VOLVO CAR

SERVICE AND PARTS BUSINESS

Technical Journal
TITLE:

Vibrations due to wheel / tire
REF NO:

ISSUING DEPARTMENT:

CAR MARKET:

TJ 32161.6.0

Technical Service

United States and Canada

PARTNER:

ISSUE DATE:

STATUS DATE:

3 US 7510 Volvo Car USA

2018-07-05

2018-07-11

FUNC GROUP:

FUNC DESC:

7726

Summer tire, separate

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“Right first time in Time”
Attachment
File Name
TJ 32161.jpg

File Size
0.0944 MB

Vehicle Type
Type

Eng

Eng
Desc

Sales

Body

Gear

234
235
236
238
246
256
536

Steer

Model Year
2017-2017
2017-9999
2017-9999
2018-9999
2018-9999
2016-9999
2019-9999

Plant

Chassis range
0000001-9999999
0000001-9999999
0000001-9999999
0000001-9999999
0000001-9999999
0000001-9999999
0000001-9999999

Struc Week
Range
201617-999952
201624-999952
201646-999952
201646-999952
201717-999952
201505-999952
201746-999952

CSC Customer Symptom Codes
Code
W2
V1

Description
Front/rear axle/Vibration/shake
Tires/Vibration/out of round

VST Operation Number
VST Operation Number
Gen.Op.

Description
General Operation

Produced in the USA and available as an electronic document. Hard copy documents are printed in USA on recycled paper containing
a minimum of 50% wastepaper and 10% post-consumer waste.
© 2018 VOLVO CAR USA, LLC

Technical Journal 32161.6.0
DTC Diagnostic Trouble Codes
Rows beginning with * are modified
Note! If using a printed copy of this Technical Journal, first check for the latest online version.
Text
DESCRIPTION:
If vibrations occur in the car while driving high speed / freeway driving, follow advice under Service.
Vibrations may occur due to several reasons, usually driveline (especially AWD vehicles), or wheels.
Tire uniformity is not unique to Volvo cars but could be more frequent when using bigger tire
dimensions, for more information about tire uniformity issues please reference either
SAE or ISO information on this subject and which is readily available. https://www.google.com/url?sa=
t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=13&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj2ndir_aPaAhWItlkKHZ7
2DmwQFghtMAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iso.org%2Fobp%2Fui%2F%23!iso%3Astd%3A21715
%3Aen&usg=AOvVaw1PGF-1BgNumOeW0r9dC3MO
SERVICE:
Before carry out this TJ, always start with TJ 20803 to sort out if the problem is related to driveline or
wheels.
If the vibrations are caused by driveline, or unknown cause, send a Vehicle Report.
It is more likely that the vibrations are coming from the wheels/tires, then check the steps below:
1. Unbalanced wheel.
Check that the rim is equipped with balancing weights. For newer wheels there should be visible
white and a yellow dots printed on tire (inner side) indicating the location of the balancing weights,
yellow for inner side, white for outer side (see photo). If balancing weights are missing but there are
white and yellow dots on the tire, then it is likely that the weights has been lost and it is then needed
to rebalance the tire.
* A new type of balance weight will be introduced 2018 Q3 for higher accuracy and better adhesion
to the rim.
* If it is found that the tire have rotated on the rim (causing imbalance), please send a TIE Vehicle
Report and include photos if vehicle age is less than 12 months.
2. Tire pressure.
* Too high tire pressure will cause harshness and increased vibrations.
Check that tire pressure is according to the recommended tire pressure table in the Tire Label
attached at the B-pillar. If possible use the Comfort or Recommended tire pressure.
3. * Tire bead not fully seat agains the rim.
* It is possible that the tire bead may not fully seat against the rim. Please make sure the tire bead
has fully expanded against the rim before balancing, Or there is a risk for incorrect balancing which
could remain even after the tire bead has expanded into place.

