Bad wheel bearing

[986rgt]

I did my own front wheel bearings, and put the DIY on the Wiki. As for the price that you were quoted, its not that bad, considering you are gonna need an alignment when you are done. My advice is throw the parts back on the car and get it done at the shop. My dealer wanted like 1200 for the job, hence me buying all the special tools and doing both fronts by myself.

Steve

Boxster WIKI wheel bearing change.

[navpat1]

My 2002 S has been making the kind of sounds described for nearly 1k miles. Sounds like I have heavy-lugged mud and snow tires on the car. Took it to Porsche Monterey for a diagnosis (Its a certified pre-owned) and their opinion was: Pirelli tires. They switched sides on the rear tires and told me to try that for a while. I specifically asked if there were some element of danger in case of a complete failure of a wheel bearing and the service manager's answer was no. Having no recourse I drove away thinking I would drive for a while and see. On the way back to the central valley the sound began changing with differing throttle application, though not a lot. To me, that puts the tire theory back on the shelf. Question, how bad can it get before the dealer will step up with warranty work. This diagnosis surprised me, as both the sellers and the fixers there have impressed me with their integrity. Has anyone had this task done under new car or certified used warranty?

I really, really love the car, but I was extremely put off by this diagnosis followed by what is, to me at least, audible evidence to the contrary. I have never had a porsche this new, but am an ex 914 2.0, 356 T-5 and 911 S owner. This car takes me closest to what I feel is pure sports car. Aside from this incident and beyond whatever the outcome is, I do love the car and would truly appreciate any assistance. Finally, please understand that I have no ill-will toward this dealer, I just happen to think the person in question was wrong this time. Pat Bodin

[husker boxster]

Hi Pat,

With an '02, you're obviously out of factory warranty and this repair isn't covered by CPO. Why? I don't know but believe me it isn't. Maybe your dealer wanted to try something that wasn't cost prohibitive to you as a first stab at solving the problem. My bearing replacement only cost $410 because the dealer originally thought it was covered by CPO and then had to sheepishly ask me to pay for it after Porsche said "Nein!". They cut me a deal by charging me at warranty rates. I've seen much higher prices paid by other forum members. I'd take it back to the dealer and say the tire rotation didn't work. Then be ready to pay for the bearing replacement.

Good luck. You have an 02S. We've got a couple of 01Ss with this problem in this thread. Is there a pattern? Is this a weak link in early S's?

[blinkwatt]

Order your wheel bearings from www.************************************************************ , $30.

[navpat1]

Well, I took the car back, they listened to me, agreed with the mechanical vs. tires customer diagnosis and their stethoscope pointed to the diff. bearings. Draining the oil, they found enough metal to build a new mainshaft. Once inside they found no bearing or synchro wear but replaced every bearing in the housing and thoroughly cleaned and flushed everything. One week later I picked up the car and drove away (having paid nothing) with the top down. Putting the top up as the day got hotter I heard an unwelcome but familiar sound. It's no worse and no better so I'm just going to drive these Pirelli Assymetrico's off the wheels so I can buy new tires. Since swerving causes no change in sound, and it's really loud in a tunnel, I'm at this point inclined to blame the minor cupping on the rear tires. If it is wheel bearings I'll just bite the bullet because, although the car has had me to the dealer more than I would like, they have been fair with me and the car is just so dang fun to drive that it's worth it. I haven't had this much fun with engine noise since I owned a brand new '68 Z-28 Camaro ($3,558). Thanks to all for your posts. See you next problem! PB

[jvmoney]

Yes, I had the same issue on my 02 S. Faulty Bearing is what they attributed it to. They are charging me about 560+ for this work and almost all of it is labor. This is insane! I'm just hoping the sound will go away.

[juan986]

get it fixed, 35 for the part in pelicanparts.com and about 2 hours of labor.