Car shaking violently on acceleration

smr

smr

smr

Soldato
Joined
6 Mar 2008
Posts
8,801
Location
Leicestershire
Hi all,

Time to continue the never ending saga that is the joy of my car repairs :/

Last November the clutch went so I had that replaced, then the car was misfiring so I had the coil pack replaced.

After this during the hard frost/freezing weather a couple of weeks back the front suspension coil spring broke on the off-side.

Foolishly I got that spring replaced with a new one instead of having both fronts done at the same time (mechanically speaking a car novice), I read subsequently it was proper to have both done.

Anyway, a week later I the near-side spring broke, so rather than take it to where I had the first spring done I went next door (mother of all **** ups an idea that was I'm beginning to think)...

He argued that rather than go out and get a new spring and fit that it was easier to get a second hand leg and spring and fit that to the car instead. So I went along with it, again being naive and stupid.

He rang me up the same day and said "you've got a vibration haven't you" to which I said yes, thinking he was referring to something else. I actually said, "yeah - a knocking feeling"...

Anyway not really knowing what he meant by this vibration I went out the next day in it, on an A road and the whole car was shaking/wobbling violently at say 30-40mph when pressing on the accelerator.

It gets really bad at 50-70 mph and feels like the car is going to take off, but as soon as I let my foot off the accelerator it doesn't shake or wobble.

Anyway I went back to him and explained that the car was nothing like this before he changed the leg, to which he gave me a load of confusing car jargon etc. and said it must be something to do with when the clutch was replaced in November.

I rang the clutch place up and they had a look at it yesterday, saying the rear sub frame bushes needed replacing (which were an advisory on the last MOT) and I was told that the tyres are all pretty much getting to the limit and need replacing.

This morning I picked it up and the guy told me that there's still a bit of a shake but that's all down to the rear tyres needing replacing and assures me that if I get them done the shaking/wobbling will disappear.

Does this sound right?

I can't get it out my head that the car drove OK without the wobble on acceleration before my neighbour fitted the used leg /spring.

I know that all the tyres need replacing on the car but I'm just fearful that I spend MORE money on new rubber and get the same frickin problem.

Completely and utterly lost. Please advise :(
 
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Tyres won't cause that

But then you were advised to replace both springs and you ignored that. You were advised not to fit a second hand spring and you ignored that.... What's the point asking again?

Your neighbour has messed something up pretty badly I'd say
 
What kind of vibration are we talking here? There's a big, big difference between the type of vibration caused by an engine with breathing / sensor / fuelling issues and a car with something not right in the suspension department.

Is it a violent shudder like you would get before stalling or are you getting a wobble through the wheel? Subframe issues would make the car move around but it wouldn't shake, rattle and roll.

It sounds like you've been led up the garden path to me....again, but it's near impossible to say without knowing more.

Tbh I'm starting to think it's time to get rid and take your chances with something else. Please, please stop trying to save on £20 here and there with the kind of work you're having done though. It may not be the cause of your problems here tbh but is it really worth it? (here's a clue, it isn't)
 
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rodenal said:
Tbh I'm starting to think it's time to get rid and take your chances with something else. Please, please stop trying to save on £20 here and there with the kind of work you're having done though. It may not be the cause of your problems here tbh but is it really worth it? (here's a clue, it isn't)
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From the sounds of it, there's nothing terribly wrong with the car.

It snapped a coil spring, not exactly a consumable but not uncommon. Scrimped on that first time so it ended up being more of a hassle than its worth. Scrimped on it again and ended up with this problem. Other than that, it needs some bushes and some tyres - pretty common car expenses.

I can't see the point in changing the car - the best thing the OP can do is start doing things properly
 
It's the kind of vibration which shakes your legs. I can really feel it through my legs when making contact with the accelerator pedal being pushed down. Basically if I'm cruising at 40mph and then floor the throttle it starts wobbling my legs quite badly, the whole car shakes. It feels more like an intense wobble under my seat. If I let go of the accelerator the car instantly calms right down and doesn't wobble. As soon as I press down / floor the throttle it wobbles again.

Sorry if I'm not explaining it very well.
 
iaind said:
From the sounds of it, there's nothing terribly wrong with the car.

It snapped a coil spring, not exactly a consumable but not uncommon. Scrimped on that first time so it ended up being more of a hassle than its worth. Scrimped on it again and ended up with this problem. Other than that, it needs some bushes and some tyres - pretty common car expenses.

I can't see the point in changing the car - the best thing the OP can do is start doing things properly
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The bushes got replaced today. They did need doing though as they were an advisory from the last MOT.

I have done everything properly except for getting both (and both new springs) installed at the same time.

I still have the old leg, would it be worth getting a new spring and asking someone to fit my old leg and a new spring and sorting out the near-side leg / spring properly?
 
smr said:
It's the kind of vibration which shakes your legs. I can really feel it through my legs when making contact with the accelerator pedal being pushed down. Basically if I'm cruising at 40mph and then floor the throttle it starts wobbling my legs quite badly, the whole car shakes. It feels more like an intense wobble under my seat. If I let go of the accelerator the car instantly calms right down and doesn't wobble. As soon as I press down / floor the throttle it wobbles again.

