Whole car shaking accelerating and decelerating
12-22-2008, 06:10 PM
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Whole car shaking accelerating and decelerating
Hey guys and gals,
A few days ago, my car started shaking violently whenever I would accelerate or decelerate. When I'm speeding up, the car starts shaking worse and worse and can be felt throughout the whole car including the steering wheel, gas, and clutch pedal. When braking, the car shakes as well and there is a pulsation felt in the brake pedal. Today, I checked to see if any of the tires were damaged, but they all seemed fine. However, the front driver's side rim and brakes were very hot, and definitely hotter then the other rims and brakes which were cold to the touch.
I searched and found a few posts suggesting that my caliper is sticking. When I pulled off the caliper today, the piston was sticking out maybe a few millimeters. Does this still mean my caliper might be sticking? Is there anything else that can be causing this problem that I am having?
Also, one other thing I noticed is it seems like the rotors have a black glaze on them, and the rotor on the front driver's side that is getting hot has what seems to be brake material in its slotted grooves.
A few days ago, my car started shaking violently whenever I would accelerate or decelerate. When I'm speeding up, the car starts shaking worse and worse and can be felt throughout the whole car including the steering wheel, gas, and clutch pedal. When braking, the car shakes as well and there is a pulsation felt in the brake pedal. Today, I checked to see if any of the tires were damaged, but they all seemed fine. However, the front driver's side rim and brakes were very hot, and definitely hotter then the other rims and brakes which were cold to the touch.
I searched and found a few posts suggesting that my caliper is sticking. When I pulled off the caliper today, the piston was sticking out maybe a few millimeters. Does this still mean my caliper might be sticking? Is there anything else that can be causing this problem that I am having?
Also, one other thing I noticed is it seems like the rotors have a black glaze on them, and the rotor on the front driver's side that is getting hot has what seems to be brake material in its slotted grooves.
12-22-2008, 06:23 PM
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Just a thought here. I had what seems to sound like the same problem in a civic I had. would shake bad and the tires were fine and all balanced. What it ended up being is I had a bad wheel bearing so the entire wheel assembly actually shook and that caused the entire car to shake. One thing you can do to see if its possibly the wheel bearing. When you have your car jacked up and wheels off the ground. grab your wheel top and bottom and push on the top as you pull on the bottom. Do that back and forth and if your wheel has any kind of rocking to it then that would be a bad bearing. Or just a loos spindle bolt and that can be tighten and hold the wheel assembly back together more solid once again. I'm no mechanic but this is what has happened to me and was the cause and solution. good luck
12-22-2008, 06:30 PM
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Shaking like that could be from several issues. Has the car been in any kind of accident recently...even something as minor as hitting a curb? What suspension mods do you have...list any including non oem wheels and tires.
If there hasn't been an accident and all parts are stock then start with checking the easy things:
1) Jack the car up and spin each wheel by hand to see if they spin freely (make sure it is out of gear and parking brake is off when you do this to the rear wheels...and both rear wheels must be off the ground). The fronts should spin very easily...the rears will take a little effort but should not bind.
2) Have the wheels/tires balanced.
3) Look at the shocks to see if any oil is weeping from them. That would indicated a bad shock. (if you have a bad shock, always replace them in pairs...both fronts or both rears)
Let us know what you find...
If there hasn't been an accident and all parts are stock then start with checking the easy things:
1) Jack the car up and spin each wheel by hand to see if they spin freely (make sure it is out of gear and parking brake is off when you do this to the rear wheels...and both rear wheels must be off the ground). The fronts should spin very easily...the rears will take a little effort but should not bind.
2) Have the wheels/tires balanced.
3) Look at the shocks to see if any oil is weeping from them. That would indicated a bad shock. (if you have a bad shock, always replace them in pairs...both fronts or both rears)
Let us know what you find...
12-23-2008, 05:46 AM
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I guarantee it is a sticking caliper! Try to pinpoint what side the source of the shaking is coming from and that should be the caliper that is stuck. Also you can look for visible signs such as glazed/heat spots on rotors, white spots on caliper from overheating, or just drive it for awhile pull over and see which caliper is extreamly hot or smelling like overheated brakes. GL!
