Does your Audi shake, shimmy or vibrate? There could be a simple fix

On January 22nd, 2015 / By Blog Editor

So, you recently bought a new Audi, and lately you’ve noticed it has started to shake and shimmy when you are driving down the road. You fear the worst and think there may be something wrong with your alignment or tires. Do you…

Have the car towed in, you wouldn’t want to cause any further damage
Call into the dealership and schedule an appointment, all the while grumbling about how you can’t believe there’s something wrong with your car already.
Look for a perfectly logical explanation.

If you picked C, you are one smart cookie. Nine times out of ten, during the cold winter months, ice and snow are the reason your car “just doesn’t feel right”.

Does your Audi shake, shimmy or vibrate? This could be the reason …

Snow and ice begin to build up around the interior of the wheels and can cause your car to ride really rough. A large chunk of ice may weigh as much as a pound and can throw the balance of your wheel off. Checking your wheels before you drive, and spraying them off regularly during the winter months, will help eliminate this problem.

Failing to remove the ice from the interior of your wheels, for an extended amount of time, could result in long-term damage to your car; so make sure to check the wheels each time you drive. This is especially important if you recently participated in our customer appreciation Ice Driving event at Georgetown Lake or if you have been hitting the slopes.

I tried the simple solution and my Audi still shakes. Now what?

If you still notice your Audi shakes after clearing out your wheels, or if it’s warm with no snow in sight, you may have a slightly more complicated issue on your hands… Usually, brakes or tires are to blame. If your car starts to shake at speeds over 50 mph, the shaking may be caused by tires that need to be rebalanced. Another possibility could be your tires may be wearing unevenly due to driving habits, rough patches on your daily commute, or even sticking brake calipers. If the vehicle only shakes when you are braking, you are likely experiencing this vibration due to “out of round” brake rotors.

All of these issues can be avoided by ensuring that your brakes and tires are inspected at your regularly scheduled service interval (10,000 miles, 20,000 miles, 30,000 miles, etc.). A brake and tire inspection is standard procedure during a routine maintenance appointment, but it is always best to report any unusual shakes, shimmies, or vibrations to your Audi Service Advisor at check-in. This will allow the advisor to notify your Audi Certified Technician to pay special attention to the tires, wheels, brakes, and alignment when he has your Audi up on the rack.

Should you have further questions or need to schedule an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact our service department at (833) 825-5424.

***

Did you find this article helpful? Did we miss anything? If you have questions or comments, just click the button below. We are here to help!

Questions or Comments >>