Engine Mounts: Lifespan & Replacement Guide

Hey everyone,

Can anyone tell me how long engine mounts typically last? My car is an Audi A6 1.9 TDI (AVG), model year 2000, with 120,000 km on the odometer.

Background:

In early October of last year, a drunk driver rear-ended me on the highway at approximately 80 km/h. The car had about 98,000 kilometers on it at the time. The damage was repaired by Audi, but there was still a strange 'rumbling/vibration' noticeable at very low engine speeds. When I took the car back to Audi, they diagnosed a damaged flex pipe from the catalytic converter, which was replaced, and the problem was resolved.

'Now, increasingly strong vibrations are occurring both at idle and under full load. Under full load, there's also a loud booming sound. After searching here on the forum, I suspect that the engine mounts may be defective.'

After 8 months, the opposing insurance company will almost certainly no longer recognize the claim and will likely attribute it to wear and tear. Is it possible that these parts wear out quickly, or do they normally last longer? As far as I know, the A6 has hydraulic engine mounts.

I would be grateful for any help.

Best regards,
Mike.

Hello Mike,

Normally, engine mounts last for the entire lifespan of a vehicle; certainly, the rubber will degrade over time.
Over time, it becomes harder and changes its properties. Sometimes, hydrolocks are...
It can also leak, in which case you might notice a 'stuck' feeling when driving on uneven road surfaces or highways.
creaking or banging sounds during load changes.

In your case (a car involved in an accident), I suspect that the vehicle is damaged and that...
The bearing is likely tight. You could try loosening the bearings slightly.
The motor jerks, thus relaxing the system. The front torque strut...
can be adjusted. Perhaps it is also tightened too much. In the A6 TDI, there should be adjustable...
Hydrostatic bearings are used as engine mounts. They experience stress during operation and increase [something - the context is missing to know what increases].
warehouse dampening.

Perhaps it's not the engine mounts, but the engine itself or another component.
comes into contact with something.

Best regards,
Bernhard

Hello Bernhard,

Thank you for the response. That helps me a lot. However, the report didn't mention anything about body misalignment. I also suspected it myself because the gap between the left side panel and the trunk lid is wider than on the right side (the impact was in the rear left), and the driver's door 'drops' slightly when opening.

I'm going to have the engine mounts realigned first and hope that improves things. I might also get the car inspected again.

Regards,
Mike.

Hi,
So, on my father's Audi A4, the transmission mount, which is made of rubber, tore after only 40,000 kilometers.
Otherwise, two new engine mounts shouldn't cost a fortune; I estimate around €50-€70 each. You can have them replaced at an independent garage and that's it.
It would be worth a try.
Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

'MFG' stands for 'Mit freundlichen Grüßen,' which translates to 'Sincerely' or 'Best regards' in English. It is a common way to end a formal letter or email.

"Sorry to butt in here."

"With my Passat, I'm also experiencing a problem where it's becoming increasingly noisy, especially when driving at a constant speed."

Now I've noticed that the front "engine mount" (what exactly is that?) has already sunk in about 4 mm, so you can see a deep indentation.

Could that rumbling noise be coming from it? And can I adjust the "bearing"? Or should I replace it?

Thank you.

Hi,
Did the exhaust system also sustain any damage upon impact, and is that why it's no longer properly secured in its mounts?

... or has the flexible pipe been damaged?

dieselmartin wrote:

... or has the flexible pipe been damaged?

.... those who can read have a clear advantage:

helmaker wrote:

At Audi again, a damaged flex pipe from the catalytic converter was diagnosed, which was also replaced, and the problem was resolved.

ok, next attempt:

Perhaps the mechanics installed the new flexible pipe incorrectly, which is putting stress on the exhaust system.

(Been there, done that!!)

Okay, please provide the German text you would like me to translate into English. I will only provide the translation.

Sometimes, hydraulic accumulators are...
It can also leak, in which case you might notice a 'stuck' feeling when driving on uneven road surfaces or highways.
welding or hammering during load changes.

