What causes severe shaking when holding the brake in D gear?
3 Answers
It is most likely caused by damaged engine mounts. Severe clutch wear: When stopping in D gear, slippage can also occur because wear reduces the friction between the two. Sliding friction generates abnormal vibrations and rapidly increases the clutch temperature. Therefore, when stopping in D gear at relatively low temperatures, regular resonance or abnormal noises may occur. Torque converter wear: After severe wear, abnormal slippage cannot be ruled out. Additionally, issues such as worn or loose power output shafts, transmission gear or bearing problems, or engine carbon buildup causing idle shaking may contribute. When in D gear, the engine needs to output power, and the RPM will be slightly higher than idle speed. However, if the throttle, intake/exhaust valves, spark plugs, or fuel injectors have severe carbon buildup, air intake, fuel injection, and combustion efficiency will deteriorate at low RPMs.
I've seen this issue many times. Severe shaking when holding the brake in D gear usually boils down to these common culprits: The most frequent cause is aging engine mounts—those rubber blocks designed to absorb vibrations tend to harden and crack after 5-6 years. Another often-overlooked offender is spark plugs; excessive gap or electrode erosion can cause cylinder misfires, making the driver's seat feel like a pulsating massage chair. Throttle body carbon buildup also shares the blame—if injectors are half-clogged, unstable combustion will make the engine fight you. Finally, check the MAF sensor data stream; erratic values make the ECU miscalculate fuel injection. My advice: First scan for misfire data with an OBD tool, then pop the hood to inspect mount condition for flattening/cracks before rushing to replace parts unnecessarily.
Recently, many car enthusiasts have been asking about the issue of vibration when in D-gear with the brake pressed, especially noticeable at red lights where the steering wheel shakes. The core issue is that engine vibrations aren't being adequately buffered and are transmitting into the cabin, with degraded engine mounts accounting for about 70% of the cases, particularly in turbocharged vehicles with over 80,000 kilometers. Additionally, wear on the dual-mass flywheel can cause low-frequency resonance, and repairing that isn't cheap. If the shaking worsens significantly when the air conditioning is on, it's likely an issue with the engine load management, and you should check for loose electrical ground connections. For DIY checks, start the engine cold, shift to D-gear, press the brake, and measure the engine vibration amplitude. If it exceeds three times the normal value, it's best to visit a reliable repair shop to locate abnormal noises with a stethoscope, as roadside shops often misdiagnose the problem.
