[ayushagarwal26]

Hey! Very resourceful thread... thanks!

I have a problem with my pre owned XUV5OO W6 FWD, 1 year old, and done 19k kms. When I approach approx 100 - 110 km/h, I can feel a strong vibration in the steering wheel. The car does not mishandle or sway, it's just the wheel that vibrates (and quite vigorously). Although it is generally a light wheel (and not an enthusiasts' feedback driven one), I can also feel vibrations when the car goes over bad patches of road or potholes.

At other speeds, the car runs fine, and handling / stability / ride seem okay. I have, sadly, not been able to test if the vibration goes away at higher speeds than 110-115.

What should I check? The car is under complete warranty coverage, but I would like to guide the A** rather than leave it to them to troubleshoot.

Also, if relevant - at about 2000kms, the steel wheels were changed to HRS alloys. Although stock tyres remained, the offset is different (or the wheels are wider) as they visibly jut out a bit on the sides of the car. Could this cause a problem? However, I have myself driven this car (before I bought it) with these alloy wheels all the way back from Amritsar last year, at speeds in excess of 120 without any trouble. So I'm doubting the role of the alloys.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Hulk

...issue of vibrations in steering column at 110-120 kmph speeds as well as while braking from high speeds (higher than say 95kmph).
...problem is with warped rotors. The rotors were faced and the problem disappeared.
Less than 5K kilometres later, I am again facing the exact same problem. So my guess is that the cause is also the same (warped rotors). My question is - can this happen so frequently on its own or is the root cause something different? And should I get the rotors replaced or again go for facing? Are rotors covered under warranty?

Warped rotors are expected to cause brake pedal vibration while braking, and you'd also get some vibration on the steering wheel - however, it is unlikely that warped rotors will cause steering column vibrations while running at 110-120 km/h. The root cause is probably elsewhere, and IMO it could be because of unbalanced tyres or a wheel bearing problem. This may in turn be warping the rotors.

Check for unusual (patchy) wear pattern on your tyre on the affected side, and check for bearing noise and lateral play in the wheel, while it is jacked up off the ground.

Rotors can be faced safely at least twice, before needing replacement - but that is related to roughness from regular use. Facing them after warpage, depending on how much, might leave uneven metal thickness in different portions, which can cause more warpage with use.

Originally Posted by ayushagarwal26

...approx 100 - 110 km/h, I can feel a strong vibration in the steering wheel. The car does not mishandle or sway, it's just the wheel that vibrates (and quite vigorously).
What should I check?
...I'm doubting the role of the alloys.

I don't think the alloys are to blame. Steering wheel vibrations are usually due to
1. unbalanced wheels
2. broken wheel bearings
3. worn tie-rod ends
4. damaged or worn driveshaft (in FWD cars) (the XUV 500 is FWD)

The service station should be able to address all the above issues under warranty. Old XUV500s did have steering vibration as a frequent complaint, which IIRC was related to the driveshafts - perhaps yours may have a generic known problem that can be sorted out quickly by the ASC.

[v_2rahjo]

I faced a similar problem and the culprit were wheel bearings. Could be the same issue with your car as well

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by ayushagarwal26

...the offset is different (or the wheels are wider) as they visibly jut out a bit on the sides of the car. Could this cause a problem?

Such offset wheels increase the likelihood of broken wheel bearings, and ASC might deny you warranty cover. Please keep this in mind, instead of feeling bad if they don't do a free job.

[coolboy007]

Posted in my ownership thread though but also request an answer from member if my troubleshooting is right.

Have an year old Vento TDi which has done 14000 kms and from the past month or so i have been noticing vibrations on the steering upon braking lightly. If i take the car to 90-100 and brake lightly i can feel the steering vibrating though there is no shudder/vibes on the brake pedal whereas if i brake hard even the steering doesnt vibrate.

I think this issue is with the warped rotors as the same issue was with my friend's Rapid along with pulsations on the pedal, his rotors and pads were changed under warranty (skoda had issued an advisory for this issue as they knew a certain batch of cars had this issue) and the car has been fine since then.

Now i did contact VW and they told that new pads + disc + labour would cost around 4000 (perils of owning a german car). There is nothing i did to the car and it must be due to substandard parts used or a case of bad rotor/pads.

What are my options? Try getting the rotors skimmed on a machine, pads sanded with a sandpaper from a trusted mechanic or go to VW ASS and cough up 4000 to get new rotors+pads for no fault of mine.

Dont want to prolong this issue as it might damage suspension/tyres etc. Also there are slight tingling vibes on the steering (no wobble or shake while driving) at all speeds but i think its down to the poor damping in diesel Vento.

[don_carmaster]

Originally Posted by coolboy007

Posted in my ownership thread though but also request an answer from member if my troubleshooting is right.

