Vibration at freeway speeds
07-23-20, 12:57 PM
#31
Driver School Candidate
I have an annoying vibration with a 2017 LS I bought two weeks ago. It is a certified car and has 30k miles so you'd think nothing has had a chance to wear out. Had the car back to the dealer three times. I'm picking it up in the morning but based on a conversation with the service manager I doubt it's fixed. All they did was balance the tires for the second time. FWIW, the vibration is most noticeable at speeds over 65mph. If you get up to 80mph and lift off the throttle, the vibration is very obvious and there is a very low frequency hum. Coasting down hill at highway speed seems to be the most severe. My previous car was a 2009 LS and I never had a problem with vibration. Pretty miserable.
07-25-20, 09:24 PM
#32
gordo53, that was the exact issue I had. While it is vibrating coasting downhill, carefully bump it into Neutral. If the vibration stops, then it is 100% certain that your driveline angles are off. This can be caused by the trans mount or forward rear diff mount sagging - either can put the trans output shaft and the diff pinion shaft out of parallel, which creates the pulsing vibration.
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lanceray4 (04-18-22)
07-26-20, 02:21 AM
#33
Driver School Candidate
gordo53, that was the exact issue I had. While it is vibrating coasting downhill, carefully bump it into Neutral. If the vibration stops, then it is 100% certain that your driveline angles are off. This can be caused by the trans mount or forward rear diff mount sagging - either can put the trans output shaft and the diff pinion shaft out of parallel, which creates the pulsing vibration.
07-26-20, 04:05 AM
#34
I have an annoying vibration with a 2017 LS I bought two weeks ago. It is a certified car and has 30k miles so you'd think nothing has had a chance to wear out. Had the car back to the dealer three times. I'm picking it up in the morning but based on a conversation with the service manager I doubt it's fixed. All they did was balance the tires for the second time. FWIW, the vibration is most noticeable at speeds over 65mph. If you get up to 80mph and lift off the throttle, the vibration is very obvious and there is a very low frequency hum. Coasting down hill at highway speed seems to be the most severe. My previous car was a 2009 LS and I never had a problem with vibration. Pretty miserable.
Happened to me twice, both AWD cars I have owned (2011 and 2013). The symptom was a driveline vibration only when I took my foot off the gas. As soon as I reapplied pressure the vibration would immediately go away.
The fix for me at least, the dealer replaced front axles. This fix was under warranty on both my 2011 and then on my 2013. Vibration was completely eliminated.
07-26-20, 05:07 AM
#35
Driver School Candidate
Thanks. Glad to hear somebody found a cure. I drove the car with the dealer tech in the passenger seat. He acknowledged the vibration and then said he'd need to contact the Lexus rep. I can't believe this problem isn't known to Lexus. I asked the tech if he had put a dial indicator on the drive shafts. He said he looked at them with the car on the lift and running and they look fine. I'm not sure you could see subtle run-out, but that's what I was told. This should be an interesting week.
07-26-20, 08:54 AM
#36
Lexus Fanatic
It could very well still be wheels and tires too. These cars are SO sensitive to any slight imbalance. Even if the tires balance there could just be a slight bit of road force variation and you would feel that.
07-26-20, 11:25 AM
#37
Lexus Champion
Thanks. Glad to hear somebody found a cure. I drove the car with the dealer tech in the passenger seat. He acknowledged the vibration and then said he'd need to contact the Lexus rep. I can't believe this problem isn't known to Lexus. I asked the tech if he had put a dial indicator on the drive shafts. He said he looked at them with the car on the lift and running and they look fine. I'm not sure you could see subtle run-out, but that's what I was told. This should be an interesting week.
07-26-20, 11:41 AM
#38
Driver School Candidate
Per the dealer's service manager, they have road force balanced the wheels and tires twice. They also have replaced both front wheel bearings. I guess we're down to axle shafts and drive shafts. It's been a real mystery. The car was originally leased and had all its services done at the dealer I bought it from. It's a one owner, no accidents Lexus certified car. My last car was a '09 LS and it was smooth as silk even at 113k miles. Hopefully, they will get their hands around this very soon. I'm starting to worry.
