Car feels funny

[Max-Eclipse]

Hi, I'm just wondering what it is I feel in my gas pedal. It's just this real small 'vibration' sorta. Feels real weird, and I don't have any clue what it is, and I can't really explain it very well, wondering if anyone has any clue what I'm talking about.

Thanks

btw: My car is a '96 Eclipse GS, basically all stock as far as the engine goes.

 

[Templisk]

Can you be a little more specific? Is the problem all the time, when depressing, or pressing the gas? And is it related to the road conditions at all ex: bumpy roads?

 

[Max-Eclipse]

Well, It doesn't really depend on road conditions.

I mainly feel it when staying at a steady speed, but thats probably just because im not feeling acceleration.

Other than that, its really hard to explain in detail. It's nothing major, I'm not even sure if its a problem. Its just a really small vibration. Sorta feels like two things are rubbing together and the vibration is coming through the pedal, if that makes any sense at all.

Thanks

 

[Templisk]

I'm currently driving my mom's '93 Buick Regal, and when I stay at 1500 RPM in 4th gear it feels shaky on me as well. I always assumed the tranny was trying to decide whether to shift down or stay. It's an automatic.

It always stops when I get it above 1500 RPM and hold it there even if I'm not accelerating. Try to see if the problem is related to a specific RPM range.

Edit: Is your transmission automatic, or manual?

 

[Max-Eclipse]

Manual Transmission, and RPM range doesnt seem to affect it.

I guess it sorta feels like two peices of metal shearing together and i can feel the resonance through the pedal.

Its not when I'm about to shift or anything, its just when im cruisin down the road at a constant speed.

 

[Templisk]

And you said you can feel the vibration *only* through the pedal, right? Or can you feel it in the entire car or the brake pedal/clutch as well?

 

[Max-Eclipse]

I've only felt it in the gas pedal. Definatly cant feel it in the brake and clutch, I do feel a lil vibration in the e-brake when i put my hand on it now that i think about it.

 

[Templisk]

How long ago did you start to notice this? When was the last time you performed maintenance of any kind on it before the problem, and what was it (adding oil, oil change, adding coolant, whatever) and have you seen a mechanic lately for any work?

 

[Max-Eclipse]

I totally rebuilt the thing about a month and a half ago. The whole engine. Took it totally apart, fixed everything on it, and other stuff on the car. I went to the mechanic for this, but I worked with him the whole time.

Maybe this isnt really a problem and is just a normal thing... do you feel anything in your gas pedal when your not accelerating?

 

[Templisk]

Not really, I feel a slight pushing feeling when I depress the gas though.

I searched the vfaq for 10 or so minutes, the only thing I could find related to vibrations while cruising at a constant speed was for automatics.

Here's the only article I could find, sorry I can't be much more helpful. I don't know anything about manuals.
http://www.dsm.org/archives/1998/12/19981214.txt/53.html

My personal guess is that it is normal, but I don't have a DSM yet either

 

[Max-Eclipse]

Ok, Ill just wait and see if someone else knows the answer, and wont worry bout it too much... guess ill just hope it doesnt fall apart

 

[SiNiST3R]

Rotors maybe.

 

[Max-Eclipse]

would rotors do that? My mechanic did say i need to get some new rotors, but I didn't think they would make that vibration...

 

[Templisk]

Yeah when my rotor needed to be replaced the entire car shuddered horribly when I applied the brakes. I didn't feel anything in the gas pedal specifically though, and I was stupid enough to drive on the passenger rotor at like 1/16th of an inch left with no pads on my brakes.

So I don't think rotors would do it, I could be wrong though.

 

[Max-Eclipse]

well ill be getting them replaced soon, so ill see how it goes from there

 

[SiNiST3R]

it dont hurt, does it wobble at speeds like 50-60ish?

 

[Max-Eclipse]

no wobbling or anything, just the vibration in the pedal and ebrake

 

[Templisk]

Midas quoted me at some absurb price of like 300 for both rotors to be replaced including labor. I did it myself for 20 bucks/rotor, 30 or so in parts, and 20 in brake pads. Took me like 5 hours but that was including having to stop and go buy parts I didn't have, and doing it without a guide almost the entire time.

Much cheaper to do it yourself, parts stores like Autozone will sell everything you need, if you have questions about it just ask.

 

[SiNiST3R]

Ohh man got me on that one

 

[Max-Eclipse]

I would like to do stuff on it myself, but I dont have anywhere to work on it. I'd like to build a little shop, but dont have the money to. So Ill just let the mechanic do it for now

 

[Templisk]

I did the rotors myself out in an apartment complex parking lot (my girlfriend's) took a full space for the car itself, and maybe a half space on either side of the car for the tools/room to manuever.

All I can remember using to do it was the spare tire jack to do a rotor at a time, a T-50 star socket, a 1/2 inch socket wrench, I can't remember what size sockets to get the wheel off, and caliper spreaders for the brake pads. So room isn't a huge thing, and cost of parts is relatively low. Looking back on it I almost wish I had gone to the mechanic, 200 dollars would have saved me 2ish hours of time, and a nasty cut on my finger from having it in the way when a bolt finally came loose =/

Anywho, like I said the only problems with my rotors were a horrible shuddering when applying the brake, and a nasty grinding sound (brake arm, with no pad rubbing against the rotor)

As far as getting your rotors replaced you can save quite a bit of money if you get them resurfaced rather than replaced. Sometimes all you need to do is smoothe out the rotor again rather than get a new one entirely, ask your mechanic if there's enough rotor left to just resurface it. It saves around 50 bucks a rotor I believe.

 

[Max-Eclipse]

ok, thanks