vibration at idle, during parking, is not resolved by replacing the motor mounts, be sure to rule out engine operating conditions. For example, rough running at idle can be caused by faults in the air induction system as well as the ignition and fuel systems. To get an evaluation of the running condition of the engine, please request a rough idle diagnostic.

Vibration at high vehicle speeds, felt through the car body and/or the steering wheel, is usually due to dynamic imbalance of the wheel/tire assembly and/or various types of tire defects such as belt separations or excessive radial force variation. Vibration on braking is typically due to excessive thickness variation in the brake rotor, pad defects, or excessive rotor runout as installed on the hub. Typically, thickness variation can’t exceed .001 inches and rotor runout, as installed, should ideally be no more than .002 inches. To determine if the rotors are the cause of the vibration in your case, rotor runout has to be carefully measured. To have the root cause of the brake vibration identified, please request a brake and suspension system diagnostic. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : This may be a variety of things, such as wheels and tires out-of-balance, poor alignment, worn or failing wheel bearings, worn or failing control arm bushings, or worn or failing suspension components.

A wheel bearing will usually fail due to pitting or small damage on the surface of the rollers or the bearing race. Both the surface of the rollers and the race is precision machined to tight tolerances and highly polished to allow the rollers to pass easily over the race with the addition of bearing grease for lubrication and cooling. Over time, the bearing will wear slightly, allowing microscopic pieces of metal into the grease.

Bearing noise can sound a lot like a brake pad dragging or grinding. It can also sound like whirring, whining, or humming depending on how much sound deadening material your vehicle has in it. Bearing noise will always be dependent on vehicle speed; meaning that, as you speed up or slow down, the noise should change frequency or loudness.

Cornering may affect the noise from a damaged front wheel bearing and is usually more pronounced as you make turns. I would suggest having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to inspect the vibration problem and proceed with the needed repairs.

ANSWER : If you can wiggle the tire side to side then you either have a problem with inner or outer tie rod ends. You may have both of them that are bad. This will allow the side-to-side movement, but brake rotors that are warped is the fault that may be responsible for the wobbling. You should have the tie rod inner and outer joints checked and replaced. Also check the rack and pinion bushings to make sure they are properly in place. If you need help with any of this, a certified mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to inspect your vehicle’s vibration issue.

ANSWER : Hi there – great problem description and summary of prior work! Next level of diagnostics awaits – if you feel the vibration primarily through your fingertips on the steering wheel, the problem is likely front wheel balance, or a worn CV joint on one of the front axles. If the vibration can be felt more acutely by lightly touching the gear shift lever, the vibration could be the rear driveshaft. After checking the others first, if the vibration is felt more directly through "seat-of-the-pants", it is wheel balance, most likely rear wheels. If the vibration is worse on a freeway on/off-ramp, check the wheels that are on the outside of the curve – one of them may have a slight bend or ding in the rim. For assistance, I recommend a vehicle vibration 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 : 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.