Car Shudders Violently When Accelerating Hard
07-14-2008, 10:58 AM
#1
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Car Shudders Violently When Accelerating Hard
Whenever I accelerate (floor the pedal) from about 10 or 15 MPH the Maxima is shimmying or shuddering violently. It doesn't happen during normal acceleration, only when floored from a slow roll where the RPM's jump suddenly.
I have gone through all my suspension components and have had both axles replaced recently (less than a year old) so it leads me to believe I have bad motor mounts. Might also possibly be the wheel bearings, but I doubt it as I would be experiencing the shuddering all the time, or when I am traveling faster.
The shuddering is a purely dependent on acceleration. Anyone can comment or confirm this to be a motor mount issue?
Ryan
I have gone through all my suspension components and have had both axles replaced recently (less than a year old) so it leads me to believe I have bad motor mounts. Might also possibly be the wheel bearings, but I doubt it as I would be experiencing the shuddering all the time, or when I am traveling faster.
The shuddering is a purely dependent on acceleration. Anyone can comment or confirm this to be a motor mount issue?
Ryan
07-14-2008, 11:30 AM
#2
well i had a problem before when i floor it the car would rev then jerk pretty hard. dunno if it's the same problem but mine had nothing to do with suspension. i cleaned my MAF with some $7 cleaner from autozone. there's a how-to some place on here. anyways. it fixed it for me. if it doesn't work for you, at least you'll have a clean MAF now. 
good luck!@
good luck!@
07-14-2008, 12:11 PM
#4
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It's not the MAF...the shuddering is come from the either suspsension, axles, motor mounts, etc. because I can feel it in the wheel.
I don't think I was clear on that in my first post. If it was the MAF then the car would be hesitating...not shuddering.
I don't think I was clear on that in my first post. If it was the MAF then the car would be hesitating...not shuddering.
07-14-2008, 12:19 PM
#5
this is true... my only other thought when reading your post was motor mounts but it seems as if your car would "shudder" when you put it in gear, etc. not just when accelerating.
07-14-2008, 01:05 PM
#7
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I know it isn't a wheelhop issue because it will shudder for as long as the RPM's remain high. It is not a short shudder and then levels out.
Traction issue would be different...I know when I have lost traction, it would more like a slide and the steering wheel would want to pull a certain direction.
07-14-2008, 01:06 PM
#8
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Really? The car would shudder if put in gear if the motor mounts are bad? Hmmm....my car is really smooth when I put it in reverse, or drive, or neutral. I have an automatic by the way.
07-14-2008, 01:14 PM
#10
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maybe it's a gearing issue... cause around 10-15 miles an hour, the transmission would downshift to first gear.. it doesn't do it if you accelerate hard from a stop? if not, then i'm thinking it might be a motor mount issue... only because there's alot of stress put on the tranny/engine during the first gear downshift at that speed.. does the shuddering stop once it changes over to 2nd gear?
Last edited by wyche89; 07-14-2008 at 01:20 PM.
07-14-2008, 01:35 PM
#11
I had that problem with my 626 too. Never could figure it out, best guess anyone would make was the motor mounts. Wasn't the axles, even with new ones my car would shake/shimmy from around 10-25 mph on full throttle.
07-14-2008, 01:47 PM
#12
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maybe it's a gearing issue... cause around 10-15 miles an hour, the transmission would downshift to first gear.. it doesn't do it if you accelerate hard from a stop? if not, then i'm thinking it might be a motor mount issue... only because there's alot of stress put on the tranny/engine during the first gear downshift at that speed.. does the shuddering stop once it changes over to 2nd gear?
07-14-2008, 03:19 PM
#14
for wheel hop/traction issues. Try hitting the gas lightly, waiting till you get up around 2.5 or 3k RPM, then put it down.
07-14-2008, 05:07 PM
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i don't think it's normal.. i don't remember experiencing anything like that in my auto 5th gen.. and given my driving style, i'm quite sure i floored it from 10-15 on more than one occasion.. i'm thinking motor mounts though.. i'm curious to know if the shuddering continues throughout the gear or if it's just on the downshift
Last edited by wyche89; 07-14-2008 at 05:14 PM.
07-14-2008, 08:35 PM
#18
07-14-2008, 09:45 PM
#19
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Well...wouldn't you know it? I try and repeat the issue just now and nothing. The car was smooth throughout acceleration. I tried flooring it from a dead stop, and rolling at 10MPH, 20MPH, 30MPH, 40MPH, 50MPH, and 60MPH. I could not get it to repeat the problem. I even tried flooring it while going through a turn only to break traction, but no shuddering.
Very odd...I guess I'll just have to monitor it and see if it pops up again. If it does I'll figure out what was happening at the time and report back.
Man this sucks...
Very odd...I guess I'll just have to monitor it and see if it pops up again. If it does I'll figure out what was happening at the time and report back.
Man this sucks...
07-14-2008, 11:34 PM
#20
Well...wouldn't you know it? I try and repeat the issue just now and nothing. The car was smooth throughout acceleration. I tried flooring it from a dead stop, and rolling at 10MPH, 20MPH, 30MPH, 40MPH, 50MPH, and 60MPH. I could not get it to repeat the problem. I even tried flooring it while going through a turn only to break traction, but no shuddering.
Very odd...I guess I'll just have to monitor it and see if it pops up again. If it does I'll figure out what was happening at the time and report back.
Man this sucks...
Very odd...I guess I'll just have to monitor it and see if it pops up again. If it does I'll figure out what was happening at the time and report back.
Man this sucks...
