What might be the problem with my 2001 Pathfinder 4WD. I notice steering wheel shaking/shimmy when driving but not all the time. The vehicle has 125K miles. Is it tie rods, struts, warped rotors, alignment? What it might be before going to a repair shop. Have had tires rotated and balanced.
View 2 RepliesI have a 2005 Subaru Legacy and the steering wheel shimmies all the time. My Subaru mechanic can't find a reason for this. I did try another general mechanic, without telling him that this appointment was really a 'second opinion' and after rotating all the tires, numerous test drives he couldn't figure it out either and referred me to my original mechanic, telling me that he's the best Subaru guy in town.
View 5 RepliesI have a 1999 Nissan Pathfinder. It's 4wd with a manual transmission. I was getting an intermittent problem with vibrations coming from the front passenger side wheel when driving on the highway. They recently got worse and I'd notice a slight burning smell coming from the wheel area. There would also occasionally be a metallic clicking/plonking noise coming from the wheel and a slight hissing sound. I took it into a mechanic (not my regular mechanic because he was gone for the week) and they said it has something to do with the transfer case. They said they took the front right tire off after putting it on the rack in neutral, and they couldn't get the to spin freely. They said it could be something with the drive train or transfer case, but they weren't sure without taking it apart. They said it could be something to do with the 4wd not disengaging, but again, they're not sure.
View 1 Replies2000 Nissan Pathfinder, 150k miles, automaticWhen I accelerate between 2nd and 3rd (from what it feels) the whole car shakes. No matter what speed I'm already at.I recently had both CV axles replaced. Transmission fluid doesn't have any flaky stuff or anything, it's pink though. The check engine light is always on, but it starts to blink when it starts to shake between 2-3 gear.
It's been doing this for about two weeks, nothing has changed, average 15 miles a day. No weird smells from the engine, leaking radiator fluid super slowly (was told to just keep filling it)To start the car I have to press the gas slightly.That's everything I know is wrong with it. I just want the shaking to stop. Does it sound like I need new transmission fluid or something?
Recently bought a used '02 Porsche Boxster and find that there is vibration in the steering wheel when driving between 75 - 80 on the freeway. I see in 2008 the exact same problem was experienced by Goatster, a fellow owner of an '02 Boxster.
View 7 Repliesgot an issue with my 01 excursion. When driving the steering wheel with vibrate or shimmy. As in if the rotor maybe warped or tire has a small bubble in it. Here is the kicker. It does not do it all the time. Some times I can drive it and it drives just as smooth as can be and I can go all the way to town and back. Then sometimes I can drive it to town and either turn a curve or hit a bump and then it will start doing it. Then I will come back home. Then the next time i jump in it and start driving down the road and it is just fine. I just had the brakes and rotors were just changed.
View 6 RepliesMy wife's Pathfinder (a 2002) has developed a problem with slow starting. The car cranks well (even at -20F, so it's not a weak battery) but takes a long time to start. It might crank for 5 seconds before sputtering to life. After being driven and shut off, most of the time, it will start up instantly again, just like it used to before the problem started. The problem is intermittent in that it sometimes starts pretty quickly in the morning, although it's not the instant start that it used to be, it might only crank for 1 second or less. I know that sounds like a normal time for a car to crank before starting, but the Pathfinder used to start, almost literally, instantly after the key was turned. So, even 1 second is an uncharacteristically long time.
What I've done:
-- Replaced spark plugs
-- Swapped the starter relays with identical relays under hood
-- Replaced fuel filter
What I haven't done:
--Replaced fuel pump
--Replaced fuel pressure regulator
Both of these are somewhat big jobs (I think I can handle both of them) and more expensive than what I've already done, so I'd like to get some input on where the fault could lie before picking one. Or, am I completely off base thinking it's fuel system?
My truck it's shakes the dash shakes the steering wheel shakes whenever driving below 20 miles an hour it's stops or I can't tell it shakes. What causing this? My 1999 4/4 Chevy silverado...