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Technical Journal 32161.6.0
4. R-Design and front spring expanders.
* If front spring expanders are not removed during PDS it will cause harhsness and vibrations in the
front suspension.
Check and if needed remove front spring expanders.
5. Heavy vibrations due to loose cavity reducing foam inside tire.
* Cavity reducing foam are usually installed on bigger wheel sizes. Pirelli PNCS, Michelin Acoustic
or Conti Silent is written ouside the tire sidewall if cavity foam is equipped inside the tire.
* Loose foam has primarily been seen only on XC90/S90/V90 20” summer tires.
If heavy vibrations occur, dismantle the tire from the rim and check the cavity reducing foam.
If the foam is loose then contact tire manufacturer for a replacement tire according to their warranty
procedure.
Note: If foam is loose, then also check if the foam has signs of humidity or water. If this is found,
send a vehicle report with photos.
6. Tire uniformity (force variations out-of-round tires).
If vibrations occur and normal wheel balancing does not solve the issue, then the root cause could be
tire uniformity and/or poor matching of rim and tire.
The best way to detect and solve this is to use a special wheel balancing machine that can measure
force variations in the tire (such as the Hunter GSP9700 or Road Force Elite).
Check TIE Service Product Journal (SPJ) 32993 for more requirements regarding the force
measurement machines.
Some Volvo workshops does not have this machine, but it may be possible to contact the tire
manufacturer for a better analyse of the tire, or contact external professional tire workshop.
Note: If a Vehicle Report is created, it is important to also include log files from the force variations
machine (or photos). Note also include tire pressure for this measurement.
7. Flat spotted tires (due to long time parking / storage).
Flat-spotting can be a temporary problem since the tire will round out as driving warms it up. Cold
ambient temperatures make rubber compounds stiffer, increasing their tendency to flatspot.
The longer tires remain stationary, the likely they are going to be flat spotted. Tires on vehicles
stored on the ground for many months can be permanently flat-spotted.
Note that during transport or storage, it is important to keep an higher tire pressure to avoid flat spots.
Volvo Cars is delivering vehicles from factory using a transport tire pressure at 2.8-3.2 bar (40-46 PSI).
* During storage it is also important to follow the storage program (to drive the car and if needed
also add air to the tires), in order to avoid tires being flat spotted.
Remember to lower the tire pressure to Comfort / Recommended tire pressure first during the PDS.
In most cases it should be possible to cure flat-spotted tires, but it require to drive the car so that tire
temperature reach the temperature as when the car was parked.
Note: If the car was parked at warm temperatures or if the tire temperature was high when parked,
then it may not be possible to drive the car enough to reach the same temperature during winter /
cold weather conditions. In these cases you can refer to Special tool bulletin ST-227.

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Technical Journal 32161.6.0
8. Flat spotted tires (due to hard braking / misuse).
If customer deactivated the ABS system and braked the car with locked wheels, then it can make
permanent flat spots which cannot be cured.
Damaged tires should be replaced.
9. Rim run-out.
New rims are usually not causing any vibrations. However rims damaged due to impacts (such as
hitting a pot-hole) may cause vibrations.
A damaged rim should be detected in the wheel balancing machine or in a force variation machine.
It might be needed to remove the tire to see how severe the damage is.
Place both the suspect rim and a new rim besides each other and measure their height. If the suspect
rim is oval or has less or higher height compared with the new rim then it is damaged and must be
replaced (by customer or insurance).
10. Snow / ice / mud, etc. stored in rim (inner side).
Clean rims from snow/ice/mud.
To reduce the risk for having a repeat repair it could be good to apply some rim wax on inner surface
of rim.
Also advice customer to install a mudflap / snow deflector, accessory kit PN 31449094, it can reduce
the problem for the rear wheels.
11. * Vibrations due to the rim is asymmetrically installed on the wheel hub.
* The rim should be installed exactly on the center position on the wheel hub, else vibrations can
occur if the rim is asymmetrically mounted on the wheel hub.
* Try to solve the issue by removing the wheel from the axle and then reinstall it. If there is a
suspicion about too big play between rim and wheel hub;
Loosen the rim and clean the parts. Measure the diameter of the center hole in the rim, and also
measure the diameter of the wheel hub center cone.
* The two diameters should be fairly equal, the rims should be slightly bigger (about 0.1 - 0.2 mm).
* In case the play is too big and it cause vibrations, send a TIE Vehicle Report with all
measurements, photos and part number of the rim.
VEHICLE REPORT:
Yes, please submit a Vehicle Report if the service solution described in this TJ has no effect and it is
believed that the vibrations are caused by something else than wheels/tires.
Use concern area “Vehicle Report” and sub concern area “Support not needed”, use function group
2185.

To view TJ attachment continue to next page. This TJ has one attachment.

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