Buick Envision Forum banner

Odd wobbling sensation on right hand turn.

18844 Views 31 Replies 12 Participants Last post by  Envision2019
Hello all,
Has anyone noticed an odd wobble when you stop and make a right turn? My moms Verano does it too and we took it in and they knew nothing about it. Even the guy who services her car felt it and low and behold, our awd Envision does it too. A Buick thing?
Cheers,
John
  • Like
Reactions: 1
1 - 20 of 32 Posts
Mine does it turning right or left. Just another Buick Envision problem to add to the growing list.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
So if you guys were to take the car in noting this problem, they wouldn't do anything to try and rectify it? Wobbling in the tires when turning is usually associated to bad wheel bearings. I don't suppose anyone has tried jacking up the car to see if there is any play in the wheels? I've done this before and confirmed when a bearing needed to be replaced. Having good steering is kind of a crucial component to safety. Do you guys notice any noise when you the feel the sensation?
  • Like
Reactions: 1
I believe the combination of soft ride bushings and some typical resonance created in the tires or suspension geometry. I haven't been to the dealership to have them find the root cause but I have data logged the torque converter and shifting behaviors when the isolation happens and don't see anything abnormal.

It does seem to change it's intensity with ambient temperature so I think it is suspension bushings letting a resonance through the car. Nothing that is a safety issue and most passengers will not feel it.
Best to report it to the dealership. If enough owners log a complaint, I'd assume Buick would look into it and best case scenario issue a recall.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Best to report it to the dealership. If enough owners log a complaint, I'd assume Buick would look into it and best case scenario issue a recall.
My mom took her Verano in for the same wobble. They said "there is nothing wrong with it" yet the mechanic who owns the shop she gets it inspected at sure noticed. Odd that the Envision and Verano do the exact same thing, and they don't share anything. Feels really strange. Sometimes I notice it taking off going straight too but I seem to notice it mostly going around a right hand turn/corner.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
So if you guys were to take the car in noting this problem, they wouldn't do anything to try and rectify it? Wobbling in the tires when turning is usually associated to bad wheel bearings. I don't suppose anyone has tried jacking up the car to see if there is any play in the wheels? I've done this before and confirmed when a bearing needed to be replaced. Having good steering is kind of a crucial component to safety. Do you guys notice any noise when you the feel the sensation?
Nope..No sound at all associated with the wobble.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Hah! Check this out. This sounds exactly like what it does:


#PI0702B: Wobble Felt in Vehicle Acceleration from Stop Through 1-2 Shift - (Apr 3, 2012)
Subject: Wobble Felt in Vehicle Acceleration from Stop Through 1-2 Shift



Models: 2008-2012 Chevrolet Malibu

Equipped with Engine RPO LE5 and Automatic Transmission RPO MH8



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This PI is being revised to change the labor time. Please discard PI0702A.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.

Condition/Concern

Some customers or technicians may notice a wobble felt in the vehicle or steering wheel when accelerating from a stop through the 1-2 shift and/or slip/stick conditions when the vehicle shifts from 1-2 up to approximately 32♦km/h (20♦mph). This concern may be more prevalent with a passenger in the front and/or turning to the right while accelerating.

Forces generated by the front axle shafts may cause the powertrain to move laterally. These forces are induced by friction in the inboard axle joints due to the angle of the axles. The forces vary based on the phase orientation of the axle joints to each other.

Recommendation/Instructions





Loosen the four engine and transmission mounts. Adjust the engine position so that the engine mount bolts are centered on the engine mount as shown in the picture above. Pictures marked “A” are before and “B” are after. Arrows point to front of the vehicle. The mount pictured is below the airbox. Then tighten the remainder of the mounts.

Tighten
Tighten the engine mount to bracket bolts to 58♦N·m (42♦lb♦ft).
Tighten
Tighten the transmission mount through bolts to 90♦N·m (66♦lb♦ft).
Tighten
Tighten the transmission mount bolts to 50♦N·m (37♦lb♦ft).

Drive the vehicle and evaluate the concern. The concern can be duplicated by driving the vehicle in a long gradual turn with the transmission in 2nd gear while using the brakes to maintain a speed of 24♦km/h (15♦mph) and engine at 2000 RPM.

If the mount adjustment does not eliminate the concern, new design half shafts have been released to address this condition. These new axles have new grease that reduces friction in the joint.


Note: Once these half shafts have been installed, perform the following break-in procedure:

1. From a stop, accelerate wide open throttle through the 1-2 shift up to 64♦km/h (40♦mph).

2. Decelerate to a stop.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 a total of 20 times.

Important: If the concern is still present after replacing the half shafts, contact Technical Assistance (TAC).

Parts Information
See less See more
  • Like
Reactions: 2
Anyone else experiencing this?
Not as far as I know, though if there's a service announcement for it then I'd assume it's affecting more than just your vehicle. Maybe it's limited to a certain batch from the factory.
Hah! Check this out. This sounds exactly like what it does:


#PI0702B: Wobble Felt in Vehicle Acceleration from Stop Through 1-2 Shift - (Apr 3, 2012)
Subject: Wobble Felt in Vehicle Acceleration from Stop Through 1-2 Shift



Models: 2008-2012 Chevrolet Malibu

Equipped with Engine RPO LE5 and Automatic Transmission RPO MH8



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This PI is being revised to change the labor time. Please discard PI0702A.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.

