There are a lot of vibrations that come from the engine while it is running. An engine mount is needed to secure the engine within the engine bay area. That way, the engine won’t shake, slide, or move around while it is running or when the vehicle is in motion. Instead, the engine will stay in place and not cause any disturbances as you’re driving. Since the engine is the most important device of your vehicle, you want to make sure it is safe and secure always.
If the engine mount were in bad condition, the noises and vibrations from the engine would make it difficult to drive comfortably and smoothly. More seriously, the engine itself would get damaged from getting banged around so much. The last thing you’ll want to deal with is damaged engine components because you’ll be spending thousands of dollars to replace those. In some cases, you may have to replace the entire engine. So, you must take it seriously when you have a bad engine mount. It is much cheaper to replace the mount than it is an engine.
Bad Symptoms
The engine bay will have a lot of noise coming from it when the engine mount starts going bad. These sounds will include clanking and banging noises which will be both annoying and dangerous for your engine. It means the engine is bumping back and forth against the walls of the engine bay. How can that be good? It’s not.
As for the vibrations, your engine mount is designed with dampening fluid and rubber to restrict them. But when the mount wears out, this means the dampening fluid and rubber are wearing out. Because of this, they’ll no longer be able to hinder the vibrations coming from the engine. And these won’t just be minor vibrations in your seat either. In fact, your entire car may feel a slight pull to the left or right each time the engine bangs against one side of the engine bay. These are simply not drivable conditions.
Replacement Cost
The average engine mount replacement cost will be anywhere from $360 to $450. The parts cost will be between $210 and $260 while the labor costs will be between $150 and $190. The auto mechanic service provider will likely charge fees and taxes onto the total price as well. Compare these costs to the $3,000+ it would cost to replace your engine and you’ll see that replacing the engine mount is a better deal. Therefore, don’t wait until your engine gets damaged to finally replace your engine mount. Be aware of the early warning signs and do something about it before it’s too late.
Lifespan
Engine mounts last for a very long time. They typically wear out or fail after you’ve driven between 60,000 to 100,000 miles. However, the conditions of your average driving also factor into the condition of the engine mount. For instance, if you normally drive over speed bumps or do any kind of aggressive driving on a regular basis, this constant disturbance will stress out the engine mount. You also must be wary if you store your vehicle outside or drive in dry climate areas. And, of course, a traffic accident or collision will likely damage the engine mount too.
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Conclusion
Since most people sell their vehicles after they reach 60,000 or 70,000 miles, you may never experience a bad engine mount problem. But if you’re purchasing a vehicle with a lot of miles on it already, you can probably bet that the last owner didn’t replace the engine mount before they sold it. So, it would be good to have the condition of the mount checked if the vehicle is over 60,000 miles.
