MadRonin

I've been having an issue for the last few months where in the morning when I'm leaving for work, for the first dozen miles or so, the front end of my 8 vibrates like crazy. I've been to the dealer several times, had the ball joint recall done, got new tires, and a supposed alignment, but I still have the problem. It's not tire pressure. The dealership did an alignment (supposedly). And it's not the tires - it was a problem before I got new tires, and it still is a problem.

The dealership only reproduced the vibration once. I've was on a ride along with the mechanic. He said he felt a vibration and recommended an alignment. I get my car back and it still shakes. I take it back in and apparently, no alignment was done the last time so they do another one. Now my car pulls slightly to the left and the front is still shaking.

The problem is it doesn't happen every morning and sometimes it occures when I'm on my way home from work.

It's driving me nuts and my dealership options are limited around here. Any one have any thoughts?

Go48

If the vibration goes away after a few miles, it could be flat spots on the tires from sitting overnight. I have experienced that myself. After the tires warm up the vibrations disappears. You could try raising the front of the car over night to eliminate any flat spots and then drive the car over the same section of road to test.

If it only does it on the same sections of road it may be the road surface. Seen that too.

Find a shop with a Hunter GSP9700 Road Force Measurement machine (www.gsp9700.com) and pay them to check out the wheels. Could be a bad rim or poorly balanced wheel and they will be able to positively determine that. If nothing more, they can eliminate that as the cause of the vibration.

If all else fails, keep taking it back to the dealer until they either fix the problem or until you qualify for a lemon-law buyback. Check the PA lemon laws.

khoney

I get weird vibrations over a certain section of expressway every day. See if this happens on different routes.

jowettw

just a guess: a busted motor mount?

oi812

I think go48 nailed it. Mine does this any time the car sits for more than a day and the temp is below 60° F. Longer it sits the worse the amount of shake (amplitude), the colder the outside temp, the more distance it takes to straighten out (duration). The Kumho MX's that I put on are really bad, the car shakes for 7 miles this time of year (1/2 way to work).

Razz1

No you hit it on the nail oi812! It's the tires. You may have old tires. Even though you just bought them they could have been made years agao and have been sitting in a wharehouse.

Mad next time you post you need to give us more info. New tire ? What new tires what brand what size and type. Hard tires will do this. Usually you only get this problem with bad tires.

MadRonin

I just put on Kumho Ecsta SPTs (225/45/18) three weeks ago. The SPT is a pretty new tire. Also, my stock Dunlops did the exact same thing, so I don't think it's the tires per se.

This morning it was around 60 degrees outside and it didn't vibrate. Yesterday it was 54 degrees and I got very little vibration. Last night it was around 78 degrees outside and coming home from work the front end was shaking like crazy.

I'm going to take the 8 to a local place that has a Hunter GSP9700 per Go48's recommendation and see what they find. Depending on what they find, I'll take it back to the dealership and make them fix any problems.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

Go48

Let them know going in that you suspect a problem and that you would like the graphic printouts associated with any problems they find. That way you can take the graphs to the dealer as proof of a problem.

adrian-1

I also believe it may be a bad motor mount. Others have had similiar probs. check this thread.

MadRonin

My car doesn't vibrate at idle, only when driving; and even then only at >50mph.