low speed vibration

My 97 Camry has developed a vibration at low speeds. It seems to be coming from the right front area and isn't apparent anymore after getting above 45 MPH. I suppose it could be a tire but am suspicious of the motor mounts and/or front axle. Any hints on how to determine the cause before taking it in?

Reply to
badgolferman
Loading thread data ...

Rotate the tires first. If that's not the cause, open the hood and watch the engine while someone else starts the car. If it wobbles a lot, that might indicate a bad motor mount. Another possibility is a bad strut.

Good luck. I'm outta here until next week. Got a plane to catch.

Reply to
Conscience

My first step would be to rotate the tires front to rear and see if that changes the vibration.

Any change in the vibration when turing, accelerating, or applying the brakes? What happens if you use a lower gear (assuming this is an automatic). Where do you feel the vibration (steering wheel, body shake, etc).

Have you checked the boots on the front axle? How many miles on the car? If the boots ae good, and you have less than 100k miles I would be surprised if it was the axle. If you have a lot of miles, have you considered it might be the ball joints or tie rod ends?

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

What really scary is having a motor mount bolt come out and to have the engine resting on a fender. That happened in my first car.

Reply to
Reasoned Insanity

Mine too.

Don't remember if there is a change. I feel the vibration in the steering wheel and the body. The steering wheel wiggles a bit left to right and the vibration can be felt down by my feet.

I checked the boots last time I changed the oil and they seemed fine. The car has 160K miles. I am worried of the mechanical components you mentioned also.

Reply to
badgolferman

Well with that sort of mileage, it could be almost anything, but I'd still think the tires are the most likely culprit.

Years ago I had a Fiesta with high mileage that developed a front end vibration. Like you, I suspected the front axles. Even though the boots were good, I decided to clean and regrease the CV joints. And this eliminated the vibration. My theory was that the grease in the joints had gotten old and the joints were binding slightly, casuing the vibration. I guess I was right since repacking the joints fixed the problem.

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

Agree, but maybe its the CV joint, mine was a tire with a broken belt nobody could see even with the tire off the rim,

Reply to
ransley

Besides rotating the tire, check tire pressure. A tire that is very low on pressure can cause a wobbling sensation. Look for mud caked on the wheels. Jack up the front of the car, support it properly on jack stands, and check to see if there is any play in the front wheels, which could indicate a worn ball joint or rack end. Make sure the top of the strut is still connected to the strut mount on top of the wheel well in the engine compartment.

Bad motor mounts generally cause vibrations or noises at idle or when the weight of the car shifts under acceleration or braking.

Reply to
Ray O

All my tires were 7-8 psi below where I normally keep them. I pumped them up this morning and it seems to be riding better but my commute was short so I'll check again later. Thanks for the tip, hopefully that was the culprit.

P.S. The check engine light has not returned in two weeks. Maybe the shift solenoid has healed itself (keeping fingers crossed).

Reply to
badgolferman

how old are those tires?

Reply to
ACAR

If you fill up gas with the motor running sometimes the check engine light will come on and stay on for many cycles

Reply to
ransley

I was referring to this prior conversation regarding the Check Engine light.

formatting link

Reply to
badgolferman

thanks for the update!

Reply to
Ray O

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.