Is Your Steering Wheel Shaking ?

steering wheel shaking
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some of the most common causes for a steering wheel shaking come from wheel and tire problems, but you must also consider suspension issues and faulty brakes might also be the problem. When does the shaking happen, this should be the first thing drivers pay attention.

Very often, vibrations during acceleration or when traveling at high speeds indicate a problem with the vehicle’s wheels or having trouble when slowing down is more often due to brakes. A number of suspension issues and imbalances can also contribute, particularly if the vehicle is over ten years old.

Steering Column

If the steering wheel is shaking, there is a problem in the steering column itself. This happens when there are lose screws or twisted wires in the connection between car and steering wheel. People with these sorts of problems often notice the shaking when the temperature is very cold. Frozen screws and sockets don’t always have the same friction as they do when thawed, which can make sounds and vibrations more pronounced.

Bent Wheels

The vehicle’s wheels are always the first to check by a mechanic when there is shaking steering wheels problem.. Cars and trucks depend on a complex system of working parts for stability, but the four tires are the backbone of that system. During movement, if a wheel is bent, the whole frame of your vehicle can shake. People with this problem often notice that their steering wheels almost always shake a little bit, though the real effects tend to be most pronounced during acceleration.

Damaged Bearings

 

Wheel bearing problems are similar. Cars transfer energy to the tires through a drive shaft anchored by wheel bearings that help balance the weight of the car (known as the radial load) with the energy of movement (known as the thrust load). The pressures can become imbalanced when one or more bearings is no longer doing its job. It is a common warning, that when a steering wheel shakes while driving straight but then it stops going around a curve means that a ball joint is in need of replacement. In addition, a steering wheel that is smooth while driving straight but becomes shaky while turning is often a sign of bad tie rod ends.

Tire Trouble

Sometimes the problem is as simple as a flat tire. In this case, minor shaking is the very first thing a driver will notice when they start to drive. Very often, the shaking is accompanied by violent vibrations all over the car that gets worse as driving progresses. Soft or bulged tires often bring about similar reactions.

A broken belt may be to blame in the case of radial tires. Broken belts can cause the tire tread to take on an S – shaped form or simply to bulge out in the tread line. Either problem will cause the steering wheel to shake and wobble.

Simple tire imbalance can also be a cause of shaking. Most mechanics recommend that motorists have their tires rotated, or balanced, every few thousand miles. This is recommended to promote even wear, but it is also to maintain equilibrium in the car as a whole. If one side or all of the wheels of the car has seen excessive or not proportioned wear, the steering column will sometimes shake as a consequence.

Brake Problems

The goal of the brakes is to slow down the entire vehicle, which is often more complicated than simply stopping the tires from spinning. Problems with brake pads, cords, or connections can lead to shaking or vibrating in the steering column as misguided energy seeks an outlet.

 

Suspension Issues

A car or truck’s suspension is a complex system of rods, pistons, and shocks. This system keeps the vehicle balanced, both in terms of energy output and actual stability and problems with this system can lead to shaking. Though loose connections, faulty tires, and worn or corroded cylinders are also some of the most common problems. These sorts of problems can be difficult to self-diagnose for people without mechanical expertise. You may ask help from Audi Stuart Service Center to check on your car.

 

Knowing Your Car Electrical System

A good driver should be very well informed on every system of his car. One system of the car that is very important is

Motor de partida de un automóvil
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

the car electrical system. It is a closed circuit with an independent power source coming from the battery.

The current flows on one cable starting from the battery to the component being powered going back to the battery all the way to the metal body of the car. A thick cable connects the body and the earth terminal of the battery.

Amperes (amps) is the unit that measures the strength of the current, voltage (volts) is the pressure that drives it round the circuit. Today, modern cars have a 12 volt battery where amp/hour is used to measure its capacity. The components of the car will not work if the battery voltage drops or less current flows.

Wires and cables sizes are classified by the maximum amperage they can safely carry. To avoid confusion where a complex network of wires runs through the car, color coding is applied to each wire within the car only. This helps in tracing wire that is not functioning or is defective. Theses wires run side-by-side and are bound together in a bundle then in a plastic or fabric sheath to keep them tidy and not difficult to fit.

The starter motor has its own heavy cable directly connected from the battery. Sparkplugs receive high tension impulses as the circuit is ignited while the generator recharges the battery. Almost all the circuits are wired through the ignition switch that works only when the ignition is switched on. This prevents leaving something switched on that would eventually cause the battery to go flat.

Adding to this, the side and tail lights are independently wired from the ignition switch because these lights are often left on when the car is parked. Another one that is independently wired is the radio of the car so that it can be played with the engine off.

All circuits are opened and closed either by switches or even by relays like remote switched operated by electromagnets. Apart from main charging, ignition and starting circuits, there are other circuits in the electrical system of your car that should always be maintained in good condition.

Resistance is measured in ohms, where the extent to which a wire resists the flow of current. Thin wires have little room for the electrons to travel through making it conduct less easily than the thick wires. Heat is transformed when the needed energy push current through a resistance. Consequently, wire will overheat, blow a fuse or burn out if a component with a high current consumption is connected with thin wires.

A battery gives one direction electrical flow though to some components, it work only if the flow is in the correct direction. This one way flow is called polarity. On most cars, the negative (-) battery terminal is called earthed while the electrical system is the positive (+) one. Therefore, when buying electrical accessories for your car, make sure that the type is suitable for the system of your car.

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