Got the shakes

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:32 pm

Summit wierd happened to my car today. I just over took a van on an up hill by pass thing, and at the top, I wasn't accelerating anymore, the steering wheel began to wobble. So I slowed down, thinking that maybe I had a flat or summit. It stopped, but started again as I got back up to about 40, so I pulled over. Wheels were fine, engine and steering felt normal. I decided to carry on gingerly, but it didn't do it again. I gave it a little, and all was fine

I use this particular road a lot, so I'm sure it wasn't uneven road surface or anything like that. There was no odd noise, just steering wobble. Any thoughts??

Cheers

lee · Post by **lee** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:19 pm

wheel balancing. Get it checked, tends to be free for a check.

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 7:05 pm

yeah but that wouldn't just come and go would it?

lee · Post by **lee** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:29 pm

it could be as it will vary depending on speed

SMOOTH 480 · Post by **SMOOTH 480** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:44 pm

yep it defo depends on the speeds that youre doing
could you have picked someting up on the one wheel
i had a great lump of mud in one of my wheels after drivin over market field thought i had damaged the car terminaly as it would shake over 50mph until i jet washed the wheels and all was well

owen080808 · Post by **owen080808** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:45 pm

or a weight that was balancing your wheel has come off

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:27 pm

Ummm not convinced. I took it out again this after noon...did all the speeds I did earlier and nothing...smoooth as you like

SMOOTH 480 · Post by **SMOOTH 480** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:43 pm

could have been picked something up and then it removed itself
have a good check in the wheels and get them balance for peace of mind

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:51 pm

I guess. I will get the wheels checked...cheers

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:31 pm

Well, today I did the whole range. Full acceleration to about 100mph and not one shake. I understand that tracking/balance would affect the wheels at certain speeds, but this would be the case each time you drove the car, ie. you would get the shakes at say 40 and 80, like it did the other day. I drove quite a few miles today, and all is ok. Maybe I'm going mad or summit.

Cerberus · Post by **Cerberus** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:36 pm

I'm gonna go out on a limb here......

You were overtaking up a hill....

Were you getting a bit low on petrol??

As you accelerated plus the uphill angle the tiny bit of petrol
you had left in the tank rushed to the back of the tank and
therefore away from the feed pipe to the pump causing
fuel starvation and a nasty juddering...

The sort of juddering you get just before you run out of petrol...

But you got to the top of the hill before it died totally... and then
you filled up with gas before you got home just like you had planned...

how's that for a zany theory......?

SMOOTH 480 · Post by **SMOOTH 480** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:06 pm

plausable

awaiting a replie to confirm that infact the fuel was low

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:38 pm

Ok....well unforunatly no. I had about half a tank full of petrol. Besides, the judder was not engine, it was defo wheel/steering shake.

Also....I think I would have known if it was lack of petrol. I know I'm a girl en all, but gimmie some credit

glasgowjim · Post by **glasgowjim** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:13 pm

why ?

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:32 pm

marksch · Post by **marksch** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 7:53 pm

Rachel,

trying to to analyze cause of wobble in steering wheel;
1)balance/unbalance of wheels; at any given speed, but not constantly.
2) pressure and/or belt tension of servopump.
3) to much tolerance in steering rods/housing/wheel joints.
4) loosened wheel-nuts
5) to much tolerance in upper struds of wheel-springs/shocks ?
(in dutch: veerpootl-rubbers/lagers)

givvie you all credits

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:11 pm

Thank you marksch for your suggestions. I really apreciate it

It has really confused me, as it was really worrying at the time, but it has been fine ever since.

Out of all those things that you have suggested I think the most likely might be the servopump, as all the other ones would be effecting the car generally. The pump might have had an intimitant fault which just showed this once?...I don't know

I do many miles in my 480, and I think I know her pretty well. Driving around today, it felt great so I don't have many worries that something is seriously wrong, but I would really like to know what was up the other day. It caused me to pull over and fear the worse so it must have been something!!

SMOOTH 480 · Post by **SMOOTH 480** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:47 pm

rachel The confidence was there all ways maybe it was just the way that the 480 has of saying hello there very weird cars
hope that this is sorted soon if not fixed itself
Adam

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:35 am

Cheers Adam. Like I said all seems fine. Maybe just a glitch in the matrix

Thanks for you help en all.

Cerberus · Post by **Cerberus** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:34 pm

Rachel wrote:Ok....well unforunatly no. I had about half a tank full of petrol. Besides, the judder was not engine, it was defo wheel/steering shake.

Also....I think I would have known if it was lack of petrol. I know I'm a girl en all, but gimmie some credit

oh well... there goes my sherlock homes award...