Theoretically, what's the worst thing that can happen if I never change the engines and transmission mounts?

I had my car aligned at the shop today and the tech told me that all engine and transmission mounts are bad and should be replaced. How long can I go before I NEED to change them out? Finances are a bit tight and I'm wondering how long I could go before I make things much worse.

By the way, my '05 TL has 131k miles on the odometer and all the mounts are the original ones.

Thanks!

 

Are they clunking really bad? I mean, I really don't see how failed mounts would severely cripple the car......worst case scenario the engine sinks a bit and puts your CV joints at unusual angles but still, I don't think it's something that could cause a major issue.

IMO Fix it as soon as money/time allows but until then you'll probably just be hearing some clunking, going easy on the throttle will also help.

 

Thanks for the insight. No clunking. If anything, the car has a rougher idle, but not all that bad. I'm just worried that my decision to hold off on replacing the mounts will cost me more money later down the road.

The tech was telling me horror stories of the mounts completely snapping off. Is that even possible?

 

yep, completely possible, happened to mine:

 

^ dang.

I'm about to do the front and side mount in my car next week. They're not bad yet, just preventative maintenance. Got a great price from Acura of Peoria. It's a pretty straight forward job to do yourself... I'd go ahead and replace them when you get the money to do so.

 

^+1 on Acura of Peoria! Just received mine.

 

DO you have to jack the engine up a bit when changing the front mount?

 

I imagine you probably would to take stress off the bolts for removal, it can be done safely with a block of wood to support the oil pan, you won't need to go very much. I haven't changed any on my TL but on previous cars the above applies.

 

^ yes.

put a 2x4 on the jack and put it under the oil pan to support the motor weight only. If you start to lift the car, don't do that. I'm sure this support is more important for the front mount. However, I'd put it under there doing the side mount as well just for peace of mind.

 

I did the mounts today. You DO need to jack the motor up a bit when doing the front mount. I didn't use the oil pan as a jacking point. I used the point where the block mates to the transmission. Use a 2x4 over the jack. I jacked it up just a small bit to get it loose enough to move and then pulled it out. It's tough to get it past the radiator (remove the passenger side fan) but it can be done. You might bend some of the radiator fins but that's the worst of it. Just be careful and you won't poke a hole in the radiator.

The side mount was incredibly easy. No jacking needed. Just pull the bolts out, remove and replace. Took less than 15 minutes.

 

Good idea, I know carefully jacking below the oil pan will not harm anything but it's nice to avoid that when possible just in case....for some odd reason I always have the worst luck. lol

Thanks for the heads up about the side mount, I'll be changing mine tomorrow so long as there's no precipitation.

 

I would have used the oil pan and that would have been fine... My car is pretty low and getting the jack under there can be a trick. It slide right under where the motor mates to the transmission so I said screw it, this is where it's staying lol

Side mount is super easy. Just move the power steering reservoir out of the way and you're golden.