# Car shakes at idle



## 66yyhhnn66 (Jul 23, 2018)

Hi gents,

I've recently bought a 2010 2.0 FSI 130k miles. First week of owning it, i had a cylinder misfire due to a bad coil pack. Replaced it, then had another misfire, after which I've replaced the other 3 coil packs and all 4 spark plugs with new Bosch parts.

The car runs and accelerates fine now, no more misfires. What i've noticed though is, when first starting the car, the very first crank sound kind of harsh and rough. 
The car then idles at 1100rpm for a few minutes then slowly drops to a normal 800rpm. If I run the car or let it idle for 5 minutes, the car starts to slightly have irregular but continous shakes. It's as if the idle rpm goes from 800rpm to 1100, then 1000,then 800-1100-900, you get the idea. What is really interesting is that the revs never change from 800, even though the car is shaking as if it would.

Could it be the temperature sensor ? But then again, i should see movement in the rev needle, which i don't. 
Could it be the PCV valve? But again, shouldn't i see movement in the rev needle?

All i'm thinking is the engine mounts. Could it be this? If not, do you guys have any other ideas?

Looking forward for your replies.

Thanks !


----------



## Solarblaze_uk (Sep 30, 2018)

I experience something very similar - seems more noticeable the warmer the engine gets. Smoke test for boost leaks, MAF, temperature sensor, coil packs, plugs, pcv, vacuum pump (as was leaking oil slightly) all been changed still made no difference. I'm thinking of changing the engine/transmission mounts next.


----------



## Taylortony (Feb 10, 2012)

Take it you turned the Aircon off etc to take that out of the equation?


----------



## GaryG (Aug 21, 2016)

I might suspect injectors - https://desertoasisautorepair.com/direc ... s-prevent/


----------



## 66yyhhnn66 (Jul 23, 2018)

Taylortony said:


> Take it you turned the Aircon off etc to take that out of the equation?


Yes. It makes no difference whether the AC is on or off.


----------



## 66yyhhnn66 (Jul 23, 2018)

GaryG said:


> I might suspect injectors - https://desertoasisautorepair.com/direc ... s-prevent/


Would this not cause the rev needle to jump up and down together with the car's shake?


----------



## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Have it VCDS scanned or you'll just be guessing. Check the forum for someone near by who may be willing to run an Auto Scan. It will save you hours of time.


----------



## Vanu (Oct 2, 2016)

I'm having small vibrations at idle too, took it to several mechanics, one of the put it this way - "it's not a wardrobe, it's normal to have some vibrations". I think the DMF (it's a manual) might be the cause of it since everything else in plain site seems fine but then again - it works fine as well.


----------



## 66yyhhnn66 (Jul 23, 2018)

Vanu said:


> I'm having small vibrations at idle too, took it to several mechanics, one of the put it this way - "it's not a wardrobe, it's normal to have some vibrations". I think the DMF (it's a manual) might be the cause of it since everything else in plain site seems fine but then again - it works fine as well.


Well, I'm pretty sure a car is not supposed to shake like that. None of my previous cars or any other car that I've driven presented this behaviour.

I'll definately look more into it!


----------



## Solarblaze_uk (Sep 30, 2018)

Is the sensation like the engine is jumping around randomly at idle and shaking the car, yet no misfire or rev change. I had the DMF changed along with a clutch kit 6 months ago on a 2007.. the car still vibrates and judders at idle


----------



## Danjo (Sep 27, 2017)

Mine used to shake ever so slightly at idle, almost as if it was a rough idle but very slight. Not enough to show on the Rev counter. I fitted a dog bone mount insert a few weeks ago for handling benefits and the vibration at idle has completely gone away.


----------



## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ Danjo - Can you post a picture of the dogbone mount? Curious what it looks like and where it goes. Was that a DIY job?


----------



## Iceblue (Jul 20, 2018)

Sounds worthwhile if you have a FWD but did not see any reference to a TT.


----------



## Danjo (Sep 27, 2017)

SwissJetPilot said:


> @ Danjo - Can you post a picture of the dogbone mount? Curious what it looks like and where it goes. Was that a DIY job?


I'll see if I can grab a picture. It's a poly mount that fills the voids on the standard pendulum mount and reduces engine rocking, movement and wheel hop to zero. Gearshifts now feel so sharp, even on my very low mileage car. It's the best £30 I've spent on it. Takes ten minutes to fit.


----------



## Danjo (Sep 27, 2017)

Iceblue said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPZnYQYXJic
> 
> 
> 
> ...


They are made for both FWD and Quattro TT's. My friend has a Golf R and had fitted one and also raves about it. Any car that has a transversely mounted engine will benefit from it due to the effects of torque twist.


