ride quality

[ProfGlenn]

Hi -since my 1.8 hybrid had its gold service on Friday and MOT on Saturday (yesterday) the ride quality has seemed MUCH worse.  Like driving on a badly tarmacked road all the time.  What's going on???

[Byzii]

Do you know what was done to your car during service? 

First thing popping to mind is tire pressure, aggressively overinflated tires can feel very rough. But other than that, unless something was actually done and not just looking and checking a mark in a list, I have no idea.

You'll have to be more specific on both what was done and are there any conditions where it feels worse than others. Also are there other symptoms like worse mpg.

[ProfGlenn]

Thanks.  It’s just like a shuddering and yes feels like overinflated tyres:  but had two new tyres and wheel alignment done a few weeks ago. It’s been fine until the service.  It was the gold service which is just ...oil filter, sump washer, engine oil, air filter, a gasket (don’t know where), degreased, brake fluid....think that’s it.  

[oldcodger]

As a regular customer, best to take it back to the garage if it happened so soon after they serviced it,  they should be only too happy to help and check it for you.

They might have made a mistake, I once had a service but they had not torqued up the front wheel nuts, but it took a day or so for the looseness to affect the steering.

You say Ride Quality,  is it more a vibration ?

 

[mrpj]

Have you actually checked the tyre pressures yourself Glenn?

[ProfGlenn]

Yes it feels like a vibration.  They had left the locking nut box on the front passenger seat which I thought was a bit weird as no idea why they needed it.  Haven’t checked the tyre pressures as they ought to be able to get that right and the air machine at Tesco is more likely to not work and leave me in bigger trouble.

[Gerg]

Perhaps one of the wheel balance weights has been knocked off the wheel when it has been offered back up to the hub after brake work, maybe it was accidently hit against the brake disk or the dust shield when the wheel went back on?  If so, the wheels now need re-balancing.

I think the 'Gold' service includes a brake caliper dismantle/clean, doesn't it?  That would make sense for the locking wheel nut key requirement.

[ProfGlenn]

Hi Gerg,.  Can't find anything about calipers  on the sheet.  All I know is it had two new tyres and one moved from front to back (I think) about three weeks ago and a wheel alignment, and it was fine.  And now after a service and MOT it is not fine.

 

 

[ProfGlenn]

Should i call the AA out to check the locking nuts??

[oldcodger]

Hi,

You normally have a wheel nut spanner in the cars tool kit in the boot so you could do it yourself,  but perhaps the modern hybrids do not have one, just a bottle of inflator ?

Too late to buy one locally, everywhere will be shut.

If you have AA cover, and Home Start , they may check them for free, but equally they may charge, better ask them first .

Loose wheel nuts will start to give very serious vibration, and have to agree its probably a balance / weight problem, but if doing a long journey its better to be safe than sorry.

A shame you did not take it back to the garage this morning, they should have seen you straight away if it was suspected something to do with their works.

 

Does the vibration happen at all speeds, felt though the steering wheel or more though the seat and your feet  ?

[Heidfirst]

https://www.toyota.co.uk/download/cms/gben/Toyota Essential Care Service Content_tcm-3060-1435366.pdf

[ProfGlenn]

1 hour ago, Heidfirst said:

https://www.toyota.co.uk/download/cms/gben/Toyota Essential Care Service Content_tcm-3060-1435366.pdf

Thanks.  They definitely didn’t do all that!! They have called it a gold service but it wasn’t all of that.  

[ProfGlenn]

3 hours ago, oldcodger said:

Hi,

You normally have a wheel nut spanner in the cars tool kit in the boot so you could do it yourself,  but perhaps the modern hybrids do not have one, just a bottle of inflator ?

Too late to buy one locally, everywhere will be shut.

If you have AA cover, and Home Start , they may check them for free, but equally they may charge, better ask them first .

Loose wheel nuts will start to give very serious vibration, and have to agree its probably a balance / weight problem, but if doing a long journey its better to be safe than sorry.

A shame you did not take it back to the garage this morning, they should have seen you straight away if it was suspected something to do with their works.

 

Does the vibration happen at all speeds, felt though the steering wheel or more though the seat and your feet  ?

Feels like coming through the floor.

[eygo]

vibration through the floor is from the rear wheels

have the rear wheels balanced at the same time they will

check the condition of the tyres

[ProfGlenn]

Hi.  So Toyota had put the wrong pressures int he tyres!!  Thanks everyone for help.

[mrpj]

On 12/24/2018 at 3:22 PM, ProfGlenn said:

Haven’t checked the tyre pressures as they ought to be able to get that right and the air machine at Tesco is more likely to not work and leave me in bigger trouble.

With respect Glenn, that's what you should have done first. I did ask that on 24th Dec. Never totally rely on what should have been done during a service.They should have checked the wheel nuts torque during the service anyway.

Checking tyre condition and pressures is part of what any car owner shoud be doing regularly along with other rourine checks of fluid levels. Buy yourself a pressure gauge rather than rely on Tesco.

[oldcodger]

Hi,

If things were so sensitive to a bit of wrong pressure I would suspect the tyres are not properly balanced ?  but if ok now I would leave alone .

As mrpj says you should be checking the tyre pressures yourself every month or so , partic on an older car where rim corrosion can cause small leaks around the tyre bead.

Same goes for engine oil and coolant etc ...?

You might find one of these gauges worth while, they were voted best budget buy in a car mag, have one myself and found it accurate and easy to use,

https://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=22846

[ProfGlenn]

Thanks very much.  Point well made and taken.