Why's my mate's Golf GTI shimmying?

[shalmaneser]

bushes, probably front if it only does it under power.

[Silver940]

When my inner cv joint went it behaved exactly as described. It was a very odd feeling!

I could move the drive shaft about by hand gear box end when laying under the car. You can only buy the joint from vw too, was on an exchange basis so not too painful

Edited by Silver940 on Wednesday 18th May 18:09

[mildmannered]

Hi, it was my car and thought I'd say hello and update this as it may be helpful to others. Thanks for all the replies and suggestions.

The first thing I did was pop the bonnet to have a look (the gas strut failed... I really have just bought a pile of excrement!) I now have a length of 2 x 1 softwood (British engineering, not quite as slick as German, but works!) Sorry, I digress!

So, grabbed hold of the engine and could move the whole engine easily. So I asked my mechanic to have a look and discovered that the alloy gearbox mount had had one of the main threads stripped so was able to move quite freely. Also, the rubber mount was worn and the central mount underneath lacked integrity.

So, I ordered and replaced the alloy mount first (£60 odd). Didn't resolve the issue, but noticed the appalling state of the discs...

Ordered new rubber gearbox mount, and lower central mount, fitted. Didn't resolve the issue (but did stop the engine wobbling around)

Ordered a set of front/rear cheap pads and discs of eBay and new driveshafts from: http://www.jandrcvjoints.co.uk/

Then noticed I need a new set of top mounts and one of the wishbones' bushes is perished. But apart from that, Voila! Wobble/shimmy all gone, nearly happy.

But now I can drive the darn thing, I've noticed a nasty resonance between 3,800 and 4K rpm, maybe the exhaust was damaged from the excessive engine movement? Quite peculiar. Any ideas???

Also need a set of four new tyres though, as the fronts are had it and noticed a gash in one of the rears, which has lots of tread! Talk about sod's law...

Never mind, the list is diminishing: leaking rear washer, faulty rear wiper, aerial, rear door speaker...

I hate cars!

[rhinochopig]

mildmannered said:

Hi, it was my car and thought I'd say hello and update this as it may be helpful to others. Thanks for all the replies and suggestions.

The first thing I did was pop the bonnet to have a look (the gas strut failed... I really have just bought a pile of excrement!) I now have a length of 2 x 1 softwood (British engineering, not quite as slick as German, but works!) Sorry, I digress!

So, grabbed hold of the engine and could move the whole engine easily. So I asked my mechanic to have a look and discovered that the alloy gearbox mount had had one of the main threads stripped so was able to move quite freely. Also, the rubber mount was worn and the central mount underneath lacked integrity.

So, I ordered and replaced the alloy mount first (£60 odd). Didn't resolve the issue, but noticed the appalling state of the discs...

Ordered new rubber gearbox mount, and lower central mount, fitted. Didn't resolve the issue (but did stop the engine wobbling around)

Ordered a set of front/rear cheap pads and discs of eBay and new driveshafts from: http://www.jandrcvjoints.co.uk/

Then noticed I need a new set of top mounts and one of the wishbones' bushes is perished. But apart from that, Voila! Wobble/shimmy all gone, nearly happy.

But now I can drive the darn thing, I've noticed a nasty resonance between 3,800 and 4K rpm, maybe the exhaust was damaged from the excessive engine movement? Quite peculiar. Any ideas???

Also need a set of four new tyres though, as the fronts are had it and noticed a gash in one of the rears, which has lots of tread! Talk about sod's law...

Never mind, the list is diminishing: leaking rear washer, faulty rear wiper, aerial, rear door speaker...

I hate cars!

Don't do anything until the engine and 'box mounts have bedded in - they sometimes take a few miles to do so and the vibes may reduce? You get this a lot if you poly bush engine mounts. Increased vibes through the car and wheel, but it does get better with use. Of course it may be something different.

In addition, did you do all the 'box and engine mounts as once one goes you get referred wear as it places additional strain on the others so typically if one has been screwed for a while the others are likely to be too.

[mildmannered]

The Crack Fox said:

I had 2 MK4 Gtis, dunno why, they were a bit crap thinking about it.

Brilliant...

The Crack Fox said:

The rear washer leaking is just the pipe popped off inside the boot panel.

It's leaking in the headlining, how do I know? Undiluted green screen wash...

The Crack Fox said:

Have your window regulators broken yet ?

Again, brilliant...

The Crack Fox said:

Does Ari still fancy Dawn French ?

There is no known cure! )

[mildmannered]

rhinochopig said:

Don't do anything until the engine and 'box mounts have bedded in - they sometimes take a few miles to do so and the vibes may reduce? You get this a lot if you poly bush engine mounts. Increased vibes through the car and wheel, but it does get better with use. Of course it may be something different.

In addition, did you do all the 'box and engine mounts as once one goes you get referred wear as it places additional strain on the others so typically if one has been screwed for a while the others are likely to be too.

I'm not doing anything else yet, I'm brassic!