I had same experience on bad road.
your's smooth, mine wasn't, too much wheel spin.
07-15-2008, 01:36 PM
#23
Well...wouldn't you know it? I try and repeat the issue just now and nothing. The car was smooth throughout acceleration. I tried flooring it from a dead stop, and rolling at 10MPH, 20MPH, 30MPH, 40MPH, 50MPH, and 60MPH. I could not get it to repeat the problem. I even tried flooring it while going through a turn only to break traction, but no shuddering.
Very odd...I guess I'll just have to monitor it and see if it pops up again. If it does I'll figure out what was happening at the time and report back.
Man this sucks...
Very odd...I guess I'll just have to monitor it and see if it pops up again. If it does I'll figure out what was happening at the time and report back.
Man this sucks...
07-15-2008, 02:09 PM
#24
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Ok I was able to repeat the issue today on the highway. It definitely is happening at 60 to 65MPH when I floor it. The car will drop down what looks to be 2nd gear and pull from about 2,000 RPMS through 6,000 RPMS when it shifts. It will shudder when the car drops in gear and up to about 4,500 to 5,000 RPMs.
Motor mounts or something different? The vibration is similar to warped rotors during braking, except more violent.
Motor mounts or something different? The vibration is similar to warped rotors during braking, except more violent.
07-15-2008, 07:12 PM
#25
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well, i think we can rule out motor mounts, because there's not much stress put on them after the tranny shifts and you have traction.. plus you would feel that in the whole car, and not just the wheel.. it even does it at high speeds too though? I would say maybe the axles? Because if you only feel it when there's alot of power going through the wheels, then it has to be something that transfers the power to the wheels. And If you feel it only in the wheel, then I would think it has to be suspension related... check all your bolts with your suspension and make sure they're torqued correctly too.
07-15-2008, 07:16 PM
#26
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well, i think we can rule out motor mounts, because there's not much stress put on them after the tranny shifts and you have traction.. plus you would feel that in the whole car, and not just the wheel.. it even does it at high speeds too though? I would say maybe the axles? Because if you only feel it when there's alot of power going through the wheels, then it has to be something that transfers the power to the wheels. And If you feel it only in the wheel, then I would think it has to be suspension related... check all your bolts with your suspension and make sure they're torqued correctly too.
If its the axles then I'll be taking it back to the shop that put those in.
07-15-2008, 08:11 PM
#27
check your drive axle boots for cracks and/or leaking grease.
From your posts it looks like you may be messed up your one or both of your axles.
oops, just read the first one... you may have changed your axles... but I know of 2 of my friends whose new axles gave up in 6 months... if you drive hard.... your axles do bear the pain!
Let me ask you this, what happens if you accelerate slowly? i.e. just give enough gas such that your trans shifts up each time the motor hits say about 1800 rpm... if the vibration is less when you accelerate slowly and much more when you gun it... I would say its your axles.
From your posts it looks like you may be messed up your one or both of your axles.
oops, just read the first one... you may have changed your axles... but I know of 2 of my friends whose new axles gave up in 6 months... if you drive hard.... your axles do bear the pain!
Let me ask you this, what happens if you accelerate slowly? i.e. just give enough gas such that your trans shifts up each time the motor hits say about 1800 rpm... if the vibration is less when you accelerate slowly and much more when you gun it... I would say its your axles.
07-15-2008, 08:36 PM
#28
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07-15-2008, 11:15 PM
#31
def. check your transmission fluid....this was happening on my buddies
97 max for a few months and then his tranny went (he also drove the everlivin' daylights out of it, including flooring it a lot and neutral drops) but it was from wear on the trans.
Might be low fluid might be wear, but when i'd drive his car and floor it doin like 15, it'd downshift to 1st and then shake at the top of the RPM range til it did a hard shift into 2nd
97 max for a few months and then his tranny went (he also drove the everlivin' daylights out of it, including flooring it a lot and neutral drops) but it was from wear on the trans.
Might be low fluid might be wear, but when i'd drive his car and floor it doin like 15, it'd downshift to 1st and then shake at the top of the RPM range til it did a hard shift into 2nd
07-16-2008, 07:55 AM
#32
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Thanks for the further input...I'll check the tranny fluid and probably do a fluid change as it has been a while (almost 2 years). I am running Mobil 1 synthetic and last time I checked it about a month ago or so it was red (not discolored) with no burnt smell and the level was fine. It is probably good maintenance to drain the fluid, drop the pan and check it, and refill. Hopefully I can take care of that this weekend.
07-16-2008, 07:56 AM
#33
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I'll check the suspension stuff this weekend and hopefully get time to do the ATF as well.
07-16-2008, 11:55 AM
#35
As for the bad belts it's will be intermittent, rub your hand glenty across your tires and feel for slight little ripples or waves. I chased a problem like that before and the belts were coming apart inside the tire and were shifting! They will try to follow ever little crack in pavement or grooved pavement or uneven pavement. And during hard accel they will appear to try to shake your car apart! Good luck!
07-16-2008, 12:27 PM
#36
I am just coming from tires with broken/damaged belts inside the tires but I can't say they rode the way the OP is describing. I highly doubt it's tires when the shuddering occurs under the conditions the OP has described
07-18-2008, 03:45 PM
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07-19-2008, 11:59 PM
#40
don't confuse yourself with chopped and ramped tire thread block that are the result of bad shocks/struts and are usually longitudal to each other on the tire with a tire that is separating internally with shifting belts and usually the waves and bulges are diagonally in spots never around the entire road surface of the tire...believe me...I find this alot and it's over looked quite often!