my camry vibrates after maintenance work

I recently took my 99 camry for its first ever brake job - they (dealer) replaced front pads and resurfaced the rotors and flushed and refilled brake fluid. Also had timing belt and other drive belts replaced. I had complained to them that at speeds above 70 mph the car vibrates. They said the tires had uneven tire wear and replaced all 4 tires with yokohama Avid T4. Now the car vibrates at all speeds. This is not the kind of vibration I had before at high speeds. It is more like the feeling you get in your teeth when you brush with sonicare brush. On a recent long trip (one hour) I had to wiggle my foot several times in my shoe as it was very uncomfortable. Sometimes I feel (in the first few miniutes) it isn't so bad. At other times it is very uncomfortable. The vibration is felt on the floor and the gas pedal. Sometimes I even feel it when the engine is idling and I feel it on the brake pedal. I took it back once and they drove it out for 3 mins and found everything normal. But something has changed as it wasn't like this before I took it for service. Any clues as to source of vibration?

thanks SS

Reply to
sid
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Start with the tires again. Rebalance them, with a dynamic balance. Not static-- do you have custom rims? sometimes those are difficult to balance. On my car I usually balance them, drive it for a week then do it again. The rims I have don't seem to take a balance on the first try. If the vibration is at all speeds, and wasn't there before then I say tires. (could be out of round or have a bad spot too.) While driving at a good safe speed, Clutch the car or shift into neutral, let it idle. Is the vibration still there? if so, tires or drivetrain. Take the service manager out for a drive. Demonstrate the vibration. get them to fix the problem.

Reply to
Steve H

Testing.

Reply to
Sharx35

Sorry to hear about your problem. That's why I don't like to have mechanics work on my car. If the problem began after their work, I suspect something they did - not tires - unless they rotated tires as part of the maintenance. Now that they've "found nothing wrong" you're stuck with their unsatisfactory work - unless you can find someone else there who will understand your problem. If the tires really did have uneven wear, that indicates suspension anomalies that should be corrected before or at the same time the tires are replaced - could be wear in the struts, ball joints, or some other loose or bent component. Now that new tires have worsened the condition, you need to start there.

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Try finding a shop that has the Hunter GSP9700. I'm hard pressed to understand how changing belts and brake pads can create vibration unless the lug nuts were over tightened or tightened in the wrong sequence. Try the Hunter machine, then report back.

Reply to
Daniel

The Hunter machines are the best. My local gas station/tire dealer has one. My '94 Camry was starting to viberate because my tires had not been balanced in over 15,000 miles. Since ther rebalance of the tires no more vibration even at 110 MPH.

Reply to
Clay

I've had this problem several times having been keeping Camrys since '92. Most of the time it's been overtightened lugnuts. A few times it's been attributed to unseen seperations in the tires and new ones fixed the problem. Once the CV half-shafts were not clicking but had just a bit of play if you grabbed them and shook them forcefully. I try NEVER let them turn the rotors- If they're that bad I'll replace them. It's possible to have it done right but in my experience they either get it wrong or it takes the temper out due to heat and soon you've got viberation each time you touch the brakes. However, in your case I don't think it's the brake rotors, you've had the tires replaced and I can't imagine the dealer over-torquing the lugnuts. But that sounds like the most likely possiblity. Might try retorquing them to specs. (Unless by engine idling you mean the car wasn't moving.)

Reply to
Dave's

Sorry all, I just looked up all replies. I have an update to my problem. As I said before the vibration is there even when I am stopped and I could feel it sometimes through the brake pedal. Today in stop and go traffic I was feeling very uncomfortable with my foot on the brake and at one point I switched the gear to neutral (with my foot still on the brake) - surprisingly the vibration stopped. I swicth it back to drive and the vibration is back. What do you make of this?

Reply to
sid

Sounds like a misfire under load, start with plugs and wires cap and rotor

Reply to
Steve H

My guess is the dealer screwed it up and then sold you tires without fixing what was causing the wear. That and I bet you have a bad motor mount too.

Reply to
Rob

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