I need some help from you Acura Gurus. My 96 RL is shaking bad when it is stretched out in higher speeds. The only time I have noticed it is at 55 mph and up. The wheel bearings have been checked, an alignment was done to find the left rear out of alignment, tires have been replaced, spark plugs checked and some other things. Some additive was put into the transmission that is supposed to take convertor shutter out and thought that had fixed it, but it started doing it again.

I had just about set my mind to it being my convertor. I have driven the car around home not getting over 60-65 mph and it hasn't done it, but when on the interstate it really starts going crazy. I drive 65 miles one way for work and I didn't think I was going to make it home the other night. It was shaking everything in the car violently. Stopped and got more additive for the trans and it didn't do anything for it. Still did it all the way home.

My brother got online and did a few Google searches and came across a couple of people saying things from motor or trans mounts to inner CV joints. When reading about the inner CV joints it has me intrigued wondering if this could be the case.

What do you guys think? I am on a very limited budget and I need this car to get back and forth to work. Any ideas from you guys or personal experience would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions for me I will be happy to answer them for you.

Thank you all so much for your help in advance.

Cory

 

Reminds me: I once had a (manual) car where it started to slip out of gear when accelerating hard, the ride got really rough, especially over bumps, and even the gas milage started to go down.

I took it to the mechanic and after four hours of (uncharged) diagnosis, someone thought to check the motor mounts--the engine was about to fall out they were so loose. He did charge me 1/4 hour to tighten them, but it was like I got back a new car. Best $16 I've ever spent on car repairs.

 

God knows what damage was done already...

Anyway, is the car shaking side to side, like a shimmy? or is it forward and back, like its rocking and bucking? the former could be suspension and frame related, while the latter would more likely be drivetrain.

 

Well, it really doesn't rock in any way. It just shutters like crazy. As far as I can tell it's not really coming from the front wheels/drivetrain, because it does not shake through the steering wheel. Like I said earlier, I was pretty much convinced it was the torque convertor going out in it because I have experienced that in the past with other vehicles and it is similar, BUT when reading about the CV joints last night that has be questioning my first thought.

When it gets to shaking like crazy, I have to let out of the accelerator for it to calm down and then I press back down on the accelerator and it continues. I really had to drive it home the other night. I was worn out by the time I got home! I just don't know.

The thing that bothers me is that as far as I know...it is hard to tell if the CV joints are bad without having to replace them altogether because of them being in boots.

Thank you all for the responses. I have thought about the mounts and I will check them to make sure.

Thanks again. Please keep the ideas and suggestions coming.

Cory

 

Ok, just to really determine where the problem is located, here's something to try:

I think you said it starts shaking at around 65? so speed up to about 75, or any speed where you can coast for a while and it'll still happen as you slow down. Get up to that high speed, and then put the transmission in neutral, taking any load off the drivetrain. If it stops shaking, then yes, it would be the converter, if my understanding of the way it works is right. if the shake continues, then the problem is elsewhere.

 

That's a good idea. I will try that the next chance I get to stretch it out on a road. I've been driving another vehicle back and forth to work, so I'll get the RL out on the road and see if that'll work.

Thanks again. I will report back.

Cory