Steering Wheel Resonance / vibration

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W

whodunnit

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Mar 16, 2009
Threads
2
Messages
15
Location
Sydney, Oztrayleeya
Since new I have experienced resonance through the steering wheel. It has got worse as time and mileage have gone on. To a lesser extent, you can also feel it through the gearshift. I reported it a total of 4 times (in 12k). It got to the stage where it was driving me crazy (my hands 'buzz' at the end of a long drive). I had an ARB bullbar fitted at 5k but a week before that was done I emailed the Toyo dealer for the record describing the problem to a 'T' and also pointing out that I did not want the impending bullbar fitment to be blamed for the steering wheel resonance. Dealer took the vehicle at 12k. Toyota Australia looked at it. They blamed the bullbar. I was uummm upset
icon_twisted.gif
. When faced with my previous email and the dated invoice for the bullbar fitment (a week apart) they reviewed it again and all of a sudden they find that this is a global problem and that Toyota Japan are fully aware of it. Dealer said to expect 'revised' parts to be sent out and fitted... possibly engine mounts but he wasn't sure. More detail later. Asked that I sit and wait until problem determination has run its full course in Japan. I asked if it affected only Diesels. They said yes but I have heard from owners with gas engines that also have the problem.

So Now I sitting here waiting ...

Mark
200 series diesel
 
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whodunnit said:
Since new I have experienced resonance through the steering wheel. It has got worse as time and mileage have gone on. To a lesser extent, you can also feel it through the gearshift. I reported it a total of 4 times (in 12k). It got to the stage where it was driving me crazy (my hands 'buzz' at the end of a long drive). I had an ARB bullbar fitted at 5k but a week before that was done I emailed the Toyo dealer for the record describing the problem to a 'T' and also pointing out that I did not want the impending bullbar fitment to be blamed for the steering wheel resonance. Dealer took the vehicle at 12k. Toyota Australia looked at it. They blamed the bullbar. I was uummm upset
icon_twisted.gif
. When faced with my previous email and the dated invoice for the bullbar fitment (a week apart) they reviewed it again and all of a sudden they find that this is a global problem and that Toyota Japan are fully aware of it. Dealer said to expect 'revised' parts to be sent out and fitted... possibly engine mounts but he wasn't sure. More detail later. Asked that I sit and wait until problem determination has run its full course in Japan. I asked if it affected only Diesels. They said yes but I have heard from owners with gas engines that also have the problem.

So Now I sitting here waiting ...

Mark
200 series diesel
Click to expand...

Obvioulsy things:

Uneven Tire Wear
Out of Balance tires


Did you do any suspension upgrades at all?

There are a half a dozen people here who have the ARB bullbar installed and nobody has reported any of what you are describing.

I call BS on the dealer and would see about taking it to another dealer if possible or putting the pressure on.
 
don't forget to check for warped rotors
 
Thanks for that.

This is defintely engine related as far as source is concerned. Very prominent at 1500-2400rpm in any gear. Lift your foot off and it dies away straight away (as do the revs). Toyota Australia are already strongly hinting at redesigned engine mounts.

I have 2 sets of tyres and it happens on both. Both sets of tyres have been balanced and also had high spots shaved as required. Doesn't happen when the foot brake is applied (and at the same time you have lifted your foot off the loud pedal)...

As I said, just sitting back waiting for Uncle Toyota to resolve. Posted here to see if anyone else had experienced it... note that it is a 'global problem' according to toyota.
 
"Since new I have experienced resonance through the steering wheel. It has got worse as time and mileage have gone on.To a lesser extent, you can also feel it through the gearshift."

Very curious, happy to say I have not experienced this issue (or any other).

Could this "global problem" be ocurring in right hand drive countries? Just throwing that out there (Japan is right hand drive, and such a problem should have been resolved in testing).

What kind of steering linkage is there under the hood (I drive one and don't even know). Rack and pinion, the other type? Might that even make a difference if it is left or right hand drive?

What tires do you have (I have the stock 17 inch Yokohamas).
 
Hi Range Cruiser,
Yeah, Rack and Pinion. I run the factory fitted (for OZ) Dunlop AT22's on the tar and Cooper ST's in the dust and rocks. Toyota AU have also stated to another owner.. 'the steering is mounted on the same chassis rail as the engine mount hence the vibration in the steering wheel'... so you have to ask... so what ?.... fix it !.
The RHD component ocurred to me as well. Anyway, all of Uncle Toyota's problem solving ability is now on the problem. They are probably conducting Kaizen sessions even as I write this
 
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Conducting Kaizen? Is that a 'down under' term?
 
chimyz said:
My Japanese is horrible, but I think Kaizen means "improvement". Its like a Japanese philosophy geared towards continuous improvement for all aspects of life.
Click to expand...

I thought that was "feng shui".....


:flipoff2:
 
This just appeared on www.lcool.org

'Just got word that Toyota are testing 4 vehicles in Australia with a new vibration kit installed to reduce the vibration at, and around 2000RPM. The tests will go for 3 - 6 months and are all in Toyota owned vehicles. They expect an upgrade kit to be available then.'
 
Well... here is the latest.... their 'upgrade kit' is going to cost them a bomb... when they get around to it... (this is lifted from another forum). The TSB referred to affects the Diesel V8 and all Gas motors.

re the steering vibration… this is a translation from a Toyota Russia Technical Service Bulletin dated 5th March 2009. All of this has been given to Toyota Australia so they can go speak to the Russians !!!.
Problem description = vibration of the steering wheel and the accelerator pedal when the engine is at 1700-2000 RPM
Root Cause = High-frequency vibration of the engine is transferred via the transfer gear case, frontal driveshaft, front axle to the engine frame. From the engine frame the vibration is transferred onto steering mechanisms including the steering post and wheel.
Correction process = replace the transfer case with one now made with a reduced gap between the bearing and the output shaft onto the forward drive of the transfer gear case.
 
Well they replaced my tfr case a month ago and it didn't make any difference at all, in fact it feels worse. And now toyota Australia are saying 'we tried fixing it, we have higher priorities at the moment, go away'... which makes me see a particular color...

Investigations are proceeding as is my test-driving of Discovery 4's with the intent being that if I have to buy one it will have a sticker on the rear window... 'My 200 had a vibration that Toyota couldn't fix. I did it myself with this....'

You might be able to tell that I am very dissappointed :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
 
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