Symptoms of a failing Left Engine Mount

Vibrations

All right, it’s time for your first test. In the last chapter, we talked about how engine mounts are responsible for absorbing vibrations and impact from the engine, to keep your ride as smooth as possible. So, what do you think happens when one of those mounts - let’s say the left engine mount - is unable to do its job? If you guessed that it might create vibrations, well you would be correct. If your left engine mount begins to fail or goes out, the entire cabin may vibrate, which sounds a lot more fun that it actually is. Trust me. So, if you’re noticing your seats, steering wheel, and dashboard shaking like there’s a mini earthquake in your car, it may be a left engine mount that is failing on the job.

Clunking noise

Okay, ready for your second lesson in cars? Weird noises are bad. I know, this is truly life-changing news. A busted left engine mount is likely to result in a much noisier car. At first you may hear a rattle, due to the engine being a bit loose. Then you’ll hear a clunking noise, specifically when you put the car into gear. Eventually that clunking noise will show up during pretty much everything you do in your car, such as speeding up, slowing down, or driving over any imperfections in the road. When you hear a noise that’s wrong with your car, it’s time to get the car serviced. And if that noise is a rattling or clunking, you may have a funky left engine mount.

Leaks

A good number of modern cars use liquid in the center of their engine mounts, to provide maximum absorption levels. If the left engine mount breaks, then it's likely that you might lose some fluid. In general, fluid under your car is never a good thing. It could be the result of many different issues, including a faulty left engine mount. Get it looked at.