Sorry if I'm not explaining it very well.
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Take it to a proper garage and get them to check out what your neighbour has fitted, something has probably not been done up properly.
 
smr said:
The bushes got replaced today. They did need doing though as they were an advisory from the last MOT.

I have done everything properly except for getting both (and both new springs) installed at the same time.

I still have the old leg, would it be worth getting a new spring and asking someone to fit my old leg and a new spring and sorting out the near-side leg / spring properly?
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What have you actually got on the car? One side with the original shock but a brand new pattern part spring? And one side with a second hand spring and shock of unknown original and mileage?

If so, buy another spring of the same brand as the other new one. Get a garage to fit that with your original shock and give your mate his second hand one back. That way, both sides are identical
 
iaind said:
Take it to a proper garage and get them to check out what your neighbour has fitted, something has probably not been done up properly.
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I got the bushes done today at the same place (a proper garage) that did the clutch.

I didn't want to say I had a second hand leg fitted incase they shunned the work off saying it was to do with the leg when it might have been something they hadn't done properly when installing the new clutch.
 
iaind said:
What have you actually got on the car? One side with the original shock but a brand new pattern part spring? And one side with a second hand spring and shock of unknown original and mileage?
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Yeah I think the garage (not the garage which did the clutch) who sorted the first broken spring just replaced the spring with the original shock. I can clarify that in the morning.

The side done by my neighbour he said he would get a second hand leg and spring and do it that way.
 
smr said:
I got the bushes done today at the same place (a proper garage) that did the clutch.

I didn't want to say I had a second hand leg fitted incase they shunned the work off saying it was to do with the leg when it might have been something they hadn't done properly when installing the new clutch.
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I don't think the problem has been caused inherently by the second hand parts - but that corner of the car needs a careful eye to be cast over it. It seems pretty obvious that your neighbour caused this issue - so I'd be inclined to have his work undone and redone by a professional, so you may as well get the parts right while you're at it
 
Ok sounds suspension related then.

Have you checked the basics like wheel nuts / hub nut properly done up (He shouldn't have touched the hub nut but you never know)? Take the car somewhere that isn't a next door neighbour with a dodgy approach or a fast fit type rip off outfit.

I would normally agree that there is nothing terribly wrong with the car and it would be silly to get rid but tbh it sounds to me like so many things have been bodged on this car that it's now getting difficult to tell what's causing the problem. I suspect one new, one old spring, mis matched shocks, a potentially crap clutch job and now some new (how well done??) sub frame bushes are only the tip of the iceberg. As it'll be worth about 2p anyway and the op doesn't know how to diagnose let alone fix anything himself it's vastly approaching the point where it's better letting somebody else deal with the car and just take a chance on something else.

Unless it's a massive coincidence your neighbour has caused this - probably by not properly doing something back up or by fitting some shockingly poor used components. If you want to keep the car stop scrimping on stupid things (I am not saying go out and pay over the odds for any work), be a bit smarter about what you are doing to it.
 
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smr said:
Yeah I think the garage (not the garage which did the clutch) who sorted the first broken spring just replaced the spring with the original shock. I can clarify that in the morning.

The side done by my neighbour he said he would get a second hand leg and spring and do it that way.
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No need to replace the shock if its not broken/leaking etc so the first side is fine. As I said in your last thread, second hand suspension parts are pretty pointless. The shock didn't need replacing and the spring is of unknown age and condition. The shock that went on could have been in worse nick than what came off - I suspect he's suggested doing it that way because he's not a very good mechanic and its easier to replace both as a whole set. This is why I'm pretty confident he's messed something up - not done up the top mount fully or something.

As rodenal says above, you need to develop a consistent and thorough approach to maintaining your car. Find yourself a good, reputable garage that you trust and have sensible rates. If something is wrong, ask them and fix what is needed. It's not complicated, but you had the same problem twice in the space of 2 weeks and went about fixing them in entirely different ways!
 
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I wasn't experiencing the mad wobbling before the first spring went or after it wasreplaced. When driving on the morning that I noticed the second spring had gone the car felt nice and smooth and planted.

That same day the neighbour fitted the other spring and when I got the car back I experienced the wobbling. So I am convinced its something he has done.
 
Go back to the garage that fitted your first spring, inform them of the cluster**** your neighbour has done and get them to put a new spring on your old leg, refit that and inspect possible issues while under there.
Sounds to me like he's somehow ****ed a CV joint.
 
I know a good garage near where I used to live three years ago. A private business owned by a couple of good mechanics. Maybe I should take it to them and explain everything.
 
Fuzz said:
Go back to the garage that fitted your first spring, inform them of the cluster**** your neighbour has done and get them to put a new spring on your old leg, refit that and inspect possible issues while under there.
Sounds to me like he's somehow ****ed a CV joint.
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The reason I didn't go back to them was because he tried charging me 120 quid to replace with a new spring. Although they did a good job they're rip off merchants. I managed to haggle down to 106 after getting another quote and then found out that was still expensive.
 
iaind said:
Why would you not take your car there in the first place?
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Distance. 5 miles away. The garage which fitted the first spring is in my village. Sounds silly I know...I've learnt / am learning a lot.
 
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