You may be surprised to discover that most of your driveline is held in place by three hunks of rubber. You have two motor mounts, one on either side of the engine, and a BMW Transmission Mount near the back of the transmission. While the motor mounts carry the majority of the weight, the BMW transmission mount has to contend with a lot of rotary and side-to-side motion. If the transmission mount isn’t in good condition, the twisting forces can pull it apart, leading to all sorts of clunks, vibrations, and assorted unpleasantness from your drivetrain.

The BMW transmission mount is usually made of vulcanized rubber affixed to metal plates, which are then attached securely to the chassis. The rubber compound is similar to the rubber found in tires, and it’s affected by ozone, oil, and age the same way too. So if you have an older BMW with an odd driveline noise, consider your BMW transmission mount a prime suspect.