The symptoms of a bad transmission mount include Shaking & Rocking, Engine Vibration when the Car is on, Engine Bouncing and Clunks, Car is Pulling when you Turn and can cause further damage to your engine if left untreated.
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, keep reading as the following article provides detail on what to look out for and how to diagnose the problems.
Transmission mounts are an essential part of your vehicle’s drivetrain. Without them, it would be impossible to drive. Knowing the symptoms of a bad transmission mount will help make sure you avoid unnecessary damage to your car.
Determining the condition of your transmission mount is a straightforward process. Let us start by looking at what a transmission mount is, in detail.
Jump to the symptoms of a bad transmission mount and how to diagnose a bad transmission mount:
What is a Transmission Mount?
Transmission mounts ensure that your vehicle’s transmission remains connected to your car’s chasse. If this starts to wear or break, it means that your drivetrain can start to come loose, which as you would expect, is bad!
Almost all vehicles have at least one transmission mount. Plenty of examples have two or more mounts, though.
Transmission mounts have two parts: one of steel and the other of polyurethane or rubber. The steel part is the bracket, and the other part is the amount.
The bracket secures your vehicle’s transmission. The bushings reduce the vibration of your vehicle’s drivetrain. They also eliminate excessive noise in your car.
All vehicles come with one of these installed from their initial manufacturer. There are also plenty of aftermarket replacement parts, made by third-party manufacturers.
If your transmission mount suffers from damage and you do not take care of it soon, your vehicle’s transmission is at risk. Leaving it alone causes premature aging of your drivetrain.
There are several ways to know you will experience a broken transmission mount. They fail for similar reasons. So it is easy to plan around the need for replacement parts.
If you think you are experiencing the symptoms of bad transmission mount, you must read this guide. It will show you everything you need to know to maintain a vehicle’s transmission mount properly.
How does a Transmission Mount Become Defective?
Transmission Mounts naturally break down over time. The two biggest contributors to this process are oxidation and vibration. As the rubber oxidizes in the transmission mount, it can begin to fail.
Steel brackets are not impervious to the forces of vibration over time. They will be weakened each time the car turns on.
Of course, if you get into an accident and damage your car’s front-end, a broken transmission mount is always possible.
There are a few key concepts to evaluate whether your vehicle’s transmission mount failed. Certain conditions increase the likelihood your transmission mount will wear down and fail.
If you notice these conditions where you live, check on it more often. This way, you get to catch it before it inevitably needs a replacement.
Common Conditions That Cause Wear On Transmission Mounts:
- Living In Areas Where The Roads Freeze Over Winter: when you live in areas that freeze over the winter, you will inevitably encounter one of the most destructive forces known to vehicles. The salt is forced against your vehicle’s undercarriage as you drive over the slushy roads.
Suppose you live in an area that gets salted roads regularly.
In that case, you need to keep extra attention on your vehicle’s condition as it will likely wear down far more quickly than living somewhere without these driving conditions. - Fender Benders: while most people understand getting into a serious accident increases the likelihood of experiencing major mechanical malfunctions in your vehicle, you may be surprised to learn that even something as minor as a small fender bender can lead to significant structural damage. If you have been in an accident of any kind, then you definitely should consider checking out the condition of your transmission mount to see if it is still functioning.
- Driving Overly Aggressively: although it can be incredibly exciting and exhilarating to drive through densely trafficked areas aggressively, it is not the best thing to do if you are concerned about your vehicle’s transmission, drivetrain, or other mechanical components. The more gently you drive your vehicle, the longer it should last. If you want to ensure your transmission mount lasts for the longest time possible, drive as gently as possible.
The Consequences Of Not Replacing A Broken Transmission Mount
Of course, even if you find out that it is damaged, you still need to replace the transmission mount; otherwise, it will not do you any good.
You would be surprised how many people there are in the world who knowingly drive vehicles with mechanical malfunctions.
If you decide to test the limits and see how long you can go with a bad transmission mount, you can expect to experience some, if not all, of the following issues.
- Where you attach the transmission mount will break down more quickly
- Premature aging of major components of the drivetrain of your vehicle such as the driveshaft.
- In vehicles with multiple transmission mounts, the failure of one increases the probability of others failing
- Your drivetrain may move around excessively as you drive. This causes damage to various mechanical components within your engine bay.
Symptoms of Bad Transmission Mounts
Once you know what to look for, it is easy to determine whether your vehicles are experiencing the symptoms of a bad transmission mount.
They present almost the same universally, no matter who manufactured the vehicle.
The number one thing to look out for will always be vibration. Before we look at that, let us look at all of the symptoms in detail to break them down. So you develop a great whole view perspective of what is going on when you check it out for yourself.
