Vibration issue

B

Be2lose

In title only.
This started a couple of days ago.
I was at a stop light and turned on the air conditioning, the steering wheel started vibrating really bad. I turned it off and it stopped. Once I got up to about 35mph I turned it on again and everything was fine.
I had to stop at several lights on my way home and no vibration.

What I've noticed,
If I start the car with the a/c on or turn it on while stopped (engine running) it vibrates.
I can only feel it on the steering wheel (and see it also) and just feel it in both doors. The dash center consule, seats, floor nothing.

While I had it running I started the a/c and popped the hood engine did not look to be vibrating, but I could feel it. I noticed the hood was also moving. I turned of the a/c and could not be sure if I could feel while touching the engine, but the hood was still vibrating (not as bad though)

While driving at about 35 today I turned the a/c on and off, but can't tell if the vibration started or not.

I'm thinking it is always there and for some reason turning on the a/c at idle makes it noticable.

My friends says it's a motor mount, but that seems strange to me.

Anyone have any ideas?
 
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Could also be a bad pulley bearing in the A/C compressor or even a bad pulley or tensioner.... and you are "feeling" thru your power steering pulley. Maybe just a bad belt?
 
budpytko said:
Could also be a bad pulley bearing in the A/C compressor or even a bad pulley or tensioner.... and you are "feeling" thru your power steering pulley. Maybe just a bad belt?
Click to expand...

Thanks, I will check them again.

I did replace belt and both the tensioner pulley and the idler pulley about a week ago. The tensioner pulley was squeeking bad and I just figured while i was doing it replace everything.
 
I just did last week too...now I'm thinking I should have replaced the whole tensioner assembly as mine is still squeeking.
 
I just went out and started it to make sure. I have no strange noises. Could it be a bearing on the compressor with out sounding like it is failing? The pulley's seem fine, although there is a little play (1/6") in the idler and the belt looks good and is tracking fine.

One strange thing I did notice, The idler pulley has scrape marks on the outer edge like a tire that has been under inflated. I don't remember that when I installed it and can't figure what might have caused it.
 
I think I've found the problem. I was inspecting the car and noticed it did vibrate even with the a/c off, I just could not feel it. After much searching I ended up unplugging the fan and the vibration stopped. There is a fairly large missing piece on the ring that connects the blades.

Can the fan blade be relaced without doing the whole assembly? Anyone know where I can find the parts or the whole piece?
 
Wow you felt the fan vibrating in the steering wheel.

That is the first time I have ever heard of that problem.

I think you have to get the whole fan btw... ebay is a good source or contact Jamie.
 
maxmk8 said:
Wow you felt the fan vibrating in the steering wheel.

That is the first time I have ever heard of that problem.

I think you have to get the whole fan btw... ebay is a good source or contact Jamie.
Click to expand...

I know I was very surprised, but I unplugged the fan a few time to be sure stopped every time.
 
yes i had that same thing happen to me my fan broke and it would rattle the whole car and squeak. im not sure but i think the fan blades from a t-bird fan will work if not the whole fan. take your fan off and measure it and all of the mounting spots then go to a u -pull-it junk yard and take one off the a t-bird i think 93-98 will work and measure it before you buy it. if it wont fit you have wasted maybe 30-45 min and no money then just go back and say you could not find one and leave.
 
Talk to Jamie....I'm sure he has fans all wired up around his shop to keep him nice and cool, lol, or in the bathroom to blow his stink out.

There is some on eBay for 45 bucks. If it was back in the day I'd say you could buy just the fan blade, but new stuff is hard to find.

I can imagine the fan causing the car to shake...that thing spins pretty fast. Just imagine an airplane prop spinning without one of the blades, that thing would probably rip apart!
 
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