Mystery Problem or Conincidence

**02pewterws6** · 04-10-2010, 04:04 PM

I hate for this to be my first post, but most of the time I just enjoy reading everyone else's opinions and thoughts.

So, I have an 02' WS6 A4. I have only had the car for a little over 2 months and have been doing a lot of maintenance to get it back into tip top shape. The car has 52,000 miles on it if that means anything.

Here lies the problem. I have had a vibration in the driveline that is fairly persistent around 70 miles an hour in fourth gear and is prominent when I shift down to third manually. So I went and got my transmission mount checked the other day and it seemed to be bad. I bought an Energy Suspension tranny mount and installed it today. We (my dad and I) had the car jacked up from the back with the car tilting forward. We used a jack to hold up the transmission with a block of wood placed right behind the transmission pan. The jack slowly leaks so we had to keep pumping it back up, but the range of movement for the transmission wasn't extreme by any means. After bolting everything back up and giving it a test drive I realized that something just wasn't right. The vibration is a lot worse now and even vibrates in park and neutral. We have looked to see if something was bumped in the process and can't figure out what is going on. It almost feels like the motor is missing but not in all ranges of the RPM's. It was running flawlessly before we did this, motor wise. Is there anything that could have happened or anything that could have been fouled or out of line? It is just weird how it vibrates now in park and neutal. Please let me know if you have any thoughts or if you need a better explanation of what is happening. Thank you for your help.

**DaddySS** · 04-10-2010, 04:11 PM

The energy suspension mount is stiffer so you may just be feeling it more. With the engine running, check that the front pulley isn't vibrating. If it were misfiring you should have gotten an SES light.

**02pewterws6** · 04-10-2010, 05:08 PM

I just checked the pulley and it isn't vibrating. The motor doesn't sound like it is missing, but the vibration that is transferring through the car simulates that feeling. Is there something that could transfer the vibration when it's in park? Could my catalytic converter become clogged from the angle we had it jacked up at? (just a thought) It doesn't have as much pep when driving it either like something is hindering it, other than the vibration from the driveline.

**cammed goat** · 04-10-2010, 06:22 PM

While you were checking the old mount, did you check the motor mounts as well?

Also, when was the last time you cleaned your MAF?

**02pewterws6** · 04-10-2010, 07:00 PM

I did not check the motor mounts the other day. That was at a transmission shop on a lift. Is it possible that they could have shifted while we had it jacked up today?

Checked the mass air flow a few weeks ago so it is good.

**Cutlass** · 04-11-2010, 05:31 AM

I've heard the energy suspension poly mount needs to be modified to work properly. Its sits the trans up too high and screws up the driveshaft angles which causes vibration while driving. Check out this thread:
mods for poly trans mount to eliminate driveshaft vibration

The vibration in park and neutral might just be there because the ES poly mount is stiffer and sends more vibrations through the car. Otherwise I've seen situations where the trans mount, crossmember, or transmission is biased way over to one side or the other and that kind of put the motor mounts in a bind. To fix that, loosen up the trans mount and crossmember and shift the transmission over to the center.

**DaddySS** · 04-11-2010, 06:23 AM

If the cat was clogged you'd also throw a code. Is the transmission original? if the front pulley isn't wobbling and it isn't missing, that leaves the torques converter as suspect. As far as sluggish, I would try a PCM reset (assuming it's stock), do an idle relearn, make sure you have good gas in it and then take it through a driving cycle.

**KMdef9** · 04-11-2010, 06:32 AM

Have you checked your wires (spark plug wires)?

When I had a slight misfire because of a bad wire it acted like yours did as well. A misfiring cylinder can cause your symptoms.

Possibly not the cause, but a cheap one to rule out.

**02pewterws6** · 04-11-2010, 04:42 PM

After reading everyone's thoughts I think the driveline is most likely in a bind. At this point I think it is best to just take it to a shop with a lift because I don't feel we can get it right on the ground. I am just going to have them put the stock mount back in and see if everything goes back to normal. The more we have looked at the stock mount I don't think it was bad after all. It did move some while looking at it at the shop, but I don't think it was the cause of my problems before. I'm guessing a new transmission will be in my near future.

The transmission is stock, as is everything else. Since I have had it I have put in a new rear pinion seal (was leaking), new bearings in the rear end (growling), water pump (leaking), hoses, belts, plugs, brakes, flushed the transmission with new filter, fuel filter, and tires (all orignial replacements).

The plug wires are still original so if by going back to the stock mount and it is still acting up I will check them out.

I will let you know what I find out hopefully tomorrow.

***SMWS6TA*** · 04-12-2010, 06:49 AM

Even if you find your wires ok, I'd just go ahead and replace them with new MSD wires and NGK TR55 plugs.

Good luck getting your answer. Post up what they find.

Welcome to the site

**sjsingle1** · 04-12-2010, 09:19 AM

i see a lot of people blame poly for vibration.....i have poly motor and tranny....no vibration......so its not the mount

**JayTA98** · 04-12-2010, 11:21 AM

I had my transmision mount broke too and I replaced it with the poly one. I got terrible vibration as soon as I started the car. It was worse when driving. I had to replace it with the stock one and problem solved. Except my wallet because the stock one was 105 bucks... ouch.

**sjsingle1** · 04-12-2010, 04:15 PM

i had the poly tranny M b4 i got the poly motor M.........still no vibration....go figure

**02pewterws6** · 04-14-2010, 05:27 PM

So I had the poly mount removed and its amazing how everything went back to normal. I know they are a lot stiffer, but when your steering wheel shakes I knew something wasn't right. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts. If anyone wants a cheap mount let me know because it sure isn't going back on my car.