Shaking & Rocking
Of course, the transmission mount is responsible for dampening much of the engine bay’s potential vibration.
Once these components fail, you can expect there to be nothing to stand in the way of your engine shaking violently. Depending on the vehicle, the engine may start to rock back and forth noticeably whenever it is turned on.
Engine Vibration when the Car is on
As stated before, if you turn on your vehicle and your engine starts to shake, then you may have a broken transmission mount on your hands.
You may also hear things shaking around within the engine bay. Loose components rattle around, making noise that does not sound natural.
Engine Bouncing and Clunks
When the transmission mount is gone, your vehicle, vehicle transmission, and drivetrain are far less stable. As a result, the transmission can move around as you are shifting gears.
You may hear this in action as you are shifting from one gear to the next. Listen closely. If you hear any clunking sounds when the clutch engages, you likely have a broken transmission mount.
The Car is Pulling when you Turn
One interesting effect of a failed transmission mount is its impact on vehicle handling when cornering at higher speeds.
Because the engine is no longer secure within the engine bay, each time you turn around a corner, it will begin to slide with the force of inertia.
Unfortunately, this inertia is in the opposite direction of your turn. This opposing force can make it noticeably more difficult to control the vehicle when approaching high speeds.
Other Damaged Parts are Found
Having a loose engine within your engine bay is one of the best ways to get something else broken. As you can imagine, engines are intricate machines that require precise operating conditions.
If they are loose, innumerable processes could go wrong at a moment’s notice.
If you notice your vehicle goes to the shop more often than normal, you might want to check on the transmission mount. Ensure everything’s secure within the engine bay, and there are no other pieces broken.
Often broken transmission mounts, if left unattended, lead to other parts of the engine braking.
How To Check For A Bad Transmission Mount
Okay, so now that you know all of the signs and symptoms to look out for, you’ll want to learn how to check if your suspicions are correct. Diagnosing the condition of the transmission mount in your vehicle is straightforward process.
Total Time Needed : ~
30
Minutes
Total Cost:
0
USD
Required Tools:
Things Needed?
In only a few steps, we will show you how to quickly and accurately determine whether you need replacement parts.
We will assume that you are a complete beginner. By following this guide, anyone can easily determine their transmission mount’s condition.
How to check for a bad transmission mount in 7 steps
Step 1: Open your vehicles engine bay and locate the transmission mount
If you already know how to open your vehicles engine bay, skip to whichever step in which you are unfamiliar with the material.
Otherwise, open your vehicle’s owner’s manual. Locate the release lever for your vehicle’s hood, pull it, and open up the engine bay.
Once the engine bay is open, using your vehicle’s owner’s manual, look for the transmission mount’s location.
Most vehicles have a list of parts and their locations within the engine bay in their manuals.
Step Two: If needed use a jack to lift your vehicle securely off the Ground
As mentioned before, some vehicles will have more than one transmission mount.
Some can easily be accessed through the hood from above. Others, you will need to try and approach from below.
If your vehicle is too low to the ground for you to slide underneath easily, use a secure jack, and lift it off the ground.
Step Three: Visually inspect for cracks on the mount
Once you have located the transmission mount or transmission mounts of your vehicle, you can begin working.
Look closely.
See if there are any signs of cracks or fractures within the structure’s material.
If you spot one, you may have uncovered something far more significant than its appearance implies. Often small fractures lead to complete breakage of the transmission mount.
Step Four: Using your hands, jostle the brackets to test for looseness
If there are no noticeable cracks on the outside of your transmission mount, grab ahold of it. Please give it a light tug.
Do not try to pull it too hard. If it is loose, you can tell quite easily.
If it is loose, its grip on your vehicle’s transmission will weaken over time unless you tighten it back up.
Step Five: Scan with a flashlight for empty screw holes
One of the most noticeable ways to determine your transmission mount’s condition is to inspect the mount’s screw holes’ location.
Since mounts are responsible for keeping things secure in your vehicle’s engine bay, any missing screws could be signs of trouble.
Sometimes screws get knocked loose and fall off of your vehicle’s transmission mount. If you notice any missing pieces, replace them before moving on to the next step.
Final Thoughts
If you suspect that your transmission mount has gone bad, then you do not need to worry. This guide has all you need to make an informed decision when trying to check the symptoms of a bad transmission mount.
Now that you’ve read all of it, you know what to look for, what to do, and why it happens. All of these are essential skills that will make being a responsible vehicle owner much easier for you.
If you have any comments, or questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section. We will read them and greatly appreciate the feedback. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to cruise through this article. Hope all goes well for you.