After changing susp. components again, I am beginning to suspect that nagging clunk in the front right to be a bad motor mount.

I replaced the stab.bar bushings AND Strut bearings a few weeks ago (oem), and nada - still there. Been there for a LONG TIME. Haven't done the tie rods yet - but don't think I need to...

I also have a VERy loud metallic clanking sound heard inside the cabin, in the centerline of the upper dash-board near the windshield. It is more prevalent in COLD COLD weather when the suspension & chassis are stiff....but also heard on moderate to large bumps and potholes in normal driving conditions. --sounds like the windshield is loose and banging against metal or something~!

So - after doing a few different searches - I have yet to see how to properly diagnose a bad motor mount, or even really how to Replace a defective part.

**Has ANYONE Ever had the dealer replace a motor mount under the 60k POWERTRAIN Warranty????**
I'm heading into the dealer this week for oil diagnosis and change - and would like to have them perhaps diagnose and maybe even fix it if I can get them to cover it under warranty.

Thanks for the input guys.

gr

 

The only way to diagnose a motor mount is by looking at it and inspecting it for sagging, cracks, deformities, in the rubber. You can also pop the hood and rev the engine in neutral and see if the engine moves excessively. I would suspect the rear mount (kind of hard to see without getting the car off the ground)

Is your car an auto? Does it clunk when you shift gears?

As far as a write up for replacement, as a general idea you need to support the engine, remove the mount(s), and replace them. Generally you do them in pairs (if you do the rear, do the front, etc)

 

i had the exact same problem...thought it was a bad CV joint...it was a bad rear motor mount.
it isnt covered by the powertrain warranty because its a "wear item"
i paid -
part $160
install $100

 

Sooner --
I'm beginning to think our Maximas were fraternal twins separated at birth from the same idiots at the factory!!

--did you have the same clunk in the front-end, or the nasty metallic clapping behind the windshield??
I swear it sounds like I've LIterally broken a mounting bracket that connects the dash to the subframe....it's horrendous! --the pass. front is just IRRITATINGLY sloppy...but not nasty.
I think it happened several years back (on lowered susp) on an uneven bridge expansion joint in Alabama. I SWEAR i thought my struts were going to explode thru the hood of my car!!
VERY possible that I busted the rear motor mount on that one!!

Is replacing a motor mount something I can do by myself???

Thks,
gr

 

what i had - during acceleration (only when the car was cold) i had a very loud rubber squeaking/medal clunk sound. you could feel it in the floorboard and the dash would shutter. it was a lot like the sound/feeling from wheel hop just way worse.
took it to 4 places that said nothing was wrong. took it to nissan, withing 20 minutes they drove it, put in on the lift and said the motor mount was bad.

 

Based on your "sloppy" explaination I would definately inspect your motor mounts much more closely.

As described above, you can move it in and out of gear if an automatic and its pretty easy to see a bad mount (engine shifts a LOT under load). A manual, while performing the same test, isnt as easy to see.

I have not had to replace a mount on the maxima but its a matter of access like most parts. Nothing fancy to do. Usually it might be nice to have access to a second jack to aleviate the load on the joint and make working on it easier.

 

and if you do it yourself, you need to get the entire assembly (bracket and rubber mount). if you just get the mount, you have to get the old one removed from the bracket and the new one pressed in.

 

I forgot to mention that I have 6spd.

If a Nissan dealership can diagnose it in 20 minutes - that to me, says this is a common failure point. I hate putting OEM parts back in when it's such a problem to begin with.....
Anybody care to comment on the Energy Bushings vs. OEM???
I know the Hard Polyurethane bushings tend to be more "connected" to the car - and not as isolatory for engine vibes and noise.
I'd just hate to have to replace these damn things again, if in fact - they ARE the cause of my issues.

Damn those are expensive parts!!

 

Roger. WIlco.

 

Exellent point. Totally forgot that point.


GR...depends on your car experience. You traded your suspension out. I am thinking the vibes and so forth that a Poly mount would give you might not be what you wish. I traded out poly for rubber on my 2 (I know, TOTALLY different) and there was a substantial difference.

Also, I seem to recall one "company" of poly having low quality mounts. So bad that it "melted" in the metal casing and they would not warranty it. I wish I could remember the company.

 

Likely not - but I KNOW that I've had this friggin' rattle in my right front since DAY1. Dealership couldn't diagnose no matter how many times I took it back.
Made me mad.
Makes me think the motor mount was bad from day 1 -- or something less obvious.
I just had the Bearing replaced on that side too....so i KNOW it's not that.
Ugh. I'm literally running-out of ****e to replace.
And yes, I KNOW this sounds like what 50 other guys have done as well....!
gr

 

i wanted to use ES but i didnt have time to deal with it so i just used OEM. i drove puppetmaster's car with ES and LOVED it. i may do it in the future.

 

ive had the same problem ...under acceleration the passanger saide would shake like the wheel was about to come off...changed axles hubs, bearing ...swapped out suspension..and finally somebody told me to change the rear motor mount...as soon as i changed it bam....car drives like brand new now....

 

yeah, the motor rotates back and to the passenger side. if the rear mount is bad, it moves even more so you hear it on that side. my wife said that she could really feel it on the floor.

 

I'll have to start paying more attention to it - but I don't notice anything MORE during acceleration.
It's mostly just a loose clunking sound when traveling over uneven pavement and potholes....like there is literally something loose in the susp.

