Annoying Vibration

[chubyball]

Does anyone here have a same problem as I do? For the past month I have been experiencing weird thing from my ls400 95'. While driving in the city suddenly the front end of the car vibrating so much seems like one of the front of the tire got flat, but there was nothing wrong with the front tires. When this vibration was happening, I noticed I let off my foot off the gas pedal and apply back on but the vibration does not go away until at the stop sign. After that, the car is back like normal.

My sister just recently told me the same symtom last week when she was on the free way. She had to pull over and check for tires, but there were nothing with the tires. Everything was fine!

thanks!

[HoeBag]

alignment?

[chubyball]

Just had a brand new tires and truts replaced 3 months ago, it has been great since this problem noticable last few weeks. Even the smooth road surface, it seems like the wheels is flat. This problem happens randomly, may be 1 a week or once every 2 weeks or month. I suspect it's the transmission problem. Is it possible?

[iammikey]

I would start simple and see if the lug nuts and struts are properly tightened, have the wheels rebalanced or rotated - don't forget to see if the wheel is round and not dented or if the tire is defective. If that doesn't fix the problem, then I would suspect wheel bearings, idler arm, or axles before tranny.

[93lexuses]

When my car vibrated like that it was the axle. I thought that my tire was going flat when it did it. I even stopped at a garage to see what was wrong with the tire.

[chubyball]

I take back about making comments at the trany earlier. Few months ago, I flushed my steering fluid and replaced with Syn Power fluid. I thought it may have to do with this. About the vibration to be exact I think it just the front end that causes the vibrate of the car. Could this be have something to with Steering power? Should I swing the steering left and right next time when this problem happening again to see if the steering wheel was the problem? Or may be this had to do with the weather when it drops beblow the freezing?

[chubyball]

I posted earlier about Annoying vibration, but it does not happen at all time. It only happens once aweek. The vibration makes me feel like the front end tires is getting flat even the road surface is smooth. It tooks me a day to think back the history work done that I have worked on the car and realized that this front end may have something to do with Steering fuid changed in the past. I flushed the steering fluid with instruction of VMF posted here and included with 6 bottles of Syn Power Steering fluid. At the end, I filled the fluild up to right above HOT measuring stick. I was not sure how much bubbles still left in the pump so I left it as it for the past two months.

This morning, it seems like the fluid getting lower, it barely touches the tip of the dip stick. Is this mean most of the bubbles are gone from the pump? I try to measure the fluid before and after started the engine but still there is no different with the measurement.

[bbsal]

so is the fluid low?if so add some.it could be the air in the lines is now gone and that would make the level go down.also make sure theres no leaks anywere.

if you over filled it then its possiable to blow a seal but unlikely because im sure you would smell it and see some sort of leak.just fill to the proper level and see if it still makes the noise.also try to describe the noise a little better so we can help you a bit more.is it coming from the tires?

[chubyball]

Thanks for the response bbsal. It would be hard to describe the noise, because it just vibration and shaking front end. Feel likes driving without air in tires.

How do you know when you are over fill?

[bbsal]

shaking front end that feels like flats on the tires sounds to me like it is something with the tires.how old are the tires on your car?

does it do it only at certin speeds?

does it do it when you turn?

need more info still.also as for overfilling just check the stick and see were the level is at.if its above were it should be then just take some out but if its below were it should be then add some.you should know if its overfilled just by looking at it and seeing if its ready to top off.i dont think thats whats cousing your problem though.let me know about the tires though because there usally the first thing that you look at when you get vibration while driving.also motor mounts but you would feel the vibration while idling if it was that.

[rapidito]

check out what iammikey said first. especially check to make sure your lugs are on tight enough. once i had something slightly similar and it turned out to be my lugs. you said that you checked the tires but sometimes an internal problem occurs within a tire. the threading comes loose and forms a ball on the inside. they call this an "egg". What i would do to test to see if this is the problem is i would rotate my tires and see if the vibrating still comes from the same area. if it does then it most likely is not the tire. good luck and keep us updated.

[bbsal]

thats a good thing to check also.maybe when they did your tires they didnt balance them correctly and thats were your having the problems.i would take it were you had them done and have them check it out.

[chubyball]

I found out that P0302 and P0307 are miss-firing, this causes my engine to vibrating. The reason is the water got in the parkplug and it must killed the parkplug. I am currently change the parkplug-wires set, distributor caps, rotor caps,plug #2 and 7. Also Cleaned the throttle boddy and replacing pcv valve.

Now I started up the car and I see a lot of white smoke. Is this problem come from unburn gase from cylinders #2 and #7 when it was bad? Does any one know? And do I have to reset the battery to let the computer to relearn again after I replaced all these parts? Please help!

[K9crew]

Few months ago, I flushed my steering fluid and replaced with Syn Power fluid. I thought it may have to do with this. About the vibration to be exact I think it just the front end that causes the vibrate of the car. Could this be have something to with Steering power? Should I swing the steering left and right next time when this problem happening again to see if the steering wheel was the problem? Or may be this had to do with the weather when it drops beblow the freezing?

Do you mean this ... ?

http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/pr....asp?product=22

Both my '95 SC and '99 LS require ATF (Dexron II or III) in the power steering system. Is your car different?

[VBdenny]

I noticed a vibration in my car but it went away as soon as I got out of Pennsylvania

[chubyball]

The viberation is back today, it last so long today, a lot longer than usual. After spending 30 mins in the Mall and I went out to the parking lot and drove the car, it's still shaking like crazy.

