bigfoo Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 When going down the road at speed say 45-70 somewhere in there the car shudders every second or so.. It's not very much and if you aren't really paying attention to it you don't notice it much but it's there.. it drives my wife nuts.. it shakes the whole car just enough so you can feel it in your seat and enough to make it so when you talk it makes your voice a little funny .. seems to do it then stop for a half second or 1 second and then do it again .. i suppose it could be the road but i've been everywhere.. Was t hinking maybe the tires but they are balanced and at 70mph if it was a tire i would think it would be much more rapid but it isn't ... i have symmetry tires.. not sure how good those are (dealer replaced tires a year or so ago last time i had maintenance done, but it's out of warranty now)... ALSO, There is this crazy chirping noise.. every few minutes or so a 'chirp' will come from somewhere on the passenger side of the car. It sounds like a little beep but it sounds like when you have bad shock bushings and you hit a bump and the metal makes a chirp because it's sliding against itself. It's not loud but she complains about it a lot I've just begun to start tracking down vibrations, ticks, rattles, etc.. (mainly because of wife) heh.. I always crank up the radio and or roll down the windows so I don't really notice anything :> Any suggestions or ideas on where to start would be great Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillydude Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Vibrations are a BENEFIT in addition to being a feature on many vehicles... I paid over $10,000 to get a Harley for just that very reason... and the wife wouldn't want it any other way. Of course, I could have just bought her a new washer, but what fun would that be? My advice... tell the wife to relax and enjoy the ride. I'm just curious... does the squeaking from the passenger side coincide with the vibrations? I know that sometimes happens... followed by a heavy sigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted June 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 HahAHaHah... The squeaking happens every minute or 2 or 3.. I thought it might have been the AC kicking on and off so i stopped and parked and waited with the AC on but it didn't do it.. only does it when im going ... I'll try driving around with the AC off to see if it does it.. it sounds like what it would sound like if the little door that the AC swings back and forth to adjust air flow had a bad bearing and just a little squeak while it moved Still driving her nuts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronson Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Had same chirping sound every time the car would incounter dip or bump in the road, did not have to be a real rough road but every so sight it would seem. Chirpping almost bird sounding at times. Had the car at the dealership three times, one of those days they assigned a tech to the car and he tinkered with it the whole day, still could not find it. Finally e-mailed the corporate offices with complaint because they could not diagnose the ploblem. It's the Struts. Finally got the shop foreman in my car and drove out the service bay and by going over the threshhold of the doorway it made the chriping sound. On the newer models I think they are a lifetime warranty item, it wasn't on mine though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 When going down the road at speed say 45-70 somewhere in there the car shudders every second or so.. It's not very much and if you aren't really paying attention to it you don't notice it much but it's there.. it drives my wife nuts.. it shakes the whole car just enough so you can feel it in your seat and enough to make it so when you talk it makes your voice a little funny .. seems to do it then stop for a half second or 1 second and then do it again .. i suppose it could be the road but i've been everywhere.. Was t hinking maybe the tires but they are balanced and at 70mph if it was a tire i would think it would be much more rapid but it isn't ... i have symmetry tires.. not sure how good those are (dealer replaced tires a year or so ago last time i had maintenance done, but it's out of warranty now)... ALSO, There is this crazy chirping noise.. every few minutes or so a 'chirp' will come from somewhere on the passenger side of the car. It sounds like a little beep but it sounds like when you have bad shock bushings and you hit a bump and the metal makes a chirp because it's sliding against itself. It's not loud but she complains about it a lot I've just begun to start tracking down vibrations, ticks, rattles, etc.. (mainly because of wife) heh.. I always crank up the radio and or roll down the windows so I don't really notice anything :> Any suggestions or ideas on where to start would be great Thanks Could it be one cylinder misfiring? If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 I've just begun to start tracking down vibrations, ticks, rattles, etc.. (mainly because of wife) heh.. I always crank up the radio and or roll down the windows so I don't really notice anything :> so your wife brings yo back to the reality sounds like it only happens when you move down a hill? my guess is you were applying the brakes a little bit to not let the ca accelerate, and one( or several) of the brakes just is not good (disc, caliper pin, piston, pads ... whatever) . I would chek all the brakes. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 I also have a '99 STS. I DO hear the air mix door moving from time to time, usually right after we get started on a trip and as it is trying to figure out the difference between the outside air and the temp it is set at. During these times, the air mix door sorta rubs or squaks every 3-4 seconds. Last time out, it was getting pretty bed so I ran the temp up to 90 deg. and then back down to 66 deg. Did this a couple of times and the noise became bearable. Notice that I didn't say that it is fixed, it just lessened the sound. The fix, I would think, would be to apply some type of slicone lube to the rubbing parts of the door. Now, I really don't want to try that because I have never had the top of the dash off, but that might be a good starting point. Curiously enough, I have a similar, random squeek that sounded like it was coming from various places in the car. I thought it came from the rear suspension, my wife (from the navigators chair) thought it was coming from the front. Usually this noise would only happen when moving over a rough surface and making a right turn...............until it happened sitting still! I was trying to get change out of my pocket while in a parking lot and the noise rang out, loud and clear. It was coming from the driver's seat mounting brackets. I never got that one fixed either, but it was comforting to know where it was coming from. I'm pretty sure these noises have recently come to be known as the "Heartbeat of America", so I just grin and bear it. Finally for your recurring vibration. It is a sypathetic or harmonically recurring noise occuring in a somewhat repeatable pattern and changing with vehicle speed. Right so far? I would suspect the front drive shaft assemblies/CV joints. This does not rule out a bent drive shaft or a wheel bearing, but my money is on the half shafts. I'd have them pulled, inspected, re-lubed or rebuilt, depending on what you find. Tire imbalance is not usually a sine wave type pattern which grows and lessens over time ~ but is a constant annoyance. THIS ONE HOWEVER does NOT rule out internal tire damage such as a loose belt or severe tread "syncipation". You may be able to have the tires road force balanced to determine if they are within specs. On a '99, no other method will do. Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted June 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 Hehe.. the vibration is more like a shaking like a tire if it was quite a bit out of balance, however the vibration doesn't seem to increase a whole lot with speed.. even going 80 it still seems to vibrate about the same amount but probably slightly different. I guess it's more like a 'bouncing' than a vibration.. it 'bounces' you in your seat, you can feel your stomach jiggling sometimes .. it's very weird to explain.... Anything I can check myself without having to pay someone else to do it I will. So if anyone has any ideas that I can do myself please let me know.. other than that where do you think the best place to take it would be? It's out of warranty, and the dealer replaced all 4 of the struts/shocks right before the end of the warranty so i'm wondering if those would still carry a dealer warranty or something... (if that happens to be the squeaking noise) (forgot to answer your question) It's much more of a sympathetic 'vibration' because it's totally silent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacseville Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 steering column shake too with vibration? my vote is an outta whack tire... either misbalances or warped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted June 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 Nothing in the steering .. but I'm not sure you would even feel it with this car because of the magnetic steering assist crap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted June 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 OOOOOOOOO I think I found the CHIP! I think it's the A/C compressor kicking on.... I had the hood open and i punched the ac button and CHIRP. Very very silent.. so i turned ac off, revved the engine up to 2500 or so and punched the ac, CHIRP kinda loud....... so my guess is..... while driving since on the highway etc the engine is around 1500-2500 the chirp is louder, and why i didn't hear it at idling even with the ac on is because it's at like 600 rpm ...... so the question is, is there something i can spray on it to clean it to make it stop or is this just something that will have to be replaced when it breaks or when i can't live with the noise any more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 If it is chirping when the A/C engages, the belt is slipping. Belt dressing will only be temporary as it will wear off. Either the belt is worn and needs replacing or the tensioner is rusted. Put a breaker bar on it and exercise it back and forth a few times to see if it is free and tensioning properly. Maybe lube the pivot if you can get at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 You can't find the problem tire yourself. Further, MOST tire shops won't be able to find the tire that is at fault. It sounds like you certainly have a bad tire with a loose or broken belt. This is a serious defect that can cause sudden tire failure. Spend the money to get it fixed. Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiljak Posted June 16, 2004 Report Share Posted June 16, 2004 I had similar vibrations, however, mine were noticable about 75 to 90 on the interstate and it would chake the rear-view mirror. (looked like earthquake behind me ). Ended up being the stablizer links. Take each of your front tires off and you'll see a veritcal bar that connects to the front strut (it has a small ball joint on each end). I could feel the play in mine and see that the boots were rotten. Afterchanging mine, no virbrations and also no annoying small thump over the smallest cracks like before. I think the links were under $40 each from gmpartsdirect and you need a front end fork tool to get em loose (i always called those a pickle fork but i don't know what he actual name is). Cheap, Easy, Ahhhhh......my favorite. James 1999 STS 65k 1995 STS 127k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDK Posted June 16, 2004 Report Share Posted June 16, 2004 If the vibration is only noticable at relatively light throttle beginning at 45-?, on level, smooth road - it might have something to do with how the transmission "locks-up" the clutch to improve mileage and performance. Caddy changed how the tranny locks-up at some point, but I think one method was acronymed VCC for Viscous-Coupled Clutch or whatever. There was another method used (probably a reason for it - huh). I don't recall which version of clutch control is in your model/year and if both have had this issue. This does not have to be a big deal, depending on the degree of vibration and if it is getting worse, etc. From what I learned from this site : When the engine and tranny are locked, then the engine's vibrations can be transmitted by the tranny to the car body, seemingly just below the driver and passenger. <_< Something as simple as an engine miss (as noted by Marika) can be amplified when conditions are "just perfect". As well as the Caddy is soundproofed, etc - You might not notice any engine misss at idle or at other operating conditions. I know this sounds too simple or subtle, but consider the engine power and tuning. One of the ways to check for this problem is to very-lightly apply the brake - just enough to turn on the light (look in the rear-window indicator). Do this while into a vibration-mode and not changing the throttle or other conditions. The tranny will un-lock, (perhaps because it is anticipating some sort of change). If the vibration stops, then you might want to describe it to a tech for further work. The tranny should have locked well before 70 and at that speed certain harmonics or vibrations get mitigated by others (anti-vibration)? Oh yeah, you got no codes right? The above can occur without codes. Good luck and please post when solved. Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted June 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2004 Thanks guys! I'll do some more testing and report back. I don't get bumps and clunks or anything like that hitting bumps on the road.. I recently did just replace the spark plugs in the car (2 days ago) and haven't really had a chance to drive much but from the small amount that I drove it did seem a little smoother, or maybe it was just the road I was on Will do some more tests Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted June 16, 2004 Report Share Posted June 16, 2004 Too bad you can't lay your hands on a reed tachometer. They are excellent at tracking down the source of vibrations, rattles, etc. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northstar Posted June 16, 2004 Report Share Posted June 16, 2004 The 98+ sevilles chirp from the scroll type compressor AC clutch, considered normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted June 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 Then why didn't it chirp when I got it and it does now HehEhe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDK Posted June 17, 2004 Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 Per Marika: Too bad you can't lay your hands on a reed tachometer. They are excellent at tracking down the source of vibrations, rattles, etc. What a flashback! I used these gadets around 30-years ago to deterin turbine and pump rpm. Pretty cool actually, considering "no electronics" and darn accurate in their calibration range. The one I used was a small brick sized, aluminum box with a window. A couple dozen marker tips on top of "metal reeds" jiggled a bit, but when you got it right-on a sweet spot Yah baby! The specific rpm would just go nuts in the window as long as you were on the most vibration-sensitive, tactile surface. Now that I think about it, my girfriend used to ask me about it from time to time also. Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted June 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 What about the good old wooden stick placing on ear trick Can hear where it's coming from : UPDATE: I actually think some of the vibration is gone after replacing the spark plugs in the engine. Sounds funny, but it seems like it's better now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted June 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 Ya, it's still there.. I even put it in neutral going down hill on the highway and it's still doing it......... I'll take the tires off and check the bushings,rods,etc then take it to a tire shop or somewhere that can check the balancing of the tires.. nasty vibrations :> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDK Posted June 18, 2004 Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 Just a wild guess, but have you used and oth the tire inflator goop in a can lately? I'm sure that you would have figured it out darn quick if you had to drive it right away. However, you might have "canned it up" and not driven it sor some time and not connected the issues later on. Also, that crap can move around inside and pile up. I had to use some in a rear tire and wow! The steering was fine and all - but talk about instant "vibrations in a can". Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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