Car Shaking Problems

The spark plugs on a Ford Explorer are replaced by first disconnecting the battery. Remove the spark plug using a spark plug socket. Replace with the factory recommended spark plug.

As important as it is on any other car. One keeps vehicle emissions to US Government regulations and the other flows your exhaust away from the engine. Though I'm guessing you're asking because it has an O2 sensor in it which is used to help the ECU monitor vehicle efficiency, air/fuel ratio, and other aspects of your car. In other words, it wouldn't run right.

This is a very common problem on almost all vehicles of all makes, 99.9% of the time its the rotor which has a higher spot on its surface. When brakes are applied the pads move forward to grab the rotor, the high spot on rotor pushes the pad back while the caliper pushes it again forward, this back and forth movement of the pads produces this thumping/clunking noise. You can confirm it as the sound coincides with tire rotation; the sound fades out as you apply less brake pressure.

Almost all shops/dealerships use rotors from china, even the reputable names have out sourced to China, so don't go by the brand name, check where the rotor is made in. The QC in China is pretty bad as they don't rotate them properly on lathe to get a smooth surface.

The dealership or mechanic may try to sell you struts, cv joints, end joints, ball joints, sway bar bushings etc, use common sense, the sound was not there until you changed pads and rotors.

Symptoms:

After installing new pads/rotors, you hear a thumping/clunking noise. There is no pulsation or noticeable jerk on the pedal (rules out rotor wrapping). Sound is louder at high speeds (of course, you push the pedal harder).

Solution:

1- Don't buy a rotor which is made in China, US made may be a bit expensive but will save you a lot at the end.

2- If you do buy a Chinese one and have this thumping/clunking noise, then take off the rotor and sand it carefully with a 180 grit sand paper then smooth it with 200 grit sand paper.

3- Put the rotor back, install caliper with pads, and make sure the rotor is seated properly on hub.

4- Put the vehicle in neutral (of course the parking brakes are on and vehicle is on jacks), rotate the front hub with hand while keeping an eye on the clearance between pads and rotor, if there is no wiggling of rotor then you are ok, otherwise BUY A US MADE ROTOR.

This may be a wheel bearing problem.

you can find the spark plugs on both the front and back of the engine. it is right near the air intake manifold. you have to take of the cover on the front of the motor. you then simply pop of the wires, take out the old ones. and screw the new ones back in. remember to gap them if necessary. you will need a 5/8s drive to do this job. plus a few minor sockets for the cover

if it drives normal except when you let off the gas the rpm jumps then it is a map sensor

replace front brake discs and pads.

Torque converter maybe. To test, while pressing gas peddle lightly push on brake and if it stops then bingo! bad converter

starting with the redesigned 1998 altima the engine crankshaft was balanced much better to reduce vibration. we have a 1993 and a 1999 altima with the same engine and the 1999 is so smooth at idle i sometimes can't tell if it's running.

when you start the engine after a few seconds the service engine light should blink on and off if you keep pressing on the throttle. on a 97 grand am has no spark plug wires. it has a rail or some people call it top hat or coil pack assembly. this is what happened to mine. everybody makes up there own definition for this part. anyway right on top of the motor you will see you will see a cover with 4 bolts and underneath the bolts are ceramic washers. the cover has a arch to it so it covers the dual overhead cams. also this cover houses the ignition modual. if standing in front of car look to the right of this cover underneath you will see a electrical plug. fist unhook the positive cable off the battery. then unplug the ignition modual do not yank on the wires coming out of that plug.there is a tab in the center of that plug push down lightly to release plug. now take the four bolt off. careful not to lose those washers underneath those bolts. carefully lift that cover straight up. once off you will see the coil pack housing underneath. the best way to solve your problem is to call junkyards to purchase this whole housing.donot disasemble buy right off another motor should cost about 50.00 dollars. install in the oposite order with the battery cable last. i own a 97 grand am i had a dealer ship fix my car 1year later the car did the same thing come to find out they did not replace the coils. one of the coils was burning the housing. good luck PS also that car is only suppose to use platinum spark plugs.

First thing I would check is the Map sensor.

Second thing I would check is for cracks in your air intake boot.

first check that your front wheel nuts are tight! if they are then check that when you turn the steering wheel that both front wheels turn (checks the steering mechanism including the tie rod ends) if they dont check tie rod ends. you probably cant do anything more yourself so take it to a mechanic.

I came across several other responses on the internet which turned out to solve my rattling problem, and the answer was to replace my front strut mounts. Although I had my struts replaced before, no one bothered to change the mounts as well, which were key in silencing this annoying rattling that made me feel like something was about to fall off.

Best.

If your car starts to shake, any number of problems could exist. The easiest one to fix is low tire pressure. Then you could have a tire out of balance. Then you could have a loose tie rod. Then you could have a bad wheel bearing. With the last two, you could lose control of your car and be in a wreck where someone, including you, is killed. More than likely you have a tire out of balance. Have the tires inspected, rotated, & balanced.

Warped rotors are caused by heat. Perhaps you've been riding the brakes or you have a sticking caliper.
Either replace the warped rotor or have it turned.

If it is a front wheel drive vehicle, it could be your cv axle or bad struts. yes bad shocks could cause vibration ,but i know my car had a bad cv axle in it a while back. the problem was the cv axle was broke in 2. Take it to an auto shop and ask them to test drive it and see if they can tell you what the problem might be. but if its a front wheel drive car, then i would bet money it is the cv axle but if its a rear wheel drive vehicle then ask them to check your universal joints(U-Joints.)

Possible broken a-arm, or bent wheel.

Check timing. idle could also be set too low (rpms) so vibration is increased.

At low speed: Damaged or failed tire, bent wheel, damaged brake, damaged axle. Dangerous failure of a wheel bearing.

At high speed generally a wheel balanace problem.

While braking a bent or warped brake component.

Maybe engine misfire.

If the wheel is bent; bearing , tie rod end, or steering rack damage can be the result. If it's a rear wheel trailing arm and stub axle damage are high on the list.

That white smoke is burning coolant. You have a blown head gasket or a cracked head. STOP driving this vehicle, or you will destroy the engine. Coolant has entered the combustion chamber and the lubrication system. The head must be removed, inspected for cracks or warping, and a new gasket installed. Flush the cooling system, inspect the water pump, and cooling fan, and replace the thermostat. Pour in a fresh supply of a 50/50 mix of coolant.

brake caliper bushings are the rubber mounts that sit inside the caliper bolt holes. They help guide the bolts when bolting the caliper up to the caliper bracket.

A bent wheel, Tires out of balance, Loose Tie-rod ends- inner are outer, Idler arm loose. pitman arm Belt broke in tire. A wheel that has rust or something between it and the rotor when it was put on.

Sounds like a misfire caused by electric supply to plugs.

When an engines motor mounts go bad the vibration is felt throughout the entirety of the car. The motor mounts should be inspected to see if the rubber inserts are cracked.