I know, right?! Have you had any major work done on yours? I've been told it could be the balance shafts. I thought maybe mine were mis-aligned when the engine was rebuilt (pistons replaced/oil burning) Maybe they just wear out? Maybe it's something else entirely. Tell me, do you get the vibration in gear and in neutral/park like I do? It's like there's a rough patch from 750 to 1000 rpm, worst around 900-950 rpm, and smooths out past that. Maybe we can figure it out because it's not supposed to be rough/vibrating like this. I don't think anyone who test drove a new one off the lot would be ok with it-they would certainly notice that it feels like a massage chair.cptnsolo77 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 2:15 pm I feel your pain. I had the same issue when I replaced my mounts. Silky smooth at first BETTER than new. Then the rough idle returned after a month. I was so dead set I had a bad mount somewhere, I replaced them all a second time and no change They are all OEM mounts. Needless to say I ruled out the mounts. I wish I had an answer for both of us. Im still searching why it idles rough. I cant stand it, and makes me wanna get rid of it
an axle snap off while driving at highway speed ??? YIKES !Caretaker wrote: ↑Mon Sep 27, 2021 3:55 am It is often easier for people to think of cars this way: car years and dog years are the same when it comes to reliability. Although nearly all dogs die by age 15 and cars can last decades, I wouldn't go for a morning jog with my 15 year old dog nor would I consider a lengthy road trip in a 15 year old car. Everyone tries to justify the lower cost of repairs versus a new car payment. I look at it this way, in my driving life, I've had tires blow out, brakes totally fail two different times, and an axle snap off while driving at highway speed. As Sting says, we're "....packed like lemmings into shiny metal boxes; contestants in a suicidal race...." Most people agree that one wouldn't repeatedly patch up an old tire just to keep it going and that buying bargain tires is not a good idea; I tend to apply that logic to the rest of an aging car especially when it is ferrying precious cargo. Of course, the present chip/used/new car shortage has every logic turned upside down.
Here's Clark Howard's take on this subject, posted today on his website: “If the cost of the repair is half or less than the value of the car, you should always do the repair,” he says. “If the cost of the repair is between half and the full value of the car, AND if you think the car will last for another year, you should do the repair.”
I'm still guessing too, but I did see a video where a guy had a Toyota something with coils similar to ours and 2-3 of them were bad (or very weak) with no CEL. He removed them one at a time with the engine running and two of them had little to no effect when removed. I always thought they were an all or nothing item, but apparently they can weaken with age-so can an alternator. Cars generally won't throw a warning light unless something is dangerously wrong or significantly detrimental to the emissions system. I had one spark plug that had a lot of buildup on it, but the others were clean when I replaced them. That could be due to weak spark/incomplete burn (weak coil, etc.) In general, the pistons not all functioning the exact same way is a very common source of vibration. I did everything you mentioned with no improvement except replacing a/the coil(s) and cleaning the IAC valve(Mine doesn't have one.) We'll figure it out! If the car idled smooth off the lot, it can be smooth again.cptnsolo77 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 26, 2021 10:25 am Wow, you have described my issue exactly. around 1100 RPMs it DOES smooth out. Worst at about 850 RPMs and when cold. I recently had a bad coil that gave me a misfire code and I replaced the coil.....AND the center bolt for the front engine mount was completely loose. That did help. I ran a bottle of catalytic converter cleaner, ran it real hard on the highway and that seemed to help. I replaced the MAF sensor and helped was well. I have multiple issues here ( obviously ) but I cant seem to get rid of that 850 RPM vibration. No, I havent had any major work done. I thought I would NEVER say this but I want another car. This is the crap that makes you throw in the towel on a car, and I have had the vibe for 14 years. I would hate to get ride of it knowing it could be something minor
Lets update this post as we go along....maybe we can put our heads together and solve this one
My next plan of attack will be this :
- check the bolts on the remaining engine mounts
- replace the IAC valve
- clean throttle body
-replace a coil one at at time to see if there are any changes. The car ran pretty crappy before it gave a code. I could possibly have a coil that starting to go bad but hasnt triggered a code yet.
