Had a bloke in last week with his Corolla — said it was shaking like a washing machine on spin cycle every time he pulled up at the lights. Turned out it wasn’t the tyres or the suspension like he thought — it was the engine mounts.
Now, most people don’t really think about engine mounts unless something goes wrong. Fair enough too — they’re not exactly front and centre. But they actually play a huge role in how your car feels on the road, especially around Hamilton with all the stop-start traffic, potholes on Ulster Street, or those gnarly driveways up in Flagstaff.
So What Are Engine Mounts, Anyway?
Basically, engine mounts are rubber and metal brackets that bolt your engine to the chassis. Sounds simple, but they’ve got a big job. They hold the engine steady and soak up all the vibrations and movement that come from it running — especially when you’re accelerating, braking, or crawling along in traffic.
Most cars have three or four engine mounts. In newer hybrids or EVs, the mounts are often specially designed to deal with different torque loads too — we’ve seen a few Toyota Prius and Honda Insight owners roll in with dodgy mounts that made the car feel weirdly clunky, especially at low speeds.
How Do You Know If Your Engine Mounts Are Stuffed?
Honestly, heaps of drivers don’t even realise they’re driving around with worn-out mounts. You get used to the shakes and rattles over time.
Here’s what we usually see when mounts are on the way out:
- Vibrations through the steering wheel or floor — especially when idling
- A clunk or thud when you change gear or take off
- Engine feels like it’s jumping around under the bonnet
- Odd noises going over speed bumps or rough patches (hello Avalon Drive…)
We see this a fair bit in older Nissan imports, Subarus, even a few Hiluxes that’ve done the hard yards towing boats or trailers. If you’ve got an older Mazda Demio or Honda Fit that’s seen a few Hamilton winters, those rubber mounts can get brittle and start to crack.
Why It Matters
When the engine mounts aren’t doing their job, all that vibration gets transferred straight into the car — and your ride comfort goes out the window. It can even start putting extra stress on other parts, like your exhaust or driveshafts. Not to mention it can muck up your WOF if it’s bad enough.
And let’s be honest, driving around with your engine bouncing around like a rugby ball isn’t good for anything.
What’s the Fix?
Replacing engine mounts isn’t usually a huge job — depends on the car, of course. Some are easy to get at, others are buried behind half the engine bay. We can check it out during your regular car service or if you’re in for WOF repairs. Better to sort it early before it starts causing bigger dramas.
If your car’s feeling rough or just doesn’t seem right, bring it in for a quick check. We’ve been doing car service in Hamilton for years now — we know what the roads here do to your ride. Whether it’s a hybrid repair or just a classic engine mount replacement, we’ll get you sorted.