Technical Slight shaking at 35-40mph

[Suz359]

Hello (back after a year of no probs)

I don't know if this is anything major or me being paranoid: about 4 weeks ago I noticed my W reg mk 2 punto 1.2 (54k miles) would shake slightly briefly whilst accelerating between 35-40mph usually in 3rd gear going to 4th. It's not got any worse and car runs fine, no loss of power or slipping of clutch etc. was serviced and mot'd fine about 6 weeks ago. It doesn't shake much but I can sort of feel the car vibrate slightly - it steers fine. Doesn't shake/vibrate at any other time except at this specific speed and when I do about 60-70mph it's fine also. Hope it's not the gear box on the way out..... any ideas please. Many thanks

 

[alanstalin]

I would check that the wheels are not buckled and it may sound daft but check that the wheels are on good and tight

 

[Ralf S.]

It may be worth looking at the main engine mount. It's the one at the offside/cam-belt end of the engine (left of the engine as you look at it). It connects the engine from near the alternator, to the wheel arch.

When the engine's idling there should be very little movement there at all. If it vibrates then it could be knacked.

Ralf S.

 

[Suz359]

Cheers I will take it back to the garage to look at the engine mount as I took it somewhere yesterday and the chap reckon it felt like wheel shaking, he rebalanced them all -but still the same, he then swapped the front with the back wheels but it's just doing it still at those speeds. He said he couldn;t see anything wrong with the wheels being buckled or tyres causing it, bearings and other bits that hold the wheels to the car are ok so the engine mount wound be worth a go.
Didn't want a wheel to fall off when driving so certainly don't want the engine to drop out!!!!

 

[Suz359]

ok, took it back to garage, they checked suspension, wheel balance, tyres, bearings and joints under car and engine mounts, said they can feel it when they drive but couldn;t find any obvious cause. Said it was safe to drive though and to wait and see as may be something wearing so gotta take it back then/if worse.
Could it be wheel alignment, as not sure they did this (not charged me) but surely this would cause car to pull -would it cause this odd slight shake though? I dunno, I'm a girl! - :bang:
Thanks for the suggestions tho!

 

[Ralf S.]

Suz,

You're right - I don't think alignment would make the car judder. More likely it would make it pull left or right.

If the problem is in the suspension or the wheels then you will almost certainly feel it through the steering wheel, as a movement or vibration.

If the problem is elsewhere, then the car will shudder but you won't feel it through the steering wheel.

I'm guessing you don't feel the shudder as a vibration in the steering wheel itself, so it has to be something in the engine or drivetrain (nothing else is moving). It could be a flywheel/clutch problem .. which will "get worse until you change the clutch", being the only way to be certain.. or it's the main engine mount. If you look at the engine while it's idling, does it move at all? It should be more or less motionless in there.


Ralf S.

 

[Suz359]

Thanks, there is very slight movement on the main engine mount - but this was checked at the garage and ok'd. I can feel the movement through the steering wheel and so can passengers in the car. So it's prob clutch/suspension on it's way out.

Anyho' (and I sigh as I say this)....I think I've finally realised after 2 years of it swallowing money with headgasket, steering coloum and now whatever this is that we've come to the end of the line of being together - I'm test driving a newer (different) car on monday!

I tried to keep it - but it scares me to drive it now with problem after problem and I'm doing a different job soon which means I'll have to do loads of motorway driving and I don't think it'll last the distance. But thanks for the help.

 

[faster4_tec]

you may struggle to sell it like that. I have got a similar problem but on th older model of punto, whcih have similar engines/box's and similar problems with clutchs nad weak boxs. I wanted to sell mine a few month back and get a van, but with this problem and a few others I'd be lucky to get £50 for it with problems fixed, more like 16x that amount