Check that AEM Cold Air and your motor mounts

Preacher

Well hello fellow XBers, have not posted in a long time but still drove the Box till two weeks ago.

The tranny started making a horrible grinding noise so I figure with 85K+ on the box it is time for new pressure plate, throwout bearing and clutch.
Not so fast my friend...

So I jack up the car to take the front wheel on the passenger side and the gorillas who last torqued down my lug nuts (them bolts aren't coming off) made me stand on the wrench to loosen them. Then it happened, as I transfered my weight to the wrench, the motor moved, not just an inch or two but like 6 inches. Yep jumped right up in the air about 6 inches. I was like "what in the world?".

So I start checking and find that there is a motor mount problem, so I go right under the battery tray to check out the mount and guess what, it is not attached to the motor. Yep, the mount is broken.

So here is where we are with the AEM cold air induction which was installed at the dealer when I bought the car. Apparently the brainiac who designed this induction system figured the best place to attach it to the motor was where the motor mount and the motor mount engine braket come together. So the deal is this, you have to take a motor mount bolt out, put the 1/8" piece of aluminum strap that is the CAI support bracket and put the motor mount bolt through that strap and then tighten it down again. Does anyone think these things through? Those motor mount bolts are hardened steel that is going through a hardened steel plate to hold up a three or four hundred pound motor that is supported on that one end by two steel bolts. So some idiot says, lets put a 1/8" piece of aluminum (can you say squeeze it flat?) and let it ride between the two pieces of hardened steel and see if the bolt doesn't loosen up and fall out after the aluminum has been squeeze and pressed flat?

So whenever that bolt fell out, (my CAI has always wobbled some, now I know why) it put all the pressure on the one bolt that had not a fallen out and after some 85K miles of driving this is what we have.

that is the look from the bottom, the tore out piece of the mount is still on the cast irom engine mounting bracket which is in the lower right corner.

at least that part stayed on the bracket, of course once it tore loose from the motor mount, it doesn't do much good.

The far hole is where the bolt fell out, the middle hole does nothing and the near hole, well it tore away... judging from the rust, I would say that first hole has been empty quite a while.

Little nicer picture of the tore out bracket...

So I called my dealer and he says since I worked on it, (I guess taking the bracket off the motor consist of working on it) that they would not be able to determine whether I took that bolt out or not and where therefore not responsible. Yeah, I have a history of taking bolts out of my car so I can' drive them! Stupid people. And I called Scion's help desk, pretty much out of warranty well, so sorry, please come visit us again, no help there. It is not fair to bang on Scion, they did not design the CAI, or install it in my car, but they were no help either.

So now I either have to get a welder to weld it back together or go pay $60 for a new one and hope that my tranny and CV joints aren't shot because of the motor moving around.

So if you have a AEM Cold Air Induction system, check that bolt to make sure it is there and tight...

PumaFiveOh · Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 37 Location: Bay Area!

Hmmm....good to know. I have an AEM CAI and I notice my car vibrates a lot when I'm in "D" at a stop light. Not sure if I may have a similar issue, but I'll definitely check the mounts to make sure none of those are causing the problem.

BTW - While I'm on the subject....maybe that is normal?? Can you other Automagic xB owners tell me if it's normal to get a pretty decent vibration when at a stop light in gear? Let me know, thanks! :)

vettereddie · Posted: 8/19/08 10:34AM Post subject:

I've got an auto and it too vibrates when in gear. I did used to have the TRD CAI on, but tightened all the motor mount bolts when I removed it. I've only got around 25k miles on it, though I'll recheck the trans side mount bolts.

PumaFiveOh · Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 37 Location: Bay Area!

vettereddie wrote: I've got an auto and it too vibrates when in gear. I did used to have the TRD CAI on, but tightened all the motor mount bolts when I removed it. I've only got around 25k miles on it, though I'll recheck the trans side mount bolts.

I wonder if it's a known issue or just something people deal with. It's really annoying and probably the only thing that pisses me off besides the rattling window when partially down. :tap:

stew32 · Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 588

What's with the rust? What year is your xB?

Gothbox · Joined: 08 Jun 2004 Posts: 2327 Location: over there

PumaFiveOh wrote: Hmmm....good to know. I have an AEM CAI and I notice my car vibrates a lot when I'm in "D" at a stop light. Not sure if I may have a similar issue, but I'll definitely check the mounts to make sure none of those are causing the problem.

BTW - While I'm on the subject....maybe that is normal?? Can you other Automagic xB owners tell me if it's normal to get a pretty decent vibration when at a stop light in gear? Let me know, thanks! :)

my 04 auto does it sometimes as well.

bmph8ter · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 259

I always thought the spacer was a bit... well jankey. When I pulled my CAI, I actually laughed a bit at whoever designed it.

Steve60 · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 193 Location: Northampton MA

OP - there is a plastic spacer & a longer bolt for that install. Never liked the idea of the plastic spacer & your failure is what can happen when the bolt looses it's crush.

The shake is normal, although some are smoother than others. The manual is so smooth that you hardly know the engine is running,

13edge · Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Posts: 511 Location: Raleigh, NC

stew32 wrote: What's with the rust? What year is your xB?

Rust looks pretty normal IMO, especially for that many miles through who knows what, and a spot where two different metals met.

PumaFiveOh · Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 37 Location: Bay Area!

Steve60 wrote: OP - there is a plastic spacer & a longer bolt for that install. Never liked the idea of the plastic spacer & your failure is what can happen when the bolt looses it's crush.

The shake is normal, although some are smoother than others. The manual is so smooth that you hardly know the engine is running,

Ohh I bet that manual is smooth.....when putting mine in "N" you can't tell the car is running either. It's more noticeable when the A/C is on, and I'm sure it can be adjusted by messing with the idle. I think it's just the RPM's dropping too low when there is a load on the engine with the brakes applied.

I'll try a few things and let you guys know if I find a cure or at least way to make it better. :)

bB2NER · Joined: 31 May 2004 Posts: 10992 Location: Heeere's Johnny

It should still be covered under the drivetrain warranty or the dealer that installed the CAI should handle it.

Steve60 · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 193 Location: Northampton MA

"It should still be covered under the drivetrain warranty or the dealer that installed the CAI should handle it."

I hope you're right. The repair is not an easy 1.........

hotbox05 · Posted: 8/23/08 3:36AM Post subject:

actually it is an easy repair but having to do it yourself when it' appears to be warranty isn't

Steve60 · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 193 Location: Northampton MA

It's a bolt on. I was looking at it wrong.

Davestoaster · Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 319 Location: McDonald, PA

Thanks Preacher for taking the time to do an excellent write-up to alert us all to a very dangerous potential problem.

I'll be checking my AEM CAI mounts tonight.

B2FiNiTY · Joined: 23 Nov 2004 Posts: 524 Location: SoCal

this happens a lot on all the aem apps.