Rough Idle/Vibration In D and R

#1
Hey whats up guys, i've been having a problem with a rough idle its been going on for a while and i just cant seem to get it properly diagnosed. The vibration gets worse in drive and reverse but it is still present in park and neutral. I've spent about 2k on the problem so far but its still there ive cleaned the maf a ton of times, changed the intake manifold gasket, cleaned the throttle body, coolant flush, new throttle pos sensor, new plugs, all new eng/trans mount, had a health check from the dealership they said it is healthy but is running a little rich but not much. Please help if you can. Thanx in advance

the car is a 2004 corolla s 150k on the clock auto trans
 

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#2
Has it always done this since you owned it? 4 cylinders typically vibrate at idle, so if the mechanic didn't have any codes then it may be normal.
 
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#4
It was like sitting inside a jackhammer before i replaced the mounts, now in D it shakes like it has parkensons and in R it has a seizure and it looks like the spolier is going to rattle off.
 
#5
Do you think it could be a bad fuel injector or possibly a vacuum line issue? Or is it something more serious? It improves a bit with the a/c on. The dealership said that its possible that an injector may be leaking a bit and that the fuel trim was a little rich.
 
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#7
Why were all those parts replaced?
Mostly due to rust and age, the mounts were terrible esp the top mount the rest were much needed maintanence and some off diagnostics it does feel a bit better but it still has its shake. It was an east coast car so its seen a few winters.
 
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#8
I agree with Scott. Don't replace any more parts without inspecting them first. The throttle position sensor isn't relating to the shaking and neither is the MAF. I also would have checked the intake manifold for a leak before replacing it.

I would check your fuel injectors and see if any of them are plugged, given that the engine is running slightly rich. Check them before you make the decision to replace them. A vacuum leak will cause you to run lean, not rich, so that isn't it.
 
#9
I agree with Scott. Don't replace any more parts without inspecting them first. The throttle position sensor isn't relating to the shaking and neither is the MAF. I also would have checked the intake manifold for a leak before replacing it.

I would check your fuel injectors and see if any of them are plugged, given that the engine is running slightly rich. Check them before you make the decision to replace them. A vacuum leak will cause you to run lean, not rich, so that isn't it.
Thanx for the help guys its appreciated. The tps was bad it was covered in rust and sticking a bit thats why that was replaced. I cleaned the maf because i put a new k&n filter in the air box and wanted to make sure the maf got a propper reading and was free of intake oil. The old intake mani gasket failed and was causing a hiss when i turned the car off and it was crazy loud on the freeway. What method can i use to check the injectors? The dealership said one might be stuck open a bit. If they are clogged what is the best way to clean them out. I wasnt sure about the vacuum lines thanx for clearing that up for me. I wont replace anything else until i get a propper diagnosis.
 
#10
You'd remove them from the car and look for excessive carbon build-up around the tips. If they are dirty, you may be able to use a carburetor spray cleaner to clean them. Don't use a brush of any kind, because any scratch, even a hairline one, will destroy it. You can also apply voltage to it with a 9V battery and wires to stick it open and spray the carb cleaner to remove any internal dirt that will try to plug the nozzle back up.

You can rebuild them, but it is a pain in the ass. I usually just replace them if they are so filthy that I cannot clean them.

You would want to double check the engine's conditions to make sure the new ones don't plug up because of misfires and the like, but it sounds like you got most of that under control.
 
#11
You'd remove them from the car and look for excessive carbon build-up around the tips. If they are dirty, you may be able to use a carburetor spray cleaner to clean them. Don't use a brush of any kind, because any scratch, even a hairline one, will destroy it. You can also apply voltage to it with a 9V battery and wires to stick it open and spray the carb cleaner to remove any internal dirt that will try to plug the nozzle back up.

You can rebuild them, but it is a pain in the ass. I usually just replace them if they are so filthy that I cannot clean them.

You would want to double check the engine's conditions to make sure the new ones don't plug up because of misfires and the like, but it sounds like you got most of that under control.
Thanx for the tips my friend i'll keep u posted on how it turns out
 
#12
Mostly due to rust and age, the mounts were terrible esp the top mount the rest were much needed maintanence and some off diagnostics it does feel a bit better but it still has its shake. It was an east coast car so its seen a few winters.
Were just the motor mounts replaced, or was the transmission mount replaced too?

What brand motor and transmission mounts were used?

It is very unlikely to be a faulty fuel injector.

The problem is more likely to be a fault motor or transmission mount.

It could also be a misfire, but the way you have described the problem, I doubt it.
 
#13
Were just the motor mounts replaced, or was the transmission mount replaced too?

What brand motor and transmission mounts were used?

It is very unlikely to be a faulty fuel injector.

The problem is more likely to be a fault motor or transmission mount.

It could also be a misfire, but the way you have described the problem, I doubt it.