View 6 RepliesMy 2005 Nissan Pathfinder with approximately 150,000 miles has been losing power while driving. It's pretty scary. The problem first manifested one week ago when it stalled at a stoplight. It restarted after a few panicky moments of frantic key turning. My husband and his identical twin brother took a look under the hood when I got home and discovered the terminal on the battery was loose and had a screw in it to maintain a closer fit. They remedied that by replacing the screw with aluminum foil. Four days later, I'm driving away from a large big-box store, and it loses power again. I got it restarted and drove around back of the store to the tire center. They tested the battery, and declared it "bad".
The battery and the terminals were replaced. Hooray! I was safe. Or so I thought. The very next day, I drove out to the middle of nowhere to go fishing, and it lost power three times. I was an hour away from home and there was no cell phone service. I left the lake before dark and lost power once more on the way home. To recap, the first time it lost power I was stopped at a light, the second time (at the store) I was at a stop sign, the third, fourth, and fifth times I was driving but slowing down for cars in front of me and had to pull over to restart it, and the last time I was driving down hill and the power came back on before the bottom of the hill. A lot of lights come on in the dashboard when it loses power.
My 1998 Nissan Pathfinder dies randomly while driving. There is no consistency to when it dies. I will be driving down the road and then all of a sudden the car will not accelerate and it eventually dies. The other issue is it won't start from time to time. It sounds like it wants to go, but it won't. Eventually it will turn over. It has been to many mechanics. The crank shaft sensor has been replaced and the mass air flow sensor. Neither one of these were the problem. They now think it is the distributor possibly. There are no codes saved. It has been sitting at the shop now for 9 weeks.
View 2 RepliesI have a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder 4x4 SE, and I have a strange noise emanating from the front suspension. It's essentially a creaking sound whenever going over speedbumps etc, that lasts only when crossing the bump in question. There is also a distinct ratcheting/popping sound when I more with the wheel at full lock. I've already replaced the front sway bar bushing, recently replaced the struts and springs, lower control arms, and have not noticed any shaking in the tie rods when I try to move them.
View 2 RepliesI have an '05 Pathfinder w/ 93k miles. Recently noticed a uneven feel in the power steering, most noticeable at slower (less than 30mph) speeds. Feels like the power steering pump is intermittently engaging/disengaging. As I turn the steering wheel I feel random "tight" or "hard" spots in the steering. Similar to what you would feel if the wheel was against a curb and you were trying to turn into it. Doesn't make any appreciable noise, but can just feel it in the steering wheel.Checked power steering fluid, no issue. Replaced power steering pump, had no effect. Power-flushed the power steering system, had no effect.Oh - and my wife says she hasn't hit any large rocks, logs, or potholes recently!
View 5 RepliesI bought a new 2010 (Gen III) Prius IV one week ago. I have driven it less than 200 miles. Last night, I experienced a few seconds of steering wheel shaking while driving at highways speeds. I assumed I had hit uneven pavement. At no point was it difficult to turn the wheel. But after the shaking, the car seemed to sometimes drift to one or the other edge of the lane. I chalked that up to unfamiliarity with the car and to rain and darkness. Today, I read Forum posts that described the lighter touch that usually works and the importance of wheel alignment.
After the shaking, another 45 minutes of driving, and a half hour parked, I headed home on a slower road. That is when my wife noticed that the Electric Power Steering warning light was on. We are both pretty sure it was off before that. This morning, I pulled out of the garage and back in, and turned the wheel both ways as it moved. The light did not come on.
I called the dealer to discuss what had occurred. I made a service appointment for Monday so they can check it out. Someone in a Gen II forum (where I mistakenly posted this at first) advised me to pull over and take an evidence photo of the light if it comes on again.
The PS warning light wouldn't be too surprising to see in a Prius driven tens of thousands of miles. If yours ever came on when your Prius had low mileage, I'd be curious to know the outcome. I misidentified a benign icon as the EPS warning light.
