I put the car into the shop to day to have the axles changed. The guy called me a couple hours later and said the driver side inner CV was definitely bad and wanted to know if I wanted to just change the one or go ahead and do them both. He gave me a break on the labor cost so I had both sides done with lifetime warranty for $370...I admit it hurt to pay that but I wanted the car fixed and driveable and not this continued fuzzing over what might go next.

I went down this afternoon and picked the car up and we set out for Ashland for dinner, which would afford me a nice stretch of interstate driving to test the car out. All seemed fine at first aside from a nagging feeling of ever-so-slight vibrating still there on occasion. I kept telling myself it was my imagination and probably just rough pavement. On the way home, part throttle acceleration still gave the slight vibration as before while slow speed turns gave a feeling thru the steering wheel like something was grinding. Then it hit the off ramp coming home and sped up to merge with traffic and accelerating while turning set the whole car aflutter...a choppy sensation but I never got a "low trac" light. It wasnt WOT throttle at any rate. I now have an ugly pit-of-the-gut feeling I have a bad differential on my hands.
This car has 127k on the clock and I have changed the trans fluid in the car twice durung my ownership, the last time being a fluid and filter change. Tie rod ends, wheel hubs, motor mounts, struts and strut mounts and now both axles have all been swapped out. The car was just aligned and inspected so I assume if I had a bad ball joint it would have shown up by now. I dont think that has anything to do with it since this problem only shows its ugly head under power.
Supersttion says evil comes in threes...first Slick, then Ordonez and now I am so fed up with this this car sucking my time and bank account that I would trade it tomorrow if I could afford to. I know I'm beating a dead horse and forgive me for saying it again but my Intrepid was never this much trouble. I'n beginning to believe that GM plans to make money on their parts division buy building cars that dont last with out lots of "maint".
I suppose I should watch my mouth since my Sebring could go wonky tomorrow but I think I can also say that I'm offically shifting gears into "old guy" mode. This car has given me sufficent poison for the mod bug. Fromnow on the extent of my modding will include wheels/tires,exhaust a spoiler and maybe a hood scoop...aside from those things, I cant stand another butt-kickin like this car is giving me.
Maybe if I had Bruce Waynes billions I would turn it over to a master mechanic and not accept it back until was perfect. I also wonder how many Batmobiles are at the bottom of the casam in the batcave just past the turntable. The other benefitof billions is pushing your black lemons over the cliff...gotta be a certain satisfaction in that.

Sorry to hear your troubles Tim. I've never had a perfect vehicle and like spending my time working on them, so if an issue creeps up it becomes a "guess I need to take care of that later" thing and I keep on trucking.

I've got some real big torque steer issues when the tranny downshifts WOT. I don't know if it's control arm bushings (one is ripped I know) or some other issue. I'm just one of these people that will pick at it though. I also have a small patch of rocker rust... nothing a bit of fiberglass and bondo can't fix.

As far as GM reliability and what I see on a day-to-day basis, we do sell more GM parts, but I think it's due to popularity. If it's any consolation, GM has more parts available in any parts house and they're cheaper than any other vehicle as well. Most A/C compressors are $150-200... My Stratus has a $400+ A/C compressor and it has already choked.

Sorry for your troubles but in fact if you have your factory ball joints (sealed no grease fittings) they could give the vibration your encountering .Chico(pops)

Sorry for your troubles tbat. It seemed for sure that the mechanic knew what he was talking about but I was thinking maybe since you have bigger tires and wheels that maybe its just normal for a little vibration but from what you explained it seems like something worse.(not trying to put bad luck on you)

I do have alot of small issues but this is the best car I had far as reliability other than my volvo I had. I've never went over 100,000 miles with other cars I've owned in the past. But this car is way over 100,000 miles and its still going and plus parts are cheaper compared to honda and toyota.

What about Torque converter shudder?

Sorry I keep coming up with these ideas with no details, but TCC Shudder has been an issue with our cars. Maybe a tech can help you out if this something that needs to be looked into.

