[madmax9876]

I picked up my Alfa Red 1.4MA G today I've been absolutely blown away with it - so much fun to drive in D mode One issue though, I travelled quite far to pick up the car and I drove it carefully home; however, once I was nearly home I let the taps out and gave it some boot - when going over 75mph I'm getting a slight steering wheel wobble. I noticed that the Fiat dealer I got it from did a service and changed 2 tyres - is this wobble likely to be a wheel balance issue? The wobble is more apparent when accelerating at 75ish.

 

[cue2]

It does sound like a wheel out of balance. Why can't dealers take some pride in checking before sale?

 

[Nickhoughton567]

Hello
Welcome.
Sounds like wheel balance issues. My QV does a bit between 75 and 82. In fact cars I have had before had a similar issue.

 

[madmax9876]

I know, this is the second time it's happened to me when buying a used car from a dealer - bought an MX5 5 years ago and the wheel balance was way out - horrendous vibration at 60+ mph. I'll get it sorted tomorrow - I'm taking the awful tyres they put on off and sticking some quality French rubber on

 

[Nickhoughton567]

It does sound like a wheel out of balance. Why can't dealers take some pride in checking before sale?

I suppose unless they pick up on the issue during a test drive they won't know. Even though they charge about £12 a corner at main dealer actual cost to them is probably £2...

 

[madmax9876]

I suppose unless they pick up on the issue during a test drive they won't know. Even though they charge about £12 a corner at main dealer actual cost to them is probably £2...

That's sounds like it then - I doubt many dealers take the car for a long test drive and push it up to 70+

 

[David WB]

Most dealers don't leave enough fuel to get off the forecourt, let alone access the nearest motorways of they are in urban areas.:lol:

 

[Mike Multiair]

Most dealers don't leave enough fuel to get off the forecourt, let alone access the nearest motorways of they are in urban areas.:lol:

It's usually the dealers that cause the problem ! When I collected ours, on the M11 on the way home with a real wheel wobble at 75ish....caused by dealers over zealous pressure wash blowing some balance weights off.

 

[DBGiulietta]

You could argue that a dealer shouldn't need to test drive a car over 70 since that's the legal limit hehe!

 

[DB74]

I had the same issue with my first Giulietta and it went back 2 or 3 times. Each time they said they couldn't find an issue and the service manager even said he had it up to 100mph and couldn't replicate any problems. I had to take him out to demonstrate the issue at 60mph and the horrendous shaking which he thought was due to a bad road surface :speechless:.

 

[DBGiulietta]

In case anyone else ever reads this and suffers from the same issue I had, I had my back tyres go out of shape, and that caused murmmering when driving slowly and after a few months a drone when driving on motorways. Cured by two new back tyres.

 

[symon]

Do you know what caused the tyres to go out of shape?

 

[DBGiulietta]

Do you know what caused the tyres to go out of shape?

Not sure to be honest, it was strange that the service department reckoned that both had gone out of shape. Possibly sitting on the forecourt for a while.....? I have the 18" tyres, but have only come across this prior to owning a Giulietta once and that was for only one tyre.

I have inadvertently driven over quite a few pot holes which didn't look like pot holes until I heard the thud.

 

[SilverChariot]

In case anyone else ever reads this and suffers from the same issue I had, I had my back tyres go out of shape, and that caused murmmering when driving slowly and after a few months a drone when driving on motorways. Cured by two new back tyres.

The Dunlop Sport Maxxs on mine started doing this after about 30k miles (from new). I changed them at 40k miles and the drone was gone.

I understood it was down to "tyre stepping" due to the sporty geometry set up.

 

[stevepen]

The Dunlop Sport Maxxs on mine started doing this after about 30k miles (from new). I changed them at 40k miles and the drone was gone.

I understood it was down to "tyre stepping" due to the sporty geometry set up.

40k miles on a set of tyres !

 

[symon]

Not sure I would describe the Giulietta suspension setup as "Sporty". It is capable but it isnt a sports car.

 

[ryezy]

it is with b6 bilsteins and eibachs:thumbup:

 

[DB74]

40k miles on a set of tyres !

That's quite an achievement considering they are Dunlops and I only managed around 10K on mine!!

 

[symon]

it is with b6 bilsteins and eibachs:thumbup:

Not driven one with B6 and Eibachs, but I do have B4 and Eibachs.

It is much better.

Might look into things like poly bushes, strut brace, thicker rear Anti-roll bar if I keep it.

 

[andypj]

I had tyre stepping on my GT, didn't notice it until I swapped fronts for rears but the rears were sort of 50p shaped. I suppose it happens where the flex in the tyre isn't sufficient to accommodate the geometry so the surface of the tyre scrubs periodically wearing away patches. Hasn't happened on a Giulietta I've owned but I have heard that it is quite common on them.