'Bouncing? Is that a kind of wavy driving sensation? Or maybe it's related to sudden changes in load? Because, our Passat has 125,000 km on it and sometimes exhibits this wavy driving feeling (our older Passat B4 TDI didn't have this issue on the same road), and also experiences a harsh transition from braking to acceleration.'

Best regards, WarLord.

Hello everyone,
bei meinem A4 AFN hatte ich temperaturabhängig starkes Kupplungsrupfen und manchmal, bei hohen AUßentemperaturen, den Effekt, dass der Motor im Leerlauf extrem vibriert hat. Kurzer Gasstoß, und das Vibrieren war wieder weg. Das war letzten Sommer. Im Winter kein Leidensdruck, aber die ersten Tage mit sommerlichen Temperaturen haben mich wieder tierisch angenervt. Habe also im April 2004 die Lager gewechselt. Kupplungsrupfen fast weg, Vibrationen im Leerlauf nie wieder aufgetreten. Beim Wechsel habe ich festgestellt, dass die alten Lager total platt waren. Im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes platt: Die Gummizone zwischen Ober- und Unterseite hatte sich unter dem Gewicht des Motors komplett nach AUßen aufgewulstet. Mit den neuen Lagern ist der Motor nun etliche Milimeter höher. Die Lager haben 90 Euro gekostet. Einbau in der Mietwerkstatt ca. 2 Stunden. Motor anheben reicht nicht, weil die Gewindestangen der Lager zu lang sind. Habe deshalb den Motor abgestützt und beide Vorderachshälften/Aggregattträger mit dem Stabi mit einem Getriebeheber abgesenkt. EiNo problem at all.

Regards,
Thomas.

Mileage approximately 240,000 km.

Hello everyone,

heute war ich mal beim freundlichen gewesen. Ergebnis nach der Probefahrt: Angeblich ist alles in Ordnung. Der Meister konnte kein vibrieren und kein Dröhnen feststellen. Der gegenwärtige Zustand sei völlig normal. Das bei soetwas die Motorlager schuld seien könnten, halt er aber für sehr unwahrscheinlich. Dafür wurden mir viele abenteuerliche Gründe genannt, z. B. AchsenBitte gib mir den deutschen Text, den du übersetzt haben möchtest.

I'll try a different Audi workshop. Maybe they will be more knowledgeable.

Best regards,
Mike.

Regarding the 'motor mounts' again:

Get in the car, firmly apply the handbrake, and then slowly release the clutch in both first gear and reverse. While doing this, another person can observe how much the engine moves within the engine bay. A small amount of movement is normal, but if you notice a lot of play, you'll immediately feel it, and it's likely that the engine mounts are broken.

Otherwise, the engine and exhaust mounting are tight, which is the next thing I would address.

arne

Yes, Arne's idea is good.

"I just replaced the front hydraulic engine mount on a Passat 35i 16V yesterday. It had become leaky, and the car was making quite a loud rumbling noise, in addition to the described strong load-shifting jolts. However, VW wanted €115 for a new hydraulic engine mount (for the Passat 35i). Considering the year of manufacture (1992), we looked around at the junkyard and bought a rubber engine mount for €5, which works perfectly after installation. We'll see how long it lasts..."

Matthias.

@Arne

I tried out your idea yesterday.
In my longitudinally mounted engine, the left bearing moves 1 cm upwards in forward gear and 1/2 cm downwards in reverse gear.
There isn't a significant movement to be seen on the right wing, although it's not particularly easy to get a clear view of what's happening there.
Is that still within the tolerance limits?

Regarding color coding:
Left side: 2 orange dots. Right side: 3 yellow dots.
I assume this refers to the hardness/damping properties. Am I correct in that assumption?
I actually expected to get two identical ones...
Best regards,

Hi Wolfi,

I think that's already within the acceptable range.

I did the same thing on my A6 TDI back then.
It looked similar, and all the compartments appeared to be in order.

Hmmm.

My TT also had a vibration during acceleration below 2000 RPM until last week – I checked everything and just accepted it. After the turbocharger was replaced (and, logically, the exhaust manifold was loose from the engine), the vibration mostly disappeared. So, I think it might have been caused by some tension in the exhaust system. Maybe something similar is causing the problem for you... maybe.

arne