Corolla - shake' it like a polaroid picture

Please offer some input if you could:) I have a 93 Corolla nearly 100,000 miles, AT. Ive had her for a few years, most of those were my teenage years, I treated her like crap. Anyway she never really gave me any (serious) problems.

Several months ago I noticed she would idle and drive roughly in reverse. I did nothing about it because I only use reverse for a second, stupid I know. Plus you get used to these things in a way.

Then, about two months ago she started idling and driving roughly in the other gears as well. This feels slightly different than the reverse shake, although in fairness, Im only in reverse for a short time, and its not like Im trying to get up to speed.

The only way I can describe these shakes is that it feels like I am pushing her too hard, you know when you want a little car to do 120mph but once it hits 95 it gets very shaky? She idles and drives like that, but when I get up to 75mph or so she smooths out and is fine. If there are any odd noises, I cant hear them over the LOUD vibration.

Out of the following things, which one(s) sounds more likely to be going on:

Tires - I admit theyre going bald, but Ive driven on balder tires before, and never felt like that. I've also driven on tires that were found to be more over/under-inflated than mine are currently (I check), and again never felt like this.

Alignment or something along those lines - She pulls hard to the right lately, but I dont know if that has anything to do with the shaking, or if it is a separate issue.

Brakes maybe? - Gone through more pads then I should have, now thinking there is a caliper issue. I know a bit about the indicators of caliper issues, but shaking this hard? Havent heard of that.

She has a few more relatively minor issues, but this shaking is nuts. I welcome any replies! Thank you.

Reply to
stlibf
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If it IDLES poorly, and the idle shaking/vibration is the same as the driving shaking/vibration, then you can rule out tires, suspension, and brakes, because these systems arent moving when its idling. These things usually get worse at higher speeds too. My best guess is the transmission, but I'm pretty far from an expert. Some things to check:

- tire wear even?

- jack up the front end and test your tie rods by moving wheel side to side. Check CV joints for play and cracked boots. Check ball joints for play and cracked boots. But again, these usually create vibration that gets worse at higher speeds.

Reply to
anon2u

Read the recent thread "GM tranny vibration"

Reply to
anon2u

|Please offer some input if you could:) |I have a 93 Corolla nearly 100,000 miles, AT. Ive had her for a few |years, most of those were my teenage years, I treated her like crap.

That raises any number of issues. What is the level of your transmission fluid? Has it ever been changed?

Reply to
Lawrence Glickman

If at first it only happened in reverse, but not in drive, and then propagated to drive; and it happens at idle (which I take to mean standing still in gear with your foot on the brake to prevent motion) as well as when underway; I am thinking transmission. An engine or controller problem should have occurred regardless.

As others have mentioned, you can rule out any parts that come into play only when the vehicle is in motion (brakes, bearings, CV joints, wheels and tires...) based on these symptoms.

Note that a neglected vehicle that ain't no spring chicken could have more than one problem that manifests itself as a vibration under some set of circumstances. I think that if symptoms are occuring as I interpreted them above, your first step should be to see a trusted mechanic who can either work credibly on a transmission or recommend a good transmission and driveline shop. After that, if the brake pedal pulsates when stopping, you need new rotors and may as well put new pads/shoes on at that time. If your tires are bad though you've had balder, that's yet another thing to address as the paychecks accumulate. Tires and brakes are always near the top of the priority list, as they can suddenly render one's other concerns irrelevant...

If the car is otherwise satisfactory and is solving a problem for you, don't be afraid to put a bit of money into it. Corollas (and Camrys) have a well earned reputation for soldiering on a long time, they are good on gas, and... well, every time I look at the sticker price on new cars I wonder if that's the buy one, get one free special. There are several of these cars in the family, some still going strong as they close in on 200,000 miles. On the other hand, if the car is in generally *bad* shape, and a lot of things have been going wrong or are offering to do so in the near future, maybe this is the time to get out from under it -- another issue on which a good, honest mechanic's advice can help your decision process.

Best of luck,

--Joe

Cheers,

--Joe

Reply to
Ad absurdum per aspera

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