do bad tires cause vibration?

MaxThrust

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2003
Location
Twosun, AZ
TDI
99.5 Jetta
Right now I am seeing a similar issue. I have some no-name tires on my Jetta...they came with the car when I bought it used and I haven't had the cash to replace tires with tons of tread left. (Just purchased all the parts for a tb change.) They are terrible, they vibrate, and are loud as hell. A constant droning coming from them keeps my windows rolled up in otherwise beautiful weather. You could also see this behavior from a number of other causes. A thrown wheel weight will do the same thing. A bent rim will also cause the issue. I am sure there are other possible causes, but I would look at these few items first. They are relatively easy to find and generally not as costly as other items that may cause the issue.

Mike /images/graemlins/cool.gif
 

LWB053

Vendor
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Location
Tampa, FLA, USA
TDI
2000 Jetta, Dk Green
I just sold my last Honda, and it had Dayton Daytonas on it...they made the whole car vibrate. You had to have both hands on the wheel at > 80 mph. Trying to see anything in the rear view mirror was useless at that speed. I had them balanced numerous times. The problem was the wear pattern they developed.

Does your vibration get worse as speed goes up? What about noise level? Is it better or worse in turns?

Keith
 

TDICruiser

Well-known member
Joined
May 11, 2002
Location
North Carolina. Only a fun ride a way.
[ QUOTE ]
LWB053 said:
I just sold my last Honda, and it had Dayton Daytonas on it...they made the whole car vibrate. You had to have both hands on the wheel at > 80 mph. Trying to see anything in the rear view mirror was useless at that speed. I had them balanced numerous times. The problem was the wear pattern they developed.

Does your vibration get worse as speed goes up? What about noise level? Is it better or worse in turns?

Keith

[/ QUOTE ]
I'll have to pay more attention in turns, but I get constant vibration and I feel it mostly at highway speeds and even worse on rough surface.
 

jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
Bad tires are almost always the cause of a vibration. Maybe a bent rim, but usually tires. If it happens when you brake it is bad rotors.
 

TDICruiser

Well-known member
Joined
May 11, 2002
Location
North Carolina. Only a fun ride a way.
[ QUOTE ]
jasonTDI said:
Bad tires are almost always the cause of a vibration. Maybe a bent rim, but usually tires. If it happens when you brake it is bad rotors.

[/ QUOTE ]

Jason, so which ones you recommend I should get instead of the goodyear?
 

cjric

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2003
Location
Kalamazoo, MI
Is the vibration fast or slow? First thing to try is to swap your tires front to rear. If you have a bad shock or worn steering/suspension component in the front, it can cause one or both tires to scallop, which will cause a vibration. Alos, you could have thrown a weight and have a tire out of balance. Another thing that could cause a vibe is a broken belt in one of the tires.

If you swap the tires and the vibe goes away, swap one, then the other back to the front and isolate the tire thats causing the problem. Will be easier and cheaper to take care of one tire with a known problem than just replacing all 4.

If nothing changes once the tires are swapped, then the vibe is probably due to a worn suspension or steering component.
 

LWB053

Vendor
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Location
Tampa, FLA, USA
TDI
2000 Jetta, Dk Green
If it happens only when you are braking, it may be a bad rotor, or it may be that the problem is limited to or more pronounced on the front of the car.

Posible sources of vibration while driving could be an improperly installed wheel, loose lug bolts, out of balance or out of round tire, wheel bearing, CV joint, bent or off-balance half-shaft, strut/spring problem, steering joint problem, etc.

That's why I'd like to know more about the symptoms. /images/graemlins/smile.gif Then we can help point to a reasonable "narrowing down" process.

Let's say that it happens in straight driving, at a given speed. Can you increase the symptoms by accelerating (shifting the weight to the rear axle) or by decelerating (shifting the weight to the front axle)? If so, rotate the tires front-to-back, and see if the symptoms follow the tires (pointing to a tire/wheel problem), or stay the same (pointing to suspension/hub/axle problem).

Keith
 

PetethePilot

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2001
Location
Kenora Ontario
TDI
2000 GLS Jetta Bright Green
If you want to be sure. Go to a tire place and have your wheels put on the tire balancer. It might be just one wheel. If your running with 16 or 17 inch wheels the vibration can be worse. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 

LWB053

Vendor
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Location
Tampa, FLA, USA
TDI
2000 Jetta, Dk Green
Also, I'd advise making sure you know the source of the problem before you put new tires on your car. If the tires are crappy and just worn badly, that's one thing...but if you have bad struts or something, you could possibly turn your new tires into bad tires in a fiarly short amount of time.

Keith
 

jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
guys, i said tires specifically due to it being an 03'. miles are probably low enough to rule out worn components. i would get an alignment though if you get new tires.
 

SoCalJames

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2000
Location
OC, CA
TDI
I no longer own a TDI
Howdy- My 2K TDI came with the Goodyear Eagle LS tires. I have a friend that bought a 1.8T @ the same time with the same tires. We both had vibrational problems w/ the Eagle LS tires. They were very crude! We both now have Continental Touring Contacts CH95. They are about 60 bucks on tirerack.com and they are whisper quiet, but screachy on corners. Good luck!
 

