Harshness Symptoms

Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH)

Harshness Symptoms

Harshness is customer perception which gives the impression of no isolation from the tire/wheel and suspension system. Harshness may be caused by road conditions, temperature changes, component damage and/or incorrect customer modifications on original components/specifications. Customers usually experience harshness when the vehicle is driving over bumps or potholes and in cold weather conditions. Harshness can also be experienced with excessive tire pressure, sporty tires, heavy-duty springs and shocks, or other vehicle modifications. Some aftermarket tires, even with the correct size, may change vehicle behavior and produce customer concerns. The first step in diagnosing a harshness concern is to determine if the concern was experienced only in certain specific operating conditions, such as large potholes or extremely cold weather. In these cases, harshness should be considered normal. A known good vehicle can be driven under the same conditions and the rides can be compared to determine whether the concern is normal or vehicle specific. The second step is to check tire pressure and make sure it was set within vehicle specifications. The third step is to inspect for aftermarket or modified components and determine if they are the cause of the harshness complaint. If the harshness concern persists after the above steps, it is possible that some components are damaged. Based on the results from the road test, make a determination of which action in the symptom chart to take first.

NVH Symptom Chart Categories

A good diagnostic process is a logical sequence of steps that lead to the identification of a causal system. Use the symptom and possible system categories as follows:

- Identify the operating condition that the vehicle is exhibiting.
- Match the operating condition to the symptom.
- Verify the symptom.
- Calculate the frequency and order of the symptom
- Identify which category or system(s) could cause the symptom.
- Refer to the system indicated to identify and diagnose the symptom or confirm that the system is not the source of the condition.

Use the diagnostic instructions along with the necessary listed tools to identify the vibration order and to isolate the symptom and the possible systems associated with that symptom. Then based on the results from the road test, make a determination of which action in the symptom chart to take first. Since it is possible any one of multiple systems may be the cause of the symptom, it may be necessary to use a process of elimination type diagnostic approach to pinpoint the concern. Refer to the system(s) indicated to identify and isolate the cause or rule that system out as being the causal system for the symptom.