So What I did was I experienced with driving fast, but I never can exceed 50 miles/hr, as soon as I apply the brake the vibration is stop

First senario, I tried the to let the car roll as Nuetral "N" and reps the gas pedal, engine still smooth @ 3000 rpm, but the car still vibrate like crazy.

Senario 2, I tried the to let the car roll as Nuetral "N" with out applying the brake the car still vibrate like crazy.

Senario 3, I tried to let the car roll while in Nuetral and turn off the engine, the vibration still going crazy.

I thought I eliminate problems of catalyst, transmission and engine mount with senarios 1 and 2.

My cousin thought that bearing is the problem so I apply my hand on all 4 wheels, the most hotest wheel was left rear driver side.

I was trying to pull of the bear to take a look inside but unfortunately I cound not, I can only took off the brake caliper, a baring lock nut.

My assumption of the problem is the ECU that cause the brake to lockup which cause the rotor to get extreme hot, after it get hot, vibration is beginning after that.

What do you guys think?

[blake918]

Have you checked your tires, simply by running your hand over the treads to feel or any lumps or abnormalities (I know you said the tires are new, but tire defects are not exclusive to old tires.)? What condition are all of your suspension and steering componets in?

[nc211]

Have you messed with your brake rotors at all? Replaced them with non-oem recently? If so, do they have the two centering screws? Or maybe one of the screws finally came loose "they're very soft metal". I know when I was going up the learning curve myself with brake rotors, a set I had that did not have those centering screws made the car shake badly too, at random times, sometimes not too badly, sometimes horribly, like driving with flat tires......

[chubyball]

nc211,

Last year, I took out my rear rotors and had them rotates. Those 2 screws that you are talking about, there are used for keeping the rotors tight up with the center hubs, they can only remove my impact tools, I did screw them back as it was.

I don't think any there is anything wrong with any machenical component, because the car is now driving fine, I was able to come back home 60 miles distance driving. This problem always occur at low speed acceleration, it never happened at cruising speed 60, 70 or above 80 miles/hr. Mostly it occurs when the car at acceleration or deccerlation. The only thing that I can thought of is ECU problem.

Why? Because it happened only once a year or twice, most of the time, the car drive smooth like floating in air.

[mann777]

I experienced the similar problem, :o all i had to do change the front axle bushings which were worn out, this was seen only after its removal only, replaced it, did a high speed balance, and she has been performing wonderful !!! Maybe you could have a inspection of the same !!!

[chubyball]

Does your car vibration happens frequently or it happens every 3 or 4 months? By the way, where is the front bushing? Do youhave diagram that you can post up?

It's imaze me that the car drive smooth most of the time, can not tell anything wrong until the shaking is back, it seems like 7.0 earth quake is happening in your vehicle.

Thanks mann777.

[chubyball]

today, I found out why is my car is shaking. The ebrake didn't release the left rear wheel and heat is build up so hot on left rear wheel, then my car shake up like crazy. I jacked up left rear wheel put the car in reverse and the wheel is turning, it's stop after I applied the foot brake then release it, the wheel is turn like normal. So I assume by caliper is working fine. Doing the same thing by using emergency brake instead of foot brake, the wheel starts to turn slowly. I assumed that there is a problem with my ebrake. Damn left wheel is soo so so HOT.

[FemiBoanerges]

Does anyone here have a same problem as I do? For the past month I have been experiencing weird thing from my ls400 95'. While driving in the city suddenly the front end of the car vibrating so much seems like one of the front of the tire got flat, but there was nothing wrong with the front tires. When this vibration was happening, I noticed I let off my foot off the gas pedal and apply back on but the vibration does not go away until at the stop sign. After that, the car is back like normal.

My sister just recently told me the same symtom last week when she was on the free way. She had to pull over and check for tires, but there were nothing with the tires. Everything was fine!

thanks!

Hi Chubyball

I have exactly the same problem with my 2000 LS400. The vibration occurs sporadically. There is no noise. Trying to drive faster makes the shaking worse. Stopping the car and restarting solves the problem. DID YOU FINALLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM? WHAT WAS THE CAUSE? WHAT WAS THE SOLUTION? I look forward to hearing from you.

Many thanks

Femi :(

[Elsupremo]

Does anyone here have a same problem as I do? For the past month I have been experiencing weird thing from my ls400 95'. While driving in the city suddenly the front end of the car vibrating so much seems like one of the front of the tire got flat, but there was nothing wrong with the front tires. When this vibration was happening, I noticed I let off my foot off the gas pedal and apply back on but the vibration does not go away until at the stop sign. After that, the car is back like normal.

My sister just recently told me the same symtom last week when she was on the free way. She had to pull over and check for tires, but there were nothing with the tires. Everything was fine!

thanks!

Hi Chubyball

I have exactly the same problem with my 2000 LS400. The vibration occurs sporadically. There is no noise. Trying to drive faster makes the shaking worse. Stopping the car and restarting solves the problem. DID YOU FINALLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM? WHAT WAS THE CAUSE? WHAT WAS THE SOLUTION? I look forward to hearing from you.

Many thanks

Femi :(

Include me now as well, I have a 2000 LS, this started in the summer and again is only an occasional problem so it could not be an out of round tire, or a bushing, etc, I have a feeling like Chuby that it could be parking brake related because if you drive the car for a while the shaking stops eventually. The thing is I don't really smell anything which is what I would expect if it was the parking brake being stuck and besides it’s a shake not a lock up. Any ideas on how to check or lube the parking brake cable?