I posted a little while ago regarding a vibration through my XR6, particularly at speeds over 100km. My car has just over 6000ks on it and it's been happening since 1600ks.
So far, the idiots in the service department have completed the following:
- 4 wheel balances, including a pro-balance by the local Beaurepairs
- 2 tailshaft balances
- 2 flushes of the power steering system
This has all occured over a period of 6 weeks. The truth here is that the dealer evidently has no idea how to deal with the problem. It's now officially not a problem with the wheels/tyres/rims.
The symptoms, as best I can describe them are:
1. The vibration is felt at the steering wheel, through the floor of the car and in the center console, door frames etc. Pretty much the whole car. It's not a violent vibration (and I'm not too fussy overall) but it's annoying as hell - particular for a $40,000 car. It makes the car unenjoyable to drive.
2. The vibration is most felt at 100km +, but is also present at lower speeds to a lesser extent
3. It's more noticable when the auto is in 4th
4. Under accelation on the freeway, at, say, 100km the vibration tends to EASE. If you gently back off - and then just lightly accelate to hold my speed the vibration is at it's worst.
5. If you back off the pedal altogether the vibration remains (at least until the speed drops to a point where it's less prominent.
Do any of you "mechnically minded" people out there have any suggestions so I can point my local nut-bag Ford service department in the right direction ?
If it helps, I also get a 'rattle' sound and a vibration at idle when the car is in drive. The sound gets louder when the headlights and then the headlamps are switched on. It sounds similar to a power-steering shudder. It doesn't matter if the wheel is turned or the brakes applied... it's a constant rattle that does not change in pitch. Once in Park, Neutral or reverse the sound disappears. Then, when I drop it back into DRIVE, the sound gets VERY loud as the engine note changes.. then goes back to the old rattle. The other point to note is that the noise is somewhat intermittent.. it comes and goes without much rhyme or reason. The rattle is more likely to appear when the car is sitting on an upwards incline (ie my driveway where is does it almost 80% of the time I pull up from a trip.
The dealer has decided that the rattle is caused by an issue where the car revs are too low at idle.. and that I have to wait for new ECU software to fix it. I asked if the other 300 XR6's in my area were doing the same thing with the new software and the answere was "we don't think so". This is obviously ridiculous.
I'm HOPING that the two issues may be related.
Sincerely, my local Ford service department are a pack of numb-skulls. They are great at smiling and doing all the 'happy customer' garbage but seemingly useless mechanically.
Any help would be appreciated. I'm about 2 weeks away from either taking it to a real mechanic for a second opinion (and coughing up dollars).. or trading the sucker for a Honda Accord Euro and ridding myself of Ford and their sh$#house service and build quality issues.
Just had p/s pulley on EL replaced (rattling, had bush failure) luckily before it exploded.
Could be harmonic balancer, alternator bearing, water pump bearing, tyre out of round (balancing often won't fix that), buckled rim, broken engine mount.
Could be couple of separate problems not just one.
Have you had an on-car wheel balance? I have not had any vibration problems with my previous AU II XR* or the GTP, but I did have them on an earlier Falcon and a Commodore and the on-car balance fixed them.
Not a thing. If I'd done something I'd just come clean and get the sucker fixed... all I care about is getting my beautiful car back in proper working order.
So, the car was bought new, and you have a recurring problem that Ford can't fix, no matter what they try? Ask them for another car. Politely at first, and then get more and more agitated, and take the car to them at least once a week to have the vibration fixed.
I be pissed if i had a brand new XR6 and it was behaving like that.
someone i know has a BA XR6 with 15 000 kms and i think it is suffering the same thing. It only does it at around 2000RPM and when u rev it a bit it fades away.
It only does it in i think 2nd or 3rd gear.
its got me stumped, but otherwise it is a beutiful car
My money is on a bent rim or a semi-round tyre at this stage. I'm crafting a letter right now complaining about how I've been treated. Should I refer it to the dealer or directly to Ford's customer service area ?
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