Auris 1.8 hybrid sport estate harsh ride

[Tombombadil]

Hi, I have owned a 2014 110k Auris Sport estate for about a month now. Ex reps car. The ride appears to be getting harsher and I can feel even the slightest bump in the road. All the 16" alloys are OK and tyre pressures are at 34lb as recommended. I can't trace any real complaints about ride quality online, but is this a design trait, or are the shocks nackered?

[Rosgoe]

It’s unusual for a shock absorber to go solid which would cause a harsh ride they usually go soft through loss of oil which would make the car more bouncy.

Just check to make sure you haven’t got a broken spring.

[TonyHSD]

Hi,

actually I think the shocks can go bad and become solid causing exactly that harsh drive, but hard to believe they will do all 4 at the same time,  ., tyres can do too if they are old summer ones and air temperature outside is below 10C°, suspension rubber bushes can do too, silicone wd-40 can solve the issue with them though, but hard to say what exactly is the reason without car been seen. Best to get it check yourself or by a trustworthy mechanic. 
Regards 

[Gerg]

As well as the above, is there any chance that your tyre pressure gauge isn't that accurate? 

Just out of interest, what brand of tyres are you using?

I'll throw this one in as an extreme outside chance, but anyway, has the car had uprated springs fitted to the back in the past, to cope with a permanently full boot of rep's gear, whatever that was?  ( I must add that I don't know if uprated springs are even available, but these cars often look heavily laden on the back end, even when they're not full of passengers).

The original shockers are Kayaba brand (KYB), made in Spain, if you were looking to replace them (with something else?).  The rears should be very quick to change as the suspension spring is not concentric with the shocker, I believe.  The fronts are normal strut-type, but the scuttle/wiper trim has to come off to get to the strut mounting nuts, and the securing clips for this which are integral to the plastic trim, break.  This is very difficult to prevent unless you are meticulous, and have spotted where they are, and that they are vulnerable!  Not a great problem - gravity seems to hold the scuttle trim in place well enough after someone has broken the clips off.

You could also check if your 205/55 x 16 tyres aren't marked on the sidewall as 'XL', for 'extra load'.  These tyres have a tougher carcass which can make the tyre slightly less compliant, but some (not Toyota) owners dispute there is a ride difference to be noticed when these are fitted.  The load index of the tyre, also on the tyre sidewall, should be a '91', from memory.  If that number is higher, then the tyre is designed to support a heavier car, which could have similar results to above, but your tyres having the wrong load index is unlikely, but still worth checking. The XL rating normally goes in hand with the tyre having a 94 load index - basically it is built to be pumped up to a higher safe working pressure than a standard tyre.

[TonyHSD]

Not sure if relevant, but sometimes my car feels horribly hard, and sometimes well balanced  in terms of harshness on the road, can eventually if all above mentioned been within specs the humidity or air temperature cause some abrupt change  to the shock absorbers and then to follow harder drive ? This is what I noticed on Prius, Prius plus and Auris gen 1 hybrid., interestingly this event has been there since cars been brand new, my point is it might be a characteristic of the cars., or perhaps fatigue to the human body if been seated in the car for over 10 hours, got tired and start feeling the car differently. , perhaps Lexus ES might be a solution. Summer tyres again are the biggest problem, since I switch from winter to summer back in March and the weather although dry remained relatively cold especially in the nights my car lost its comfort totally, and I am running the softest tyres available. , they just crush over bumps and potholes where the winter ones were much more cushioned even been at lower profile., and tyre pressure makes almost no difference, it’s just the rubber compound that makes the difference. 

[Tombombadil]

Hi and thanks for all the advice. It is a ex reps double glazing car with 105k on the clock. Service history shows a couple of instances where tyres have been replaced due to eggs being found. I am running the tyres on 34 psi which I believe is correct, according to the Shell service station machine. The tyres are Falken which I understand is a budget brand. It could just be that I have spring problems, however the handling is fine. I have it booked for a test drive on Monday with the local Toyota dealer.  I'll let you all know how I get on. 

 

 

[Tombombadil]

Hi, Outcome of visit to Toyota dealers. They found that all suspension was OK with no shocker leaks. However the tyre pressures were 36 all round, which just shows how inaccurate Shell garage air pumps are. Reduced to 33 lb and this has improved the ride and I suspect I'm getting used to it now! 

[furtula]

You're not taking the weather into account.  If the weather was colder when you measured, but warmer when taken for a checkup, that could cause the difference in pressure.

For example, when i prepare the car for winter tyres, i inflate to 36, check again in few weeks when it gets significantly colder, they're down to 32 or less.

[TonyHSD]

Air temperature and the sun make such a big difference in air pressures, sometimes I have to adjust on daily basis. Also summer tyres are becoming rock hard when air temperature drops below 7C° which is still the average in the nights. Petrol stations tyre machines are best avoided, a good quality tyre gauge and air compressor to add some air are important accessories for any car owner, and works better than garages. Cold air pressure is also important, check and top up adjust first thing in the morning before the sun has seen the car. 👍

[loz8]

odd problems,imo. mine goes like Aladins carpet.17 in.wheels ,tyres did ride a bit hard in winter,changed fronts to Michelin x all weather,much better.      Not bought new,paperwork suggests larger wheels fitted on new delivery,or could be a missprint.     Use my own gauge,50 yr old ,Made in England. Doubles as engine compression tester.