I have a 1997 Neon. In recent weeks, I have noticed that when driving on the highway reaching the speed of 105 km/hr or more, the steering wheel would start to shake violently! The shaking would not stop unless I reduce the speed back to 100 km/hr.
A second problem I've noticed recently is when starting the car cold in the morning, as soon as I change from Park to Reverse, there is a loud noise (sounded like problem with gear shifting??).
I've not had these problems before and they only started to happen in recent weeks.
The 1997 Neon has 90,000 km on it. It is an automatic.
What is causing this shaking, and how to repair this problem?
Well, I sent the car to a Chrysler dealer recently to have oil & filter change. They included a "free" tire rotation. Come to think of it, the shaking problem didn't happen before that. Could the tire rotation have caused this problem?
What should the correct tire pressure be for the four tires? Maybe I'll just go to the local gas station to fix the tire pressure myself?
How do I check this and how would I know if there is a problem with it?
Tire balance. Air pressure can play a part but the problem is tire balance. The rear of the car will not play as big a part in steering as the front tires do so the vibration will not be as noticeable. The tires that were on the rear, that are now on the front, are out of balance - simple. Take the car to a tire store (or where you bought the tires from) and have them balance the 2 front wheels. If you don't do this soon then you "will" have some serious front end suspension or steering problems in the very near future. The front suspension and steering is not designed to take abuse like that and will result in costly problems. Do it as soon as you can to prevent problems. The wheels (or one wheel) may have lost a weight in the transfer from rear to front or you hit something to loosen it and fall off. They just need to be balanced. Shouldn't cost you more than $10 each (or there abouts). The resulting front end problems from neglecting to do this could cost you the entire car or your life.
The tire pressure is listed in your owner's manual - based on the tire size and manufacturer. I put them to 35 PSI (right or wrong - I am consistant). Check with the tire mfg or it may even be on the tire itself.
Transmission noises? That is best diagnosed by a "competent" transmission shop (dealer or private owner). I personally would never go to a franchise outfit (Triple A or Midas or any of those). They may try to sell you a sky hook for your abledot frankerstone gadget box.
Another possibility is that the wheels weren't bolted on good. The torque used on the lugnuts could be way off. 1st generation Neons tend to be susceptible to the one hundred and (insert number here) kilometer an hour steering wheel shimmy.
Should say in the manual. How do they put it? RTFM
Do this: Drive around for a while till the engine is nice and warm, then drive around for a bit more. stop somewhere flat (driveway, gas station), with the engine running. Let it idle for a couple minutes, then move the selector to all positions for a couple seconds: P-R-N-D-2-1-2-D-N-R-P. With the engine running open the hood and find the trans fluid dipstick. Pull it out, wipe of the tip (with a lint free cloth) and note the temperature and stick it back in. Pull it out again and look at where there is fluid. If the fluid was hot to touch, the fluid should be up at "Hot". If it was warm it should go to warm. If it below these positions you need to add fluid. Also the fluid shouldn't be too dirty or smell like sulfur.
Possibly. I'd go back and tell them, and have them check the tire balancing.
Inside the driver's door, on the part that's hidden when the door is closed, there should be a sticker/label that tells you the proper tire pressure. Or, the owner's manual if you have it.
There should be a dipstick under the hood labeled Trans Fluid. Warm up the transmission by driving a little, then check the dipstick with the car running in Park. Again, you should refer to the owner's manual...
It's probable that tire imbalance is the fundamental cause. In another post, you note that during servicing, the tires were rotated. I have had wheel weights get dislodged during rotations a couple of times in the past; this is worth checking. As for the clunk in the drivetrain on the P-R shift, check the engine and trans mounts.
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| > > I have a 1997 Neon. In recent weeks, I have noticed that when driving | on | > > the highway reaching the speed of 105 km/hr or more, the steering wheel | > > would start to shake violently! The shaking would not stop unless I | reduce | > > the speed back to 100 km/hr. | >
| > Probably front end alignment needed, maybe tire balance, maybe tie rod / | > linkage problem. | | Well, I sent the car to a Chrysler dealer recently to have oil & filter | change. They included a "free" tire rotation. Come to think of it, the | shaking problem didn't happen before that. Could the tire rotation have | caused this problem? | | What should the correct tire pressure be for the four tires? Maybe I'll | just go to the local gas station to fix the tire pressure myself? | | | >
| > > A second problem I've noticed recently is when starting the car cold in | > > the morning, as soon as I change from Park to Reverse, there is a loud | > > noise (sounded like problem with gear shifting??). | >
| > Hard to say, without hearing the noise. Check your trans fluid level | > lately? | | How do I check this and how would I know if there is a problem with it? | | Thanks. | |
Possibly. You have a tire jack in your trunk, yes? If all else fails, use it to rotate your tires again. Just swap the fronts with the rears (of course, using only the tire jack, this will take all day). Anywhoo, if this cures the problem, well, there ya go.
Still, I don't think a simple rotation would make that much problem unless you have the old kind of radials that come apart when installed in the reverse direction to the original install. Most shops just rotate front-to-back-to-front anyway, so this shouldn't be a major concern, especially considering radials have vastly improved in recent decades.
If the car is shaking "violently" as you say, then it should be visible from beside the car. Have a friend drive beside you with a passenger who can look at your wheels to see if they are shaking while you're on the highway. If they can't see any vibration in the wheels, it might not have anything at all to do with them.
I have a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle. When I was driving it daily, if I hit a pothole wrong, my wheels would literally point left-right very fast. This was due to a faulty steering damper. I don't think cars today have that: I think the power steering pump serves this purpose. Still, something to consider.
BTW, you never mentioned: Is the vibration visible in the steering wheel? Does it bob up and down, side to side, or rotationally? These are clues to various different problems you might have.
Still, it is possible that simply putting the rear tires up front and vice versa is the cause. Maybe the rear tires have mild flat spots on them that aren't noticeable until they're the /drive/ tires. Do you have a teenage son and a handbrake?
I doubt pressure has anything at all to do with this. Typically, 32 Pounds per Square Inch (what is that, 45 kpa? I have no clue!) is normal. The tires will read a maximum pressure, usually about 35 PSI; normally, a few PSI below this is acceptable. In any case, read the owner's manual if possible, otherwise, check the rear of the driver's or passenger's doors... there is usually a placard there that says what the pressure should be.
Drive the car until it's at normal operating temperature. Make sure you hit all 3 / 4 gears, AND reverse. When you get to your driveway (or a level spot on the roadside if your driveway is a hill), LEAVE THE ENGINE RUNNING with the transmission in PARK. Pop the hood, grab a rag, pull the stick that is marked "TRANSMISSION" and wipe it off. Stick the stick back in the hole and pull it back out... erm, I know that looks a little nasty, but stick with it... after you pull the stick out, you read it just like you're checking engine oil.
If you need to add fluid, ******DO NOT USE DEXRON******. Some people say it works fine, some say it doesn't. When it comes down to it, how much are you willing to pay for a rebuild? Play it safe and use ATF +3 or ATF
+4, whichever the '97 chryslers take.
No problem. Just remember, I'm no expert. Dan_C might be, thought, dunno ;-)
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