Vibration

I recently posted the below on the general board, but was recommended to post on here as there is more likely to be someone who has encountered similar problems. Any advise gladly recieved, thanks in advance........ I recently (6 months ago) purchased a 2002 C4, from a Official Porsche Centre. From the beginning there has been a vibration, felt through the steering wheel, and has ranged from severe shaking and noise within the car, to only occuring on bends, these diminished slightly after drive shafts were replaced. The front differential has been replaced, this resulting in the vibration diminishing a bit more, but not disappearing, honestly, it has resulted in the vibration at speeds around motorway recommendation. The dealership has undertaken the work. They have now stated that there is nothing else they can do. They also claim, that this vibration is a trait of this model . Any views on this statement!! My question is, has any one experienced the same problem!! If so, has it been satisfactorily resolved. Thanks again.

One word - b*llsh*t! I have exactly the same model & year and it has always been completely smooth right up to (and beyond) double the legal speed limit. Mine has done 54,000 miles now. I'd be checking for things like tyres gone oval, buckled rims, wheel balance & tracking and worn bushes.

Mine also vibrates a little, it was worse but by having the wheels re-balanced made a big difference. What should really make the difference is a proper 4 wheel geometry reset done by a OPC or specialist not a tyre shop. I would say any Porsche benefits from the geometry being reset, everytime I do it it, is like getting a new car back. Has to be a small price to pay for all that communication through the steering wheel. Stu

That is quite an astonishing statement by the dealer......that is NOT a normal trait!! I agree with what Nick says, and I would ask them to do a full 4 wheel alignment and balancing....if that doesn't fix it then maybe 1 of the wheels are buckled....

Thanks for this, have actually had the following to date, new rims (4) not sure on tyres though, drive shafts, doughnuts (one side only), differential, bur not tyres) have tried rims / tyres from other C4's. Tracking, tyre pressures, balancing etc. etc..... and still it persists. Will keep pushing the dealers though, on that score you can be assured.

Hi John. I would find a good independent - soon. Even though the car seems to be under warranty, you need to get a second (and in my opinion) educated view on what is going on here. If you do this (and get a proper answer) take the car back to the OPC and just tell them what the problem is and to get on with fixing it so that you can get on with enjoying your car. A trait of the car? -So that's a trait of a racing car that's been built for the road which probably cost somewhere between £60,000 and £80,000 to buy new? Yeah, you have to admit, you can see where they're coming from! What a crock! This remindes me of my brothers Audi; he spent £2k trying to find out why the engine kept missing. Eventually he went to a specialist and it turned out to be a relay which cost him £4.50 to replace. You have my sympathy. If I were you I would just forget about OPC - unless you fancy some nice coffee and looking at pretty receptionists.[ ]

Porsche claim that all their used approved cars are subject to an alignment check prior to sale. Do not take this statement for granted ask to see the data from the Hunter alignment rig; its held on the hard drive just like a PC. If they try and fob you off request they do another full alignment check and give you the print out. I took the OPC at their word on this as the car I bough had signs of uneven wear on the front offside tyre. I was assured that the geometry had been checked but that the data had been archived ! Had a check done by an independent and guess what, the offside camber is well out of limits. If the OPC tells you something ask for proof. I am sure you will get it sorted; keep the faith its worth it.

Hi I have had similar experiences. I have had the geometry checked (twice) I have replaced two back tyres, I have had all wheels balanced (three times) and it still persists. I went to Elite Wheels at Rainham who checked the geometry and found it out, they adjusted it correctly, £175. They also checked the trueness of the tyres and found both front tyres to be oval where the geometry had been reset and the wheels were fighting against the uneven wear. They will be replacing the tyres at the weekend and hopefully this will be the solution. I will report back, but suggest you take the car to a specialised tyre company and ask them to check that they are in fact round. Cheers Graham

Wow, I didn't even know that tyres could go an oval shape!!

I had a vibration on mine very soon after I bought it from OPC Swindon. They took it back in and replaced a nearside wheel bearing I think. They said it was showing early signs of wear. Anyway, it fixed the vibration straight away.

Hi again Have had my front tyres replaced and the vibration has reduced drastically. The tyre shop have a piece of equipment that simulates road use. It highlights where there are irregularities in the tyre and indicates where there is a cam type imperfection. This was the case after adjusting the geometry and creating a "oval" shape to the tyre. Hope this helps.