tjs616

Hi!

So I have a 2011 HHR with about 55k on it. The steering wheel in the car started shaking about a year ago when the AC was on. It was very noticeable when you are stopped at stop lights or in a drive thru. I took it my mechanic and he told me an engine mount was cracked, so I had it replaced. The car did not seem much better when we got it back, but we thought perhaps it was just a normal shaking. If you moved the steering wheel into another position (while stopped) it would usually stop. The shaking started getting worse and we brought it back and they replaced 3 more engine mounts, though I'm not actually sure that was the issue because it was still doing the exact same thing when we left and has now gotten even worse. I will be finding a new mechanic, but before I pay more to fix things that aren't broken, I'd like some advice on what this could be.

Here are the current symptoms:
No Check Engine Light
Car is not overheating
While A/C is on, steering wheel shakes violently especially at stop lights
While A/C is off, car runs fine for some time. After say an hour or so of cruising around in the heat it will start shaking at stop lights. Last time I was out for 1 hour+ , I also started hearing a noise from under the hood, while parked, like plastic rubbing up against something in a one second or so loop like a belt maybe? I was unable to see anything that looked like it was rubbing against anything else. Getting back on the road and moving again stopped the noise.

Any ideas on what to do?

Tara

firemangeorge

Welcome to the site.

If the shaking is only when the AC is on, I would think it was something either AC compressor or belt related. When the AC compressor is engaged it will have a load on it. It could be the compressor itself is not bolted down tight or possibly something internal to the compressor is way out of balance maybe.

Did you actually see the so called cracked engine mounts ? If so, they might not be the cause of the vibration but the result of it. They could have been cracked BY the vibration if it's as bad as you say.

And yes, I would find a new mechanic.

hurst2001

check your wheels for balance..check for a bent rim too

donbrew

There are only 3 "engine mounts" actually 1 motor mount and 2 transmission mounts.

Does the shaking while stopped go away if you put the transmission in neutral or park?

Maybe a bad A/C clutch or a bad serpentine belt tensioner, with those noises. Or a messed up transmission.

You put up with it for a year without going back to the guy that "fixed it"????

My idea of what to do: go to a different shop before the car gets really broken.

firemangeorge

hurst2001. Did you actually read the OP's whole post? He stated the steering wheel vibrates when the AC is on and the car is stopped.

And you're telling him to check the wheels and rims?????

whopper

ahem............. Firemangeorge...... "him" is a "her" - senior moments ABOUND!!!!

Seriously..... once again it sounds like a shop taking advantage of a lady which is not good at all. Yeah, your muffler bearings are shot - you are lucky they didn't go and take out the whole exhaust system.

tjs616

The reason we allowed it to go for the first year is because it shook, but not in a really violent way, just in a way that didn't seem normal. Now it is shaking in a way that clearly something is very wrong. The first time we did see the broken engine mount, the second time we did not, and I am so sure it was just a waste of time and money.

The car seems just fine when in park, and when you first start driving and the A/C is off, but after some time you can feel it start shaking at stop lights and making the strange noise I mentioned before, that's why I wasn't sure if it could be A/C related, because the A/C is off. It's been very frustrating! I plan on taking it to a new guy tomorrow to see if I can get better results.

Thanks! I really appreciate all the suggestions!

whopper

thanks for the response and clarifying. Best of luck with the new shop - keep us updated on the progress if you can. This is another interesting one.

firemangeorge

OK.

Whopper----1
George------0

(and my apologies to Tara for calling "her" a "him" )

whopper

@ firemangeorge.

Now this is the kind of thread/issue I like - good description, has done her homework ahead of time, responds to the suggestions - and an interesting issue to boot.