If you have a faulty motor mount, you might want to know how serious the problem is. Can you drive with it? Or will your engine crash out of your car and cause a huge pile-up?
Thankfully, that’s unlikely. However, repairing things as soon as you notice them is essential. It’ll save you money in the long run and ensures everything runs smoothly.
You can technically drive with a faulty motor mount – but why would you? Get it fixed, and enjoy a more pleasant and safer driving experience.
This article will explain why you should follow that guidance.
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What Is A Motor Mount?
Motor mounts, otherwise known as engine mounts, secure your engine (“motor”) in place.
They’re rather important. If motor mounts weren’t used, the engine would have to be bolted directly to the chassis. That might not sound too serious, but the resulting vibrations would be extremely loud and unbearable.
It might help to think of them as cushioning for your strong engine.
**Motor mounts are usually made of reinforced rubber**. This material is an outstanding compromise, with durability, flexibility, and vibration absorption.
They come in many varied shapes, sizes, materials, and styles. Manufacturers create each mount to hold a specific engine within a certain car. Thus, they’re all slightly distinct.
How Do Motor Mounts Go Bad?
The most frequent way for motor mounts to break is a simple snap.
Over time, they – like all automotive components – wear down. They can also be influenced by the engine’s temperature and water/dirt residue from the road.
These can lead to dry decay, which will eventually eat through a motor support.
Your car might have hydraulic fluid-filled or vacuum chamber engine mounts. If either of these fails, they’ll stop functioning.
Other causes of breaks include sudden, strong forces (such as a significant pothole or a major crash). An improper replacement from a previous repair would also affect the forces acting on it.
A faulty motor mount is most often not your fault. It just happens with time – they get old and degraded.
How Do I Know If My Motor Mount Is Bad?
There are several signs of a bad motor mount. In summary, your car will still have the same amount of power, but it’ll feel much less pleasant and steady.
If your vehicle still feels sturdy along with these symptoms, it’s likely to be a broken or breaking motor mount. Use this sensation to distinguish the problem from other issues, such as misfires or a defective transmission.
Significant Vibrations
The engine block might drop directly onto the vehicle’s sturdy frame when a motor mount goes bad or breaks.
A motor consists of several cylinders (usually 4, 6, or 8) blasting up and down countless thousand times per minute. That equals an enormous deal of vibrations.
**Instead of being dampened by the rubber mount, the vibrations travel directly into the chassis. The metal transfers this feeling throughout the whole vehicle.**
As such, you – the driver – will sense it, but so will all your passengers.
Vibrating could also be caused by many other things – most notably, misfires. However, in this case, you’d also experience reduced engine power.
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- Breaking suspension
- Imbalanced wheels
- Failing transmission (although this would also impact performance)
Clunks And Jolts When Accelerating, Braking, Or Changing Gear
If the car feels like it jumps when you accelerate or change gears, it could be a faulty motor mount. You’ll often even hear the thud of the engine shifting.
Putting any kind of intense force on your car (accelerating, braking, or changing gear) makes the car ‘dive’ or ‘squat.’ ‘Dive’ is when the front dips down (such as under harsh braking). ‘Squat’ is the opposite: when the front lifts up, such as when you slam your foot on the gas pedal.
The engine itself is suspended in space by the motor mounts. It experiences the identical forces, but it’s only connected to the car through these secure attachments.
If you have a defective motor mount, the engine won’t adapt to the car’s angle so well. That might result in a clunking sound or a jarring sensation.
Again, expect this symptom to appear alongside severe vibrations. If you feel this symptom alone, it’s more likely to be a transmission issue or misfire.
The Engine ‘Jumps’ When Starting
When you insert the key to begin the car, you may sense the engine literally jump or jolt.
This is the vibrations transferring through the metal. As you’re starting the car, the engine has very little power. It can’t overcome the chassis’ opposition to its movement so readily.
When the engine begins to move on its own, it will use more power. This will overpower the forces from the motionless metal. The result of this is the vibrations mentioned earlier.
You might feel the identical jump when you turn the ignition off.
Visual Inspection
If you aren’t sure, why not investigate? Motor mounts are typically positioned near the front wheels in the engine compartment.
Take a flashlight with you to help you see, and shine it into these areas. You’ll typically get an excellent view from underneath.
Look for damaged motor mounts. You might also notice the engine leaning in one direction (not always, depending on what’s broken). That might clue you in about which mount is defective.
If you aren’t sure what motor mounts look like, take your car to an auto shop. Ask the mechanics to have a peek for you. You can always ask them not to do any work for you just yet.
Can You Drive With A Broken Motor Mount?
From a practical point of view, you can drive with a damaged motor mount. It won’t be pleasant, but it shouldn’t be too dangerous.
**Nonetheless**.
Please don’t take that as, “Marvelous – I can leave it forever!”
No. You should get it repaired quickly. As with everything on cars, the longer you leave it, the more costly it will be.
For example, it’ll put more pressure on the other engine mounts. The transmission and block itself will also deteriorate and suffer from constant vibrations. Wiring looms and coolant pipes will stretch and might break.
So, while you can technically drive with a damaged motor mount, it is a serious issue. You should still go straight to a mechanic once you identify a defect.
Driving will be at your own risk.
How Long Can You Drive With Broken Motor Mounts?
You should get faulty motor mounts fixed as soon as possible. That said, you can drive your car as long as the vibrations aren’t too severe and you’re saving up to get it fixed!
**Again, it’s best not to look to quantify this. It’s a superb idea to turn your thinking upside down.**
Rather than thinking, ‘How long can I drive with it?’, go along the lines of, ‘How fast can I get it repaired?’
You should never drive if you aren’t completely confident in your vehicle’s condition. It’s best to get it repaired right away.
Or, to put it another way, the longer you wait, the more terrible condition your car will be in.
How Much Does A Motor Mount Cost To Repair?
Motor mounts are hard to estimate costs for.
The cost of the mounts themselves can vary considerably. It depends on the vehicle, the specification, the engine size, the material, and even which particular mount you need.
**A single aftermarket mount could cost anywhere from $15 to $150. The majority average out between $25 and $80, nonetheless.**
It’s often better to use the manufacturer-approved versions. These are typically significantly more expensive – anywhere from $100 to $400 per mount.
Ask your mechanic for their guidance. Every car is distinct, so there’s no fixed rule, unfortunately.
Hopefully, you’ll only need to replace one mount. If several have broken, that’s a dangerous situation to find yourself in. Buying an entire set of mounts can work out cheaper in this situation, but you shouldn’t need to do this. Not unless something’s severely wrong, anyway.
If you are familiar with car mechanics, you might be able to substitute motor mounts yourself. You’ll need a jack for lifting the engine and a standard set of automobile tools.
It’s a much better idea to leave it to a professional. You might resist paying someone else to do what’s technically a simple job – but it’s worth it.
Make sure your engine doesn’t unexpectedly drop or the jack doesn’t cause any harm or accidentally fall the vehicle on you. Prioritize safety and visit a competent mechanic.
You can expect to add one to three hours of work (depending on the mount’s location and ease of access). This could come to anywhere between $100 and $300.
Considering parts and labor, a total of about $400 is a fair estimate for replacing a defective motor mount.
Driving With A Bad Motor Mount: Summary
As with everything related to cars, don’t disregard it. It’s much superior (and less expensive) to get these things repaired sooner rather than later.
A faulty motor mount is uncomfortable, at best. At worst, your engine and transmission could be getting damaged by the constant wear.
Take no chances. Go to your local mechanic as soon as you detect the issue.
So, is it okay to drive with a partially damaged motor mount? Generally, it’s secure. However, why take the risk?