12-23-2008, 05:51 PM
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Originally Posted by HMSmikesS2K' date='Dec 22 2008, 07:23 PM
Just a thought here. I had what seems to sound like the same problem in a civic I had. would shake bad and the tires were fine and all balanced. What it ended up being is I had a bad wheel bearing so the entire wheel assembly actually shook and that caused the entire car to shake. One thing you can do to see if its possibly the wheel bearing. When you have your car jacked up and wheels off the ground. grab your wheel top and bottom and push on the top as you pull on the bottom. Do that back and forth and if your wheel has any kind of rocking to it then that would be a bad bearing. Or just a loos spindle bolt and that can be tighten and hold the wheel assembly back together more solid once again. I'm no mechanic but this is what has happened to me and was the cause and solution. good luck
12-23-2008, 06:00 PM
#7
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If it's a brake issue:
1. Caliper pins are seized.
2. Brake hose to the caliper is coming apart internally and not allowing brake fluid to return back to the master cylinder.
3. The brake fluid has been contaminated with something oil based and has swollen the piston seals on the caliper and master cylinder and not allowing fluid to return.
A caliper that is not releasing will warp the brake rotor and rapidly wear the pads. This will cause a vibration.
The car could still have a wheel/tire issue or a inner CV joint problem causing further vibration.
1. Caliper pins are seized.
2. Brake hose to the caliper is coming apart internally and not allowing brake fluid to return back to the master cylinder.
3. The brake fluid has been contaminated with something oil based and has swollen the piston seals on the caliper and master cylinder and not allowing fluid to return.
A caliper that is not releasing will warp the brake rotor and rapidly wear the pads. This will cause a vibration.
The car could still have a wheel/tire issue or a inner CV joint problem causing further vibration.
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12-23-2008, 06:01 PM
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Originally Posted by negcamber' date='Dec 22 2008, 07:30 PM
Shaking like that could be from several issues. Has the car been in any kind of accident recently...even something as minor as hitting a curb? What suspension mods do you have...list any including non oem wheels and tires.
If there hasn't been an accident and all parts are stock then start with checking the easy things:
1) Jack the car up and spin each wheel by hand to see if they spin freely (make sure it is out of gear and parking brake is off when you do this to the rear wheels...and both rear wheels must be off the ground). The fronts should spin very easily...the rears will take a little effort but should not bind.
2) Have the wheels/tires balanced.
3) Look at the shocks to see if any oil is weeping from them. That would indicated a bad shock. (if you have a bad shock, always replace them in pairs...both fronts or both rears)
Let us know what you find...
If there hasn't been an accident and all parts are stock then start with checking the easy things:
1) Jack the car up and spin each wheel by hand to see if they spin freely (make sure it is out of gear and parking brake is off when you do this to the rear wheels...and both rear wheels must be off the ground). The fronts should spin very easily...the rears will take a little effort but should not bind.
2) Have the wheels/tires balanced.
3) Look at the shocks to see if any oil is weeping from them. That would indicated a bad shock. (if you have a bad shock, always replace them in pairs...both fronts or both rears)
Let us know what you find...
I have Bilstein PSS9 coilovers and a Whiteline X-Brace on stock 16s with Potenza S02 tires. I haven't done anything with the car since September.
I jacked up the car today and spun each side and every side spun ok. However, after driving the car again tonight, the front driver's side was hard to spin.
I don't remember if there was any oil leaking from the shocks.
What I found strange is when i put the brake pads on today, the caliper fit on fine and the front driver's side was spinning fine.
After driving the car today, it definitely reeked of a burning smell and the pulsating brakes came back as well as the violent shaking when accelerating.
Also, all these symptoms doesn't happen until the car warms up.
Having difficulty spinning the wheel after driving, the burning smell, and pulsating braking seems to all relate to a stuck caliper, but if it was a stuck caliper, wouldn't it be hard to take the caliper on and off? Would a sticking caliper explain the violent shaking when accelerating symptom as well?
I will check the tire pressures and try and get the tires balanced when I have time.
12-23-2008, 06:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Slows2k' date='Dec 23 2008, 07:04 PM
Did you check the caliper slide pins? You can still unbolt a caliper with stuck pins without an issue.