The mechanic became suspicious when he couldn't find any code or any trouble. We sketched the icon we remembered seeing for the service supervisor. He explained that it was the cruise control light. I either forgot I had turned cc on or I had pushed it accidentally when I operated the wipers.
2000 Honda Civic DX, green, four doors, 91,000 miles. A few weeks ago I noticed that the steering wheel was loose when driving but only about 30% of the time--didn't seem to be related to whether the car was warmed up or time of day or speed, just that it happened when the car was moving. The steering wheel would have play when the wheels were pointed/driving straight and the looseness went away when turning. I brought it in to the mechanic and of course he couldn't get it to happen when he drove it. Replaced worn inner tie rods, did a power steering flush/replaced the power steering fluid and did a front end alignment. Drove fine for two weeks but then it started occurring again, this time even more loose/more play in the steering, still only when driving straight. Oh, just one time (so far) a few days ago it was loose when I was standing still at a stop light.
View 10 RepliesI've got a 2006 Camry (4cyl) with 136K miles. Yesterday, I noticed a mild shimmy in the steering wheel around 35 mph. If I take my hands off the wheel it shimmies back and forth about 1/4 inch or so. I pulled over and checked my tires, but didn't find any obvious defects. The shimmy goes away at higher speeds, and drives fine at freeway speed.
I am somewhat certain that I need new struts pretty soon because there is some slight inside cupping on the front tires.
2004 Dodge Intrepid. 70000 miles. Shimmy in steering wheel. Seems to come and go at about 7 second intervals. Suspension, tires, balance, alignment all check OK. One mechanic suggested steering rack valve problem. Could the computer possibly have anything to do with the 7 second interval?
View 16 Replies2003 Honda Civic. Any speed between 30 and 50, car suddenly starts pronounced steering wheel shimmy, too intense to ignore. You can park, start up again and it's gone.
View 1 RepliesI'm wondering if I have a problem or if its a matter of not used to this new "fly-by-wire" steering system cars are going to.
When I put my hands at 11 and 2 on the steering wheel and slowly slide my hands down to 9 and 3, the steering wheel has a shimmy/vibration. Doesn't happen while driving, turning, or anything. Is this normal? I could get the camcorder out and do a small video of it.
My wife's Corolla has 71k on it. She recently had tires put on, and now she has a shimmy from about 30mph on up. It seems worst at 60-65. In all of my years, this is a classic example of a tire(s) out of balance.
I've taken it back to the shop that replaced the tires twice to make sure they're balanced, and then took it to a second shop to be certain that the first shop was on the up and up and actually balanced the tires. Everything checks out as being balanced.
Another possible cause could be a bad/worn out axle. The whole front suspension was rebuilt 9,000 miles ago. Everything checks out and there are no leaks anywhere. So that rules that this as well.
What else could it be? Is it possible that one (or more) of the new tires are out of round? Maybe a bent rim? But is seems awfully coincidental that this only started happening after the tires were replaced. What might be the cause of this mystery shimmy?
2002 SC430 with 50k miles. I have a set of aftermarket Dolce rims that are 18" with the stock size tires. I have the eccentric spacers on them as well. They have been mounted and balanced. I also have a set of Dunlop snow tires on my stock rims. Obviously I do a seasonal change over.
With either set of tires I am getting a steering wheel shake at 60-65 mph. By 80mph its gone and the car glides perfectly. There is no pulsation in the brake pedal and there is minimal wear on the pads. Below 60mph there is no issues as well.
Tires are wearing evenly. Some roads will make the movement worse, but it always goes away at around 80 mph.
Now both sets of tires were mounted and balanced by the same shop. I assume that could be it...there machine is faulty. But I would like some other possibilities before I try somewhere else.
I have a 2001 Toyota highlander with 160000 miles on it. I recently got new tires and alignment. The problem is when I reach 65 my steering wheel starts to shimmy. The wheels were balanced and the shimmering last for ten to fifteen minutes. What might be causing this?
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