----------



## tomasfuk (Oct 27, 2018)

Danjo said:


> Any car that has a longitudinally mounted engine will benefit from it due to the effects of torque twist.


Don't all TT's have transversely mounted engine?


----------



## C00P5TT5 (Jul 10, 2016)

Interested in doing this myself so which one is the best to buy, I have seen many posts on the powerflex ones but do you buy the red, black or yellow..... Or another brand. I understand that the powerflex ones are tight and need a hydraulic press to get them in?


----------



## Danjo (Sep 27, 2017)

C00P5TT5 said:


> Interested in doing this myself so which one is the best to buy, I have seen many posts on the powerflex ones but do you buy the red, black or yellow..... Or another brand. I understand that the powerflex ones are tight and need a hydraulic press to get them in?


I went for the yellow fast road version. There are two versions, one for pre 2008 cars and one for post 2008 cars as they have slightly different mounts. No they slide in very easily, don't use the packing grease that comes with the bush, use some lithium grease andnits dead easy. It's a ten minute job. Lots of videos on how to do it on YouTube. Exactly the same as on a mk5 and mk6 Golf.


----------



## Danjo (Sep 27, 2017)

tomasfuk said:


> Danjo said:
> 
> 
> > Any car that has a longitudinally mounted engine will benefit from it due to the effects of torque twist.
> ...


My bad, I thought one thing and typed the other!!! Doh!! Now edited.


----------



## tangapants (Oct 10, 2012)

A cold start for me and my car shakes like you've described until it drops to the 800rpm mark. Taken it to 2 garages and all said its OK.

When my O2 sensor went it was a lot more obvious as it carried on shaking at 800rpm.


----------



## Iceblue (Jul 20, 2018)

I am a bit confused as this guy says there may be more shake on cold start with the dogbone and at other times


----------



## Danjo (Sep 27, 2017)

Iceblue said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibGSohtYjzY
> 
> I am a bit confused as this guy says there may be more shake on cold start with the dogbone and at other times


They are referring to harmonic frequencies, which are light vibrations that some people say they can feel at idle, but I can't feel any in mine at all. The shaking at idle went completely after fitting my dogbone insert and I have heard the same feedback from others. I am willing to bet that you'd feel a huge improvement for the sake of £30 and ten minutes of your time.


----------



## 66yyhhnn66 (Jul 23, 2018)

Danjo said:


> Iceblue said:
> 
> 
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibGSohtYjzY
> ...


Do you have a website link for where you've got yours from ?


----------



## Danjo (Sep 27, 2017)

66yyhhnn66 said:


> Danjo said:
> 
> 
> > Iceblue said:
> ...


They are on the powerflex website. I can't post a link as there are separate ones for pre and post 2008 cars. Mine is a 2007 so I needed this one :

https://www.awesomegti.com/brands/power ... pff85-504/


----------



## Vanu (Oct 2, 2016)

check your engine mount regardless of the car manufacturing date, if someone has changed it chances are it's the new design. Also, there is a red version of the insert, supposedly to suit diesels, which should be a bit softer. However, I don't see how an insert would lower the vibrations, everywhere it says the complete opposite.


----------



## Danjo (Sep 27, 2017)

Vanu said:


> check your engine mount regardless of the car manufacturing date, if someone has changed it chances are it's the new design. Also, there is a red version of the insert, supposedly to suit diesels, which should be a bit softer. However, I don't see how an insert would lower the vibrations, everywhere it says the complete opposite.


Harmonic frequencies that can cause vibrations when poly or solid mounts are installed are a completely separate issue to what I am referring to, which is the lumpy idle that these motors suffer from in all VAG vehicles. You only have to do a google search to see how much it has been talked about across all VAG models with the TFSI engines. They naturally idle a little lumpy, but the pendulum mount (dog bone) can exacerbate this, whether its worn or new, as it's poor design allows movement. Fitting a dog bone insert takes away this "shuddering" you get at idle. Anyone who is based in the midlands, feel free to pop in and see me and I will show you the difference in idle with the mount fitted and removed. And my engine mounts are absolutely fine.


----------



## Iceblue (Jul 20, 2018)

I don't have a lumpy idle or a shudder and if I did I would want to know why an OEM car of this kind has a lumpy idle when it rolls off the factory line. 58,000 miles so far so maybe its a wear thing that is engine related.


----------



## Enky08 (Dec 7, 2018)

A dogbone insert will 100% increase vibration and harshness on idle. And possibly at other times. It certainly isn't a cure for vibration at idle haha! Maybe your engine mounts are shagged


----------

