how can you tell when the bottom engine shock mount is bad on 1996 saturn S-series

I think you're talking about the dog bone engine mount its at the right passenger side or driver side can't remember and it's a long kind of looks like a bone with two bushings in it and one part of it is attached to the engine and other end to the frame of the car. I would imagine if you lay down and push the engine "wheel & splash shields off" and move the engine around with your with your feet type of thing and notice that there's play in the dawgbone motor mount that would be one way other than that I would say maybe check online maybe there's somebody found out that you can measure or something to see if its bad good luck

in addition I would imagine that you would notice that there was movement in the engine if you are on top of the engine with your hands trying to move it I would move to much plus it might be hard shifting when your driving and you might even hear some clunky sounds when you're driving It might be additionally how you would tell that it's bad but there's a top motor mount and a lower motor"dog bone" mount and a transmission mount so theres like 3 mounts you have to make sure of which ones bad you might just want to go to a mechanic and then he can determine which one it is cuz you its better if you can get under the car inspect all of them they usually use a screwdriver and push the engine you know and see if the amounts moving and all that kind of stuff so it's a little tricky to determine which one is bad you could have 2 of them bad at the same time depending on your mileage?