I borrowed my wife's Suzuki Jimny to get to work as the car became unusable. On the first day, I actually excremented myself as the whole car suddenly shook itself violently at 40mph, stopped, couldn't find any thing obvious (it felt like a wheel was coming off) Limped into work and typed "Jimny" and "Wobble" into Google...

I really shouldn't buy any more cars! Loads of links to "The Jimny death wobble" came up!!!

[Ari]

mildmannered said:

Then noticed I need a new set of top mounts and one of the wishbones' bushes is perished. But apart from that, Voila! Wobble/shimmy all gone, nearly happy.

Fantastic!! Well done buddy!

mildmannered said:

But now I can drive the darn thing, I've noticed a nasty resonance between 3,800 and 4K rpm, maybe the exhaust was damaged from the excessive engine movement? Quite peculiar. Any ideas???

Does sound like it could be the exhaust.

[Ari]

The Crack Fox said:

Does Ari still fancy Dawn French ? Good luck...

Everybody fancies Dawn French because she is gorgeous and sexy.

It's just that only a few of us are self aware enough to admit it.

[Ari]

mildmannered said:

On the first day, I actually excremented myself as the whole car suddenly shook itself violently at 40mph,

I'm not sure excremented is a word.

I need to have a quiet word with you about the Pistonheads Spelling and Grammar Police. They're ruthless...

[Greg964]

mildmannered said:

But now I can drive the darn thing, I've noticed a nasty resonance between 3,800 and 4K rpm, maybe the exhaust was damaged from the excessive engine movement? Quite peculiar. Any ideas???

This vibration could be the tin heat shield/protector plate that's attached to the underside of the exhaust. Its bolted on in 3 places and if 1 or 2 rust through or get bashed by speedbumps, the plate will vibrate against the exhaust. It happened on mine and was at similar rpm. You can try to reattach (weld) or just remove the shield completely.

A poly engine mount/dogbone causes vibrations at more like 900rpm. I wish i'd put the rubber one on mine. Apparently the R32 dogbone is the happy medium.

Hang in there, when running well the old Mk4 1.8T is a fairly decent machine.
If you keep it, i recommend installing an FMCL007P and getting a remap. Made all the difference to mine.

[poo at Paul's]

thiscocks said:

Rear suspension bushes quite likely. Wheel bearing worn would not make the car move about

Not a black car with big wheels is it? I followed one last Tuesday on M6 N midlands, T or S reg, and it was just crabbing down the road, the back subframe / axle noticeably shuvved over to the passenger side. Dreadful looking, God knows how it drove!!

Stick all the big wheels on, tints etc, and dont get the basics checked / looke after. Not like it is a rare issue, any Mk4 with 50k miles on will have knackered bushes on the back beam, unless they'd been done.

[Greg964]

thiscocks said:

Rear suspension bushes quite likely. Wheel bearing worn would not make the car move about

Knackered rear beam bushes don't cause side to side shimmy in a straight line. You only notice them on corners and bumpy roads really.

Paul's right though, they only last 50k and few people change them. Probably because its a pig of a job taking out the rear beam, cutting the bushes out and pressing new ones in.

[mildmannered]

Greg964 said:

Hang in there, when running well the old Mk4 1.8T is a fairly decent machine.

Yay!

Greg964 said:

If you keep it, i recommend installing an FMCL007P and getting a remap. Made all the difference to mine.

I'm a firm believer in OEM parts where/when cost isn't too much of an issue, unless it is for grotesque GUI double din head units, then I'm cheap after-market all the way!

[mildmannered]

Ari said:

I'm not sure excremented is a word.

I need to have a quiet word with you about the Pistonheads Spelling and Grammar Police. They're ruthless...

I thought it made it sound more funnierer?

[Tyngwndwn]

I've had mine for nine years and 82k nothing to report.
Had bushes done at 60k,that's about it realy.
I think it's the same with any car , look after it and it will look after you.
Never understand all the hate for this car on here.

[Silver940]

My electrics are starting to show their age now, the remote locking no longer works along with the interior light. Upon opening I have to get the key in the ignition within 10 seconds or the alarm goes off. But it is 12 years old and now done 202k miles so I can forgive it a little.

[Tyngwndwn]

Silver940 said:

My electrics are starting to show their age now, the remote locking no longer works along with the interior light. Upon opening I have to get the key in the ignition within 10 seconds or the alarm goes off. But it is 12 years old and now done 202k miles so I can forgive it a little.

Oooh! I got a long way to go then.

[mildmannered]

Tyngwndwn said:

I've had mine for nine years and 82k nothing to report.
Had bushes done at 60k,that's about it realy.
I think it's the same with any car , look after it and it will look after you.
Never understand all the hate for this car on here.

That's the problem here... I noticed that the pads had loads of wear left on them, but the disc were absolutely shot, who replaces pads on knackered discs? - It would suggest someone who doesn't care!

[Ari]

mildmannered said:

I thought it made it sound more funnierer?

Ruthless I tells yer!!!