Im not sure of the brand i know all the motor and trans mounts were replaced it doesnt sound like it has a missfire and the dealership also said the mounts might not be great but they dont think its the cause of the issue they said that the fuel trim was slightly off and that it was a little rich the vibration is felt when the car is going 0 to 5 mph or stopped at a light and is worse in reverse and when slowing down it drops rpms fast and the idle is even more noticeable when the car is being started in the mornings i wish i knew someone i could bring it to so it can get a propper diagnosis
 
#15
update

I jumped on the freeway today i was going about 70 and my steering wheel went nuts pulling to one aide and shaking i checked my tire pressure and it was really low in the front left tire and all the tires had the wrong air pressure (they were last touched by the dealership a few days ago) the correct pressure actuly helped a bit the vibration at a stop is still there but a little better. Would you guys recomend that i use sea foam to clean her guts up a bit?
 
#20
Thanx bro your help is much appreciated. I think i just got to the bottom of the issue. I got rear ended about a month ago and i think the exhaust headers are a bit loose the muffler is bent a bit too the vibration deff has something to do with the exhaust it doesnt seem to have a constant flow and the muffler is warm to the touch after running but not hot as it should be it is running alot better. I just put a can of sea foam in the tank and some 91 i think its helping a bit im going to put some in the oil next week then change the oil after i run it for a few miles
 
#21
An oil additive wont do a thing about a vibration.

If the fuel injectors were causing a problem, i.e. causing the engine to run too rich, the spark plugs would not have a normal appearance and instead would become fuel fouled.

Unless your vehicle requires it, using fuel with a higher octane rating other than Regular will do nothing for the engine, but it will empty your wallet faster. :thumbdown:

If your car was involved in a crash that shifted the positioning of the exhaust system, you can bet that can cause a vibration all throughout the car. I am very surprised your Toyota dealer didn't catch this!
 
#22
An oil additive wont do a thing about a vibration.

If the fuel injectors were causing a problem, i.e. causing the engine to run too rich, the spark plugs would not have a normal appearance and instead would become fuel fouled.

Unless your vehicle requires it, using fuel with a higher octane rating other than Regular will do nothing for the engine, but it will empty your wallet faster. :thumbdown:

If your car was involved in a crash that shifted the positioning of the exhaust system, you can bet that can cause a vibration all throughout the car. I am very surprised your Toyota dealer didn't catch this!
I'm surprised too the dealer basically just told me it was normal and to try to ignore it. I figured the foam in the oil would clean some gunk out and i thought the 91 might help the foam in the tank clean better since it burns at a higher temp. I noticed the exhaust has a low tone at low rpms and the car makes a tick that goes with the normal running cycle and i saw exhaust heat come off the exhaust manifold too. The vibration was so bad a few weeks ago (before the new mounts) that it broke a piece of my heat sheild off. I found it laying under my car one morning. I won't be going back to that dealership any time soon.
 
#25
I have the same problem on my corolla 2003. its automatic. I have 172K kilometer on it since I got it. Based on your description of the problem is same as the problem of my car.
I can feel the vibration from the flooring all the way to the steering wheel. There is more vibration when I turn on the A/C. How did you find the solution to your car problem?

Please advise.

Thanks.
 
#26
Have you checked your harmonic balancer, it could be that it has broken down over time, and stopped dampening the output of the engine causing vibrations. I'd include my source to howthingswork but the forum won't allow me to post links till my account is 2 or more days old.
 
#28
Hello everyone I have a 2013 corolla and my has vibration in D and in R also what would you recommend
still warranty man! go back to Toyota. let them check it. did you check the rpm? is it below 700-750 or around 500? does it feel like engine is gonna die on D gear?
do you have a audio or video with audio recording?
 
#29
I'm thinking it's related to the torque converter or flex plate. Mine does it too (2007 w/ 90K miles). The highlight of the whole issue is that the vibration is worst in Drive and Reverse and less in Park and Neutral. OP notes it's better upon acceleration, same scenario with mine. Since there's more resistance with the brakes applied it's likely to amplify the vibration. At least that's how I look at it. I'd be curious if anyone agrees or can substantiate that claim.
 
#30
Did OP ever find a solution to this problem? I've had it on my car for a while (I have a yaris 2008 though.) 5 mechanics wanted to switch out mounts. After the mounts were all replaced it just got worse. Finally noticed the harmonic balancer rubber was breaking, so I replaced that and it seems to have helped a little, but not in D or R. This is driving me nuts, and I can't find a good reliable mechanic to trust.
 
#31
Hello ..I own a 2014 corolla 1.8 s..with 78000..mine does the same thing .replace the plugs,coil,mass air flow senser,cleaned throttle body, and injectors,and the intake gasket, and the throttle body gasket, ,and still no ck engine light. .wtf
I'm ready to drive it into a tree..
Anyone got a comment to help..
 
#32
I also get good gas mileage. It just started this problem the vibration ..you can see the motor vibration and feel it in sterling wheel and seat and gas paddle.idk..time too take it in..please help......
 
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