Shaking car: causes and repairs

A shaking car is a symptom of a breakdown. Depending on the circumstances of the vibration (when stopping, starting, high speed, braking, etc.), the cause of the problem may be different. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the source of the repair from which your car is shaking.

🚗 Why is my car shaking?

Vibration from the steering wheel or car is an important and alarming symptom. You may have difficulty driving, which is dangerous. But a shaking car is also often a sign of a serious breakdown, and continuing to drive can seriously damage your car.

However, there are many possible causes of vehicle shaking. These vibrations are usually associated with other symptoms or do not occur under the same circumstances: when starting off, braking, stopping, etc.

The car shakes when starting off

The key to starting your car is Launching engine... To do this, when you turn the key or press the start button, the flywheel is activated and drives the crankshaft. The starter then has to set in motion the energy generated by the battery. Thanks to its electrical power, it allows the engine to run.

Thus, it will start your engine and other elements necessary for a good starting of the car: the generator, which supplies electricity engine and various accessories, timing belt that provides perfect synchronization in the engine pistons and valves, an auxiliary belt driven through a damper pulley, etc.

Usually, if shaking or vibration occurs after you have just started the car, the engine is still cold... These manifestations can have several different causes, the most common of which are the following:

• Defective undercarriage : necessary for the safety of the vehicle, they are the link between the car and the road, ensuring its movement and stability;
• of Rims disguised : the discs are slightly deformed and can damage the chassis or brake discs;
• of Tires deformed : it can be a source of bad inflation or deformation as a result of bumps, for example, on sidewalks;
• Geometry problem : incorrect geometry or parallelism of the vehicle;
• One or more broken candles : they create an imbalance when starting up and can cause slight tremors in the first minutes;
• of ball joints suspension or steering in poor condition : cause tremors in the passenger compartment;
• Worn bearings : Hub bearings allow the wheel to rotate;
• One Transmission defective : in the latter, the gear does not work correctly anymore;
• Un flywheel defective : it will damage your grip;
• Deformation of the drive shaft or cardan : tremor will be more or less significant depending on the degree of deformity;
• . injectors no longer works as expected : tremors will be felt when stopping or en route;
• La High pressure pump fails : fuel is not supplied correctly;
• Le engine silencer wears : It can be level with the chassis or connected to the engine mounts.

There is also a difference between a car that shakes, be it diesel or gasoline. Indeed, diesel engines do not have spark plugs, but glow plugs. Thus, on a diesel-powered vehicle, there is less chance of the jolts coming from the spark plugs.

As you can see, the problem can come from many different parts. This is why you should keep a close eye on the origin of the jolts and the possible sounds your vehicle may make. This will at least allow you to pinpoint the location of the problem.

Vehicle shakes while driving

A car that shakes while driving can also have several causes, including:

• Bad wheel balancing ;
• Deformation Tires (hernia, bad bloating, etc.);
• Un Frame damaged ;
• Play in the undercarriage (For example, HS tie rods or damaged bushings).

Vibration after an impact or accident can indicate damage to a part or component of the vehicle. If you've recently hit a curb, look at the side of your wheels first: vibrations can be caused by a damaged rim or a flat tire.

If the car shakes when shifting gears, it could just be human error and poor gear shifting. But repetitive vibrations when shifting gears may indicate main grab : The clutch disc is worn, the release bearing is damaged.

Un Fuel filter clogged or fuel pump Deterioration can also explain vehicle shaking while driving. Indeed, poor fuel delivery to the engine does not contribute to good combustion.

The car shakes when accelerating

For a car that shakes during acceleration, two cases must be distinguished:

• The car is shaking at high speed;
• The car shakes when accelerating at any speed.

A car that shakes at high speed is usually a sign poor concurrency wheels. This will lead to increased fuel consumption, premature tire wear, and steering wheel shake. We'll have to go through a special bench to redo the parallelism of the wheels.

Another problem with geometry.balancing tires may cause the vehicle to vibrate at high speed. At low speeds, car shaking on acceleration is more likely to indicate a flat tire or warped rim. If the car shakes regardless of the speed, one of the possible reasons is the diet: filters or fuel pump.

Finally, if vibrations occur during gear changes, it could be clutch problem.

The car shakes when braking

Vibration during braking is most often a sign of a malfunctioning brake system. a Brake disc veil thus causes tremors, especially at the level of the brake pedal. It can also be overheat brake discs.

Failure can also occur due to suspension or steering, with a damaged link, ball or suspension arm.

Finally, a car that shakes at idle is usually explained geometry problem or worn bearings, suspension, or steering knuckles.

👨‍🔧 What to do if the car is shaking?

There are many faults that can explain a car's shaking. So the best way to find out what's going on is to take the car to the garage for a while. diagnostic thorough. A mechanic will inspect your vehicle based on its symptoms - for example, a car that shakes when braking or changing gears will make him check the brakes or clutch.

Automatic diagnostics performed using the diagnostic case also polls your vehicle's computer, which lists all of it error codes determined by your vehicle's sensors. In this way, the mechanic can analyze the information transmitted by the electronic system of your vehicle.

💰 Shaking car: how much does it cost?

The cost of a car autodiagnosis may vary depending on the garage and the time taken to perform the autodiagnostics. Generally consider 1 to 3 hours of work at an estimated cost between 50 € and 150 €. Then, depending on the various faults found, the cost of the repair will need to be added. After the diagnosis, the mechanic will provide you with an estimate so that you can estimate the cost of the repair.

Thus, the geometry will cost you around 110 €. Replacement of pads and discs, including labor, costs around 250 euros. Thus, the bill for a shaking car can be very different.

From now on, you know all the reasons why your car may shake. As you can see, it is important to determine the cause of the problem. To do this, you will need to undergo a thorough diagnosis. Compare verified garages near you with our online comparator to find the best price!