Dear Tom and Ray:

We have a 1992 Olds 88 with 33,300 miles on it. It gets serviced regularly at the dealership, and always "by the book." Between 45-52 miles per hour, the car begins to vibrate, but only when accelerating. When we drive faster than 52 mph or let up on the accelerator, the vibration stops. The dealer, who seems decent and fair, has re-balanced and rotated the tires, and realigned the car, and we still have the problem. What else could it be? Shirley and Quent

Ray: Well, when my brother is driving, that sort of vibration is usually caused by the quaking of his terrified passengers.

Tom: Actually, your dealer has already rounded up all the usual suspects, guys.

Ray: And if it's none of those, I'd have to guess that you have a bad axle.

Tom: A vibration like that could certainly come from a bad axle or a bad CV joint on one of the axles. And if your dealer is really a decent guy, he won't mind putting a couple of new axles in your car to see if they solve the problem. My guess is that'll do it.

It's NEVER cheaper in the long run to buy a new car. Want proof? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1995 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Back to the October 1995 index