Condition/Concern

Some customers or technicians may notice a wobble felt in the vehicle or steering wheel when accelerating from a stop through the 1-2 shift and/or slip/stick conditions when the vehicle shifts from 1-2 up to approximately 32♦km/h (20♦mph). This concern may be more prevalent with a passenger in the front and/or turning to the right while accelerating.

Forces generated by the front axle shafts may cause the powertrain to move laterally. These forces are induced by friction in the inboard axle joints due to the angle of the axles. The forces vary based on the phase orientation of the axle joints to each other.

Recommendation/Instructions





Loosen the four engine and transmission mounts. Adjust the engine position so that the engine mount bolts are centered on the engine mount as shown in the picture above. Pictures marked “A” are before and “B” are after. Arrows point to front of the vehicle. The mount pictured is below the airbox. Then tighten the remainder of the mounts.

Tighten
Tighten the engine mount to bracket bolts to 58♦N·m (42♦lb♦ft).
Tighten
Tighten the transmission mount through bolts to 90♦N·m (66♦lb♦ft).
Tighten
Tighten the transmission mount bolts to 50♦N·m (37♦lb♦ft).

Drive the vehicle and evaluate the concern. The concern can be duplicated by driving the vehicle in a long gradual turn with the transmission in 2nd gear while using the brakes to maintain a speed of 24♦km/h (15♦mph) and engine at 2000 RPM.

If the mount adjustment does not eliminate the concern, new design half shafts have been released to address this condition. These new axles have new grease that reduces friction in the joint.


Note: Once these half shafts have been installed, perform the following break-in procedure:

1. From a stop, accelerate wide open throttle through the 1-2 shift up to 64♦km/h (40♦mph).

2. Decelerate to a stop.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 a total of 20 times.

Important: If the concern is still present after replacing the half shafts, contact Technical Assistance (TAC).

Parts Information

My wife's Envision does this, specifically when the transmission shifts from first to second under a moderate throttle press. I do not notice this around turns at all, only when taking off. Have been meaning to bring it to the dealer for months now.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
mine just started doing this exact same thing.I thought the wheel nuts were loose and the wheel was going to come off,checked it out and everything is tight
Watching the speeds it is right around 18-19 mph or so.
Since my Envision is a lease car, I am not interested in another weeks-long bout with GM service to get this rather complicated repair performed. I'll just live with it.
My wife's Envision does this, specifically when the transmission shifts from first to second under a moderate throttle press. I do not notice this around turns at all, only when taking off. Have been meaning to bring it to the dealer for months now.
Cory, did you take your Envision in for that dang wobble yet? I am taking mine in on Friday for an oil change, and getting an appointment for the following week for this wobble, and also our seems to have a power loss issue. We rarely drive the car since we have a daily driver but the last few times we've driven it (usually out of town trips) it seems like it just doesn't have the "ummph" that it did. In fact I was pulling onto a highway and was pushing it pretty hard and it almost felt like it was hesitating, like it wasn't getting enough fuel. Almost feels like the turbo isn't working. When we bought the car it had really good passing power, now not so much.
Hello folks,
Well we took the Envision for the wobble, and for now the rear AC not working and issue with the power of the engine. Since those are different threads, we'll skip those.

They kept the car for a week. They told me they were ordering parts and to come pick up the car (and give them back their 2019 GMC Terrain) When I got there, I asked them what they found and the SA told me that they ordered an axle. So we'll see if that fixes it. Parts should be in around the 15th, later this week. I'll update what happens.
Wouldn't there be a Buick technical service bulletin to address this? Does anyone know where to even look for this other than the dealer? This seems odd as the Malibu is back to 2012 and Buick began selling Envisions in China 2014 and the US 2016. I purposely purchased a 2018 as I figured it is the 5th year of the model run and tweaks each year usually improve quality.
Noticed the wobble on a right-hand turn accelerating for the first time this weekend.
NEWS FLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spoke with my good friend who's the service manager at my dealership. There is a TSB on it now. TSB was released on August 6, 2018.

The solution right out of the gate is to replace both front half shafts. One of the half shafts is readily available, there's a current shortage of the other shaft. So there may be some delay in service departments getting the parts. I told him to go ahead and order them for mine and whenever they get in I'll come in and have it done. I'll keep everyone posted.. But now there's a TSB number to refer to!

TSB number: 18 – NA – 233
NEWS FLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spoke with my good friend who's the service manager at my dealership. There is a TSB on it now. TSB was released on August 6, 2018.

The solution right out of the gate is to replace both front half shafts. One of the half shafts is readily available, there's a current shortage of the other shaft. So there may be some delay in service departments getting the parts. I told him to go ahead and order them for mine and whenever they get in I'll come in and have it done. I'll keep everyone posted.. But now there's a TSB number to refer to!

TSB number: 18 – NA – 233
Thanks for posting this over here too. Update to the guys on this thread. My Envision has spent three weeks in the shop. First week was to diagnose it (rear ac and this wobble, and power loss) Now it's been in the shop for two more weeks for repairs. When I asked the SA what they found, she said they ordered an axle and an evaporator box?? So parts came in, and they put us in a brand new Traverse. I just sent this TSB information to my SA and she's going to pass it on to the tech. My best guess is, the guy ordered another axle like what is in there now. I tried to look this TSB up (just google) but couldn't find it. Guess it's too new to be out there.
1 - 20 of 32 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top