Have an year old Vento TDi which has done 14000 kms and from the past month or so i have been noticing vibrations on the steering upon braking lightly. If i take the car to 90-100 and brake lightly i can feel the steering vibrating though there is no shudder/vibes on the brake pedal whereas if i brake hard even the steering doesnt vibrate.

I think this issue is with the warped rotors as the same issue was with my friend's Rapid along with pulsations on the pedal, his rotors and pads were changed under warranty (skoda had issued an advisory for this issue as they knew a certain batch of cars had this issue) and the car has been fine since then.

Now i did contact VW and they told that new pads + disc + labour would cost around 4000 (perils of owning a german car). There is nothing i did to the car and it must be due to substandard parts used or a case of bad rotor/pads.

What are my options? Try getting the rotors skimmed on a machine, pads sanded with a sandpaper from a trusted mechanic or go to VW ASS and cough up 4000 to get new rotors+pads for no fault of mine.

Dont want to prolong this issue as it might damage suspension/tyres etc. Also there are slight tingling vibes on the steering (no wobble or shake while driving) at all speeds but i think its down to the poor damping in diesel Vento.

Hi,

I am Facing exactly the same problem in my rapid.
and mind you this is the secind time.

i got my rotors changed free for the first time at 6700kms, currently i am at 12000 and the problem has resurfaced.

I dont understand why is this happening.

Any more Fellow owners facing this issue who might have found an effective solution.

Thanks,
Sahil

[coolboy007]

Originally Posted by don_carmaster

Hi,
I am Facing exactly the same problem in my rapid.
and mind you this is the secind time.

Hello Sahil,
Sorry to know that you are facing the same issue and that too second time within 12000 kms
Of what i understand, i think you only got the rotors changed under warranty initially and didnt change the brake pads. If the brake pads had irregularities or contaminants then they may have damaged the second set of rotors as well.

You should have got the brake pad change done. Going to VW service centre tomorrow, lets see what they have to say, i think am the first Vento owner facing this issue.

[cruze'ader]

Hi guys. This is one of my first threads on TBHP. This might be a lengthy post, so I do request you to take a few minutes to go through this. Any form of help/info will be highly appreciated.

I drive a Chevy Cruze, LT 2010. Had a wheel alignment issue. Got it aligned and balanced from B.M. Lal. They did a good job. Prior to this, the steering wheel used to vibrate post 130 kmph. After getting this job done, all the vibrations were gone. The steering wheel was rock solid even post 160.

Recently, I took my car to Andhra with my parents and brother along with me, with a boot full of luggage. You will understand why I'm giving you passenger/luggage details later in this thread. Everything was good even at 140 kmph. When I was on the last leg of my journey, I realised that the steering wheel had suddenly started vibrating whenever I braked. The vibrations got worse with speed. At one point of time, when braking down from 100 kmph, the steering vibrated so badly that the who car jerked.

I assumed that I had a puncture, pulled over and looked only to realise that all tyres had the right amount of air. Only weird thing was, the FRONT LEFT tyre's sidewall was completely dirty as if it had run on the road. So I had no option but to reduce speed but the vibrations still continued even when braking from 60 kmph. 2 days of small time town-runs in Andhra were completely normal and the car felt perfectly fine.

On the way back, the problem arised again. Same problem, same speeds. But it didn't continue for long. It used to come and go. Sometimes the steering was completely stable, sometimes vibrated badly under braking. After reaching Chennai, I unloaded the luggage and took the car out to ECR for a solo spin and I realised that the car was as good as new again. No vibrations whatsoever, even when braking down from 120 kmph.

I'm just not able to figure out what is happening. I don't even know whether the problem has sorted itself out, or if there is a problem at all. I don't think its because of the luggage or the weight in the car, because I have taken the car with more luggage than this before and faced no problems at all!

Totally confused whether it was because of tyre pressures, brake pads or something even bigger! Please help guys as I'm caught completely off-guard!

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

[center]Reason #3: Suspension & Steering Components

2. High-pitched vibrations & noise at the front (without sway of the steering wheel) OR vibrations & noise from the rear. These increase with speed:

• Broken wheel bearings : Broken bearings also result in uneven tyre wear for that wheel.

• Jack up the car, hold both sides of the wheel and try to shake it from side to side to detect play. Do this for both front wheels. If there is play, it could be a broken wheel bearing, suspension strut / control arm or a loose bolt . A ball joint breaking or coming loose will also produce a swaying steering.

• Defective Linkages : Ask someone to turn the steering from side to side, and observe whether there is any play in the steering linkages. Replace linkages as required.

• Jack up and rotate each of the wheels and listen for any grating noise and / or vibrations coming from the center of the hub. Replace the wheel bearing as required.

