306 Questions...

[hardcorehobbit]

I have 2 questions,

First, at almost exactly 82mph and above, my car begins to vibrate... this can be felt through both the steering wheels and the pedals. I had a tyre changed last week, and it wasn't doing this before the change. My thoughts were wheel balancing issues, unlikely on a new tyre (though it was a "speedy fitter&quot. A mechanic friend has suggested track rod ends, but I'm not sure. I'm going to have it looked at. Any ideas?

Secondly.. Does anyone have a spare manual for a phase 2 car? (99) I want to find out what the lights on the dashboard indicate, as although none are indicated, I would like to know, just in case.

I would even appreciate a scan of the relevant pages, of the manual.

Or is my best bet a scan of ebay to find one?


Cheers all.

[MotorFocus]

For the vibration, eliminate the simple stuff first. Are your wheel bolts sufficiently and equally tight? Hasty balancing or a wheel weight that wasn't glued on properly? If you run Cyclone wheels (the standard fit wheel for the GTi-6 (and from 99-on just about every other model)) they're notoriously difficult to balance due to having a solid centre cap (so the fitter can't slide them fully onto the balancing spindle).

Once you've ruled out wheel issues you could be looking at brakes (unlikely imo) or various aspects of the suspension - P-bushes or droplinks. On some models the O/S suspension-turret-cum-engine-mount corrodes and leads to play/ vibrations which can be felt through the roadwheels.

I'm not a mechanic, this is stuff I've picked up through GTi-6 ownership.

As for the manual, if no-one beats me to it I'll try to remember and scan mine.

[hardcorehobbit]

Cheers mate. Those all sound relatively likely. It's not a GTi-6 though, mores my unluckyness, it's only a 1.6LX. Still good fun though.

[megamaniac]

Try putting the replacement tyre on the other end of the car and see if it is any different.Unless a well known brand i would suspect the tyre first.

[hardcorehobbit]

It's a GT job from Kwik Fit. I might rotate it to the back. I do have different tread patterns on either side of the front. Not my best idea.

[marcford86]

I'd get the balaning checked again, go back to where it was fitted and complain of a steering wobble that wasnt there before the tyre was changed

[360 detailing]

Check the wheel nuts are tight! Sounds silly I know but.............

If its a cyclone then make sure the weights are still stick on, if the rim wasn't cleaned properly prior to attaching them then they may have fallen off. Not sure about the clearance on your model but I know when I get the wheels balanced on the gti-6 I always ask for the thinner weights to be used as the standard sticky ones are too tall and hit the brake caliper, causing them to come off.

What about the tracking? is the car driving and stopping straight?

Shutter under braking?

Does sound like a balancing issue though, did you see the wheel getting balanced? ( Or it just me that makes sure I see things like that?!?!? )

Al

[hardcorehobbit]

I did see them balancing the wheel. I didn't trust the first guys, since they didn't want me to watch, but the second guy, when I went to another branch and mentioned it, balanced the wheel again, and I saw that time. I've used the second branch before, and found them competant.

I don't have alloy wheels, so that I think excludes the size of the weight as an issue.

I have checked the nuts, but I will check them again now that the car is parked on a flat surface.

Cheers for the advice.

[busta]

It sounds very much like a balancing issue. Some tyre fitters don't seem capable of balancing wheels, it's come up on here a few times before.

Only other possibility, albeit very unlikely, is a defective tyre. Check there are no obvious bulges in the tyre.

[106Lad]

Most definately Balancing

[darren9]

I'd say balancing issue.

Oh and hello 106 lad I see another 306gti6.com member popping up on PH

[shalmaneser]

306 manual scan clicky

as for vibrations, I'd bet it was a mis-balanced wheel, but do check that bolts are all tight.

Adam.

[106Lad]

Could also be Warped discs. Mine is doing this at the minute

Evening Darren,

[snotrag]

A vibrating 306 is almost definitely wheel balancing if it has cyclone alloys.

Trust me, and lots of other owners with similar experience - kwikfit/national tyres etc CANNOT balance these wheels. It needs special machine which they either dont have, or dont know how to use.

Take the wheels to your local Peugeot dealer and get them to do it, its only about £12 a wheel, they also know to balance them left-right and use the thinner weights to clear the calipers.

In future, buy tyres online and get Peugeot to fit them.

Cyclone alloys look great, but are a pain in the ass in this respect.

[hardcorehobbit]

I don't have alloys.

Just wheel covers, in a relatively nice design.

[busta]

hardcorehobbit said:

Just wheel covers, in a relatively nice design.

There's no such thing