Every driver understands the importance of their vehicle’s engine. Underneath the hood of every Acura lies the heart that keeps it running. And just like your heart, taking care of your engine is vital to the longevity and health of your vehicle.
The less wear and tear you put on your car’s engine, the longer your vehicle will last. Most of us are happy to do the obvious stuff to keep our engine running – we make sure to stick to the routine maintenance schedule, and to regularly change the oil. There is one important factor to your engine’s health that is often overlooked, however, and that is the condition of the physical items that connect the engine to the vehicle: the Front Engine Mount.
What is a front engine mount?
For those who are not familiar with front engine mounts, they’re exactly what the name says. A front engine mount is two metal brackets with a rubber gasket sandwiched between them, and the mount connects and secures the engine to the vehicle’s chassis. The mount secures the engine to the frame, and the rubber absorbs the engine’s vibration to ensure a smooth ride.
The rubber also reduces the stresses placed on the engine, and minimizes any movement within the engine bay. The health of the front engine mount is critical to limiting wear and tear on the engine and the chassis.
Why are front engine mounts important?
When the front engine mount wears out or fails, you put your engine in danger of wearing out, too. This is why it’s so important to your vehicle’s health that you are quick to diagnose a bad mount – before it can cause any damage to your
engine.
If you follow the steps outlined below, you’ll be able to easily find out if it’s time to replace your front engine mount. If you wait for this small problem to become a big one, you may find yourself replacing the entire engine. And as always, if you’re not comfortable diagnosing issues or making repairs yourself, but think the problems described sound familiar, take your car to your local Acura service center, where they’ll use OEM Acura parts in the repairs.
5 Steps to Identify a Bad Front Engine Mount
- ‘Impact’ noises coming from the engine bay
“Bangs” and “clanks’ coming from the engine bay are probably the most common symptoms of a bad front engine mount. If your engine is moving around too much and hitting items in the engine bay, it can be the result of a bad mount and can quickly lead to damage to your engine. You’re most likely to hear these impact noises when shifting gears from park to drive.
- Stronger-than-normal vibrations
One easy giveaway in diagnosing a bad front engine mount is if the vehicle is vibrating more than usual with the engine idling. This is a result of the rubber in the mount wearing out, which means it’s not as effective at absorbing the engine’s vibrations.
- Vehicle is pulling to the right or left
While this also might be a sign that pothole season left you in need of a wheel alignment, it can be another side effect of a bad engine mount. If your Acura veers to either the right or left when you let go of the steering wheel at slow speed (less than 20 miles per hour, for safety), even after an alignment, your next step should be to check the state of your engine mounts.
- Visual inspection
Whether you’re an avid DIY-er or not, it’s always best and most effective to see for yourself – assuming you know what to look for. If you think you might have a bad or failing engine mount, take a look. If you see cracked rubber, corrosion, or movement, or if you just know the mounts to be original on an older model, then you will at least have more information to share with your trusted mechanic at your next service appointment.
- Engine 'droop'
With healthy front engine mounts, your engine should be completely level. When one or multiple mounts start going bad, however, your engine will tilt to that side – making for an easy, telltale sign. If your engine isn’t aligned, take a look to see which direction it’s titled and then check the mount on that side.
Replacing a Front Engine Mount
Once you identify that one or multiple of your Acura’s front engine mounts need to be replaced, you should act quickly. Running your vehicle and driving with bad mounts can lead to serious damage to your engine and chassis.
Replacing your front engine mount early also will save you a lot of money in the long run. And if you shop with Bernardi Parts, you can find engine mounts for any Acura model. Just click here to go to our Acura OEM parts page and follow along with the GIF below.
Having trouble finding the right part? Reach out to our OEM Acura parts specialists