We recently purchased a 2006 Saturn Vue to tow behind our motor home. We have had the bearings replaced in the front end, a new timing belt kit which includes water pump. Seems to run good except when the engine gets hot, you can hear what sounds like valves rattling. Does not make the sound as much when it is in neutral or park. The engine rocks one time when you put it in park or neutral.

Another problem is that when you stop at a light, it starts vibrating. Doesn't do this until it get hot. I can shift into neutral or park and it stops.

This car has a Honda engine and have been told that the transmission is also Honda.

Anyone else have this problem?

 

vibrating at stop light + engine rocking when load on engine changes = tranny mount or engine mount? A vibration in gear with the engine under load is putting torque on the engine/tranny combination; in addition, the rpm in gear when not moving is lower than the rpm in neutral while not moving; often the vibrations at lower RPM are more easily transmitted .The motor mounts and tranny mounts both hold the engine/tranny in place AND dissipate some of the energy from the engine moving around so that the vibration is not felt in the cabin.

When certain mounts go bad/wear out, the vibration they were dampening gets transmitted through the frame and you feel it in the cabin.

If I had to guess i would think it to be the torque axis mount(s). These keep the engine from trying to rotate in response to the torque.

I'm not a Vue guy; hopefully someone can pick this up and run with it.

 

I agree, motor/tranny mounts.


Not to sure about the other.

 

I don't know if the Honda transmission in the Saturns is the same as they put in the Elements, but if it is, I'd keep a close eye on it if I were you. Research them and you'll see why. Honda seemed to have worked out the issues, but I'm not sure what year they finally got it. You MIGHT be okay, I don't know and am too lazy to go back and look.

 

how hot is hot?

Again, lower idle in gear than in neutral. Probably also mount related