Mazda3 Engine mount inquiry

[ZDA3]

I'm guessing a Mazda 3 would have 3 engine mounts but rockauto only sells the front right mount. No stocks for the front left or any rear mounts. The dealership (upon getting diagnostics done) suggested to replace engine mount #3 and the dog bone mount. I'm sure there's 3 engine mounts so might as well replace all. They also suggested to replace the worn out transmission mount. Rockauto sells the left mount, but doesn't state what the other transmission mounts they sell, if it's either for a right or a left (I'll contact the manufacturer later).

2015 Mazda3

 

[negusm]

Maybe the transmission mount counts as a combined third one?

I usually go to partsouq.com, put in my vin and look at the exploded diagrams to see what parts are doing what.

 

[ZDA3]

I kind of figured earlier after finding a motor mount kit at rockauto. There's 3 mounts in the kit and 1 of the mount is a transmission mount. I didnt realize that the motor/engine mount is connected to the transmission mount as one piece (is it?)?

The dealership diagnostics had 3 separate diagnosis (and 3 separate prices ranging from $380 to $600 each!) for each mount as having issues rather than simply stating that the engine mount (all 3) is the issue.

 

[SparkYellow]

I recently ordered OEM parts for my CX-3 from https://mazda.oempartsonline.com/

You can also pull the part numbers from the official Mazda site and then search for it on dealership sites and etc.

Ordered 3 mounts and installed 2 already: the side mount (between the passenger side strut and engine) and the transmission mount (dog bone right in the center under carriage). The last piece is supposed to be on the driver side of the engine. I was doing a D/L of the transmission so the intake box was out. It didn't seem like I got the correct item so I have to check again. There's a difference between awd and fwd.

 

[SparkYellow]

I recently ordered OEM parts for my CX-3 from https://mazda.oempartsonline.com/

You can also pull the part numbers from the official Mazda site and then search for it on dealership sites and etc.

Ordered 3 mounts and installed 2 already: the side mount (between the passenger side strut and engine) and the transmission mount (dog bone right in the center under carriage). The last piece is supposed to be on the driver side of the engine. I was doing a D/L of the transmission so the intake box was out. It didn't seem like I got the correct item so I have to check again. There's a difference between awd and fwd.

parts.mazdausa.com has everything listed in categories with diagrams after you specify year/model/engine/transmission/trim

Use the parts number here to shop for better prices.

 

[SparkYellow]

parts.mazdausa.com has everything listed in categories with diagrams after you specify year/model/engine/transmission/trim

Use the parts number here to shop for better prices.

I was quoted $700+ of labor for all 3 from an indie shop. Car has 155K miles and this is more of a preventative measure. I rented a lift with help and got two on for half.

 

[ZDA3]

Do you need to go under the car to install the engine mounts?

With my old car (2001 Toyota Celica GT), the engine mounts replaced was done from the front (under the hood) of the car, not below the car. So no lift was needed.

 

[SparkYellow]

Do you need to go under the car to install the engine mounts?

With my old car (2001 Toyota Celica GT), the engine mounts replaced was done from the front (under the hood) of the car, not below the car. So no lift was needed.

Yes for the dog bone. The transmission needs to be supported when you loosen up the bolts for the dog bone. They are at the bottom/center.

For the side mount, after you put the car on jack stands, you can use a jack to support the bottom of the engine (oil pan). Then you loosen up the bolts in the engine bay. The engine would shift a bit but it's ok as long as it's stable on the jack.

 

[SparkYellow]

Yes for the dog bone. The transmission needs to be supported when you loosen up the bolts for the dog bone. They are at the bottom/center.

For the side mount, after you put the car on jack stands, you can use a jack to support the bottom of the engine (oil pan). Then you loosen up the bolts in the engine bay. The engine would shift a bit but it's ok as long as it's stable on the jack.

The first picture in my first reply shows the bolt holes for the main mount and you can see that there is room for adjustment. I was told to make sure that the new one is positioned the same way by aligning the bolts.

