Bad Wheel Bearing?

[husker boxster]

The Box has been at the dealer for the last few days having some power steering work done to it. It was supposed to be done yesterday so I just stopped by after work to pick it up. The mechanic was finishing up the ps work and I also wanted them to change brake fluid. I waited about 1.5 hrs before he was done.

When he brought my car to the waiting area, he and the Serv Mgr finished up the paperwork. The mechanic then asked me if I was aware the rt rear wheel bearing was going out. I said no. He said it was pretty audible. We set up an aptmt to have it fixed. It will be under warranty since I'm good til July, so if something needs fixing, now is the time to do it.

But what does a wheel bearing sound like when it's going bad? I did a 30 min drive today and all I heard was sweet 6 cyl music to my rt shoulder. What should I be listening for?

The reason for asking is because I heard a ting-ting-ting at idle when I drove home last night. I took the top and front engine covers off today and started the engine. The noise was coming from the ps pulley. Shut the engine off and found the 3 bolts on the pulley were barely hand tight. Wrenched them down and the noise went away. So the mechanic could hear the wheel bearing but he couldn't hear the ps pulley. Things that make ya go hmmm.

2nd Ques
I was going to have an alignment done since I got my new tires. I'm guessing I should hold off until I have the bearing replaced since they will have to tear down the rt rear suspension to replace the bearing. Correct?

Hope the mechanic did a better job on the brake fluid flush.

[Adam]

Bottom line...if you take your car to the dealer you may leave with more problems than you came in with. Do your own work if you can and save yourself a lot of money. Sorry to hear about your experience. If the repair is covered by warranty then let them have at it...otherwise I'd get a second opipion if you can't hear/feel anything wrong.

[gregwils]

Q1 - Bearing noise at slows speed can be a clicking noise, particularly when turning. It's often a hum at higher speeds. It really depends on how badly worn it is. If you jack the wheel up to may be able to feel a very slight amount of play or if you rotate the wheel it may not feel perfectly smooth. You can always jack up the entire back end so you can compare both sides.

Q2 - Most dealers have a special tool to replace the bearing while the hub is still mounted. I've never done a Boxster, but think they can remove the axle without removing many components and altering alignment. Best best is to verify with the dealer rather than rely on the board.