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Steering wheel vibrates when braking

redvxr8clubby

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Personally, I prefer replacing rotors rather than machining them....I have found over the years, machining them is a short term fix, rather than a long term one.....Of course this a personal choice, and sometimes finances determine the outcome at the time

This is my experience as well, though I've never have had a problem with just 15,000 kms. I suspect that if machined the problem will comeback within a few months. If you wind up replacing rotors discs and not under warranty, try using DBA rotors. 1985 VK's suggestion would be cheaper if it solves the problem.
 

Flying Scotsman

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Thanks again all. Took car for a spin today. Confirmed what I thought; vibrating through steering wheel is more pronounced braking from a higher speed BUT is evident when braking at ANY speed, and there is no vibration through the brake pedal.
I think I'll go with 30 minute RAC member diagnosis then back to the dealer. Checked the odo and log book; under 3 years old; serviced every 9 months by selling dealer (4th service/36 month due this June) and still under 16,000km on the odo.
 

vc commodore

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I haven’t had a crud load of dramas as you put it.

In fact, most issues I’ve had have been fixed without much drama, just a little inconvenience. And where I’ve had to bring up ACL, usually the intelligent business owner knows the law and almost always stop with their bullsh!t and then start to help resolve the issue.

As to why I mention it. Well most people are not at all aware of their rights in law and most people are annoyed and sometimes stressed by the problem they have and the cost they may have to fork out. And they shouldn’t have to determine exactly what is wrong before requesting a fix (but that’s another thing you don’t understand about ACL). So I try and help them.

If you don’t like to read about such three letter acronyms related things, well stop reading.

If you’ve had bad experiences associated with customers demanding their rights under ACL, well learn from it.

But most of all, stop always trying to belittle people who have a different opinion to yours.

Me, I’ll continue to answer people’s requests for advice and help as I seem fit. If you don’t like it, well go fishing and relax, you may feel better.


I'd only be bringing up the ACL, IF and only IF all other avenues have been exhausted....ie, not satisfied with the mechanics diagnoises (even though the majority actually show you the problem).

As for not determining the problem before requesting a fix????? Don't know what planet you are on, but you have to find out what caused the problem, before you can decide how to go about the fix....And bringing in another party like the ACL, or ACCC, they need to know the cause FIRST before they can act.

As for inconvenience.....Welcome to the world of motor vehicle ownership.....Strangely enough, owning a motor vehicle is fraught with inconvenience, especially when something needs replacing due to wear and tear, unexpectly.....

I've had no bad dealings with the ACL....I find the cause of the problem, show the owner of the car and explain how it has come about and they go decide which way they want to proceed. Most places I have worked, this is how the owner has operated....Commonly called customer service

As for belitting you....Far from it....I'm putting forward what actually happens in the real world and how mechanical businesses actually help people, without any sort of threats of bringing in another party....Making threats like you are suggesting is only going to get the owners back up and less likely to bend over backwards to help you
 

KING46Calais V

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It
I haven’t had a crud load of dramas as you put it.

In fact, most issues I’ve had have been fixed without much drama, just a little inconvenience. And where I’ve had to bring up ACL, usually the intelligent business owner knows the law and almost always stop with their bullsh!t and then start to help resolve the issue.

As to why I mention it. Well most people are not at all aware of their rights in law and most people are annoyed and sometimes stressed by the problem they have and the cost they may have to fork out. And they shouldn’t have to determine exactly what is wrong before requesting a fix (but that’s another thing you don’t understand about ACL). So I try and help them.

If you don’t like to read about such three letter acronyms related things, well stop reading.

If you’ve had bad experiences associated with customers demanding their rights under ACL, well learn from it.

But most of all, stop always trying to belittle people who have a different opinion to yours.

Me, I’ll continue to answer people’s requests for advice and help as I seem fit. If you don’t like it, well go fishing and relax, you may feel better.
While many may appreciate the advice, my opinion is that your information in some instances is misguided. NCAT is something I have used to rectify problems with goods and in one case services.
They are mainly mediators and the wording if the legislation is broad and not very specific in many parts.
Not every hiccup people have with goods is covered under ACL and determining what is can be difficult. It commonly comes down to what is reasonable in the circumstance. It doesn't come down to a matter of opinion but is based on fact. You have to prove or show definitively that there is a problem that is due to manufacture. The onus is on you to prove the minor or major fault. You have to have evidence to prove your point. And the clincher is "fit for purpose". Just because the consumer thinks it's not right, doesn't mean it's not fit for purpose. They look at what is reasonable. Just because a brake has a wobble, doesn't mean it doesn't stop which is what a brake is meant to do.
It also costs to go to NCAT and it would be unfortunate to have people lodging claims when their likelihood of success is slim if at all due to misleading statements or opinions.
I'm from a law background, I deal in legislation daily and the interpretation of it. And even after 16 years, I find its still not as clear cut as some may think.
Out of interest, what are your dealings with ACL?
Have you ever dealt with NCAT or other state bodies re consumer issues?
Have you had any success testing your advice?

