I won't go into huge detail but suffice to say I recently had 4 new Goddyear GSD3s (235/45/17) put on a 2001 3.0 Omega Elite. These were fitted by a well known and recommended independent supplier. Almost immediately there was a noticeable vibration through the seat of the car (and very slightly through the steering wheel) at motorway speeds...55mph upwards...this did not disappear at higher speeds.
I had the wheels re-balanced 4 times before the supplier (that went on an hour long drive with me to find a smooth bit of tarmac) agreed there was a problem and swapped the tyres for 4 brand new Michelin Primacy Sports. Although marginally better initially the vibration has come back with a vengeance albeit at slightly higher speeds.
I've read posts about other causes but the thing that puzzles me is why this was only noticeable when I had the new tyres put on - just coincidence? It's not worse under braking, the only other thing I can think of is driveshaft.
The car's in for a service tomorrow at a Vauxhall dealer - is there anything I should get them to look at before they tell me the wheels need balancing?
Many thanks
Paul
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It does not fit with the tyres just being replaceded (unless the supplier has damaged your rims!) but are you sure that the wheels are not distorted? The easiest way to tell is when it is spinning on the balancer, any flat spot on the rim is easily seen, as is run out. Had a wheel on my pre-facelift Elite which was damaged and gave the same symptoms, because of a slight flattening of the rim. If you are feeling it through the seat it is normally the rear wheels. You could try puting the spare on each side and seeing if this removes the problem.
Incidently have you replaced tyres with same size (and rating) or have you oversized?
Jon
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I would have hoped the tyre specialist would have checked for any rim deformities - I have known of certain BMW's that have suffered from a slight vibration - even after dyanamic on-car balancing!
Might be worth mentioning to your dealer at service time, perhaps?
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Could it be that the previous wheels had been balanced on the car and any drive shaft imbalance catered for?
The new wheels and tyres balanced off the car?..........
pmh (was peter)
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I bought the car last September and as part of the deal (because the tyres were down to 3mm) they swapped the wheels and tyres from a newer identical Omega (they only sell Omegas) so I would presume that rules out on-car balancing. The tyres are standard size I believe for this model.
A dodgy rim I suppose is a possibility but then that points to the tyre fitters having caused it as it wasn't there before....I could try using the spare to replace wheels in turn but it's a 185 so might not give a very good ride for comparison anyway.
Anyway, the least I could try is swapping the rears for the fronts to see if that makes a difference. It's in for a service today and I've already had the mechanic saying that Omegas suffer from 'stiff' universal joints on the driveshaft...
It hasn't been a bad car until now but with 2500 miles a month motorway driving it's getting to be a nuisance. It might seem daft but with the amount of time I've wasted on it already and no doubt more to come I'm considering chopping it in for something else as the easy option...
Thanks for your input so far - I'll let you know the result of the service.
Paul
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Got the car back from the service. Apparently balancing checked out (no surprise) and all drive shafts/joints were OK. The garage suggests that because they are low profile tyres then vibration is often noticed? (Ignoring the fact that it wasn't like this when I bought it and that they are standard fit).
I think it must come down to bodgejob's suggestion of a damaged rim. Is it possible to remove (new) tyres to check the rims and replace the tyres without damaging them? Any other way of checking the rims?
Thanks
Paul
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As BRoomers may remember, my Omega MV6 tramlined very badly when I first bought it (It was just under 3 years old). However, I couldn't describe it as a vibration, more an unexpected violent swerve to one side or the other.
It went to a Vx dealer who (pointlessly and expensively) changed a wheel bearing. Advice from here was more on the mark - generally low profile tyres can cause tramlining, and specifically in my case, changing all four tyres fixed it (even though the old ones weren't that near to needing replacement).
Over 25k miles later the rears need replacing but the problem hasn't returned. I was pleased with the mileage from those tyres, and the fronts still have another few thou in them! (BF Goodrich)
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Smokie
The sudden tramlining certainly caught me out a few times when I first got the car but like you've said, different tyres and probably a bit more awareness from me have reduced the problem. But the vibration I mention is something recent - two different brands of tyres have had no effect and unless I'm just getting more tuned into it I would swear it's getting worse.
It's a shame because in all other respects it's a good car but as a motorway cruiser the ride is now compromised.
Paul
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Paul
Have you tried using the spare or moving the front wheels to the back? (I would try doing this one at a time to try and work out if just one of the wheels is causing the problem, and move the right front to the right rear etc as the tyres may be directional) See if this makes any difference.
As I said the best way to check the rim itself is when it is spinning on a balancing machine, the tyre does not need to be removed but obviously check inner and outer edges, any significant distortion is very obvious. The other thing to check is that the mating faces of the wheel and the hubs are clean so that there is no chance of the wheel running out of true.
BTW were the wheels balanced with stick on weights or the hammer on type over the edge of the rim?
Jon
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Sounds stupid - BUT. Check that the tyres aren\'t:
1) Directional & are fitted on the wrong side of the car
2) Fitted the right way round. i.e look for the word OUTSIDE being visible. If you can see the word INSIDE then the tyre is fitted the wrong way round.
Seen both these problems before on Omega\'s.
Regards ......... Robert
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They are directional tyres and I've just been out and checked and they have been fitted correctly. I'll try the suggestion of swapping wheels - I won't use the spare as it's a spacesaver.
It's interesting you mention the weights Bodgejob it has the stick on sort on the inner circumference but also a hammer on type on the inside edge. During one of the 5 attempts at balancing someone did say they couldn't balance alloys perfectly if they couldn't hammer weights to the outside edge. I took this with a pinch of salt as otherwise there'd be thousands of people reporting wobbly alloy wheels.
Anyway, I'll try the wheel swapping.
Paul
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