After decades of owning RWD Volvos I finally went to the dark side and bought a 2004 V40. It appears to be in pretty good shape, and I got a killer deal on it, but I do need a bit of advice regarding the passenger side motor mount.

As expected the mount is shot, and I am getting conflicting info on replacing it. Some sources say that you have to replace the mount bracket at the same time, and other sources say that the mount replacement only applies to 2001 models. Can anyone verify if I need to change the bracket as well? My chassis number is 045141 if that helps.

Thanks

 

Unfortunately I don't have an answer for you but I have been encountering the same kind of info which is quite confusing. Just out of curiosity what symptoms did you have that confirmed that the mount was bad?

 

The typical symptoms include a vibration at idle and when going over bumps. Often you will also feel a vibration when turning as the motor moves out of position and causes the axle to bind.

I went ahead and ordered the mount and bracket and will report back here when I know if the bracket was actually needed.

If you need instructions on how to change it, a good write up can be found here:
HowTo: How to replace top passenger side motor mount

 

I got the engine mount installed, and despite assurances from everyone that I talked to that I would need the mount bracket, I did not.

Supposedly all cars with a chassis number under 715099 require the updated bracket. However, my 2004 has a chassis number of 045141 and it already had the correct bracket.

From the condition that the car was in when I bought it, and the utter lack of any maintenance having been done it it, I highly doubt that it has been changed previously, although I have no way of knowing for sure.

Hope this helps someone in the future!

 

That's good news. Thanks for posting the update. Were you able to return the piece you did not need? Most importantly - did it fix your issues?

Did the motor mount show any external signs of failure or were you strictly replacing on the basis of the symptoms you were experiencing?

I've got some shaking in my steering wheel (nothing severe just annoying) and it doesn't always happen. The passenger side motor mount looks fine but who knows. I'm wondering if I should replace one at a time (there are four in total) or just take the plunge and buy all four for $300 when the time comes. I'm told that the passenger side is the one that goes most often but I think that most of the internet info relates to the older style not the one that you and I have.