Being that I have no CEL right now im drawing straws.
Yes. On cold start, once it idles down to about 950 rpm, there's an intense vibration that resonates throughout the car like a subwoofer. Shortly after it's warmed up, the vibration mellows out into a message chair type thing. The vibration also feels like it moves up and down with rpm, like 900 rpm-more in the steering wheel/rear view mirror, 750 rpm-more in the seat/pedals.cptnsolo77 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 2:49 pm Does the vibration seem worse when the car is cold and gets better when the engine reaches operating temp ? Thats what I experience. I even replaced the engine cooling temp sensor a few years back....yeah....I have been dealing with this for quite some time. Like 3 years
Keep us posted This also helps other members.
Thats the first I heard of any kind of "scope" to determine if the engine is off a level of degrees. Off in relation to what ? I dont know if the engine has balance shafts. I can say the 1.8 isnt the most smoothest engine, but it was never this rough. I replaced all the mounts twice It got better the 2nd time around but not where it should be. Im just as lost as you are. I have no check engine lights to indicate anything wrong. Engine vacuum was 21 in hg. I have been chasing this issue for 2 years. Gas mileage is great too.butlerjonas wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 7:51 pm That third post is from me lol. My engine does sit a little crooked. You can tell because the passenger side mount shaped like a backward 7 is crooked. I also had a mechanic tell me the engine is off by 2 degrees that he measured with a "scope"-I've still never seen a scope nor does anyone I've asked know what one is. I've tried moving some of the mounts around (there is a little play in the holes) but it didn't help any. I have not tried loosening them all and "neutralizing" them. After everything I've tried, it has to be the engine not sitting right or the balance shafts or both. I'm pretty sure your engine doesn't have balance shafts, though. Was your car ever smooth that you can remember? What was the story with replacing your mounts? I had my mounts replaced in order of trans and rear mount, then a few months later the front mount, then another few months later the passenger side mount which made my car THE smoothest, quietest car I had ever even sat in, but for only about an hour
FWIW, here's everything I did/tried that didn't help
All new OEM mounts
OEM spark plugs
Fuel injectors cleaned
MAF sensor replaced
Throttle body cleaned
Replaced PCV valve
Engine flush
Re-installing the passenger side mount a few times
Compression and vacuum tests both excellent
No codes, all "stats" like fuel trim, O2 sensors, etc. are pretty much perfect.
Mine used to do that (smooth in neutral, shaky in gear). It could be the torque converter, but check the mounts first. If they are all original with that mileage, they're almost certainly worn out. Also, change the ATF if you haven't in a while. The U250E is a bullet-proof transmission, so I doubt it's going out unless it's been abused and/or neglected.Transylvania wrote: ↑Mon Sep 27, 2021 10:03 am So my 2010 (2.4L, automatic) with 236k shakes at idle, when in gear. If it's in Neutral, does not shake/vibrate. Current thinking is that the torque converter could be causing it.
Thoughts?
I'm replacing my valve cover gasket soon. It was replaced about 9 months ago, but there is oil getting into at least one spark plug hole. I'm also replacing my coils. I was reading (a lot) about very similar symptoms (low RPM vibration, inconsistent/hunting idle) due to high mileage coils that still work, but not as well as they used to. I tried to replace the contact springs (new springs came with the boot kit) but the old ones were impossible to remove. I was afraid they would break or warp because they are MUCH softer and flimsier than the new ones. Denso coils were $55 a piece on Rock Auto. I figure even if it doesn't help, I'll never have to buy coils again and I can keep them in my car for if one goes out on the road I will report back afterwards, of course.
Excellent find !butlerjonas wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 2:00 pm I just replaced my air filter and it made more of an improvement than I thought it would. Apparently I had the "budget" Toyota/Denso filter in there and it was not only fouling my MAF sensor, but also throwing off the air/fuel ratio. Also, it didn't look dirty at all, but it was "shedding" and a bunch of fuzz was coming off of it.