I really think I notice anything thru the floorboards either -- but again....I'll have to be on the lookout for it.
It's that nasty metallic clunking near the windshield that's got me thinking motor mount though!

gr

 

do the es mounts, night and day difference. car rattles, but the insane wheel hop i had is gone..

 

hey, is there a way to tell which mount is bad when car is on lift, i have a 03 max AT and when if shift i feel it. usually feel it more when it is 1-2 and 2-3 shifts when i get to highway speeds i feel it less. also when i have hood open and shift from park to reverse or from park to drive you can see the engien move alittle. i don't want to buy alll 4 mounts whihc is expensive all hell. any help would be great.

 

any advise on this?

 

If your going to change it might as well switch over to Poly mounts. You wont regret it.

 

can i use the inserts in the front mount? also i cant afford to chaneg them all i want to find out which one is causing the problem and fix that one.

 

After much clunking, poor switching of lower gears, jerking/jumping, and terrible noises/feel, my 2005 Maxima was diagnosed by Lee Miles Transmission Center in Brooklyn, NY with 3 of 4 broken motor mounts. Car has about 63K miles and does a lot of city driving. It was recommended I replace with new nissan parts which will cost $500 for the 3 mounts and $175 in labor. Does that sound about right? Thanks in advance!

 

Let me guess ? R/H side of your 03? I just found my clunking noise 2day (R/H motor mount) looks good but with a large pry bar I was able to find the problem. It never made any noise during accelerating just when riding over small uneven road surfaces. Feels like I've won the war!

 

cMax, I have the same problem and I have replace every suspension component except for the motor mounts. can you confirm what part # is the mount you replaced?

Jose

 

I'm having the same noises over uneven and broken pavement. I'm looking to replace my motor mounts as well. 123K on the original ones. been having the noises for about 20K miles or so.

 

Hard to believe Nissan used such low quality mm's in our cars. My mm's didn't need changed in my '97 Altima till about 200K miles. I'm also having the same clunking noise in my '01 Max. Hate to say it this way, but maybe it's good that we all have the same problem, makes it easier to diagnose and fix.

 

So how do I know for sure that the noise isn't coming from the suspension and from the motor mount??

Any particular test I can do?

 

Here is my story with the mm on my 2k Max SE.
Got it in 2005 with 50k miles on it.
Last year in the summer I started smelling something like hot plastic from under the dash and the car was making some strange noises when turning off the engine.
It was kind of on and off and 2 days after, when I went to get it checked, the dealer said some portion of the ECU was fried due to shorted mm.
So I had it replaced, as well as the mm for a total of 2k CAD.
I was told the 2000 ECU was missing some sort of protection for shorted mm's and it was fixed in a later ECU.
Ever since the mm's were changed, I can hear them (not very easy to spot) whenever the speed goes up and above 1000rpm.
Just my story, maybe this would help anyone with a 2k Max.

 

More here:
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...ml#post4827817

and my story:
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...ml#post4792219

 

You are right, I've a 2K Max AT and I replaced mine with OEM ones and still hear the noise. If the noise gets louder I'm goanna drive with disconnected mounts.

I’ve done some troubleshooting with the old mount I have. After opening the mount circuit casing looks like there is a shaft connected to servo motor inside these mounts. This shaft spins either clockwise or counterclockwise which controls the inside mechanism the mount. So I believe if this motor is jammed or stops to spin over the period of time would fry the ECM.
Correct me if I’m wrong

 

I am hearing the same type of noise on my 2000 5spd but it goes away when the car is warmed up. Could this still be the motor mount?

 

bumping this

when I go WOT from 1st-2nd gear and from 2nd-3rd in my 6 speed I hear and feel this thud from under the car. It sounds like the ypipe is moving excessively and is going to fall off. Could this be a bad mount?

 

Finally someone with the same thud sound that I have when accelerating WOT in my 5 speed, 1st-2nd and 2nd-3rd I have MAJOR thud from under my feet like my whole car is about to fall apart. Asking again, could this be a bad mount???

 

^ wow same problem. Ill let you know tomorrow, my buddy is checking it out at his shop. My amateur guess is that it is a motor mount

 

this has been bugging me for a long time now, I assumed it was wheel hop but who knows, check this link out, mine sounds like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anHrvIWJoZM

 

I've got thunks and clunks coming from my passenger side-firewall under heavy acceleration (01 SE auto).

 

That's a lot of wheel hop I think. It's not necessarily bad motor mounts.

I am having the same symptoms you guys are having. Mine only happens when I accelerate hard in first. It sounds and feels like something is moving around in the engine bay (likely the motor). It's not quite like wheel hop because the whole front of the car isn't shaking up and down (as in that vid) and my prior experience with wheel hop. Rather, it feels as though either the tranny or motor is moving around.

I'll try to check the mounts this weekend.

Anyone know where the cheapest place is to buy the ES MM inserts?

 

Where is the best (cheapest) place to get replacement mounts? Courtesy? Rock Auto?

 

Stock? DAVEB.

ES? Still trying to figure that out.

 

Ok I've been searching and can't find DaveB.'s contact number. His Inbox is full ( no surprise there)-any ideas on how to contact him?

This is a place for mount inserts...don't know how price compares though-
http://www.suspension.com/nissancars.htm

 

Dave Burnette: 1.888.254.6060.