Just wondering what this could be. It rattles and I hear it and I feel it on my steering wheel. Its not a violent rattle but its a rattle. It only happens when I suddenly start accelerating and I'm already going around 45 mph. Doesn't happen all the time though. Most often it happens when I'm getting onto an onramp for the freeway and speed up to merge into traffic.

 

it might not be your engine maybe your alignment or wheel balance...that would prolly make your steering wheel shake..is your car lowered? do you have aftermarket wheels.....if it is your engine maybe a bad motor mount? depending on how old your car is?@ -}--

 

could be a heat sheild loose somehwere too? or a belt?

 

Actually the steering wheel shakes very little. Most of the shaking comes from the front of the car, in the engine bay area. It almost feels like a vacuum leak problem when the car is at a red light (my old car had this problem) or like when you are at a red lite and press all the windows to go up at the same time and continue pressing after its already up, that type of feel.

I do have aftermarket rims and tires and I do get tire balancing and rotation and alignment regularly. Its not lowered...yet (if I keep this car). Its a 97 Civic.

 

your old car had this problem?...did you check to see if it is the same problem?...it mite be a compression leak..but i dunno...hearing it would help.. i hope someone else mite help you better than me @ -}--

 

I dont know if the problem I am having now is a vacuum leak, but my old car had a vacuum leak and it felt the same as it does now except its totally different symptoms. Like my Civic does it now only when I'm accelerating at around 45mph but only sometimes, my old POS car only did it all the time at idle.

 

How many miles are on the car, and what gear are you in when it does this [or auto tranny]?

 

67,000 miles... I think when this happens its in second gear about ready to go to third... I'm not exactly sure its an auto ... its either late second or early third gear.

 

Try a flush and fill of the tranny fluid.

 

"I dont know if the problem I am having now is a vacuum leak, but my old car had a vacuum leak and it felt the same as it does now except its totally different symptoms. Like my Civic does it now only when I'm accelerating at around 45mph but only sometimes, my old POS car only did it all the time at idle."

Did you figure out if it was indeed a vacuum leak or where you able to figure out if it was another type of ailment to your vehicle? I would gather from what you said about your earlier vehicle that it probably isn't a vacuum leak if it doesn't do it all the time in idle.

JD
Autopart Locater
Mobile, AL