SoCalJames

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2000
Location
OC, CA
TDI
I no longer own a TDI
Howdy- My 2K TDI came with the Goodyear Eagle LS tires. I have a friend that bought a 1.8T @ the same time with the same tires. We both had vibrational problems w/ the Eagle LS tires. They were very crude! We both now have Continental Touring Contacts CH95. They are about 60 bucks on tirerack.com and they are whisper quiet, but screachy on corners. Good luck!
 

IndyVW

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
Location
Indianapolis, Indiana
TDI
2012 Golf TDI
I had a 99 1/2 Jetta that came with those tires...the tread life was very good. I had about 60K miles on them before I replaced them (and they had more to go)...but they were TERRIBLY noisy. They were noisy even early on in their life. I got rid of them because of the noise.

I went to tirerack.com and found some H rated Sumitomo tires that I was very happy with (and they were about $55 a piece as I recall). That's been a couple years ago, though.

I just bought my new golf in August...and guess what...I have those darn Goodyears again! Oh well.
 

TDICruiser

Well-known member
Joined
May 11, 2002
Location
North Carolina. Only a fun ride a way.
Thank you all for the help.
I think I'll start with checking my wheel alignment. Then tire swapping.
I wish the dealerships were more helpfull. Especially for someone who doesn't have the know how. The car is only a month old and both dealerships in my area treat me like I have nothing to do but to bother them. It makes me feel bad because I like the car, its my second TDI, but bad dealerships, if you are not a mechanic inclined person, can turn you away from a car.
If it wasn't for this great board, I bet VW would have had to close more then a few dealerships.
Thank you all. I still love my spirited TDI and can't wait to put the chip on. /images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
I had now idea the car was a month old. Take it back to a goodyear dealer have them fix the problem. Those tires are a warranty issue if they are damaged/mismanufactured. You should have zero noise or issues with a car that new. You have the tire warranty with the rest of the warranty stuff.
 

GOzburn

Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2003
Location
Sunny South - Atlanta
TDI
2000 Jetta GL 5sp - White
I agree with JasonTDI. I had problems with an older car with fairly new tires. Come to find out the left front tire's steel belts inside the tire had separated causing the vibration. They were replaced under warranty, pro-rated of course. I also had a problem a few years later with the same vehicle, same side. It was the wheel bearings that had worn out. I replaced and it fixed problem. Also another member had mentioned warped rotors when braking can cause the problem. Your car seems too new for any of these problems. Try your best to get fix under warranty. Good Luck!
 

cjric

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2003
Location
Kalamazoo, MI
Heck ya. If you have a warranty, keep taking it back til it's right. Let them deal with it.
That said, I wouldnt rule out suspension/steering components just because they are new. A good wack from road debris could screw something up and cause premature wear no matter how new.
 

cjric

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2003
Location
Kalamazoo, MI
reading through those links gave me an idea. Does someone have an exploded diagrahm of the drivetrain? Transaxle, front diff, CV shafts, etc.
I'm thinking something is wrong in the diff. Not sure how the insides look on a front drive like these Jettas, but I'm thinking bad bearings or spider gears or something along those lines. The popping noise/tire whine when turning comments gave me the spider gear thought. How is the diff. lubricated? I'm just learning about Jettas, so bear with me.
 

TDIinRI

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2002
Location
NOT in RI
TDI
2003 GOLF silver
The web page links dieseldorf posted had to do with my car. Keep at it with the dealer. DO NOT give up. Get some sort of written documentation stating your problem the way YOU described it to them. ie., I told the dealer the right side of the suspension was making a squeak. They wrote down that the SUSPENSION(not which side)was squeaking. At arbitration, VW tried to say that they replaced my left wheel bearing for the squeak. This is after the service manager told me it was for vibration. But I didn't fully read the work order description I signed! They will try to get you on any possible technicality. DO NOT leave until you have a receipt stating your complain the way YOU decribed it with their diagnosis and subsequent repairs. VW has to be held accountable. I even had a VW tech from the factory put his hands on the dash and say that he was surprised it did vibrate more b/c it was a diesel. And the two times a VW tech came from the factory, dealer refused to give me any kind of paperwork. DO NOT ALLOW THIS. I now have an 03 with the crapyears BUT, it doesn't vibrate. My 02 had the Mich MXVs. If it turns out that it isn't the tyres, balance, or alignment, have them start checking the CV joints. Please describe the problem further, ie., speed, throttle position, direction(straight, gentle curve, etc.) of travel, road type and I will help all I can. The general manager told me I was over sensative to vibration. I got a new car under lemon law in the end. They will try to brush you off till you go away. DO NOT let them get away with it! Let me know if I can help.

Tommy
 

mrchill

TDIClub Enthusiast, Super Secret Diesel Ninja Vend
Joined
Sep 16, 2003
Location
MASS! home of THE WORLD SERIES CHAMPION RED SOX! x
TDI
96 B4v red \ 98 Mk3 green\98 Mk3 Jetta black\ 99 Mk4 Jetta green x2\ 99 Mk4 Golf silver x2\ 99 Mk4 Jetta black\ 97 B4 sedan green\04 JSW gold\03 JSW silver
First of all, the car is under warranty. Leave it till it's fixed...at thier expense(substitute transportation). Second, be certain to drive it WITH one of thier best diagnosticians in order to set a baseline for the concern. Finally, the goodyears are frequently bad, not as bad as the continentals though. Michelin are the new replacement used by both VW and Toyota for this concern.

Hope this helps! /images/graemlins/eek.gif
 
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