Help me with my car!

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LoyalistRevolt
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Help me with my car!

Post by LoyalistRevolt » Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:40 pm

Alright so I have a 99 Toyota Avalon. I replace the tires like last month and I started to notice that my car would shake whenever I hit 35mph. I lent it to my cousin and she has been driving around a lot and notice the shaking to but neither of us thought anything of it. Well I was backing out this morning and my car would move very slightly when I revved it up. I thought there was not gas in it, Gas gauge is broken, So I get some gas from the station and when I try my car again lord behold same problem. I was able to only go like 20 on a 35 road! What do you think it is guys?
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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by nevermind1534 » Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:03 am

LoyalistRevolt wrote:Alright so I have a 99 Toyota Avalon. I replace the tires like last month and I started to notice that my car would shake whenever I hit 35mph. I lent it to my cousin and she has been driving around a lot and notice the shaking to but neither of us thought anything of it. Well I was backing out this morning and my car would move very slightly when I revved it up. I thought there was not gas in it, Gas gauge is broken, So I get some gas from the station and when I try my car again lord behold same problem. I was able to only go like 20 on a 35 road! What do you think it is guys?
Why I won't buy a Toyota. My dad's friend has had nothing but problems with his, but he still thinks they're the best. If it was just the shaking, I would have said that the tires might be unbalanced or the wheels coming loose, but I'm not sure about it not going over 20MPH.
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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by Kurt_ » Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:33 am

(I know little about cars)

It sounds like your wheels were horribly out of alignment, and your drive shaft got messed up.
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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by Metallica Man X » Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:39 am

I'd have to agree. It sounds like you wheels are unaligned. I'd also check over the whole thing, make sure all the bolts are in place, and tightened, as that could also cause this issue.
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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by Triton » Thu Feb 19, 2009 2:01 am

i would guess either a sever allignment problem or something is wrong with either your transmission or one of your drive axels

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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by adam_d » Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:30 am

I'd have to agree with what these guys said, badly aligned/balanced wheels, something dodgy in the transmission, or maybe even a loose or broken engine mount?

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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by marshallh » Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:59 am

Transmission end clutch, check your ATF level. You've probably burned through some fluid. If you wait long enough without fixing it you might end up in the market for a new tranny.
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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by dragonhead » Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:09 am

err... sounds like a set of loose wheel bolts to me. happened to me once, shook like crazy at any speed. CHECK ALL YOUR WHEEL BOLTS!!! torque them down to about 70 ft/lbs and you should be set.

also, like what was previously said, it may be a more serious issue. but since you said you just got the tires done, the loose wheel sounds most likely

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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by bicostp » Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:12 am

I don't believe the shaking is an alignment problem. If it was an alignment problem, the car would drift to one side or the other. Usually, when you get shakes over X MPH, the wheels aren't balanced properly. (That happened to me after I had new tires installed, had to go to another service center to get them rebalanced.)

As for its slowness, that could be anything from a worn-out engine to transmission problems. From the sound of it, it's an automatic. Automatic transmissions are hydraulic, and if you don't have enough fluid in them, they tend to not engage properly. Check the trans fluid level. (It should be a red dipstick handle under the hood, similar to the crankcase level.)

If that's okay, check the engine oil. If it's been a long time since the oil was changed (should be changed every 3300 miles, or 3 times every 10k), it's probably time to do it again. There is a performance difference between new oil and used oil. Make sure both the oil and filter are replaced. (I like Fram Tough Guard filters.)

While you're at it, check the air filter. If it's visibly dirty, get a new one. If it doesn't look dirty but it's been a while since you changed it, get a new one.

You said it's a 99 Avalon, but how many miles are on it?

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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by Rekarp » Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:12 am

The shaking sounds like a loose lug nuts or unbalanced tires.

Now not getting up to speed sounds like low fluid in your tranny. (my Jeep has a leak and acts just like that when its low)

To check it put your cars E-Brake on and start the car. Shift into Neutral (fluid does not cycle in the tranny when in park) and let it warm up (10-15 minutes) then check the fluid with the Transmission dip stick under the hood. It is usually marked "Transmission" and it is not red all the time like bic said (mine is yellow). Consult your Service manual that came with your car for the method to check the fluid but this method seems pretty standard on all cars I have worked on with Auto trannys.

If its low (I bet it is) you refill it using a funnel and pouring it down the tranny dip stick tube. DO NOT OVER FILL. Over filling a auto tranny is worse then running it low on fluid. Also check the service manual for which kind of fluid. Probably says ATF+3. Well they don't sell that stuff around here anymore but ATF+4 is basically a better version of ATF+3 so use that.

Oh I should add. When you pour do it slowly to reduce the bubbles that the oil picks up as it goes down.
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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by LoyalistRevolt » Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:12 pm

Well, now I can't drive it in reverse any ideas?
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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by vskid » Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:18 pm

LoyalistRevolt wrote:Well, now I can't drive it in reverse any ideas?
Have you done anything thats been suggested, like checking the trans fluid? We're gonna need more info...
And if possible, try to find someone locally that could check it for you (maybe a friend or relative). Its much easier to figure out this stuff in person.
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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by bicostp » Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:22 pm

Best case: You're low on trans fluid.

Medium case: A linkage came off.

Worst case: Your transmission is dying.

Go bring it to the dealer.

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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by vskid » Sat Feb 21, 2009 10:06 pm

I just had my dad read through the thread, he has a lot of car experience, several years as a service manager for Ford, he was pretty much where a dealership would turn if they couldn't figure something out.
He said that the tranny is probably toasted from lack of fluid. He said you might be able to get a bit more life out of it by filling it with tranny fluid to the correct level, but expect to replace/rebuild it in the coming months. He also said that the shaking and lack of power could be from lack of fuel, possibly caused by a clogged fuel filter.
Because its hard to diagnose without riding in it, you should take it to a mechanic and have them check it out.
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Re: Help me with my car!

Post by LoyalistRevolt » Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:03 pm

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