Caution: Road test a vehicle under safe conditions and while obeying all traffic laws. Do not attempt any maneuvers that could jeopardize vehicle control. Failure to adhere to these precautions could lead to serious personal injury and vehicle damage.

Important: Before performing any road test, inspect the tires and wheels. Refer to Tire and Wheel Inspection .

The following road test procedures are the most informative and the most used:

These tests will help to pinpoint the vibration. Perform all of the tests on a smooth, level road.

This test will identify those conditions which are related to the engine-speed or to the vehicle-speed. Additional tests may be necessary in order to determine the exact cause of the vibration.

Caution: Road test a vehicle under safe conditions and while obeying all traffic laws. Do not attempt any maneuvers that could jeopardize vehicle control. Failure to adhere to these precautions could lead to serious personal injury and vehicle damage.

1. On a smooth, level road, slowly accelerate up to highway speed.
2. Look for disturbances that match the customer's description.
3. Observe the following readings where the disturbance occurs:

•	The vehicle speed, km/h (mph)

•	The engine speed (RPM)

•	The frequency (if possible)

Now perform the neutral coast-down test and the downshift test.

Caution: Road test a vehicle under safe conditions and while obeying all traffic laws. Do not attempt any maneuvers that could jeopardize vehicle control. Failure to adhere to these precautions could lead to serious personal injury and vehicle damage.

1. On a smooth level road, accelerate to a speed slightly higher than the speed at which the vibration occurs.
2. Shift the vehicle into NEUTRAL gear and coast down through the vibration range.

Observe whether the vibration is present in NEUTRAL gear.

If the vibration still occurs in NEUTRAL gear, then the vibration is definitely sensitive to vehicle-speed. At this point, the following components have been eliminated as a cause of the vibration:

Depending on the symptoms or the frequency, the repair will concentrate on one of the following components:

Caution: Road test a vehicle under safe conditions and while obeying all traffic laws. Do not attempt any maneuvers that could jeopardize vehicle control. Failure to adhere to these precautions could lead to serious personal injury and vehicle damage.

1. On a smooth, level road, accelerate to the speed at which the complaint vibration occurs.

Observe the engine RPM.

2. Decelerate and safely downshift to the next lower gear.
3. Operate the vehicle at the previous engine RPM.

If the vibration returns at the same engine RPM, the following conditions are the most probable causes of the vibration:

Repeat this test in lower gears, and in NEUTRAL gear, in order to confirm the results.

In some cases, a vibration may also be sensitive to torque or engine load, as well as being related to a specific engine speed or vehicle speed. These vibrations can be most difficult to diagnose, and require additional testing. A systematic approach usually leads to isolating the problem.

This test is designed to identify vibrations which are related to the speed of the engine. Use this test when the customer complains of vibration at idle, or as a follow-up to the downshift test. This test probably doesn't apply when the complaint is related to vehicle speed only (appearing at the same vehicle speed regardless of the engine speed).

Caution: Road test a vehicle under safe conditions and while obeying all traffic laws. Do not attempt any maneuvers that could jeopardize vehicle control. Failure to adhere to these precautions could lead to serious personal injury and vehicle damage.

1. Slowly increase the engine speed while looking for disturbances that match the customer's complaint.
2. Observe the engine speed (RPM) and the frequency (if possible) where the vibration occurs.

This test is designed to identify engine-related vibrations that were not uncovered with the neutral run-up test. This test also works for vibrations that are sensitive to the engine load or to the torque. This test will probably not apply to vibrations which are related only to the speed of the vehicle.

Caution: Road test a vehicle under safe conditions and while obeying all traffic laws. Do not attempt any maneuvers that could jeopardize vehicle control. Failure to adhere to these precautions could lead to serious personal injury and vehicle damage.

1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Block the front wheels.
3. Step firmly on the brake pedal.
4. Place the vehicle in DRIVE.
5. Slowly increase the engine speed while looking for vibrations that match the customer's description.
6. Observe the engine speed (RPM) and the frequency (if possible) at which the disturbance occurs.
7. If necessary, place the vehicle in REVERSE gear and repeat steps 5 and 6.

This test is intended to determine how much the wheel bearings and other suspension components contribute to the vibration, especially a vibration relating to noise, such as growl, grinding, and roaring.

Caution: Road test a vehicle under safe conditions and while obeying all traffic laws. Do not attempt any maneuvers that could jeopardize vehicle control. Failure to adhere to these precautions could lead to serious personal injury and vehicle damage.

1. With the vehicle at the vibration speed (mph), drive through slow sweeping turns, first in one direction and then in the other direction.
2. If the vibration gets worse or if the vibration goes away, inspect the following components as possible causes of the vibration:

•	The wheel bearings

•

The hubs

•	The tire tread

3. The CV joint angle increases when the vehicle is turning. On front weel drive (FWD) and four wheel drive (4WD) vehicles, CV joint condition systems may appear when the angle increases. Putting a load on the CV joint may increase the vibration amplitude. The third order, tire speed related amplitude would remain the same.

The purpose of this test is to duplicate a vibration called launch shudder. In some cases, a powertrain mount or an exhaust ground-out may also be the cause of the vibration, depending on the symptoms.

Caution: Road test a vehicle under safe conditions and while obeying all traffic laws. Do not attempt any maneuvers that could jeopardize vehicle control. Failure to adhere to these precautions could lead to serious personal injury and vehicle damage.

1. With the vehicle at a complete stop and in gear, remove your foot from the brake pedal.
2. Accelerate to 48-64 km/h (30-40 mph) while looking for vibrations that match the customer's description.

Other possible causes of launch shudder include the following conditions:

Notice: If you remove an all-wheel-drive propeller shaft for diagnosis, it is recommended that you drive no more than needed (7 miles maximum). Additional mileage may damage the transfer case.

Important: Mark the propshafts (1) and the flange/yoke (2) before removing these components from the vehicle. Reinstall the prop shafts with the marks lined up in order to prevent induced vibrations.

1. If a vibration is sensitive to vehicle speed (mph), remove either the front propshaft or the rear propshaft.
2. Install a plug in the openig for the transmission or the transfer case output shaft, in order to keep oil from leaking out.
3. Drive the vehicle through the vibration speed range.
4. If the vibration goes away with the propshaft removed, the problem is probably in that component.

If the vibration does not go away, put the propshaft back in. Remove the other propshaft. Repeat the road test.

If the vibration is still present, use an accurate reed tachometer or EVA in order to test the tire/wheel assembly or the related components (for example, the hub, the brake rotors, the brake drums). Remember, accurate vibration frequency readings are important.