Vibrating Disco

Author
Discussion

Tom8

Original Poster:

2,955 posts

161 months

Tuesday 19th April 2022
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Hi,

I have a 2011 disco 4. Recently when driving along the car suddenly begins to vibrate as though driving over a rumble strip. No impact on performance or engine noise, revs etc just like driving over a rumble strip. After a couple of minutes it then stops and all back to normal, no apparent detriment. It does it occasionally so no rhyme or reason for it.

Any ideas what it could be? My only thinking is a potential ABS issue perhaps as the vibration is consistent.

Thanks!

camel_landy

5,073 posts

190 months

Tuesday 19th April 2022
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Hmmm... If the noise isn't relative to road or engine speed, the other location I'd be looking at is the air suspension compressor.

M

Tom8

Original Poster:

2,955 posts

161 months

Tuesday 19th April 2022
quotequote all
camel_landy said:
Hmmm... If the noise isn't relative to road or engine speed, the other location I'd be looking at is the air suspension compressor.

M
Good point. I suppose it could cause that kind of vibration. Thank you.

Triumph Man

8,878 posts

175 months

Monday 25th April 2022
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A few people on the disco 3/4 Facebook group had this - one of them was a propshaft csb, others turned out to be handbrake issues.

Could also potentially be a brake caliper?

Zerosumgame

114 posts

47 months

Wednesday 27th April 2022
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It's the torque converter. You need to put some additive into your gearbox - search for something called "Lubeguard Shudderfix"

Gramrugby

547 posts

215 months

Wednesday 27th April 2022
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I had exactly the same problem a couple of years ago with a 4. Happened off and on over a 2 month period. Had the wheels rebalanced and it never happened again. Sounds too simple, but worth a try.

bakerstreet

4,817 posts

172 months

Wednesday 27th April 2022
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My initial thoughts.

1.) Torque converter. Any fluctuations on the rev needle when at constant speed. Was your vibration under load (Acceleration)
2.) Prop Shaft central UJ
3.) Sticky brake caliper

Hopefully its 2 or 3 and first one is about £1.2k drive in drive out and it could also goose the gearbox too.

I doubt its anything todo with the suspension air compressor.

Edited by bakerstreet on Wednesday 27th April 12:10

bakerstreet

4,817 posts

172 months

Wednesday 27th April 2022
quotequote all
Zerosumgame said:
It's the torque converter. You need to put some additive into your gearbox - search for something called "Lubeguard Shudderfix"
Poor advice. It fixes nothing. If there is something mechanically wrong with the gearbox, I'd advise getting it fixed/replaced, not bodging it by chucking in some anti judder.

beanoir

1,327 posts

202 months

Wednesday 27th April 2022
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bakerstreet said:
Poor advice. It fixes nothing. If there is something mechanically wrong with the gearbox, I'd advise getting it fixed/replaced, not bodging it by chucking in some anti judder.
I think it's pretty well regarded form of curing minor issues on the Discovery actually, fairly well known about in these circles.

bakerstreet

4,817 posts

172 months

Wednesday 27th April 2022
quotequote all
beanoir said:
I think it's pretty well regarded form of curing minor issues on the Discovery actually, fairly well known about in these circles.
No it isn't. Any decent garage will tell you that throwing in anti judder will not fix a worn out TC. Its so people can avoice £1-3k on a new box or TC converter.

It hides a shudder. It doesn't fix anything.

Zerosumgame

114 posts

47 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
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I'm sure a garage (decent or not) would tell you to wade into a £3k job to start with thank you very much.

If you throw some in and it cures the judder then you know it was the TC and can start saving.


bakerstreet said:
beanoir said:
I think it's pretty well regarded form of curing minor issues on the Discovery actually, fairly well known about in these circles.
No it isn't. Any decent garage will tell you that throwing in anti judder will not fix a worn out TC. Its so people can avoice £1-3k on a new box or TC converter.

It hides a shudder. It doesn't fix anything.

bakerstreet

4,817 posts

172 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
quotequote all
Zerosumgame said:
I'm sure a garage (decent or not) would tell you to wade into a £3k job to start with thank you very much.

If you throw some in and it cures the judder then you know it was the TC and can start saving.
Well a decent garage wouldn't advise you to put Dr. Tranny in for a start.

They would probably advise you that could be could be facing a bill from £1-3k depending on if the TC is gone or the box needs refurbing as well. Also worth noting that its around £2.5k for a new box and that included a new TC.

The OPs car is a 2011 and might be the 8Sp box, which is known to be considerably more reliable than the 6Sp in D3s and early D4s. He could be lucky and get away with Prop shaft center bearing or it could be a wheel bearing, TC or a sticky brake caliper.

beanoir

1,327 posts

202 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
quotequote all
bakerstreet said:
beanoir said:
I think it's pretty well regarded form of curing minor issues on the Discovery actually, fairly well known about in these circles.
No it isn't. Any decent garage will tell you that throwing in anti judder will not fix a worn out TC. Its so people can avoice £1-3k on a new box or TC converter.

It hides a shudder. It doesn't fix anything.
Yes it is.


easy_rider33

154 posts

112 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
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I had a similar problem, 2014 disco 4, it would still continue when I put the car in neutral and coasted too. Totally random when it would start.

Have you checked the heat coming from the rear discs after it happens? It turned out the shoes for the handbrake were binding slightly and the expanding getting hot. They were totally shot when the garage replaced them.


Rushjob

1,972 posts

265 months

Friday 29th April 2022
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It really is a well known additive for automatic gearboxes in LR circles. Works well too... My current dose is at about 15,000km and still good, and when I change the filter and fluid in autumn, it'll get another dose!

Tom8

Original Poster:

2,955 posts

161 months

Thursday 5th May 2022
quotequote all
bakerstreet said:
My initial thoughts.

1.) Torque converter. Any fluctuations on the rev needle when at constant speed. Was your vibration under load (Acceleration)
2.) Prop Shaft central UJ
3.) Sticky brake caliper

Hopefully its 2 or 3 and first one is about £1.2k drive in drive out and it could also goose the gearbox too.

I doubt its anything todo with the suspension air compressor.

Edited by bakerstreet on Wednesday 27th April 12:10
No, nothing changes with the engine or drive only the ride. It needs to go in for service so will get brakes checked as thinking about it that is probably most likely. It doesn't feel mechanical so fairly sure not prop shaft or gearbox.

Zerosumgame

114 posts

47 months

Thursday 5th May 2022
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The next time you take it for a long drive touch all of the wheels - if one feels hotter than all of the others it would point to a sticking brake on that wheel

Rushjob

1,972 posts

265 months

Thursday 5th May 2022
quotequote all
Does this happen by any chance when moving ahead, but then disappears when you take a bend to the left or right? Free play in the steering rack caused this on my D3 ( there was IIRC a workshop advisory for it )

Tom8

Original Poster:

2,955 posts

161 months

Thursday 12th May 2022
quotequote all
Rushjob said:
Does this happen by any chance when moving ahead, but then disappears when you take a bend to the left or right? Free play in the steering rack caused this on my D3 ( there was IIRC a workshop advisory for it )
Not sure, it does seem to be in a straight line when it goes but haven't paid attention to steering, but I will next time to see what impact and also dropping to neutral to see what happens.

A.J.M

8,008 posts

193 months

Thursday 12th May 2022
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My D3 did something similar to this.

It was a uj on the front propshaft that was worn and would occasionally start to vibrate and then go back to fine.

Also, the anti judder stuff for gearboxes only buys you some time to save up for a rebuild.
Mine had 3 doses in it by the time it was toast hehe