Severe vibration, but not constant! Sorry long post!
I have problems with the 2006 high mileage (191,000) Auto HSE.
I bought it and took it for a short test drive which showed no real faults! Got it onto the motorway and after 15 mins of driving I could feel the surging and see it on the tacho.
I could have taken it back but having had this same problem on a previous D3 and a 'mega flush' cured the problems. There was also quite a bit of judder.
I decided to get this done locally asap as it felt bad! I was going to take it Geoff to do but that meant driving from Wales to Kent, not a good idea considering it didn't feel good!
The mega showed up that the box had had a new filter, whether it had had a mega flush before or just a 'double flush, who knows, but the oil looked decidedly brown but not burnt.
The guys doing the filter noticed that the centre prop bearing had parted company with its rubber bonding.
Could that have been the judder I felt?
I changed the complete prop. A test drive showed that the surging had gone once the box got up to temp. Their didn't appear to have any judder either, so all sorted or so I thought!
A trip to Dorset followed and everything appeared quite good, no surging and no judder until suddenly the whole car started to shudder and vibrate very badly! This was just after I had joined the M4 but my speed was 70 mph both before and after, no slowing or acceleration, just a constant speed.
I slowed down quickly as it felt like a wheel was coming off or the prop was about fall off!
Then it just stopped!
I was seriously thinking of pulling onto the hard shoulder but as everything seemed OK I carried on rather cautiously expecting as I speeded up the vibration to come back. It didn't!
I drove all the way along the M4 to the Bath turning and down to Blandford Forum. For those who don't know the route it is up and down hills, some steep some not, a little bit of dual carriage way here and there, but absolutely no re-occurrence of the vibration and also no surging or judder!
That is until I came back and was back on the M4 going towards Cardiff and had just passed the M32 junction, sitting there doing 70 mph (Honest!) and then suddenly the vibration came back again, luckily no one around so I slowed down with my foot off the accelerator and lo-and-behold it went. Then once again no re-occurrence and I got home safely.
So great ones WHAT IS GOING ON?
The prop is still on the car and no loose bolts! The centre bearing is still fixed and everything is OK. I checked the wheels and wheel nuts, all OK, nothing loose.
So is it the gearbox?
More to the point can a Torque converter exhibit really violent vibration and then cure itself?
Surely if it has gone and starts to vibrate like it did, it can't recover can it? Can it!
I am at a loss!
I like faults that stay faulty and then I can find them and repair or replace them!
The MOST fault on this car is like that, a bit of trim removal to find that pesky failed module!
All your thoughts please.
By the way the 20067 D3 I wanted to rebuild after a timing tensioner failed, I had to let go because try as I may I couldn't find anywhere to repair it. My garage 'just' takes a D3 but only to park over night and sadly no room to work on it. Pity because I was really up for it, a nice winter project!
Best
Ian
18th Dec 2017 10:21 pm
Fireburst
Member Since: 02 Nov 2017
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 187
I had exactly the same symptoms as you have.
I had just purchased my D4 and after about 20 miles on the journey home it started to vibrate violently then after about 2-3 miles it stopped and did the following 70 miles without any sign of a problem. It did a similar thing on a round trip of 180 miles vibrated for about 2 miles then fine.
It turned out to be the EPB brake shoe on one side, the lever on the shoe had seized solid, I fitted new discs, pads and EPB shoes and no more problems. the disc showed signs of running very hot and when I removed it you could see a pattern of where the shoe had been juddering.
Very easy fix, could easily be your problem.
18th Dec 2017 11:12 pm
harrythespider
Member Since: 21 Oct 2008
Location: cumbria
Posts: 290
I had similar symptoms too. definately EPB shoe, simple for me to to diagnose, drum/disc was very hot and smelly. replaced whole lot, actuator,shoes and drums just to be safe.
18th Dec 2017 11:26 pm
Nasher
Member Since: 07 Mar 2009
Location: Clanfield, North of Pompey - UK
Posts: 2683
My D3 exhibited very similar symptoms on the odd journey, I cleaned and adjusted the EPB shoes 3 times, but it turned out to be the rear calipers sticking on in some conditions.
A new pair, which are surprisingly cheap, sorted it and it's not done it again.
NasherHeaven doesn't want me, and hell is afraid I'll take over.
19th Dec 2017 12:16 am
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
EPB on my D3 to, constant motorway speed vibe would start, off the throttle slow down and back up to speed and all good again for a few miles then would do the same and so on.
I stuck new genuine shoes on as wasnt going to take a chance on pattern parts, which I normally do with no worries, not dear and two odd years later still okay, need a service though as heard a little squeak the other day!
19th Dec 2017 8:22 am
geoff.
Member Since: 24 Jan 2010
Location: West kent
Posts: 8531
Morning all!
How nice it is to wake up to some very reassuring replies!
Thanks very much and thanks for the links Geoff.
I know the TC and gearbox are nearing the end of their life but I was hoping after the positive outcome from the 'mega flush' that the trip to Bristol could be put off for a bit to give me a chance to save up the 3 Grand required!
So up with the back end and off with the wheels and a good look at the callipers and hand brake shoes.
Do that while the turkey is in the oven!
The discs look newish as do the pads so I would expect the callipers to have been cleaned so maybe it is the handbrake parts, a strip down will tell.
At least I know where to look now thanks!
Never had this problem on my old D3 so a new one for the memory bank!
Best
Ian
19th Dec 2017 9:41 am
Fireburst
Member Since: 02 Nov 2017
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 187
I hope this turns out to be the problem as its an easy fix, (once you manage to get the disc off the seized side)
Please let us know if this cures the problem, its useful information for anybody who has a similar issue
As soon as I have the car up in the air and the rear wheels off I'll let you know what I find.
I'm not sure how much I'll get done before Christmas though!
Ian
I changed the callipers and shoes, the pads were OK as were the discs.
My back plates were well past their best, so I changed them, and with that the wheel bearings!
My problem was I think the shoes and not the callipers, but renewed them anyway as they looked a bit 'old'!
As Geoff says it isn't the auto box.
Another thing you my want to check is the centre prop bearing as mine was shot. The rubber mount had self destructed!
Well the D3 was taken to France in February.
No problems with the brakes or transmission, just loads of black smoke under load which was disappointing after a new turbo!
Turned out it was the short hose to the turbo not fitted fully round the back of the turbo! Looked OK from the wheelarch side, but when revolving the hose it suddenly went on further!
After that no problems bar a slight oil leak on the rear of the RHS cam cover.
Ian
15th Jul 2018 11:10 am
hugeviking
Member Since: 08 Jun 2010
Location: cotswolds
Posts: 1482
Doesn't look like you got much done after christmas either
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