The Neighborhood Mechanic: Not so good vibrations

Measure twice and cut once. Good words for any technician to live by. In the weekly mail bag we receive many requests for information on what is best called an unsolvable problem. The secret to solving most of these issues is time. Taking the time to properly diagnose the vehicle. A good repair starts by verifying the basics. There are no impossible issues. I dare say throw enough money at any repair and it can be solved. In the real world most owners feel the vehicle is not worth the effort or the cost of a proper diagnosis. In many cases they switch from mechanic to mechanic, trying to find the magic bullet. The reality is each one of these guys has to start again at the beginning. How costly is that! Investing in a good repair is a whole lot cheaper than buying a new car.

Q & A

I have Toyota Camry 1995, four cylinders, 2.2 engine and have the same problem as one of your readers: When I stop at a red light with the transmission in drive and my foot on the brake, the steering wheel has an abnormal vibration. I brought my car to a Toyota dealership for diagnostic and they told me that the problem would be solved: front engine mount and dog bone need to be replaced, but after replacement the vibration became just a little bit worse. Do you think that dynamic compression test can be helpful?

There are several issues here. I'll list them for you. The vehicle has more than two motor mounts and you must have the others in the system inspected for damage. It's not a bad idea to do a dynamic compression test. I would start with a basic diagnosis of the engine to make sure it is in proper condition. Lastly is there a possibility that the vibration is coming from another component touching the body…such as the exhaust system? Have someone spend some quality time with your car.