Car Shaking Problems

The big nut on the end of the axle shaft is 1 1/4 in

Backfiring in a nutshell: A backfire is when the ignition of fuel doesn't take place in the ignition/combustion chamber, it(a backfire) can take place in the intake or exhaust. It can be caused by a fuel to air ratio not being correct, also if the timing of the spark is not just right that could cause it to back fire. It could be running lean with not enough fuel and too much air, or could have too much fuel and not enough air. It could be because the intake valves are not shut when the combustion takes place, therefore the combustion would take place in the wrong spot. The most likely cause are from: 1. Incorrect timing, the timing issue could be caused by bad wiring/ or bad ignition. 2. Incorrect fuel to air ratio, bad fuel filter, low fuel pressure-caused by weak fuel pump. Most cars will have the same cause for backfiring, as long as it's an internal combustion engine it shouldn't differ...

allignment

Bad coupling from the steering wheel to the rack & pinion or steering gear. Faulty steering gear

Read the computer code by using the appropriate code scanner then you'll know for certain. The computer has stored a code to indicate what's wrong with the engine.

miss alignment of tires

Typically, engines are internally, or externally balanced to reduce horizontal movement and vibration. If a mount is bad or disconnected, the torque from the engine could possibly create a shimmy with the whole assembly, but I really doubt it. check your ball joints and tie-rods just in case.

Tires out of balance, wheel bent, or both. Have the tires rotated and balanced, wheels inspected, and the front end alignment checked.

Most of the time this is caused by a tire out of balance or a bent wheel. Take your car to anyplace that sells tires and have the tires rotated and balanced.

Check your motor mounts.

Do you have a misfire?

Yes

This could be one of several problems, my friend has the same year and his did the same thing. His problem was the alignment needed attention. as for what else it may be before asking a mechanic to look at that, possibly for a fee; would be to have the tires checked ( discount tire does it for free). Check them for uneven wear, correct tire pressure for all 4 tires, and have them checked for being "out of round" (tire may appear circular, but unless its machine checked it very well could be the problem). next would be to check the suspension, could have bad shock absorbers or even weak coil springs, or both. To check, go to either side (left or right front), then apply your hands on the fender above the wheel. Give it a good push and remove your hands. The car should come back up and stop with Very little wobble (hopefully no wobble), if it does bounce a few times or wobble for a second or 2, you may want to get the shocks replaced. A wise idea here is to go to the opposite side and repeat. If replacing (doing it yourself) do both at the same time, and very important here, check the top mounting holes for bolt size (my buddy had to have me drill him a new size for one side). last thing I could think of would then be the alignment, since the equipment is very expensive, take it to a repair shop like meinekke, or any place that you trust if you have a mechanic. cost for an alignment is typically $100.00 Hope this helps

tires need to be balanced or you have a bent rim or a broken belt in your tire

This can mean a few things, my mate has the same problem with his Nissan maxima have it checked for a vacuum leak or a cracked valve.

At what speed does it occur? Is it accompanied by shaking? Check ur plugs, wires, and Ignition coil packs

You probably do not have one or more of the wires fully seated on the plug ends. Make sure they "click" into place.

bpi

Most likely, out of round or separated tire. Possibly a bent rim or badly worn CV Axle if its (FWD). Also...badly worn Front-end parts, Struts and Wheel Bearings can cause different types of Vibrations. If it is a low speed vibration/wobble it is most likely to be a bad tire or rim. Wheel balance is more of a highway speed vibration.

Those are the things you should be looking first, as tires are often neglected and over looked. Make sure you get down and look at the inside edges of the tires where you normally can't see. If badly worn on either edge, you will also need to get a Wheel Alignment done so that you don't ruin the new tires you may have to buy.

Seems reasonable. Kinda makes sense if you think about it.

If it seems excessive I would ask your local tire/suspension shop to check your shock absorbers.

i think so. i dont know much about cars, but my front driver side is making a loud squeaking noise frequently when going over the slightest bump in the road, and its very bouncy. i notice that when im driving it seems the car sways a little, and when i reach higher speeds it seems to shudder a little and sway more. im also now noticing a cranking noise in the suspension when i turn, which im afaid is the ball joint or control arms(which i just had new ones installed months ago) or the axle, and im sure its being caused by all the bouncing putting stress on it. ive been trying to put it off thinking its not a big deal but im going to have to get it fixed before i have even bigger problems and more expensive repairs. i suggest you do the same.

Yes. All cars have struts in the front and shocks in the rear. However, it does not have McPherson struts

It can be any of that plus a loose wheel, bent wheel, loose wheel bearing, etc. Whatever it is, it is a dangerous situation. Get this looked at ASAP. Do not continue to drive this car.

It sounds like you have a bad shifter cable. I had the same thing happing and i had it replaced and no proble since then. GOODLUCK

In such a situation, it is best to recheck what has already been done: Were the cap and rotor both replaced? Were they the correct ones? I have been sold these parts that I was TOLD they were correct, only to find they were not. Even minor differences can cause problems. Also, check the tightness of the distributor as well as the tightness of the distributor shaft. Bad distributor bearings can cause the rotation to be out of round and cause problems.

Another thing to look into is the compression of each cylinder. Assuming that the plugs were replaced, were all of the OLD ones dry or were any "oiled up"?

With these points addressed, you may have to look into the fact that one of the injectors may be faulty. They operate on varying voltages and can misread the information. If you have a multipoint fuel injection, you may want to have the Computer diagnosed as well.

SOMETIMES you can use a strong additive like BG 44K that can clean clogged injectors. It can be found at NAPA Auto Parts and is a on the pricey side. BUT, if it IS a clog problem that this stuff fixes, you'll be getting off cheap! Good Luck!