Why is my car vibrating?

"Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy" (camshaft-chris)
05/01/2019 at 15:15 • Filed to: Ask Oppo, Help, Car Help, vibration, Ford Fusion

Car: 2010 Ford Fusion SEL 2.0
Mileage: ~145,000 miles

Lately my car has developed a really bad vibration at idle. Once I start driving, it’s fine. There’s not any noticeable noise (to me at least). Or if I put the car in Park or Neutral when I’m stopped, it lessens significantly. So would that mean it’s a motor mount gone bad? Or a transmission mount gone bad? In researching those, they mention that you’d hear a noise associated with it. But I haven’t heard anything (although, my hearing sucks). I can’t think of what else might be causing it. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Oh, and the other thing making me think it’s a mount of some sort is that I do have a slightly aggressive driving style. I do a lot of highway/interstate driving, so this car is subject to a little bit of aggressive acceleration .

DISCUSSION (30)

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 15:17

sounds like an engine mount but i could be wrong

DipodomysDeserti > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 15:18

If it vibrates enough to bounce the steering wheel it’s most likely a motor mount. If it is a vibration you can see more than feel it’s probably carbon build up in the top end. Could be a combo of both at that mileage.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > DipodomysDeserti
05/01/2019 at 15:20

I can feel the vibration in my skull.

But like you said, it could be a combo of both. What would be the best way to get rid of the carbon build up? SeaF oam?

DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 15:24

Literally fixed this issue on my wife's 12 fusion a couple months ago. It was a sheered bolt on one of the motor mounts. The local mechanic was able to drill it out and fixed in a day. Easy peasy!

Echo51 > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 15:24

Tansistioning between accelerating and engine braking harshly will often highlight an engine mount very obviously, floor it, then let off quick, then floor it again, etc.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Echo51
05/01/2019 at 15:27

That’s pretty much my standard driving style, lol...
EDIT: Nvm, you said engine braking.

What do I need to be looking for there? Noise? Vibration? Some sort of movement in the car?

DipodomysDeserti > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 15:28

If the engine isn’t direct injected, Sea Foam. That much vibration makes me think motor mount. My first car was a ‘92 Integra, and it loved to eat motor mounts. Never had a sound associated with it, just lots of vibration

Nibby > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 15:29

low blinker fluid

Shift24 > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 15:29

Sounds like mounts. Have some one get in and hold the brake. Have them shift from park to drive, and then to reverse. If any of that time it looks like the engine whats to jump at you, it needs mounts. Just replace all of them. If ones bad the rest arent doing well.

I forget the recommend maximum amount of movement you engine should have but it should’t rock.

When driving the engine/trans is set in a position, I would expect a rattle at idling and taking off from start.

Mounts do go bad in aggressive driving but one of the fastest ways to trash your mounts is shifting straight from reverse to drive while rolling.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Nibby
05/01/2019 at 15:31

SOLVED IT.

CalzoneGolem > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 15:33

I’d check all the plugs and wires. One intermittent spark c ould make your engine vibrate.

wafflesnfalafel > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
05/01/2019 at 15:40

bet you are right - there seems to be quite a bit of interwebs chatter about motor mounts in the Fusion and 2010 in particular, (though not many specifics about which motor oddly...)

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 15:54

Most likely it’s the front right motor mount.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/ford,2010,fusion,2.5l+l4,1444309,engine,motor+mount,5552

The part is less than $100 and if it’s anything like the Focus, it shouldn’t be more than 1 hour of labour.

And note, there was no 2L Fusion in 2010. You either have the 2.5L, 3L or 3.5L.

And when replacing it, replace it with another hydraulic mount, not the solid rubber mount which costs half as much.

Trust me on this.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 15:59

Carbon buildup won’t cause vibration. It will cause the engine to lose power.

And the engine in your car doesn’t have DI.

So it’s very unlikely to be a carbon buildup problem.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 16:06

Bad motor mounts.

Mid Engine > Nibby
05/01/2019 at 16:09

It’s not a BMW

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 16:10

Fords are notorious for this. Ever get into a last-gen Escort? It comes with a free back massage feature.

Engine and trans mounts wearing out due to age. It’s gonna happen to every car, but for some reason Fords are just more pronounced.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 16:17

Motor mounts are pretty easy to check. Open hood and keeping foot on the brake. Shift from drive to reverse. If the engine shakes and bucks back and forth badly, likely mounts. You can also keep your foot on the brake and give it some gas while in gear and the engine will try to climb out of the engine bay if you have a bad mount.

Also possibly the egr starting to plug up or stick open. But you should get a MIL for that if it’s acting up, so no lights, possibly engine mounts.

Tapas > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 16:30

Do yu feel a loss of power or are your symptoms intermittent? It c ould be MAF , ignition coil or Sparks.

Had same issue. New Sparks and 1 new ignition coil solved it.

Echo51 > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 16:35

Clunking if it’s bad, since the engine mount won’t resist the loading/unloading of the drivetrain. Still idles at the intended RPM?

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
05/01/2019 at 17:05

It’s more pronounced on Fords like the Focus and Fusion is because they use hydraulic mounts.

Meaning... they are mounts filled with fluid. As they age, it gets brittle, cracks and the fluid leaks out.

I had one Ford Focus I tested where it felt like the motor was directly bolted to the chassis like an old Harley. Vibrated the whole car like an old Harley too.

The solution is cheap and simple... replace the mount with a new hydraulic mount.

Though some people opt to cheap out, save $35 and get a solid rubber mount which isn’t nearly as good... particularly in cold weather.

Ask me how I know...

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
05/01/2019 at 17:34

Now I’ve learned a thing! I didn’t realize Ford used hydraulic mounts; I never cared enough about the Fords I owned to consider changing them.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
05/01/2019 at 23:03

Hydraulic mounts? Interesting. I guess I need to pay attention to that when buying the replacement mounts. I want it to be as smooth and vibration free as is possible for an 7 year old Ford sedan with high mileage, lol.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
05/01/2019 at 23:05

The engine doesn’t seem to have lost any power. It just vibrates like I’ve got some Caddy with 4 15" subs in the trunk blasting one never ending bass note in front of me.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Echo51
05/01/2019 at 23:06

No clunking. And yes, it still idles around 700RPM as it always has. Even if I keep my foot on the brake and raise the RPM, I still get a good bit of vibration. It doesn’t go away until I start moving.

And after driving it this morning, I did feel like the engine was moving when changing gears under load. Almost like riding with someone driving stick for the first time. I had previously just chalked it up to the notorious TCM programming it has. But experiencing it with the though of the motor mounts being bad made me feel like I was able to place it better and tell that it actually was the engine moving around.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
05/01/2019 at 23:13

Sorry, my brain has failed me for the day. I know it’s a 2.5. My hands just decided to type something different apparently. I haz tha dumbz taday.

But thank you for the info on the hydraulic mount. I hate to do it, but I’ll probably just order the factory parts through the dealership just to make sure I’m getting the right thing.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By
05/01/2019 at 23:14

Hopefully mine is just as easy!

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Tapas
05/01/2019 at 23:16

No loss of power at all. Just a lot of vibration when sitting at idle. Under throttle and in motion, I don’t really notice anything.

Tapas > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
05/01/2019 at 23:25

My only frame of reference is my experience. I don’t have enough knowledge to say what could be wrong if there’s no loss of power but vibrations in idle.

My best guess would still be one of those 3 things.

Obsessed > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
06/03/2019 at 20:02

so did you ever figure out what was causing the vibra tion?