Have you seen a running motor or engine that is unmounted from the main body of a vehicle? You must have noticed that the vibrations are intense that you cannot hold the engine still without feeling the violent shake all over your body.
Have you wondered why none of those shaking can be felt when you are behind the wheels or even when inside the vehicle as a passenger? At least with the newer or well-maintained vehicles. Thanks to the motor or engine mounts which makes driving and riding a vehicle as smooth and relaxing as possible.
Motor mounts in vehicles are the parts that secure the engine and the transmission to the body or frame of the vehicle. It is designed like a shock absorber so that the vibrations or the shaking of the running motor would not be felt or at least reduced to a point that they are no longer noticeable.
And there are actually several motor mounts surrounding the vehicle which are strategically located that whenever one breaks down, you would likely notice immediately because of the subtle warning like additional movements of the car that are usually not in there in the first place.
While it may not be an emergency case when your vehicle mounting wears out and you felt the warning signs the first time, the loud noise and the trembling it causes makes it harder to concentrate on driving and it could potentially distract you from noticing other more serious vehicle problems. But if you keep on ignoring it for too long, it could potentially lead to more serious issues such as damage to the transmission and axle shafts, among other problems.
If you are experiencing these movements we are talking about, how much to replace motor mounts would be your number one concern as of this moment.
Average Cost of Motor Mount
According to AutoServiceCosts.com, the motor mount replacement cost ranges from $224 to $563 for the total of labor and parts with an average cost of $399 across the United States.
Below are the different prices of different sources and auto shops compiled by them:
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Further, here are the sample engine replacement costs per popular vehicle brands:
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Meanwhile, if you are well-versed in vehicle maintenance and repair, typical cost of replacing the motor or engine mount is around $30 to $60 only on the average which represents the cost of the parts only that you could get from any after-market retailers. But it can range around as low as $38 from online retailers up to $145 from popular vehicle auto shops.
What are Included
Typical motor mount replacement cost includes the cost of the new engine mount, the labor for the installation, as well as the warranties. Usual warranties are up to 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. But there are those auto shops which offer longer so it would be helpful to accept several quotes or estimates.
Additional Costs
How much to replace motor mounts would be a chicken feed compared to what you would need to spend when worse comes to worst. As mentioned, a lot of could happen if you continue to drive a vehicle with damaged engine mounts for so long which include damage to transmission and axle shafts.
The average cost to replace an engine transmission is between $800 to $3,500 depending on whether you opted for used/salvaged transmission or a brand new one. Axle shaft replacement cost around less than $200 up to more than $1,000 depending on the type of vehicle.
Other damages like broken belts and hoses and worst, engine failure might happen which entails higher costs of repair if you would not pay attention to your engine mount issues.
Shopping for Motor Mount
Most vehicle shops around can address this simple vehicle issue without literally breaking a sweat but it pays to shop around for the best quality of service and are backed by warranties and guarantees.
You may check out ClickMechanic.com to get an instant free estimate for your vehicle just by indicating your post code and your vehicle’s registration number.
Do It Yourself
If you have the proper tools and enough basic knowledge about vehicle repairs, replacing the engine mount of your vehicle can be a DIY project and can be solved with around $30 to $60 budget for the new motor mount.
These are the tools you would need for your DIY project:
- Block of wood, 30 inches long
- Jack stand
- Large size ratchet
- Metric socket set
- Penetrating spray lubricant
- Professional floor jack
- Pry bar
- Work gloves
YourMechanic.com teaches you the step by step on how to replace an engine mount yourself.
Factors Affecting Motor Mount Cost
The cost of the parts – the price of the spare parts vary depending on the source. There are a wide array of choices of vehicle parts ranging from those supplied by the car dealers to those aftermarket found online.
Ease of access – here is where the make, model, and year play the part in the costing as installing vehicle parts is a pretty straightforward task. But what affects the cost is how much effort the mechanic puts into the task because of the level of difficulty of the access to your vehicle. When there are hindrances in the way of target parts to be replaced, chances are, you would be charged the additional time they need to hurdle those difficulties.
Labor – the charges for the installation depends on the level of expertise of the mechanic doing the task. The more skilled the mechanic doing the mounting replacement, the higher the price being charged. Mechanics also have standard hours for installing the engine mounts which may also factor into the pricing of labor. So it would be helpful if you inquire of this information. Usually, the shop that allocates the shortest time for the task charges the cheapest.
Vehicle shop – you can choose whether to have your car serviced by auto dealers or by your neighborhood repair shops. The cost depends on the quality of service as well as the warranty involved.
Location – the cost of living and cost of doing business in a particular state, city, or county has a lot to do with the pricing of any type of service and commodities.
Additional Information
Unlike other vehicle issues that the mechanic can detect during routine inspection and maintenance, engine mounts cannot be checked so it is your duty as the owner to observe if there are unusual feel when you drive or ride your car.
Some of the reasons behind engine mount’s faster erosion than the usual wear and tear are the liquids like motor oils, transmission fluids, power steering fluids, etc. making their way to their way into the mounts. It can also be because of the upgrade of the engine making it more powerful than it was originally designed. Not to mention the aggressive driving, outside storage, dry climates, or traffic collisions which can also affect or damage the engine mount.
A number of warning signs which tell you that you need an engine mount replacement include loud noise when running especially when you put your car in gear, vibrations when driving uphill, oil leaks, engine or transmission movement, a feel of movement in the compartment when driving, among others. At first signs of any of these, go straight to your mechanic and have it checked.
Generally, engine mount replacements are not covered by insurance when it is caused by the usual wear and tear and other natural causes unless the damage was due to an accident or traffic collision.