Grant said:
Well, I sent the car to a Chrysler dealer recently to have oil & filter
change. They included a "free" tire rotation. Come to think of it, the
shaking problem didn't happen before that. Could the tire rotation have
caused this problem?
Possibly. You have a tire jack in your trunk, yes? If all else fails,
use it to rotate your tires again. Just swap the fronts with the rears
(of course, using only the tire jack, this will take all day). Anywhoo,
if this cures the problem, well, there ya go.
Still, I don't think a simple rotation would make that much problem unless
you have the old kind of radials that come apart when installed in the
reverse direction to the original install. Most shops just rotate
front-to-back-to-front anyway, so this shouldn't be a major concern,
especially considering radials have vastly improved in recent decades.
If the car is shaking "violently" as you say, then it should be visible
from beside the car. Have a friend drive beside you with a passenger who
can look at your wheels to see if they are shaking while you're on the
highway. If they can't see any vibration in the wheels, it might not have
anything at all to do with them.
I have a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle. When I was driving it daily, if I hit a
pothole wrong, my wheels would literally point left-right very fast. This
was due to a faulty steering damper. I don't think cars today have that:
I think the power steering pump serves this purpose. Still, something to
consider.
BTW, you never mentioned: Is the vibration visible in the steering wheel?
Does it bob up and down, side to side, or rotationally? These are clues
to various different problems you might have.
Still, it is possible that simply putting the rear tires up front and vice
versa is the cause. Maybe the rear tires have mild flat spots on them
that aren't noticeable until they're the /drive/ tires. Do you have a
teenage son and a handbrake?
What should the correct tire pressure be for the four tires? Maybe I'll
just go to the local gas station to fix the tire pressure myself?
I doubt pressure has anything at all to do with this. Typically, 32
Pounds per Square Inch (what is that, 45 kpa? I have no clue!) is normal.
The tires will read a maximum pressure, usually about 35 PSI; normally, a
few PSI below this is acceptable. In any case, read the owner's manual if
possible, otherwise, check the rear of the driver's or passenger's
doors... there is usually a placard there that says what the pressure
should be.
How do I check this and how would I know if there is a problem with it?
Drive the car until it's at normal operating temperature. Make sure you
hit all 3 / 4 gears, AND reverse. When you get to your driveway (or a
level spot on the roadside if your driveway is a hill), LEAVE THE ENGINE
RUNNING with the transmission in PARK. Pop the hood, grab a rag, pull the
stick that is marked "TRANSMISSION" and wipe it off. Stick the stick back
in the hole and pull it back out... erm, I know that looks a little
nasty, but stick with it... after you pull the stick out, you read it
just like you're checking engine oil.
If you need to add fluid, ******DO NOT USE DEXRON******. Some people say
it works fine, some say it doesn't. When it comes down to it, how much
are you willing to pay for a rebuild? Play it safe and use ATF +3 or ATF
+4, whichever the '97 chryslers take.
No problem. Just remember, I'm no expert. Dan_C might be, thought, dunno
;-)
