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#1
09-04-2004, 11:50 AM
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Engine Mounts
I took my car in a couple of days ago for a clunking noise when accelerating in first gear. It was coming from the center of the car so I thought it was either the transmission or play in the drive shaft. The dealer thought it was engine mounts. The repair bill was $750 and it I haven't noticed any difference. I have a 99 SL500 with 47k miles on it. Is my car at the age or mileage when these need to be replaced? I have read other people replacing them on 20 year old cars with over 100k. The service advisor said my engine was sagging. I am wondering if he was just saying that. Can you determine that the mounts need replacing by just looking at them (they seem pretty much covered).
I am going back Tuesday to see if they can determine the cause of the clunk and I have requested my old mounts. What should I look for in faulty mounts? Obviously the rubber has to be in good condition (no cracks), but is there a certain thickness or anything else I should be looking for? Thanks for any input! 
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#2
09-07-2004, 04:52 PM
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Did they check your flex discs or your transmission mount? Make sure they check those, I have replaced my mounts twice and I have 116k on my SL320, so the mounts do sag, when they went bad I only noticed a little more cowl shake and feeling of instability in handling, not any clunking though. I had a flex disc start to go bad and when I put it in gear it would make a clunk sound. Get it all checked out! if you have the time climb under the car yourself and look all up and down the drive line. Good luck!
Brian
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#4
09-08-2004, 09:24 PM
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Pictures
I bought an extended warranty when I bought the car. It is good until 1/08 or 100k.
They said the Trans mount and flex discs were good and the problem was with a heat shield that was getting hit when the engine would rotate while being rev-ed. I knew right away that wasn't it, but since they didn't charge me (except for the mounts) and they obviously didn't have a clue, I decided not to argue and take it somewhere else. The following are pictures of my old engine mounts. The service advisor said the rubber on the top has been worn down 2-3 inches. I asked if it was worn down why can you read the numbers that are on top of the rubber. His comment.....it is not worn down so much as it is compacted. Sounds like BS to me. Can some one tell me if these needed replacement? Thanks for your replies!
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#5
09-08-2004, 09:55 PM
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I would not think an engine mount can be worn out at 47K, not that it will not happen. If you have insurance, you should demand to have the engine mount fixed, or whatever the problem is. They should not even question you. Tell the service advisor you will report this incidence to MBUSA, but make sure you get the name of your regional rep before hand. Call the 800 number at MBUSA, and ask to speak with the regional rep of your area. Most likely he/she will not talke to you without knowing the nature of your call. That's when you ask the receptionist his/her name and that you will call back.
__________________
95 R129 04 Infiniti G35.5 BS 10 X204
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#6
09-09-2004, 04:22 AM
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Your service advisor is not BSing you.
Yes, engine mounts generally wear by "compaction", not by losing actual material. Losing material means that friction wear would have to take place. That's not the case with engine mounts. Remember, the engine is sitting on the frame directly on the two mounts on the sides. The torque of the motor, turning clockwise (i.e. rotating slightly toward the passenger side of the car on the mounts) and then returning back to normal position, tends to compress and sag the mounts after many 10s of thousands of compressions. It's a fact of life. In addition, any rubber part on the car is going to show wear after as few as 3-5 years. At 10 years, most rubber parts are junk whether they have been used or not. That goes for tires, hoses, seals, motor mounts, brake lines, whatever. All rubber should be replaced whether it looks or feels like it should be, or not. The ozone and natural breakdown, not to mention the extreme heat, chemical combustion by-products, and 600+ pound weight of the engine, in the harsh engine-bay environment, can and will do any motor mount in. I have a 300SEL 6.3 from 1969, with just 56,000 original miles on it, on which I just recently replaced the engine mounts. They were quite worn! Cheers, Gerry
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#8
09-09-2004, 09:54 AM
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My mounts on my SL looked perfectly fine when he took them out, but when compared to new ones, they were not as tall, My car is older and has more miles, but he said they probably should have been replaced long ago. Happy Benzing!
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#9
09-10-2004, 01:04 AM
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Quote:
__________________
'94 SL500 Tourmaline Green, 120K miles as of February 27, 2005. http://home.earthlink.net/~boudreaux...ictures/17.jpg Updated photo September 2004
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#10
09-10-2004, 02:35 AM
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Seems reasonable to me -- current MB list price for each mount is $162.00. It takes roughly 2 hours of labor to replace each one. At say, $90 per hour.
So this would be $324+ in parts and 360+ in labor -->$684 plus supplies and tax. It's in the ballpark of what he quotes. Not defending dealer pricing or labor costs, but given current pricing on things, it is what it is. Cheers, Gerry
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