I've posted this in here, rather than the Superb section because I feel it isn't necessarily Superb specific:

My 61 plate Superb is approx 7 months old and has covered 17k miles (from new). The other week I noticed some mild vibrations through the steering wheel @ approx 78 to 82 mph (on the motorway). This hadn't come through gradually so I suspected wheel balancing to be at fault, potentially a wheel weight being the cause.

I took the car to a tyre centre (doesn't match who) and they confirmed that both front wheels were out of balance, by 15g and 20g. This was on the Friday before the Jubilee weekend. Over that long weekend, we had a family trip to Blackpool (for the day!) and I noticed on the M6 that the wheel vibrations were still there, and still in the same speed bracket. (This trip was the first time I had got the vehicle upto such speeds since the rebalance)

So on the Thursday (in the short week), I took the car to another (different) tyre centre and explained the problem, they re-balanced the wheels and checked the pressures also. They confirmed that the balancing was out by, the first wheel was out by 20g. Not a good start as originally a wheel was out by this much.

A further week on, and although the vibrations disappeared at first, they have since returned. I have checked the tyre pressures and these are correct as per the manual.

So my thoughts are:

• First tyre centre didn't balance properly ?
  
• Second tyre centre also didn't balance properly ?
  
• Both tyre centres did balance properly but weights have fallen off ?
  
• If so, is it just a massive coincidence that both times the weights have fallen off ?
  
• Did the first tyre centre not actually put any weights on and the second did but they have fallen off ?
  
• Is there another reason which could be causing the wheel vibrations?
  

The car is due service in 1500 miles but it is annoying and needs to be corrected. Should I return to second tyre centre (as these are a better outfit) and get them to re-check?

Any thoughts/help would be very much appreciated but please don't cloud the thread with comments about driving above the motorway speed limit, we all do it

Thanks Simon

It's quite possible that the equipment used to balance the wheels was out of calibration. At two garages? Hmmm, dunno. Have you hit any potholes and unknowingly put a slight buckle in a wheel? I've had that before, vibration through steering, been to a few garages, all of them rebalancing wheels, then finally one garage saying the rim is slightly buckled. What about front wheel alignment? Careful who you go to about that, or it's another hornet's nest.

Hi, I've just had to re-balance the wife's Fabia as had a similar problem at around 70 to 75. Touch wood it has cured the problem and in your case I'd be very surprised if two outlets couldn't cure a balance issue, if that's what it is? It may also be worth considering the tyres as some years back I again had a vibrational problem that ended up being a tyre issue but there was no visual evidence to back it up. Hope you get it sorted as I know what a pain it is.

Its easy to spot a wheel weight that has decided to do one, there will be a patch of sticky stuff or an area of brake dust (as it has stuck to the adhesive) but these rarely come off, yes the wheel is moving at great speed but centrifugal force acts very strongly on these little weights.

Either as mentioned a slight buckle in the wheel, this is easy to see when the alloy is on the balancing machine, just spin it manually by hand and there will be a slight dip on the rim as it rotates.

If everything has been ruled out from the wheels/weights then move your way further up towards the gearbox. Very unlikely but a balance weight could of come off the drive shaft, the drive shaft bearing could of been damaged, surprisingly easy to do, all you have to do is hit a kurb wrong and this will send a shock wave up to the weakest point in the wheel/drive shaft assembly.

Have you changed front to back yet? as mentioned on a different forum. .

^ did the same recently on the Felly for different reasons, definitely worth a try.

Haven't got round to sorting this yet, despite the vibration still being there. DOn't have car for a week at present, lent it to a colleague. But will get it sorted next week.

Strange though, the car I have borrowed has a very similar vibration!!

Perhaps it's me?

Its easy to spot a wheel weight that has decided to do one, there will be a patch of sticky stuff or an area of brake dust (as it has stuck to the adhesive) but these rarely come off, yes the wheel is moving at great speed but centrifugal force acts very strongly on these little weights.

Either as mentioned a slight buckle in the wheel, this is easy to see when the alloy is on the balancing machine, just spin it manually by hand and there will be a slight dip on the rim as it rotates.

If everything has been ruled out from the wheels/weights then move your way further up towards the gearbox. Very unlikely but a balance weight could of come off the drive shaft, the drive shaft bearing could of been damaged, surprisingly easy to do, all you have to do is hit a kurb wrong and this will send a shock wave up to the weakest point in the wheel/drive shaft assembly.

There are a few patches where it looks like a weight would have been, this led to believe they may have come off. Once the car is back, I will definately sort.

Recollecting, I did go up the kerb weeks back to move out of the way of an ambulance but in defence the kerb was (a) very low and ( angled so I don't think that would have caused it.

Right, quick update on this - have been busy at work so haven't had the time to get to the tyre centre to get this checked out, not the best I know but that's life!

However my front tyres are now due to be replaced through wear and I have a fitter coming out tomorrow morning to fit new boots, I will have a chat with him and make sure that they are balanced correctly.

Then the fun and games may begin!

Second update in as many days - HURRAH it's all sorted.

Had 2 new tyres fitted yesterday morning (they turned up early) and I had a chat with the fitter about the balancing/vibration issues. He very carefully took his time and ensured that the wheels were balanced correctly, in fact he double checked each one.

Drove home last night and perfectly fine. So I am more confident to say that the issue was a wheel balancing one, probably caused initially by a weight coming off, and compounded by the first tyre centre not balancing correctly.

Sure it wasn't one of your old tyres out of round or bulging? Bit hard to tell now you've got new tyres though.

I've had bigger wheels out of balance by 60g and that was noticable. 20g isn't much.