SS-Traveller - Read the whole thread and rated it 5 stars. Really helpful thread. Now following is my problem which made me find and read this thread.

Car - ALTO Lxi
Year - 2007
Mileage - 56444 kms
Tyres - Set of 4 Michelin Energy XM2 145/80 R12 74T (stock size) tyres fitted and filled with Nitro at 56252 kms.
Last Service - Done on 29.03.14. Steering Column replaced at 56357 kms.
Recommendations for next service - MASS mentioned in my service log that the front left strut has developed leaks and should be replaced. They recommend both the front struts be replaced in the next service. They have also mentioned that the clutch has also reach E.O.L and should be replaced.

Point to be noted - At the time of wheel alignment and balancing after the replacement of the tyres the dealer pointed out that the Camber and Caster on the front left side is off and needs to be checked at the Service Center. Service Center (Surakshaa) however confirmed that they have rectified the issue.

Why am I worried - I'm driving from Bangalore to Vizag on 10th of April and returning back to Bangalore on 14th April, which translates to a total of 2100 kms on the highway.

I took the car for a test run on the Bangalore Navayuga Elevated Toll Road tonight and to my disappointment the front left started to vibrate everytime I went past 110 kmph. I didn't go beyond 115 kmph since the vibration and noise was unusually high. Everything's fine once I'm back to 100 kmph or below. Now this is gonna be major setback for me during my trip since I'm planning to cover each single stretch in 15-16 hours time. With the 100 kmph constraint that looks remotely possible. Moreover, not sure what will be the long term impact on the tyres or the car for that matter.

advise.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by cruze'ader

...the steering wheel had suddenly started vibrating whenever I braked. The vibrations got worse with speed. At one point of time, when braking down from 100 kmph, the steering vibrated so badly that the who car jerked.
...the FRONT LEFT tyre's sidewall was completely dirty as if it had run on the road. So I had no option but to reduce speed but the vibrations still continued even when braking from 60 kmph.
Sometimes the steering was completely stable, sometimes vibrated badly under braking.
... whether the problem has sorted itself out, or if there is a problem at all.

Hi cruze'ader, missed your post earlier, just noticed it.

From what you describe, there was a temporary issue with one of the front brake caliper/pad/hydraulics. The dirt you saw was brake dust, generated by an overworked brake.

I would imagine a situation where your RIGHT FRONT caliper stopped working (perhaps brake fade, because it was a loaded car), and the ABS-EBD system forced the front left brake to do all the work of two sets of front brakes.

Would recommend the following:
1. Check the pad material remaining on both front pads. If unequal and mostly worn out on the left side, you know the reason.
2. Check operation of front right caliper, including its electronics.
3. Change the brake oil if it has not been changed in the last 2 years. Make sure the old oil is completely drained, and the proper grade and quality of new oil are being used.

Originally Posted by sabret00the

Car - ALTO Lxi
Year - 2007
Mileage - 56444 kms
Last Service - Done on 29.03.14. Steering Column replaced at 56357 kms.

Why was the steering column replaced? Was the rack worked upon? Were tie-rod ends and ball joints replaced?

...the front left strut has developed leaks and should be replaced. They recommend both the front struts be replaced in the next service.

Which mechanic does steering work and not replace leaking struts, which are of greater importance? Please get the dampers & rubber kit for both front struts replaced ASAP.

They have also mentioned that the clutch has also reach E.O.L and should be replaced.

You wouldn't have reached 115 km/h in an Alto with the clutch at the end of its service life. You might want to take a call on the clutch replacement later on.

I didn't go beyond 115 kmph since the vibration and noise was unusually high.

...dealer pointed out that the Camber and Caster on the front left side is off and needs to be checked at the Service Center. Service Center (Surakshaa) however confirmed that they have rectified the issue.

Re-check the wheel alignment values on the same dealer's machine once again, only after you have replaced the dampers and the rubber kit for both front struts, and checking the condition of the steering linkages. You should have no further vibrations thereafter.

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Why was the steering column replaced? Was the rack worked upon? Were tie-rod ends and ball joints replaced?
Which mechanic does steering work and not replace leaking struts, which are of greater importance? Please get the dampers & rubber kit for both front struts replaced ASAP.

Not sure how to answer that question. Well I've attached the report from the tyre dealer. Will be able to scan the report from MASS tomorrow if that helps. I have also attached the pic of the part that was replaced.

Coming to dampers I wanted to know if the OEM part is the best or are there any better aftermarket shock absorbers for the old ALTO (clear lens 2007 type) such as Gabriel, Delphi, TRW, etc.

You wouldn't have reached 115 km/h in an Alto with the clutch at the end of its service life. You might want to take a call on the clutch replacement later on.
Re-check the wheel alignment values on the same dealer's machine once again, only after you have replaced the dampers and the rubber kit for both front struts, and checking the condition of the steering linkages. You should have no further vibrations thereafter.