I agreed that there are rogues out there that will try and shaft customers and that's where the ACL and guarantees are helpful, but mentioning it to every vendor at any hint of a problem is likely to get you on the wrong side straight off the bat.
Remember, you catch more bees with honey......
 

1985VK

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It

While many may appreciate the advice, my opinion is that your information in some instances is misguided. NCAT is something I have used to rectify problems with goods and in one case services.
They are mainly mediators and the wording if the legislation is broad and not very specific in many parts.
Not every hiccup people have with goods is covered under ACL and determining what is can be difficult. It commonly comes down to what is reasonable in the circumstance. It doesn't come down to a matter of opinion but is based on fact. You have to prove or show definitively that there is a problem that is due to manufacture. The onus is on you to prove the minor or major fault. You have to have evidence to prove your point. And the clincher is "fit for purpose". Just because the consumer thinks it's not right, doesn't mean it's not fit for purpose. They look at what is reasonable. Just because a brake has a wobble, doesn't mean it doesn't stop which is what a brake is meant to do.
It also costs to go to NCAT and it would be unfortunate to have people lodging claims when their likelihood of success is slim if at all due to misleading statements or opinions.
I'm from a law background, I deal in legislation daily and the interpretation of it. And even after 16 years, I find its still not as clear cut as some may think.
Out of interest, what are your dealings with ACL?
Have you ever dealt with NCAT or other state bodies re consumer issues?
Have you had any success testing your advice?

I agreed that there are rogues out there that will try and shaft customers and that's where the ACL and guarantees are helpful, but mentioning it to every vendor at any hint of a problem is likely to get you on the wrong side straight off the bat.
Remember, you catch more bees with honey......

And yet we have ... https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/wheel-balancing-and-road-force-test.275387/
 

mpower

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Thanks again all. Took car for a spin today. Confirmed what I thought; vibrating through steering wheel is more pronounced braking from a higher speed BUT is evident when braking at ANY speed, and there is no vibration through the brake pedal.
I think I'll go with 30 minute RAC member diagnosis then back to the dealer. Checked the odo and log book; under 3 years old; serviced every 9 months by selling dealer (4th service/36 month due this June) and still under 16,000km on the odo.

please re-read this - I posted it already.

We were recently schooled on warped rotors from some friends over at Baer Brakes (baer.com). First off, it’s exceedingly rare to actually warp a rotor. Instead, the cause of the shudder you feel through the pedal is an uneven buildup of brake pad material on the rotor itself.


Here’s how it works. Modern asbestos-free and nonmetallic brake pads contain different resins in addition to the actual brake material itself. Some of these resins and materials transfer themselves to the rotor face so that there will be adherent (sticky) braking in addition to abrasive braking. In a nutshell, when a brake system is properly bedded in, there’s a thin layer of pad material on the rotors. When you use the brakes hard, such as when coming down a steep grade, the heat buildup causes these resins to loosen. When you stop the vehicle completely, such as at a red light at the bottom of an off-ramp after that steep hill, you actually make an imprint of the brake pad on the rotor, creating a high spot. By the time you get gas or stop for lunch (or whatever) the rotors have had a chance to cool off, but that high spot is still there. As little as 0.0004 inch can be felt through the pedal, and 0.001 inch can be downright annoying. Repeated use just leaves more material on the high spots, making the shudder worse.


Now that you understand what’s going on, here’s what you can do to help combat it. If caught early, you can often eliminate the shudder by rebedding the brakes. To do this, find a safe area where you can make a series of hard slowdowns from 50 mph to about 10 mph. Don’t come to a full stop. Doing this several times will heat up the material on the rotors and help smear it evenly on the face of the rotors again. Then drive around for a little while without stopping much to let the brakes cool off.
 
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Skylarking

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.... As for not determining the problem before requesting a fix????? Don't know what planet you are on, but... As for belitting you.... Far from it...
You can’t see how the “what planet are you from” is somewhat belittling?
... As for inconvenience.....Welcome to the world of motor vehicle ownership...
By inconvenience, I meant if I had a warranty problem, I have to go to the dealer for resolution. But yes, less preventative maintenance = more inconvenience. That’s why I keep up with and plan for preventative maintenance.
... I've had no bad dealings with the ACL....I find the cause of the problem, show the owner of the car and explain how it has come about and they go decide which way they want to proceed. Most places I have worked, this is how the owner has operated....Commonly called customer service...
And in the most part that process works rather well. Sadly, in some cases, having some technical explanation doesn’t serve the owner well.

