steering

[autumn5]

95 Ford Taurus wagon, sloppy steering through small amounts of water(tiny puddles) mechanic says it's motor mount. They just replaced ball joints. Could it be motor mount?

[info@mrautofixit.com]

:?: I doubt that a motor mount could cause the steering to get sloppy,it is more likely to be a steering rack mount there are two of them and they are located on the engine cradle,are you sure that the mechanic said the motor mount.
This info is from a reliable source I have 42years experience as a licensed mechanic.

[driftor]

I've had a motor mount problem and it is easy to diagnose, but you have to be very careful and know what you are doing. It needs two people, one watching under the hood and the other giving some gas with the brakes on full and hard, and the gears in a direction opposite to where your friend or any dangerous obstacles are standing. parking brake on too, and in gear

Then the viewer can see the engine move and probably see the loose motor mount. I find it hard to believe that a mechanic can't tell by looking, but on an old car it could always be more than one thing. I'm not a mechanic but a car nut that more than half the time has guessed right in the past few decades when it came to deciding what to repair when I disagreed with the mechanic or sevice advisor, and there were a few times recently that I arued but gave in, and later found out I shold have held my ground.

Comfort is that it's almost always a beeter deal to repair than to trade in; just a question of how long it will last after the repair, and if you're spending more than $1000 in non-maintenance items, I'd watch it, but most give up well before then.