Vibration in Steering Wheel at Stop Light

[PottedMeat]

Car: 1988 Toyota Corolla FX ( aka Chevy Nova )
Engine: 4AC ( Carburetor )
Transmission: 3 Speed Automatic

This car has almost no problems except this minor one: when stopped at a light or stop sign the car front of the car starts to vibrate - especially the steering wheel. Not violently but like a low rumble.

In Park - no vibration.
In Reverse - barely vibrates, almost not noticable.
In Drive/2/L - Vibrates when parking or foot brake is used and car fully stopped.

I cleaned out the EGR valve ( almost fully blocked by carbon ) and did all the various idle/fast idle/ throttle rpm adjustments / timing things listed in the manual.

Google says a huge range of answers like bad motor mounts, EGR problems, transmission problems.

Any ideas?

Transmission cable out of whack?

 

[Horsepower]

motor mounts

 

[BlackTigers]

Originally posted by: Horsepower
motor mounts

mmmhhmmmm.

My car vibrates violently when in D, but if I drop it into park or neutral, it's fine.

I just don't really feel like changing the mounts when it's 20 degrees out.

Also, what are your idle RPM's? Sometimes my car will idle at around 800, and that causes the shakes. Every now and then it will idle over 1k, and it smooths out a ton.

 

[PottedMeat]

Originally posted by: BlackTigers

Originally posted by: Horsepower
motor mounts

mmmhhmmmm.

My car vibrates violently when in D, but if I drop it into park or neutral, it's fine.

I just don't really feel like changing the mounts when it's 20 degrees out.

Also, what are your idle RPM's? Sometimes my car will idle at around 800, and that causes the shakes. Every now and then it will idle over 1k, and it smooths out a ton.

At idle it's around 750 rpm ( that's what the service manual says to adjust it to ), and yeah if I give it a little gas with the brake fully depressed at a stop the vibration really smooths out. So could this be just a rough idle? Wouldn't that show up when I put it in reverse too at a full stop though? The vibration only comes around in D/L/2 modes.

 

[woodie1]

Some Toyota 4s were noted for a rough idle in gear. I wouldn't worry about it in this cold weather anyway unless it becomes really bad.

 

[Q]

Mine does the same (96 Accord), has done it for bout 2 years, no big deal nothing wrong.

 

[jagec]

A friend had that problem. They just popped it into N at stoplights. Problem solved!

 

[crosshairs]

Originally posted by: Horsepower
motor mounts

Same thing I am thinking...

 

[funboy6942]

Nothing wrong, just that a 4cyl is not a naturally balanced motor,like a 6cyl is, so at a stop in drive is vibrates the whole car, not a bad thing at all, nothing to worry about and really nothing you can do to make it better or go away aside of getting a different car. When I managed a Ford stealership I had a ton of escort owners in for the shakes, and the escorts were bad, around 1999-2001, they were not balanced well at all, and was hard telling people that that was the problem, they didnt want to listen, but oh well.

No worries though, just drive it till it pukes

 

[BlackTigers]

Originally posted by: funboy6942
Nothing wrong, just that a 4cyl is not a naturally balanced motor,like a 6cyl is, so at a stop in drive is vibrates the whole car, not a bad thing at all, nothing to worry about and really nothing you can do to make it better or go away aside of getting a different car. When I managed a Ford stealership I had a ton of escort owners in for the shakes, and the escorts were bad, around 1999-2001, they were not balanced well at all, and was hard telling people that that was the problem, they didnt want to listen, but oh well.

No worries though, just drive it till it pukes

Heh, I have a '98 Escort (exact same as 99-03) and this thing shakes like a MOTHER fucker. It's funny when I have it at a stop light and someone is in it who hasn't been before, and all they can feel is the damn car shake.

Of course, ass soon as I kick the lever into neutral it stops and calms/ But oh well.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: Quintox
Mine does the same (96 Accord), has done it for bout 2 years, no big deal nothing wrong.

You probably have a busted motor mount, too. We just replaced one on my GF's 95 Accord and it was night and day, especially under heavy throttle or engine braking.

They aren't THAT expensive to fix, and they can make a big difference in drivetrain refinement. Besides, do you really want to be driving it when the rest of the mounts break?

 

[funboy6942]

Well if the op wanted to test for a bad motor mount he can open the hood, keep the car off and in park, and start rocking the car forward and back. If there is a busted mount, one half of the motor will come up higher then the other on the return push. Its not exact, but if there is a broken mount the motor will come up a good couple inches instead of being put, or moving hardly if at all when doing the push to the car. I used to do this back in the day when I was buying, fixing and reselling cars as one of my main test to do to a car before buying it, some motor mounts can cost quite a bit to have replaced, and if his happens to have the old dog bone type on the top of the motor, then that is the easiest to see if broken, and fix.