Motor Mounts ?

[Redlegger]

I have a 99 Villager that my wife drives. It has 170K and I have had ball joints and axles replaced and tie rods. I never drive the car and hadn't realized how bad it shakes. The ball joints and axles and tie rods needed replacing. It seems to shake when accelerating. My buddy who wons a garage and it as tight with my money as his is hesitant to spend anymore of my money. He replaced the front motor mount and it seems a little better, but since I don't regularly drive it I can't be sure. He is hesitant to spend my money replacing the other mounts. Any thoughts. I also have new tires. I thought maybe I got a bad tire and it turned out Walmart replaced both front tires so that may have been some of the problem.
It has also been aligned.

[tempfixit]

Did your mechanic check the other mounts?? What condition was the front mount in?? What is the shifting of the transmission like, rough harsh shifts or smooth?? Has he checked the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor)?? When you accelerates from a dead stop do you notice a thump (back of engine lifting and when letting off accelrator it drops back down) if so the rear mount needs replacement. Also check the transmission mount.

When have the throttle body and MAF sensor been cleaned??

[Redlegger]

The front motor mount was shot. We watched the engine rise up and down with acceleration. I bought this thing with about 90K and have never done anything with the throttle cable. My buddy is about 50 working in his Dad's old Chevron station, they still have a full service pump. He is a competent mechanic as he grew up in the shop. He hates me spendiong money on an old car. Wanted to try front mount first. I told him to do the other one and the transmission mounts (about $100 a piece), he wanted me to drive it an see if it was better. It's a little better but I wouldn't want to drive it. It runs rough and vibrates when accelerating. When you let off the accelerator it runs okay, not great. Transmisssion and engine still seem tight to me.

[tempfixit]

Have you checked for any cel codes??? What condition are the brakes and rotors?? When was the last time the tranny fluid and filter were changed??

[Redlegger]

I replaced the brakes and rotors myself. Don't know about the cell codes ? It may just be the other mounts.

[tempfixit]

Is your check engine light on?? Ask your buddy if he can read the codes or stop by autozone and see if they will see if there are any present. If any codes are present they may lead you to the problem.

[Redlegger]

No warnings or code lights come on.

[drcoffee]

Originally Posted by Redlegger

It runs rough and vibrates when accelerating. When you let off the accelerator it runs okay, not great. Transmisssion and engine still seem tight to me.

I have a 2000 Villager and here's what I had happen. The rough running was caused by a bad spark plug and bad plug wire. If you still have the original plug wires, replace them with the new plugs.

Problems with brakes and I don't know why: each time I put in new pads up front the rotors warp and start shaking when I brake. I just ordered new rotors again. The old ones should have been fine. Who know?

The front motor mount: I had it replaced 2 years ago and it's trashed already. Since my ext warranty is expired, I'm doing it myself.

AC: I just looked under the hood last night and there's a nice coating of oil around the AC accumulator. Its rusted through and leaking now. Just ordered that part as well. A word to the wise or frugal, rip that foam blanket off the AC accumulator. It retains the condensation and causes rust.

If you are handy and need parts, check out www.rockauto.com 50% off the local parts stores. I try to give my business locally but the price difference is just crazy. Why waste money.

[GSCHANDI]

Hey DRCOFFEE-

I had the same prob with brakes on my Villager: pulsating/chattering when hot, even with new parts. I had been buying the mid-priced rotors and pads, and had to replace them about every 30K miles or so. I finally spent about $200 on some good rotors and pads from OReilly, and the problem's gone. Plus, they say they're guaranteed for life- an added bonus.

[drcoffee]

Originally Posted by GSCHANDI

Hey DRCOFFEE-

I had the same prob with brakes on my Villager: pulsating/chattering when hot, even with new parts. I had been buying the mid-priced rotors and pads, and had to replace them about every 30K miles or so. I finally spent about $200 on some good rotors and pads from OReilly, and the problem's gone. Plus, they say they're guaranteed for life- an added bonus.

I bought new Raybestos Pro grade drums and sure enough they were out of round. I had them cut over the weekend and the chatter is gone. I have always had good experience with Raystestos Pro-grade until now.

I also replaced both motor mounts in about in hour and a half last Saturday. Really much easier than I expected. The front mount was completely torn apart and only the steel ring kept it together.