Motor mounts / Rough Idle question
 

Thanks in advance to anyone more knowledgeable than myself.

I have an '04 MT, and I think the motor mounts are finally in need of replacement. The car just recently turned over 60000 miles, and suddenly, it has a very rough idle, particularly when first starting the can in the morning although it frequently happens at any time of the day, whether the engine is hot or cold.

My question is, if it is indeed the motor mounts gone bad, would the idle be rough all the time? I only ask because there are unexplainable times when the idle is still silky smooth, and other times when it's so rough it feels like the engine is going to stall.

Since my car is out of warranty, I'm trying to confirm that it's the motor mounts before I spend the cash to replace them. Is there a way to visually determine that they're in need of replacement?

Also, I did call Mazda USA and was told that just because there's a TSB on this, the dealer will still have to charge me becuase the car is out of warranty.

Any help you guys could give would be greatly appreciated.

Have you ever changed your spark plugs and or ignition coils? Any other routine maintenance items that you've done?
A broken engine mount can cause rough idle but so can a faulty ignition system. Worn parts.
Also a dirty MAF sensor and a dirty air filter.

Awesome, thank you expo1...That's exactly what I was looking for. I'm not sure why I couldn't find it when searching.

Easy_E1 - I replaced the plugs a couple of months ago, and coils were next on my list. I'm also due for an air filter, so I will do those things first unless I see some visible damage to the RH mount.

Thanks again for the help guys.

The mounts are prone to failure. I'm on my third set already. And I think I have another broken one.

Good luck and keep us posted.

are there aftermarket mounts available which are an improvement on the Mazda ones? or, are the dealer mounts all that's available?