Engine Shaking

[mk08]

Hi All

I took my car today to a local garage to change engine oil and filter. When he opened the bonnet, he said the engine is shaking, the spark plugs needs changing. When I told him I have changed them recently, he said there may be problem with coil?

I am not technical, but aren't all engines shake when engine is on? My car is Suzuki Alto 1.0, 3 cylinder.

Can anyone kindly guide me please.

[kambites]

I'm guessing he meant it's misfiring on one cylinder (which does indeed make engines shake more than when they're running on all cylinders). However if a modern engine is misfiring, it should put on the MIL.

[mk08]

Thank you for replying. A few days ago I used OBD2 scanner to check how it works. It's didn't show anything codes/faults etc.

[Evoluzione]

All 3 cyl engines shake around a lot on tickover, maybe he's never seen one.

[tapkaJohnD]

Evoluzione said:

All 3 cyl engines shake around a lot on tickover, maybe he's never seen one.

Really? They have perfect primary and secondary vertical balance, although some end-to-end imbalance. But as said above a misfire may unbalance it.

[Evoluzione]

tapkaJohnD said:

Evoluzione said:

All 3 cyl engines shake around a lot on tickover, maybe he's never seen one.

Really? They have perfect primary and secondary vertical balance, although some end-to-end imbalance. But as said above a misfire may unbalance it.

How can something with 3 pistons ever be balanced? They shake all over the place!

[Jazoli]

Evoluzione said:

tapkaJohnD said:

Evoluzione said:

All 3 cyl engines shake around a lot on tickover, maybe he's never seen one.

Really? They have perfect primary and secondary vertical balance, although some end-to-end imbalance. But as said above a misfire may unbalance it.

How can something with 3 pistons ever be balanced? They shake all over the place!

No they don't at all, I have had a dozen 3 cylinder motorbikes and they have been some of the smoothest engines I've had, I've only had a 3 cylinder Corsa and a old Daihatsu 20 years ago but I have driven and been a passenger in lots of modern 3cyl stuff and they are no better or worse than a 4 cylinder engine.

[Evoluzione]

Jazoli said:

Evoluzione said:

tapkaJohnD said:

Evoluzione said:

All 3 cyl engines shake around a lot on tickover, maybe he's never seen one.

Really? They have perfect primary and secondary vertical balance, although some end-to-end imbalance. But as said above a misfire may unbalance it.

How can something with 3 pistons ever be balanced? They shake all over the place!

No they don't at all, I have had a dozen 3 cylinder motorbikes and they have been some of the smoothest engines I've had, I've only had a 3 cylinder Corsa and a old Daihatsu 20 years ago but I have driven and been a passenger in lots of modern 3cyl stuff and they are no better or worse than a 4 cylinder engine.

Maybe the bikes weren't I3s, otherwise

[E-bmw]

The old-school Laverdas with 120 degree cranks were about the smoothest bike engines "back in the day".

[Clifford Chambers]

I too have had a few 3cyl engines, Peugeot and Renault stuff.

Smooth at idle and smooth when revved, they don't like being laboured, but who does.

[Jazoli]

Evoluzione said:

Jazoli said:

Evoluzione said:

tapkaJohnD said:

Evoluzione said:

All 3 cyl engines shake around a lot on tickover, maybe he's never seen one.

Really? They have perfect primary and secondary vertical balance, although some end-to-end imbalance. But as said above a misfire may unbalance it.

How can something with 3 pistons ever be balanced? They shake all over the place!

No they don't at all, I have had a dozen 3 cylinder motorbikes and they have been some of the smoothest engines I've had, I've only had a 3 cylinder Corsa and a old Daihatsu 20 years ago but I have driven and been a passenger in lots of modern 3cyl stuff and they are no better or worse than a 4 cylinder engine.

