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What’s causing vibration in my 15-year-old car?
John Paul, AAA Northeast's Car Doctor, answers a question from a reader experiencing vibration in their older car.
Q. I recently took a relatively long trip in my 2010 Mazda Miata. The car has about 39,000 miles and has always been dealer maintained. I noticed at highway speeds a slight vibration in the front, and I am planning to bring it in for tire balancing. But I am wondering if there could be other issues causing this vibration. The car is a summer car and sits outside on a wood panel floor all winter. I have done this for as long as I have owned the car since 2010. I would assume if there was a flat spot in the tires, I would notice it more prominently than just a vibration. Do you agree with that? Any other thoughts on what might cause the vibration before I do my own diagnosis?
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A. The first place to start is with the tire balance and careful inspection of both the tires and the wheels. A tire with a slight flat spot, or wheel that is a little out of round could certainly cause a vibration. When the car is on a lift, a good shop will also look for steering and suspension wear that could exacerbate a tire vibration.
Q. I have to slam the trunk pretty hard on my 15-year-old Toyota Corolla to get it to close. I replaced the top part, the trunk latch, with a brand new one, and still the same problem. Could it be the bottom part?
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A. You may be able to adjust the latch or the striker plate. It may be the new latch is not quite lining up. Sometimes moving it a bit or shimming it a bit with a washer can fix it. You can put some chalk or lipstick on the latch and when it transfers to the striker you can see where you need to make your adjustments. Also, over time the weather strip that keeps the trunk dry can get hard and make the trunk a bit harder to shut.
Q. You mentioned Lucid as a premium car that you liked but were concerned about the company. That was a few months ago. Do you still have the same feelings?
A. I only drove a Lucid for a short drive and it was a very well put together car. The interior was well crafted, the performance was outstanding, and the range was impressive. It has been reported that Lucid’s revenues showed a 36 percent increase year-over-year, fueled by strong delivery numbers. That being said, Lucid only delivered 3,109 vehicles in the first quarter of this year. Over the past 100 years most new car companies have not made it. I will say I recently saw, but did not drive, the Lucid Gravity SUV, and it was exceptionally good looking. I wish Lucid success, but time and history will tell the story.
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Q. I know Youtubers like Scotty Kilmer, Royalty Garage, and other influencers test tools. Have you tested anything recently?
A. Occasionally I hear from some companies that want to send me something to try out. I also will reach out to companies to test a product if readers are curious. Some of these products are good tools or a good value or both. Recently I was sent an Innova brand powered circuit tester. The unit has a built-in voltmeter and the ability to evaluate and provide both power and ground to a circuit or device. The cable is long and can attach directly to the battery or plug into a 12-volt outlet. The handle also swivels to a pistol grip and there are two different length probes. These powered circuit testers are handy but can also cause serious problems if used incorrectly. Unless it is a very simple circuit, it is always best to look at a wiring diagram before testing.
Q. I have a 1995 BMW convertible with 116,000 miles. The car is in good condition, including the top, which was replaced about two years ago. The problem is there is serious rust on the front of both rocker panels. I have been to several body shops, but they all say they do not do that kind of work. Would it help to paint it to stop it from rusting further? Are there some DIY repairs I can do that would look better than rusty holes?
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A. You could try some type of rust treatment that converts rust and just paint it around all the rust. These products will, to some extent, slow the rusting process and give you something to work with. To properly fix the rust it will need to be cut out and new metal welded in, then filled, primed, and painted. This will turn into a fairly extensive/expensive repair. You may be able to find some sort of patch panel that can be glued over the rust. I have also seen people clean up the rust, fill the holes with expandable foam, smooth out the foam with body filler and then prime and paint the area. One company has factory colors in spray cans. Patch panels and foam filler will not be perfect, but it will look better than rusty holes.
Q. I had my 2023 Honda CR-V hybrid aligned by Honda. The car still drifted right. When I told my service advisor about this, he said some roads have crowns to disperse water. Well, I have driven from Florida to Maine and it still drifts right. Assuming tires are inflated properly, and alignment was done properly, what is next? Rotate tires again or rebalance tires?
A. The dealer is correct that all roads have a crown to disperse water, but the alignment angles are designed to overcome this. Balance will not cause the car to drift. If this were my car, I would check all the tire pressure and adjust, as necessary. Then I would switch the front tires left to right. If the car now drifts to the left or travels straight you have a tire with excessive conicity which can cause the car to drift.
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John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor. He has over 40 years of experience in the automotive business and is an ASE-certified master technician. E-mail your Car Doctor question to [email protected]. Listen to the Car Doctor podcast at johnfpaul.podbean.com.
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