If it is torque converter probs that would be almost as bad as diff issues...since the tranny would have to come out...and thats more expense than I can stand right now. The ball joints could be at fault I suppose but if so then they will have to wait a bit...but they are the factory units I believe...Its probably a good thing I bought the convertible when I did cuz if not I would be trading this thing.

I feel your pain man. Just be glad you have a DD. Im really sorry that GP.net has kinda let you down in that we havent been able to pinpoint the problem like we normally do. I really hope that you get it figured out, because that car is beautiful and I would hate to see you get rid of it.

Just drive the sebring, and kick the GP every time you walk by it. That seems to be my gameplan.

$%&*()#^@&*#^%$&@$@)$&*#%$#$^#&@#)$&*%$@#$*(!)!@_#!*#@#&@!$#





If it weren't for the tight wallet at the moment I'd head out there and give ThunderBat a talkin' to. As it is though, Rick's been having some weird s**t come up after I applied a tune to his car. So, I need to give his car a talkin' to, too...

at this point I'm very tired of scratching my head over it...I was looking at the other thread GTPeanut posted and the problem sounds exactly like mine...I didnt have the heart to post and say I had already replaced all those parts and the issue is still there. I also cant imagine why an engine would have a part time miss or surge that would cause the problem. On the way home from work today I did about 3/4 throttle blast onto the interstate and I could feel it shuddering then but you would never know it from the exhaust note. I'm fearing the diff or the torque converter as has been suggested before. Ive also got the tire roar which absolutely has to go.

I'm very close to throwing the car to the de-modding vultures...the T-Bat had better hope I dont hit lotto money this week or he will be history.
I certainly dont want any of you guys feeling like you have let me down...you've got no control over this beast and your help so far has been welcome as a process of elimination. Heaven only knows how much it would have cost to have to pay someone else to be troubleshooting the car.

We're here for ya! Calls are excepted 24/7 by your friendly tech support. ...and I am certainly not one to fault you for going one way or the other.

Kinda wish I was closer and could actually give the car a good ol' Slick once over.


P.S. I say calls are excepted 24/7, but there may be times where he won't hear the phone until he wakes up in the mornin'. :rolleyes:

I have the same issue Tbay. I can't pinpoint when it happens though. Seems like during acceleration, and after car is warmed and driven for some time, and slow dies down. It went away after tire rebalance, but came back. I haven't done all the replacements you have. I think I need to do my tie end rods, stock still. My steering wheel shacks just enough to make me upset. And my gf can feel it in the passenger seat at times. Maybe you have a bad rim. I need to diagnose mine also. Good luck, and don't get rid of the car for that. It runs still, just not comfortable. It's not worth deleteing it just over that, even though things have led you up this far in disappointment.

Dont say a word about demodding. before you know it your PM box will be overrun with vultures.

Good luck with it, im gonna keep thinking for you

Well T-bat I would try the cheap things first ,since you're running ford wheels I would suggest hubcentric rings there have been a few that suffered annoying vibration from the small difference in the bolt pattern ,next make sure all is tight on the front end ball joints,tie rod ends,lower control arm bushings and end links.Chico(pops)

Yeah Tbat, my problem does sound exactly the same as yours. I have been following your posts hoping you would figure out what the problem was before I start replacing parts. I dont have nearly the miles tho, just turned 70K. I have a feeling that I will soon figure out what it is, it seems to be getting worse. Heres to hoping you get this mystery solved soon.

Todd

I cant say I'll get it solved soon...as for now I'm leaving it alone so I dont get ticked and do something rash. The ball joints are about the only thing I havent replaced (contol arm bushings as well) but it seems like those thing would have gotten noticed when I had the alignment done. But you cant count on those things these days. When I drove home from work today it happened a few times with no real pattern other than part throttle power. Now I'm almost puzzled if I might have a vacuum leak that would affect part throttle power, but I think it would make it idle fast or rough as well. I'm stumped and tired of spending money. I may just waint until after this union contract in May and if there isnt a strike, I pull some money from my 401 and either go ape replacing things that might even be suspicious or I'll make a down payment and send it to the Bat-Caverns.