QuestionHi
I purchased a used 2001 catera about 5 months ago and it has been running pretty good but now i think it might be having some problems. The radio shuts on/off by its self, and the leveling sign blinks randomly, and starting last week my oil light comes on for a few minutes and then shuts off at, but i recently changed my oil.
One more thing, well the most important is when my catera reaches around 45mph the steering wheel and shifter shakes alot and I got the alignment done and my tires balanced and it still shakes the same amount. :(
fyi: I have 18 inch rims and low profile tires on my catera i don't know if that could have to do with the shaking?
Please help asap!
THANK YOU
Ian
AnswerHello Ian,
You need to have the vehicle scanned by either a garage that has a Tech II scanner or a dealer if you think you are having an lectronic issue. This vehicle has many computers and error codes picked up from the scanner will help diagnoses the problem if computer based.
What does concern me is the oil light. If there is an oil pressure problem from an internal engine component failure, you could damage or destroy the engine by driving the car.
The light may be coming on as part of a computer problem, but to err on the side of safety, I would have the car towed to a garage for them to put a mechanical guage on the engine to check the ctual oil pressure. Very-Very important! Oil level and oil pressure are two totally different things.
As for your front end. Alignment has nothing to do with vibration. Alignment only controls how the tires track, with camber, caster, toe-in, toe-out.
You did not state the reason for the alignment and balance. Was it for the vibration you have?
I am not familiar with the exact steering linkage components in your Catera. Issues that can cause vibration are: Bad wheel, bad tire (which in theory should be picked up in static or dynamic balancing) but not always. Worn suspension parts, ball joints, tie rods, stabilizer. Loose bolts on the rack and pinion steering.
You state you have 18" wheels on the car. If these are after market wheels are there modifications like spacer plates? The spacer plates can cause a balance problem because if the wheels re taken off for ballance, the weight of the spacer plates cannot be considered, which can and do cause vibration problems being they are in a way an extention of the wheel. My Alante has that problem with the after market 16"s. I put the boring alloys on, shake is gone. Balance the after markets, put the spacer plates on, and the front end shakes.
Some tire hps have the cabilities of balancing the wheels on the car and then the shake is gone.
Just some thoughts.
Rob
