Does Your Car Vibrate While Accelerating? Here are 5 Possible Reasons
Given enough time, a car will eventually develop certain problems, which can be compounded by neglect and lack of periodic maintenance. And one of the most common and irritating problems is vibration. More often than not, shaking problems start off barely noticeable that it becomes easy to overlook. This type of problem creeps up on you, until one day, the problem has gotten so worse, you wonder how you could have ignored it for so long.
Do you know what parts to look into if your car starts shaking when you accelerate? Here are the five possible culprits.
1. Unbalanced tires
If you recently had your tires replaced, the shaking you experience may be the result of unbalanced tires. Either the tire technician improperly balanced them, or one of the weights fell off. Take your car back to the shop where you bought your tires have them balanced again.
2. Loose lug nuts
If the lug nuts on your tires are loose, this means that the tire is not sitting securely, and the wheel has a slight wobble to it. Check each of your tires for loose lug nuts. Use a jack to elevate the side you intend to check, and apply a torque wrench to ensure each nut is tightened to manufacturer’s recommendations.
3. Bent axle/driveshaft
Driveshafts and axles are sturdy metal assemblies, but even they can’t withstand the force generated by a strong impact. If you accidentally hit a large rock or curb, or if you figure into an automotive accident, you could very well have a bent axle or driveshaft in your hands, which is serious. This is because replacement is often the only solution for this type of problem, and the parts tend to be very expensive.
4. Stuck brake caliper
When the brake caliper is stuck, the vibrations will get worse as you reach higher speeds. You’ll also smell something burning inside your car, as this problem tends to generate friction and extreme temperatures between the caliper and the discs.
5. Damaged CV joints
CV (constant-velocity) joints, which are a located at the tip of each axle, consists of both an outer and inner joint. When there’s a problem in any of these joints, the car will start to vibrate under hard acceleration. The vibration gets worse when carrying passengers and heavy loads.
If your vehicle shakes or vibrates out of the ordinary, take your car to a service shop ASAP. This type of problem is something you do not wish to ignore.
