Badly melted engine mount. Wondering what causes this? Toyota Camry 2002 model.
Engine Mount Has Melted Severely. What Can Cause This?
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I don't fix Camry's
Thanks, that makes sense.
Not even a vintage one?
I'm sure you can touch up the image so it doesn't look so bad
Where is the image to photo bomb a 20yr old camry?
Camry's generally don't need fixing
Because they’re driven until the point of no repair and then scrapped?
Go to https://www.ozbargain.com.au/user/430847/files to upload pictures or use www.imgur.com/upload and link back.
Usually things melt as a cause of intense heat or pressure.
So there is a hole at the top of the coolant overflow tank, with masking tape covering it
You need to copy the link of the uploaded picture and paste it back here somewhere.
@Jesse1117: That worked and we can see the pic now. Looks quite odd, possibly due to age and heat over time. I'm sure others will chime in tomorrow.
@Jesse1117: You can pretty much rule out foul play, but not completely. Looks most likely to be old age. 20 years of heat/cool cycles and stress of vibration is most likely enough to do that.
Get your mechanic to quote for repairs. It doesn’t look too difficult. Consider getting all mounts replaced.
@Euphemistic: it's pretty easy to DIY engine mounts.
mostly it entails putting a jack under the motor to lift motor slightly, remove mounting bolt, remove old mount, insert new mount, add mounting bolt, remove jack.
Heat
Need to see pics. Melted or just worn? 20 years old, probably due to be replaced anyway, rubber doesn't stay good forever.
Looks like it's melted I uploaded a pic.
I think that's just age. Do the others look similar?
Potentially some sort of solvent got into it? Brake fluid, fuel?
20yo, probably just it’s time.
Is it possible there is a leak nearby, in this model? as I definitely havnt done that.
Brake fluid differs from the other oils in that it isn't a mineral oil specifically because of the nature of the washers in the cylinders - rubber.
I’d rather drive a 20yo Camry than a Haval.
yep, engine mount needs replacing so throw the car away.
My 2000 model Toyota had a crapload more safety features than my late 70s Toyota.
Petrol leak that did not catch fire.
😮
For real?
Petrol has very distinctive smell use your nose.
Break fluid leak?
Is it possible in this model of car? Where it's located?
BrAke fluid in a camry DOT3/DOT4 will not harm rubber. It will melt paint however.
Flames from the exhaust?
Anyone got any other reasons with the lack of info posted?
Aliens
Driving too close to an active volcano is probably the most likely cause.
Member Since
2 hours 28 min agoSome sort of gypsy curse?
Maybe eaten away after contact with a solvent …. so maybe gypsy tears….
Could it be done on purpose?
Possible
Car is an anti-vaxxer
Was it made from Colby cheese?
Mouse plague?
Camry cheese
What would cheeses do ?
VVT-i kicked in, yo
Definitely dragons
For sure
It actually looks melted. I uploaded a pic if you can find it to see it. Never used a forum before.
Scroll to top of post I've linked the image, see if you can be any help.
Posting pics worked perfectly
Yes it looks like damage from the Russians, I would sell immediately
Time
Old age does that to you.
Dry rot
I would just apply some Nivea Q10 anti wrinkle and firming cream
Yep, 100% deliberate. In mechanical trade terms this is known as “mounting”.
What it is, is kids ride around at night on their push bikes with bottles of Vaseline in their pockets. They find cars in the street, break into them just to open the bonut and they smear the engine mounts with the Vaseline.
They then wait 15 to 20 years for the owner to discover it and post on forums about it. They then post the link to the question to all their accomplices on the night with joyful laughter and cries of “hahah, dude got mounted!!”
Or, you could just take it to a mechanic and ask them to look at it in person and quote replacement.
Kids knew how to play the long game back in those days.
yeah - recommend replay your CCTV from 20 years to find the culprit
joins specifically to ask a car related question in a bargain forum
theres car forums for this m8
Pull your head in mate, this is a Camry forum…
I'm more impressed that google says ozbargain is the number 1 hit for the search term
shitty old camry engine mount stuffed cost help
That does look like rubber that has cracked due to old age. You'll get all sorts of opinions here but in the end you'll have to find a mechanic that you can trust and get them to quote.
