Hi, Guest
So... we had a big gaming party up here last weekend. Right after a good snowfall, too.
Running around getting this set and people into the community center went well, gotta love the Focus' handling in the white stuff. I swear, the weight distribution for braking in the winter is perfect in the sedans. But I digress.
Drove the car through a few drifts that day (not the sideways variety, either... not with 5Gs of computer equipment at a time!) and then drove home finally when we were done, around 2AM Sunday. Let the car sit all day Sunday as we were too beat to move.
Went to back out Monday, and the car starts shaking like mad when I shift into reverse. Still have my foot on the brake pedal at this point. Take my foot off and the vibration completely disappears. Give the car some gas to back out of the driveway and the vibration returns, just as strong. You can feel the bugger right through the floor, the steering wheel, pedals, seat, you name it. No loss of power, tho.
Drive away down the road to work, and there's no vibration going forward at any speed, stopped for lights, nothing. Back into a spot at work and the vibration returns.
Long story short:
Driving through deep snow can cause snow/ice to build-up on the rear tranny mounts, causing exactly the symptoms I've described. They abate throughout the day as you drive, as the car warms up and the ice becomes pliant. How long you'd have to drive to melt it off completely? I'm not sure it can be done.
The car went up on the hoist at Stockfish Ford, and they had to take hot pressurized water to blow away the ice buildup. Sure enough, when I picked up the car that night, all the vibrations were gone. They say it doesn't accumulate ice while going down the road that they know of... you need to hit deep enough drifts/snow that hits the undercarriage of the vehicle, which then scoops up the snow like a plow and holds it around the transmission mounts.
Just thought I'd share that, in case anyone else suffers those symptoms this winter.
Running around getting this set and people into the community center went well, gotta love the Focus' handling in the white stuff. I swear, the weight distribution for braking in the winter is perfect in the sedans. But I digress.
Drove the car through a few drifts that day (not the sideways variety, either... not with 5Gs of computer equipment at a time!) and then drove home finally when we were done, around 2AM Sunday. Let the car sit all day Sunday as we were too beat to move.
Went to back out Monday, and the car starts shaking like mad when I shift into reverse. Still have my foot on the brake pedal at this point. Take my foot off and the vibration completely disappears. Give the car some gas to back out of the driveway and the vibration returns, just as strong. You can feel the bugger right through the floor, the steering wheel, pedals, seat, you name it. No loss of power, tho.
Drive away down the road to work, and there's no vibration going forward at any speed, stopped for lights, nothing. Back into a spot at work and the vibration returns.
Long story short:
Driving through deep snow can cause snow/ice to build-up on the rear tranny mounts, causing exactly the symptoms I've described. They abate throughout the day as you drive, as the car warms up and the ice becomes pliant. How long you'd have to drive to melt it off completely? I'm not sure it can be done.
The car went up on the hoist at Stockfish Ford, and they had to take hot pressurized water to blow away the ice buildup. Sure enough, when I picked up the car that night, all the vibrations were gone. They say it doesn't accumulate ice while going down the road that they know of... you need to hit deep enough drifts/snow that hits the undercarriage of the vehicle, which then scoops up the snow like a plow and holds it around the transmission mounts.
Just thought I'd share that, in case anyone else suffers those symptoms this winter.
Daily driver 1: 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport "S"
33" BFG Mud-Terrain KM2s, lots of Rough Country gear - bumper, 2.5" lift, swaybar disconnects, Superwinch 10,000lb winch, Detroit Locker in rear D44 axle, custom exhaust, K+N filtercharger, Superchips-tuned.
Daily driver 2: 2006 Subaru Legacy GT
COBB Stage 1+ package - AccessPort tuner, COBB intake and airbox. Stage 2 coming shortly - COBB 3" AT stainless DP and race cat, custom 3" Magnaflow-based exhaust and Stage 2 COBB tune.
33" BFG Mud-Terrain KM2s, lots of Rough Country gear - bumper, 2.5" lift, swaybar disconnects, Superwinch 10,000lb winch, Detroit Locker in rear D44 axle, custom exhaust, K+N filtercharger, Superchips-tuned.
Daily driver 2: 2006 Subaru Legacy GT
COBB Stage 1+ package - AccessPort tuner, COBB intake and airbox. Stage 2 coming shortly - COBB 3" AT stainless DP and race cat, custom 3" Magnaflow-based exhaust and Stage 2 COBB tune.