To understand where I’m coming from with the above statement, for a moment consider the VF faulty injector issue. I wonder how many owners had explanations for the cause of rough idling and paid $$ for a new injector. In this case the explanation, even though technically correct has not served the owner well as he paid for what could or should have been a warranty repair. We now know the cause is the injector which has a manufacturing defect.

Though Holden are now doing the correct thing by owners now experiencing the injector problem, I’m left wondering how Holden would behave if an owner who previously paid for an individual injector replacement wanted to be fully reimbursed and have the remaining 7 injectors replaced under warranty. I’m sure Holden and the dealers could identify such owners and send out letters related to those impacted customers but that would be costly and above and beyond Holden’s normal practices; better to wait for the customer to wake up and ask for his money back or experiance another injector issue.

Having some knowledge of mechanical issues and of the law can thus be helpful in those cases where an owner feels that the injector fault should never have occurred on their young vehicle. I guess gaining such insight is but one reason some come to these forums.

Understanding the mechanics of brake systems, the Holden warranty itself and the law (ACL), can all be helpful to the OP as he wants to pursue a warranty outcome.

Knowledge of the law simply provides the owner with a little more information to be able to counter any ”consumable not covered stance” a dealer may take. People being different, such knowledge may or may not ultimately help as it depends on many things including an individuals negotiation skills. And yes, the law is all about negotiation...
Making threats like you are suggesting is only going to get the owners back up and less likely to bend over backwards to help you
I’ve never said people should threaten the seller as any adult would know that would get someone’s back up and can be counter productive. On some rare occasions, especially with costly problems, arbitration or legal action can ultimately be the only avenue (other than simply accepting defeat and paying up) and where the threshold lies is for each individual to determine.
 

vc commodore

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You can’t see how the “what planet are you from” is somewhat belittling? By inconvenience, I meant if I had a warranty problem, I have to go to the dealer for resolution. But yes, less preventative maintenance = more inconvenience. That’s why I keep up with and plan for preventative maintenance.
And in the most part that process works rather well. Sadly, in some cases, having some technical explanation doesn’t serve the owner well.

To understand where I’m coming from with the above statement, for a moment consider the VF faulty injector issue. I wonder how many owners had explanations for the cause of rough idling and paid $$ for a new injector. In this case the explanation, even though technically correct has not served the owner well as he paid for what could or should have been a warranty repair. We now know the cause is the injector which has a manufacturing defect.

Though Holden are now doing the correct thing by owners now experiencing the injector problem, I’m left wondering how Holden would behave if an owner who previously paid for an individual injector replacement wanted to be fully reimbursed and have the remaining 7 injectors replaced under warranty. I’m sure Holden and the dealers could identify such owners and send out letters related to those impacted customers but that would be costly and above and beyond Holden’s normal practices; better to wait for the customer to wake up and ask for his money back or experiance another injector issue.

Having some knowledge of mechanical issues and of the law can thus be helpful in those cases where an owner feels that the injector fault should never have occurred on their young vehicle. I guess gaining such insight is but one reason some come to these forums.

Understanding the mechanics of brake systems, the Holden warranty itself and the law (ACL), can all be helpful to the OP as he wants to pursue a warranty outcome.

Knowledge of the law simply provides the owner with a little more information to be able to counter any ”consumable not covered stance” a dealer may take. People being different, such knowledge may or may not ultimately help as it depends on many things including an individuals negotiation skills. And yes, the law is all about negotiation...
I’ve never said people should threaten the seller as any adult would know that would get someone’s back up and can be counter productive. On some rare occasions, especially with costly problems, arbitration or legal action can ultimately be the only avenue (other than simply accepting defeat and paying up) and where the threshold lies is for each individual to determine.

To resolve the issue, you continue bashing the ACL drum, leading people the long way round a problem and I'll continue beating the customer service drum and leading people to a quick solution....

Oh and to determine if it is a warranty problem, the cause has to be determined first, before any hint of warranty can be introduced

Oh and we could bang on about anyone that owns a VL through to VZ IRS equipped Commodore.....Owners should petition Holden and/or the ACL about having the rear rectified so it doesn't screw rear tyres prematurely....Geez, I've seen some owners get 10,000K from a set of rears, before the inner edge is totalled
 
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Forg

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Segue ... did Brock fit IRS to the VL?
 

Ron Burgundy

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Does the energy polarizer really work ?
 
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