What are the symptoms of a broken engine mount?
3 Answers
The symptoms of a damaged engine mount in a car are as follows: 1. Obvious engine vibration when reversing. 2. Noticeable engine vibration when starting the car. 3. Significant engine vibration when the engine is cold, with noticeable improvement after warming up. 4. Steering wheel vibration during idle, with obvious brake pedal vibration. 5. Abnormal engine noise when passing over speed bumps. Extended engine maintenance methods are as follows: 1. Use qualified engine oil. 2. Use qualified coolant and antifreeze. 3. Regularly clean the radiator scale. 4. Regularly remove engine carbon deposits. 5. Regularly replace the car's three filters. 6. Maintain reasonable engine speed.
My old car had its engine mounts fail twice before, and the experience was all too real. At idle, the steering wheel vibrated like a phone on vibrate mode, the seat shook along with it, and even the rearview mirror wobbled. The most extreme part was the loud 'clunk' sound at startup, like metal banging against metal. Going over speed bumps, the chassis made dull thudding noises, as if it was falling apart. During hard acceleration, there were also rattling sounds that made me think the engine was about to drop out. Later, I found out the engine mounts had cracked and were leaking oil, with the rubber completely losing its elasticity. If not replaced in time, the vibrations could damage surrounding pipes and wiring. A new mount only costs around 300 yuan, but you absolutely must use a hydraulic jack to properly support the engine's position for a safe replacement.
Over the years of car repair, I've found three typical symptoms of engine mount failure. The most common is abnormal body vibration at engine idle, like turning on massage chair mode. Next is increased transmission shock, especially the jerk when shifting from D to R gear. The metallic impact sound during startup indicates direct engine-to-bracket contact, where the noise level reveals damage severity. During inspection, I use a flashlight to check for rubber cracking/oil leakage and a pry bar to measure engine displacement. Failed mounts cause significant collateral damage - exhaust pipe gaskets often tear and throttle body wiring may snap, requiring additional checks.