07-26-20, 02:55 PM
#39
Lexus Fanatic
Per the dealer's service manager, they have road force balanced the wheels and tires twice. They also have replaced both front wheel bearings. I guess we're down to axle shafts and drive shafts. It's been a real mystery. The car was originally leased and had all its services done at the dealer I bought it from. It's a one owner, no accidents Lexus certified car. My last car was a '09 LS and it was smooth as silk even at 113k miles. Hopefully, they will get their hands around this very soon. I'm starting to worry.
I would ask the dealer to give you the road force readings and post them here.
07-27-20, 07:13 PM
#40
I've had 4 road force balances done by 3 different shops before someone told me I have a bent wheel. An alignment and another balance later and the shop told me I have 2 more bent wheels.
This has been a 7 month struggle to find the reason for vibration. 2 wheels fixed (by a very good wheel shop). I have another wheel arriving tomorrow to replace one that's bent at the core. Hopefully that the last of the issues for me.
Try and independent shop to see what they say?
This has been a 7 month struggle to find the reason for vibration. 2 wheels fixed (by a very good wheel shop). I have another wheel arriving tomorrow to replace one that's bent at the core. Hopefully that the last of the issues for me.
Try and independent shop to see what they say?
07-27-20, 11:40 PM
#41
I've had 4 road force balances done by 3 different shops before someone told me I have a bent wheel. An alignment and another balance later and the shop told me I have 2 more bent wheels.
This has been a 7 month struggle to find the reason for vibration. 2 wheels fixed (by a very good wheel shop). I have another wheel arriving tomorrow to replace one that's bent at the core. Hopefully that the last of the issues for me.
Try and independent shop to see what they say?
This has been a 7 month struggle to find the reason for vibration. 2 wheels fixed (by a very good wheel shop). I have another wheel arriving tomorrow to replace one that's bent at the core. Hopefully that the last of the issues for me.
Try and independent shop to see what they say?
measures runout, too) and it was a large amount off compared to the other 3 tires. Pirelli replaced that tire for free under warranty, no problem.
Did you get this car used? Would not be shocked if the rims are bent, especially if you live in a place where it snows and gets potholes. People will hit massive potholes and do nothing about it. Then they palm the car off on someone else later. What I would call a "pothole large enough that causes swearing" grade of pothole, will damage a wheel, no problem. You might as well start calling tire/wheel shops right after the impact... lol.
Also said very good wheel shop should be able to get RF numbers and runout numbers for that car. Usually there is a bunch of delimiters on the report, like maximum road force, etc.
07-28-20, 06:53 AM
#42
Driver School Candidate
Having "been here and done this" with my GS350 before, it is literally as difficult as you describe. Also if your wheels got beat up/bent, it doesn't always get detected easily. It can also be caused by runout in trhe tires, as well. For example I had one Pirelli Cinturato tire on my GS that had excessive runout, the tire shop looked at the numbers (the hunter machine
measures runout, too) and it was a large amount off compared to the other 3 tires. Pirelli replaced that tire for free under warranty, no problem.
Did you get this car used? Would not be shocked if the rims are bent, especially if you live in a place where it snows and gets potholes. People will hit massive potholes and do nothing about it. Then they palm the car off on someone else later. What I would call a "pothole large enough that causes swearing" grade of pothole, will damage a wheel, no problem. You might as well start calling tire/wheel shops right after the impact... lol.
Also said very good wheel shop should be able to get RF numbers and runout numbers for that car. Usually there is a bunch of delimiters on the report, like maximum road force, etc.
measures runout, too) and it was a large amount off compared to the other 3 tires. Pirelli replaced that tire for free under warranty, no problem.
Did you get this car used? Would not be shocked if the rims are bent, especially if you live in a place where it snows and gets potholes. People will hit massive potholes and do nothing about it. Then they palm the car off on someone else later. What I would call a "pothole large enough that causes swearing" grade of pothole, will damage a wheel, no problem. You might as well start calling tire/wheel shops right after the impact... lol.
Also said very good wheel shop should be able to get RF numbers and runout numbers for that car. Usually there is a bunch of delimiters on the report, like maximum road force, etc.
07-28-20, 07:00 AM
#43
Lexus Fanatic
The issue with road force balancing is most shops that have a road force balancer dont know how to use it, and just use it as a machine balancer with the road force wheel down, which doesnt do much. The point of road force balancing is that the tire be dismounted and remounted to where the low spots of the wheel match the low spots of the tire to compensate. That takes time and effort and most shops dont do that and try and compensate with weights, which isn't the point of road force balancing.
