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Virtual Mechanic

Car and bike questions? We have the answers

I have a Maruti Zen. Of late, I have found that there is vibration when the speed exceeds 50kph, as if the wheels are out of balance. Also, when moving from standstill, there is a jerk at the front wheel. Earlier, there was a problem with the gearbox which was attended to by a mechanic. I have got the front suspension checked and all the bushes are in good condition. The clutch has also been looked into and is in good condition. What could the problem be?

Vikram Singh, via e-mail

The vibration problem seems, as you suggested it, to be the tyres that might be out of balance. Since you mention that you had the gearbox repaired by a mechanic, there are chances that the same was not assembled correctly. Some part in the gearbox may not have been aligned properly, thereby causing the vibration. We suggest you take your car to a Maruti dealer and have them check it out. It is possible they might find something that the mechanic may have missed out on or overlooked.

I have a Maruti Omni, which has clocked 35,000km. Every time I start the engine, there is a lot of vibration. After the engine warms up, the vibration reduces and the engine idles smoothly. How can this vibration be reduced?

Vihang Patel, via e-mail

The most likely reason for the vibration is a low engine idling speed. In many cases, when the engine is first started up, the idling speed is so low that the engine vibrates harshly. Once the engine warms up, the engine speed increases, reducing the vibration. If raising your idling slightly doesn't seem to help, take a look at the engine mounts - the bits that hold the engine to the body might need replacement or tightening.

I own a Santro which appears to have a knocking problem. On application of 60 percent throttle, the engine knocks only between 3000-4000rpm and then disappears. It happens only in second and third gear. The mechanic who attends to my car is of the opinion that all MPFI cars will knock at some rpm or the other and blames this on the quality of fuel. Is this true? Also, after the third service, fuel consumption has dropped to 8.5 from 10-11 kpl.

Shyam Rao, via email

The quality of fuel plays a vital role in engine performance. Change the outlet where you fill fuel to see if things improve. If this does not work, take the car to a dealer's workshop where they can hook the engine up to a diagnostic computer and find out if there is any fault in the injection.

Write in with your queries to

wheels@thehindu.co.in

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