i have a 2007 with a vibration that seems to increase in speed as my car increases in speed. it is like a very faint helicopter sound, and it occurs on all roads. it continues if i drop into neutral, so i don't think that it's an engine vibration. this has never happened before, and just started on a 400 mile trip today.

do you think it could be because my rear tires (OEM RE050's) are pretty low on tread? is it common that these or any tires get louder as they get more worn out? if that was the case, wouldn't it just be louder overall, and not this sort of helicopter, pulsating sound? i haven't hit any potholes, nor have i ever peeled out in this car.

it wouldn't be the diff, right? i have 22k miles on it and haven't changed the fluid, but i may do that this week. it isn't a grinding, mechanical sound.

any ideas? thanks!

 

are you lowered, an if so how long? It sounds like it could be your axle cups. Common problem.

 

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showt...=0&#entry433463

I had the shakes too once. I replaced the inner boot on my drivers side.

 

If it changes when you turn , it could be one of you're axles,
but if not , its probably your tires,
Tires are easier to diagnose.
Tire vibration usually only happens at higher speeds.
On our cars the suspension is so tight and you sit on the rear axle so tire vibration can get pretty bad. feel the inside of the tire, the side twords the diff, and see if its worn bad, take it to a tire place and get new tires, sounds like you need em anyways.

Get your front ones balanced while you are there. I always do, smooths out the ride.

If that doesn't help you may have a universal joint going bad in the axles or your drive shaft.

Anyone else should chime in with diagnosed speed related vibration experiences.

 

not lowered, totally stock everything.

 

hmm, i haven't had any clicking before though. i will start with new tires and go from there, i guess. i'd post a video of it but i'm not sure if it would capture the sound correctly.

 

An easy way to tell if its the rear inner boot is if its really noticeable on acceleration.
Decel. its hard to tell but once you give it gas, you can feel it.

 

the problem doesn't get magnified upon acceleration or deceleration; it is merely a function of the current speed. for example, if i'm going 40mph, the noise sounds ~twice as fast compared to if i were going 20 mph.

also, i failed to mention this before, but my car was at the dealer for a clutch issue last wednesday, and by the odometer, they drove it about 2 miles to identify the problem that i was having (and of course, they couldn't replicate it, but they probably had a good time driving my car those 2 miles). do you think the visit to the dealer is related at all? it seems like it could be. could they have peeled out a few times and caused uneven wear on the tires? i figured that would only happen if you braked extremely hard and caused the wheels to lock up.

again, my rear tires are pretty low on tread, but certainly not to the wear bars. it almost sounds like wind buffeting, like if you have only one window open, but i feel it through the steering wheel, through the car itself.

 

the problem doesn't change when i turn. is it possible that tires become "unbalanced," and if so, how would that even happen?

 

it's your tires.

If you feel it through the steering wheel and your tread is worn, your tires are unbalanced. It just happens as you drive and wear out your rubber. The S2K is the most tire sensitive car made, so you will feel everything.

Go ahead and get the tires re-balanced where you purchased your tires. They usually offer lifetime balance for the purchased tires.