An example, I usually order tires from TireRack and have them shipped to an excellent installer. Never had any issues. I had a flat and needed tires during the worst of the quarantine, and that shop was closed. So I had to get tires from another shop. Had them road force balanced when they were installed. I watched them use the road force balancer. Got the car back and had a slight vibration. Couple weeks later my shop I use and trust was open and I figured I would just pay them $100 to road force balance them instead of screwing with the other shop. 2 of the 4 were out of balance, and one needed to be dismounted and remounted to match the road force. No vibration now. The first shop just didnt use the balancer right.
In this car a vibration that comes and goes and exists with throttle inputs or without sometimes its there sometimes its not can absolutely be a very slight balance issue that can be corrected with proper use of a road force balancer, or it may require replacement of a tire that is within spec, if its on the upper end of that spec.
An example, I usually order tires from TireRack and have them shipped to an excellent installer. Never had any issues. I had a flat and needed tires during the worst of the quarantine, and that shop was closed. So I had to get tires from another shop. Had them road force balanced when they were installed. I watched them use the road force balancer. Got the car back and had a slight vibration. Couple weeks later my shop I use and trust was open and I figured I would just pay them $100 to road force balance them instead of screwing with the other shop. 2 of the 4 were out of balance, and one needed to be dismounted and remounted to match the road force. No vibration now. The first shop just didnt use the balancer right.
In this car a vibration that comes and goes and exists with throttle inputs or without sometimes its there sometimes its not can absolutely be a very slight balance issue that can be corrected with proper use of a road force balancer, or it may require replacement of a tire that is within spec, if its on the upper end of that spec.
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DavidinCT (08-07-20)
07-28-20, 07:17 AM
#44
Driver School Candidate
The issue with road force balancing is most shops that have a road force balancer dont know how to use it, and just use it as a machine balancer with the road force wheel down, which doesnt do much. The point of road force balancing is that the tire be dismounted and remounted to where the low spots of the wheel match the low spots of the tire to compensate. That takes time and effort and most shops dont do that and try and compensate with weights, which isn't the point of road force balancing.
An example, I usually order tires from TireRack and have them shipped to an excellent installer. Never had any issues. I had a flat and needed tires during the worst of the quarantine, and that shop was closed. So I had to get tires from another shop. Had them road force balanced when they were installed. I watched them use the road force balancer. Got the car back and had a slight vibration. Couple weeks later my shop I use and trust was open and I figured I would just pay them $100 to road force balance them instead of screwing with the other shop. 2 of the 4 were out of balance, and one needed to be dismounted and remounted to match the road force. No vibration now. The first shop just didnt use the balancer right.
In this car a vibration that comes and goes and exists with throttle inputs or without sometimes its there sometimes its not can absolutely be a very slight balance issue that can be corrected with proper use of a road force balancer, or it may require replacement of a tire that is within spec, if its on the upper end of that spec.
An example, I usually order tires from TireRack and have them shipped to an excellent installer. Never had any issues. I had a flat and needed tires during the worst of the quarantine, and that shop was closed. So I had to get tires from another shop. Had them road force balanced when they were installed. I watched them use the road force balancer. Got the car back and had a slight vibration. Couple weeks later my shop I use and trust was open and I figured I would just pay them $100 to road force balance them instead of screwing with the other shop. 2 of the 4 were out of balance, and one needed to be dismounted and remounted to match the road force. No vibration now. The first shop just didnt use the balancer right.
In this car a vibration that comes and goes and exists with throttle inputs or without sometimes its there sometimes its not can absolutely be a very slight balance issue that can be corrected with proper use of a road force balancer, or it may require replacement of a tire that is within spec, if its on the upper end of that spec.
08-06-20, 07:17 AM
#45
Driver School Candidate
Here's the latest on my 2017 LS vibration problem. The Lexus rep drove the car and says that vibration in an AWD car is normal and there's nothing wrong with the car. Not sure what my next step is. Waiting to hear from the dealer. If you're planning to buy an LS 460, test drive it on the highway at speeds over 65. The vibration on mine is most noticeable between 70 and 80. Seems worse when coasting downhill. I owned a 2009 LS for six years and never had any vibration issues. Will post updates.