HELP car shakes??

[VCDenton]

my old auto 96 camry starts shaking once over ~70-80km/h then the shaking disappear if I accelerate but then it comes back again if I dont...............

another problem sometimes the car shakes quite abit when I stop at traffic singal but it disappears if I put the gear to N

I have already done the wheel balance not helping much.

Any opinion appreciated THX and have a happy new yr btw.

 

[boods99]

Hey VC,
Get your mechanic to check the drive shaft centre bearing and the harmonic balancer. Also check the engine mounts and gearbox mounts.
Most often cause of vibration is unblanced wheels, followed by any or a combination of the above...

Boods

 

[BayView]

my old auto 96 camry starts shaking once over ~70-80km/h then the shaking disappear if I accelerate but then it comes back again if I dont...............

another problem sometimes the car shakes quite abit when I stop at traffic singal but it disappears if I put the gear to N

I have already done the wheel balance not helping much.

Any opinion appreciated THX and have a happy new yr btw.

Sounds like transmission possibly.

Mate; It's a 96 camry; time for a new car.

I'm assuming it's done 200,000km's or more? If so, it's at the age where things - expensive things - start to go wrong.

 

[twobobsworth]

Ignore the speed, what are the revs?

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

Another vote for stuffed engine mounts.

A mechanic can probably diagnose it fairly easily and provide a quote. It may be time to upgrade if it's going to cost lots of $$ to repair.

 

[VCDenton]

thx for all the replies will get the mechanic to have a look at potential problematic parts, at least I know what to tell my mechanic now!

arrrr.... didnt take notice of the rev twobobsworth

Yeah bayview I know its too old but u know that money can go to another deposit, well at least a portion

 

[vincenzo]

I'll tell you exactly what the problem is!
It sounds like these problems have been happening for a while, and you haven't taken it to a mechanic yet

Any decent mechanic will check everything mentioned here, plus things like the ignition system, idle speed, suspension components, etc. I think the best thing you can do, is make a list of all the faults, so that way you don't forget to tell the mechanic any of it's symptoms. The car's full service history should be in the book btw!

As it's been mentioned, the car might not be worth repairing properly But that means you should get an upgrade

 

[BayView]

Yeah bayview I know its too old but u know that money can go to another deposit, well at least a portion

I see this a million times a week (exaggerating a bit) - the old car that has lots of miles, and the owner has tried to limp it along as long and as cheaply as possible. I was like that for a time too.

But, what I can see happening here is putting good money after bad if you are not careful.

Get the problem diagnosed at least; get the mechanic to report it and then you can make an informed decision about whether it is worth spending the money.

 

[motivated 5555]

how much money for repairs is too much on an old car?

my mechanic tells me $1000 a year is reasonable for any car is that true pls?

 

[BayView]

I guess the cut-off point is when the repairs are more than the car is worth.

A 96 camry might not be worth too much. Look up Redbook.com.au to find out it's value.

The other hard decision is when the car is owned outright, costs little to run generally and has been running well recently.

It's a bit if a gamble; I just wanted to make you aware of the possibilities.

At this age, things like aircon compressors, auto trans, water pumps, driveshafts, radiators etc are the dangers, and most of these are expensive jobs.

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

how much money for repairs is too much on an old car?

my mechanic tells me $1000 a year is reasonable for any car is that true pls?

I have an 8 year old car that I have owned from new, and always get it serviced at the proper intervals. I'm a big believer in regular servicing. Sure, it costs a few hundred bucks a year, but it means the car is regularly checked, and has fluids and filters that are within spec, and if anything looks like a problem it will be picked up early.

As the car gets older, it will no doubt need some $$ spent as components need repair or replacing. I'd be happy to run a sinking fund of $1000 a year - when I was paying down the loan I was paying almost that much per month!

 

[evand]

yes but your endless repairs of an old car will take that money away.

thx for all the replies will get the mechanic to have a look at potential problematic parts, at least I know what to tell my mechanic now!

arrrr.... didnt take notice of the rev twobobsworth

Yeah bayview I know its too old but u know that money can go to another deposit, well at least a portion

 

[craigb]

a retread has lifted . their will be a heigh spot somwhere , have a very good look.

 

[BayView]

I did think aboiut the possibility of tyre treads/steel belts separating from the casing, but with this problem (and I have had it happen on my car a while ago) the vibrations start almost as soon as you begin rolling, and get faster as the car does.

 

[EGB18CT]

hmmm weird that it also shakes in N. Now if that is the case it could be the possibility of worn engine mounts, but this would also mean you should feel heavy rocking under acceleration. Anyway check them.

If it's just a rough motor, get it serviced, oil/filter/air filter otherwise try pulling the ecu fuse and disconnect the -ve batt terminal, let it sit for a minute then reconnect and let the car idle for a few mins and take it for an easy drive so the computer relearns fuel trims etc..

The vibration you feel at 80k's would indicate a possible worn CV joint (test this going in circles on full lock should hear clicking, otherwise the cv has worn its hardening (the shell) possibly form a hit of a big pothole or curb. If this is the case, get a whole new drive shaft axel once determined what side it is (not too $$ if you look in the right places for a new reco 100-200max.)

If your wheel bal and align has come up good, it sounds like the driveshaft axel is your problem, but do check all your mounts especially the rear one.

If it is a manual gearbox, check the isb (input shaft bearing) if the noise appears when you press the clutch in it is the throw out bearing, if it appears when you let go of the clutch, it is your isb bearing (cheap bearing but its in the box) if it is the isb, it will also increase with revs whilst driving.

 

[Indifference]

Most likely causes....

The top 3 causes in order, are:

1. Tyres/Wheels - wheel balancing & alignment most common cause.

2. Suspension - either a shock absorber or suspension bush (Ie. control arm)

3. Drive shaft - unbalanced; which can be fixed.


These are the most common causes, by far.

Number 4 to check would be the Ball joints & tie rods... hope this helps.

 

[rachels]

You really need to take your car to a mechanic soon, this seems like a possible issue like we had once with a part called a drive shaft.