Just like the rubber in my wallet
did it come with a hole in it like this one ?
I'm not a mechanic but I'm trustworthy - I'll give it a go.
That does look like rubber that has cracked due to old age.
I think that worked.
Assume this is the top engine mount? I replaced the one on my 25 yo Camry recently, although it didn't look that bad.
The good news for you is that it is not a difficult or an expensive job - easy for a mechanic to do.
The bad news is that yours has not just been struck down by old age, although 20 years is a good time to replace anyway.
The main problem you have got is that there is clearly a fluid hostile to rubber leaking on top of the mount.
My suspicion would fall upon Brake fluid, which would certainly be capable of eating natural rubber away.
Doubt very much whether cooling fluid (ethylene glycol) could cause such damage, but you never know.Again, the solution is simple.
Take it to your local, independent mechanic, ask them to replace the engine mount and check/replace the others whilst at it and to advise what might have cause such a meltdown."Brake fluid, which would certainly be capable of eating natural rubber"
Quite the opposite. The rubber washers are the specific reason a special fluid was developed for hydraulic brakes.
For sure EPDM, Nitrile and Styrene Butadiene rubber are good to use with most types of Brake Fluid and are used to make sealing washers in the brake system.
But natural (the type used in most engine mounts) should not be exposed to brake, or other aggressive engine fluids as it can be severely affected, especially when the fluid starts to age/oxidise.wondering if someone used kero or something to 'clean' that part of their car
Looks to me here as has been said before you have a coolant leak That stuff will just attack anyhting rubber near to it B4 you do anyhting else replace the coolant resorvoir or you will have the same problem again Maybe even worse as it will also rot the other ones too soon
"a coolant leak That stuff will just attack anyhting rubber near to "
Furrfu!
I'm so glad my car has copper pipes all through the cooling system.
/s
It's a 20 year old car.
Engine mounts don't last forever rubber, just like tyres is prone to dry rot. Just be thankful you have a camry and not something where they'd shaft you.
Over time/petroleum and coolant can dissolve rubber pretty quickly if left untreated, all you need is a pipe to leak in the wrong place.Actually, my vehicle is 20 years old as well.
The engine mounts are perishable…. they are typically made of rubber.
I surmise they have not melted, but perished. They deteriorate like any rubber products.Source the parts at the wreckers. You don't need brand new components. You can even do the job yourself.
oil, fuel, some degreasers, light/uv, ozone, heat, age etc all degrade rubber
it looks like heat but its all around the mount instead of isolated to the exhaust side
My guess is you used brake/carby cleaner in the past 2 years to clean an oil leak and it has eaten away at the rubber
If you Google Engine Mount Lifespan you will get its generally 5-7 years. One of my car engine mount is more than 21 years now one side is torn ages ago, and two more are still okay.
Rubber has a lifespan as soon as it leaves the factory. The rubber cracks on your mount is actually ozone attack which is unavoidable as long as you live on earth. Plus rubber shrinks over time as it age especially in a hot engine bay.
There could be electromagnetic field being generated close to the engine mount. Is it near the alternator? Electrical windings can generate ozone. You might want to protect the new mount with some sort of wax that serves as a barrier against ozone.
my 30yo car just had a couple of rubber boots replace recently (probably not the first replacement)
ozone from electrical windings ? wow.
are you sure it's not carbon monoxide ?
Heat.
Definitely a case of a faulty bonut causing problems.
Count yourself lucky that it's not that more common problem of an arrow in the gas tank!
Your Camry is 20 years old, you expect the engine mount to last this long without replacing?
Rubber perishes over time. That is just 20 years of wear and tear.
They should be using poly urethane for mounting bushes now.
Did you take this photo from underneath or did you have to open the bonut?
Looks normal to me for a car from a former sewing machine maker!
I thought Toyoda senior started with fabric weaving machines … patented his first textile loom in 1891 - https://www.toyota-global.com/company/history_of_toyota/75ye…
looks like they made sewing machines from around 1950 - https://www.toyota-global.com/company/history_of_toyota/75ye…
Interesting article! Fixing them looms properly must have laid the foundation to build long lasting products.
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No MS Paint, no help!