Maybe the bikes weren't I3s, otherwise

They were IL3's,

Owned

Yamaha CP3 triple in the MT09, widely judged to be the best in its class
3 x 955i triumphs
2 x 675 Triumps

Ridden

1050 Triumph
675 MV Augusta
1200 Triumph
2300cc Triumph Rocket 3

As for cars I've driven a 3cyl VW polo for 3000 miles
3cyl fiesta for around 1500 miles, 1000 miles in a focus ecoboost and others I have forgotten, I'm not sure what your point is, i have owned and ridden many types of 3 cylinder engines and not a single one has 'shaked all over the place' as you wrongly state, do you have any actual experience of driving/riding a 3 cylinder car or bike? I'm guessing not judging by your silly reply.

Edited by Jazoli on Saturday 3rd April 09:07

[Evoluzione]

Jazoli said:

Evoluzione said:

Jazoli said:

Evoluzione said:

tapkaJohnD said:

Evoluzione said:

All 3 cyl engines shake around a lot on tickover, maybe he's never seen one.

Really? They have perfect primary and secondary vertical balance, although some end-to-end imbalance. But as said above a misfire may unbalance it.

How can something with 3 pistons ever be balanced? They shake all over the place!

No they don't at all, I have had a dozen 3 cylinder motorbikes and they have been some of the smoothest engines I've had, I've only had a 3 cylinder Corsa and a old Daihatsu 20 years ago but I have driven and been a passenger in lots of modern 3cyl stuff and they are no better or worse than a 4 cylinder engine.

Maybe the bikes weren't I3s, otherwise

They were IL3's,

Owned

Yamaha CP3 triple in the MT09, widely judged to be the best in its class
3 x 955i triumphs
2 x 675 Triumps

Ridden

1050 Triumph
675 MV Augusta
1200 Triumph
2300cc Triumph Rocket 3

As for cars I've driven a 3cyl VW polo for 3000 miles
3cyl fiesta for around 1500 miles, 1000 miles in a focus ecoboost and others I have forgotten, I'm not sure what your point is, i have owned and ridden many types of 3 cylinder engines and not a single one has 'shaked all over the place' as you wrongly state, do you have any actual experience of driving/riding a 3 cylinder car or bike? I'm guessing not judging by your silly reply.

Edited by Jazoli on Saturday 3rd April 09:07

The thread is about cars, not motorbikes so forget those.
You've probably never opened a car bonnet in your life and watched or felt an engine idling.
I have indeed spent a lot of time in a brand new Fiesta Ecoboost, it does shake all over the place on idle so how you can deny this is quite beyond me, you've obviously no idea what you're talking about or are impaired in some ways.
Hit Google with 'Fiesta Ecoboost engine shakes' and you'll find reams of evidence to back it up, even a YT clip someone has posted up showing it because he's worried. Most of the comments underneath say 'They all do that sir'.
Because they do.
You won't feel it in the car because they're cleverly mounted to stop the occupants feeling the vibrations.

[spikeyhead]

Clifford Chambers said:

I too have had a few 3cyl engines, Peugeot and Renault stuff.

Smooth at idle and smooth when revved, they don't like being laboured, but who does.

Dianne Abbot?

[anonymous-user]

spikeyhead said:

Clifford Chambers said:

I too have had a few 3cyl engines, Peugeot and Renault stuff.

Smooth at idle and smooth when revved, they don't like being laboured, but who does.

Dianne Abbot?

Brilliant

[Chris32345]

Evoluzione said:

How can something with 3 pistons ever be balanced? They shake all over the place!

By fitting a imbalanced flywheel is one way to counteract the unballanced engine running

[kambites]

Inline-3s are indeed very imbalanced - they develop an rocking force trying to twist the engine up and down around the centre cylinder. You can use balancer shafts to correct it but many manufacturers don't bother.

[BrownBottle]

Just to add yes 3 cyl engines can shake about a lot at idle, seen loads do it.

[Evoluzione]

Chris32345 said:

Evoluzione said:

How can something with 3 pistons ever be balanced? They shake all over the place!

By fitting a imbalanced flywheel is one way to counteract the unballanced engine running

That's what Ford did and it still shakes like a shyting dog.