 

[SparkYellow]

The first picture in my first reply shows the bolt holes for the main mount and you can see that there is room for adjustment. I was told to make sure that the new one is positioned the same way by aligning the bolts.

Do you have a plastic cover underneath with maybe 8 bolts and 6 trim fasteners? Those took me a long time to remove even when standing under the lift. This is my first time doing this, the shop owner-mechanic taught me how to do it.

 

[ZDA3]

I'm not sure. I've never really seen much what's underneath the car.

Wouldn't installing the left and right engine mounts first before the dog bone (rear/center) mount support the transmission though?

 

[SparkYellow]

I'm not sure. I've never really seen much what's underneath the car.

Wouldn't installing the left and right engine mounts first before the dog bone (rear/center) mount support the transmission though?

Good point! I didn't think about it at the time. The support from underneath is to take the weight off the dog bone so we can slide it out after loosening all the bolts.

 

[SparkYellow]

Did you find out more about #3? For me, the last mount was on the driver side for the transmission. It was a real pain to get to. Air box out, battery out, battery tray out... I also had to disconnect the modules from the back of the tray. It has one long bolt going through a bracket on top of the transmission, two bolts into the chassis, and one nut higher up for a stud. The two bolts into the chassis are hardest because of the bundles of wires in the way. The rubber in the mount itself doesn't look bad, I would have believed it to be a life-time component.

 

[TheMAN]

the rear mount is the same as the 1st gen CX-5... FWD one for the manual, AWD one for the auto

the transmission mount is the same as the 3rd gen Mazda6

if it ain't broke, don't fix it... aftermarket mounts are a big hit and miss and usually horrible in quality... they can cause more vibrations than the OEM mounts... besides ridiculous markups, there's a reason why OEM mounts are much more expensive lol

 

[SparkYellow]

the rear mount is the same as the 1st gen CX-5... FWD one for the manual, AWD one for the auto

the transmission mount is the same as the 3rd gen Mazda6

if it ain't broke, don't fix it... aftermarket mounts are a big hit and miss and usually horrible in quality... they can cause more vibrations than the OEM mounts... besides ridiculous markups, there's a reason why OEM mounts are much more expensive lol

I went oem mainly due to fitment concerns. I also figured if the factory components last 155K+ miles, I won't ever need to do this again. It is not obvious to me though how a professional determines that a mount requires replacement. Only one of them can be inspected easily. The rubber core in each mount is hella solid with only slight blemishes.

 

[ZDA3]

I was able to notice the difference when my old car (2001 Toyota Celica GT) had its worn out motor mounts replaced with a new one. I think when you hit the gas pedal or accelerator/revving the engine (from under the hood of the car) while the car is parked is how they determine if the engine mounts are faulty. I don't remember how many was replaced (if not all ) but the wobble or back and forth movement of the engine when accelerating was stabilized. I think that car had 3 engine mounts and 1 transmission mount but probably only the left and right or faulty ones were replaced.

The 2016 Mazda 3 we recently had the engine mounts replaced had 3 mounts (left and right and lower rear aka dog bone mount). I posted a pic from Rockauto on post #3. The mechanic who installed them gave back the old worn out mounts and it looks exactly like the new mounts bought from Rockauto. The suggestion was to reuse the OE bracket.

 

[TheMAN]

just because they "looks exactly the same" doesn't mean they're the same... you can't see the rubber hardness (durometer) nor know what filling is used inside the mounts... you may or may not get more vibrations with aftermarket non-performance mounts compared to OEM... it's a huge coin toss when you buy aftermarket

 

[TheMAN]

I went oem mainly due to fitment concerns. I also figured if the factory components last 155K+ miles, I won't ever need to do this again. It is not obvious to me though how a professional determines that a mount requires replacement. Only one of them can be inspected easily. The rubber core in each mount is hella solid with only slight blemishes.

if the mount was visibly broken, then it's bad.... so, unless you're getting horrible vibrations, the mount is probably still good... replace one at a time, as needed

 

[ZDA3]

The Anchor motor mount kit was described as "meets or exceeds OE standards". It's the only brand that Rockauto sells as far as a complete kit.