Do you feel the bearings should also be replaced? How to tell if they're gone?

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by sabret00the

Not sure how to answer that question.

Rhetorical questions are not to be answered.

Well I've attached the report from the tyre dealer.

Those values are usually due to damaged bushes in the suspension arms. Your new tyres will wear unevenly unless corrected soon.

attached the pic of the part that was replaced.

That's the steering box, not the steering column.

...dampers I wanted to know if the OEM part is the best or are there any better aftermarket shock absorbers for the old ALTO (clear lens 2007 type) such as Gabriel, Delphi, TRW, etc.

Gabriel, Monroe, Delphi, all perform equally well.

Do you feel the bearings should also be replaced? How to tell if they're gone?

Whine or hum from a particular corner when running at speed. A mechanic can tell by turning the wheels by hand, with the car on a jack.

Do get your dampers replaced and the suspension arms checked for worn bushes. That'll correct caster and camber settings automatically.

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Rhetorical questions are not to be answered.
Those values are usually due to damaged bushes in the suspension arms. Your new tyres will wear unevenly unless corrected soon.
That's the steering box, not the steering column.
Gabriel, Monroe, Delphi, all perform equally well.
Whine or hum from a particular corner when running at speed. A mechanic can tell by turning the wheels by hand, with the car on a jack.

Do get your dampers replaced and the suspension arms checked for worn bushes. That'll correct caster and camber settings automatically.

Both LH & RH side front struts replaced last Saturday. After much deliberations decided to go with the OEM strut assembly in interest of time.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by sabret00the

Both LH & RH side front struts replaced last Saturday.

And the outcome was...? Vibrations, caster & camber settings etc. all okay now?

[humyum]

Originally Posted by cruze'ader

Hi guys. This is one of my first threads on TBHP. This might be a lengthy post, so I do request you to take a few minutes to go through this. Any form of help/info will be highly appreciated.

I drive a Chevy Cruze, LT 2010. Had a wheel alignment issue. Got it aligned and balanced from B.M. Lal. They did a good job. Prior to this, the steering wheel used to vibrate post 130 kmph. After getting this job done, all the vibrations were gone. The steering wheel was rock solid even post 160.

Recently, I took my car to Andhra with my parents and brother along with me, with a boot full of luggage. You will understand why I'm giving you passenger/luggage details later in this thread. Everything was good even at 140 kmph. When I was on the last leg of my journey, I realised that the steering wheel had suddenly started vibrating whenever I braked. The vibrations got worse with speed. At one point of time, when braking down from 100 kmph, the steering vibrated so badly that the who car jerked.

I assumed that I had a puncture, pulled over and looked only to realise that all tyres had the right amount of air. Only weird thing was, the FRONT LEFT tyre's sidewall was completely dirty as if it had run on the road. So I had no option but to reduce speed but the vibrations still continued even when braking from 60 kmph. 2 days of small time town-runs in Andhra were completely normal and the car felt perfectly fine.

On the way back, the problem arised again. Same problem, same speeds. But it didn't continue for long. It used to come and go. Sometimes the steering was completely stable, sometimes vibrated badly under braking. After reaching Chennai, I unloaded the luggage and took the car out to ECR for a solo spin and I realised that the car was as good as new again. No vibrations whatsoever, even when braking down from 120 kmph.

I'm just not able to figure out what is happening. I don't even know whether the problem has sorted itself out, or if there is a problem at all. I don't think its because of the luggage or the weight in the car, because I have taken the car with more luggage than this before and faced no problems at all!

Totally confused whether it was because of tyre pressures, brake pads or something even bigger! Please help guys as I'm caught completely off-guard!

Maybe some mud lached onto the inside of the left tyre, maybe some stone got embedded in the thread of the tyre. Both the instances can cause a steering vibration as the tyre is 'imbalanced' now due to the additional weight. A 5 to 10 gram inbalance in the tyre will not show itself at 80's and 100's, but at 140's and 160's , even a 5 gram imbalance will be felt.

Also in certain road conditions u get a feeling of the balancing being out and the rotor being warped.

For example, if you drive on the Mumbai Pune expressway these days, on certain sections you will feel your wheels have HOP and are statically imbalanced due to the constant up and down moment of the road, but in reality that is not the case.

I would say, go on a high speed run alone on a road which you have driven before and have taken your car at high speeds, if the vibrations and judders continue, there is something to look at, if not, you don't need a solution.

Get back with the results.

Originally Posted by sabret00the

Both LH & RH side front struts replaced last Saturday. After much deliberations decided to go with the OEM strut assembly in interest of time.

Hey, what about the lower arms, you had caster too along with camber.

Caster = Bent lower arm.

Post the alignment readings.