Article -> Article Details

Just tensely driving at the highway and listening to your favorite song when all of a sudden there is some sort of tremor to your drive. Such shaking of the car may be minor irritation or a serious indication. A shaking car is dangerous when accelerating or when it is traveling at high speed. As a car owner and car enthusiast, it is only important that when you feel your car shaking, you must be in a position to diagnose the reason behind the shaking. This tutorial discusses what causes a car to shake, what can be done about it and ways through which you can take precaution to ensure the shaking does not occur. What causes your car to vibrate? Let us plunge into it!

Understanding Why Your Car Is Shaking

A shaking car is usually in the form of shaking the steering wheel, shaking seats or shaking all over increasing at different speeds. This problem is normally experienced when accelerating rapidly or when you are driving at high speed and it means that something is wrong with the components of your vehicle. The reasons may be either trivial such as imbalances of the tires or very involved such as the engine failing. The significance of warning signs, such as shaking cars, is that it will cost your vehicle in terms of repair or your safety on the road, it is therefore important to be keen on them so as to ensure the overall life of your vehicle and your state of mind.

Diagnosing the Cause of Car Shaking

To be able to know why your car is vibrating, the first step is to notice when the problem is happening. Shaking during acceleration is usually an indication of engine or drivetrain trouble and shaking at high speed is usually an indication of tire or wheel trouble. In case the car shaking occurs when braking, then the blame lies on the brake system. You can begin with visual check of the uneven tire wear, bulges or low air pressure on your tires as they may induce car shaking when operating at high speed. Then you should inspect the loose items such as lug nuts or tie rods under the vehicle, which can make car vibrate. Pay attention to any abnormal sounds that emanate when you shake your car, as they can be used to give the clue to the cause of the problem. Lastly, visit a test drive, and make a note on the exact speeds or conditions when the shaking feels more evident, such accelerating or driving at a high speed. When the car shakes continuously or in combination with warning lights on the dashboard, take the vehicle to the mechanic.

Common Causes and Their Fixes

Tire-Related Issues

The first reason that can cause a car to shake is unbalanced, worn out or even damaged tires particularly when the car is driven at high speed or when it is accelerating. It may give you some vibrations in the steering wheel especially when between 50-70 mph. The solution is to get them balanced in a shop at a cost of approximately $20-$100 that may entail the end of car shaking. This can be avoided by periodical rotation of tires every 5-8,000 miles, and main causes of car shaking are eliminated. In case of tires that are damaged or wore out too much, you can replace them at 50-200 dollars each to have a smooth ride. Moreover, monthly check tire pressure because we can shake on a car due to its low tire pressure.

Wheel Alignment Problems

Unaligned wheels force the tires to touch the ground unfavorably, which brings up the issue of shaking of the car when it is driven at high speed. The problem may also be manifested by the car pulling to one side or lopsided wear of the tires. To fix the angles of wheels, someone can perform a professional wheel alignment at approximately $50500 up to $150. To ensure a proper alignment of the schedule, do schedule alignments about every 1-2 years or after hitting potholes. To reduce the alignment problem of shaking cars, take smoother roads as far as you can.

Brake System Issues

Car shaking while on the brakes is common as a result of warped brake rotors or worn down brake pads especially at higher speed. You are going to get a shudder of the brake pedal. Car shaking may be fixed by changing rotors or pads that cost 100 to 500 dollars. Brake maintenance is done on a regular basis to avoid warping of brake rotors that causes shaking of the car. To detect problems at an early stage, inspect rotors during routine checks to identify the unevenness on the surface.

Engine and Transmission Problems

Shaking the car during acceleration can be due to faulty spark plugs, blocked fuel injectors or worn out transmission parts. The symptoms are coarse idling or power loss. Car shaking can also be halted by replacing the spark plugs or cleaning the fuel injectors at a range of between 50 and 300 dollars. In case of transmission problems a mechanic ought to look at the worn mounts or gears which cost between 200 and above 1000 dollars to repair. Shaking of the car usually involves the engine, and it may sometimes be diagnosed with the help of OBD-II scanner. Also Read Is Your Car Shaking? 5 Common Issues and Solutions

Suspension and Steering Issues

Car shaking at different speeds may be caused by worn shocks, struts or tie rods either with clunking sounds or with bad handling. Car shaking can be fixed by replacing worn suspension parts that cost between 200 to 800 dollars. Check that the steering system does not have a pair of loose tie rods or damaged ones causing the shake of the car. To avoid these problems, have your suspension inspected once a year particularly after traversing a bad road.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

Start by diagnosing the time of shaking in the car, whether this happens when the car accelerates, at high speeds or when car brakes. Then check the tires, wheels and the understructure visibly with a look, at any obvious wear, such as loose parts or damage. Take the car on test drive to identify the speeds or conditions in which the shaking of the car is most noticeable. To fix minor shaking of the car, the ignorance of simple corrections, like to adjust the tire pressure or to have tires balanced, should be done. Provided the issue is still present, it is advisable to bring the car to a mechanic and have it diagnosed in a detailed manner to address more advanced reasons of the shaking.

Preventive Maintenance Tips

The easiest way to prevent shaking of cars is by inspection of tires, brakes and suspension after every six months. Making sure that tires are inflated properly and swapping tires in time will prevent shaking of cars at high speed. Drive smoothly and avoid the potholes and overloading of your car which will also cause shaking of your car. Make sure to take your vehicle through the recommended servicing plan of the manufacturer so that the engine and transmission are maintained in the best possible condition since this decreases the chances of the car shaking due to mechanical breakdowns.

When to Visit a Mechanic

In case your car still shakes after the simplest fixes or dodgy lights are spotted along with some odd sounding noises and normal vibrations increase, then it is time to go to a professional. Select a mechanic who is ASE certified and ask them to explain the diagnosis in detail and include cost estimate. The diagnostics vary between 50$ and 150$, the repair prices depend on the problem, e.g. tire balancing is 100$ and suspension is 500$+. Early treatment of the shaking issue of a car can help avoid the costly fixing process and have a safer drive. Follow AdvisorWheel for all the latest update.

Conclusion

Vibrating of a car when it accelerates or travels at a high speed could be due to tire, alignment, brakes, engine, and suspension problems. In learning these causes as well as implementing our troubleshooting tips, you are able to diagnose and remedy the shaking of a car meaning the smooth ride is returned thus making driving safe once again. Car shaking should not be overlooked, regardless of whether you are a DIYer or a user of the services of a mechanic: it is high time to take care of a car to ensure that it continues to perform optimally. Did you have a car shaking? Post your experience into comments or check out our other car maintenance publications!