Wheel bearing replaced - noise gone | Posts 16+

Hi,

I would like to briefly thank you for your tips.
I had the wheel bearing replaced today - the problem is fixed.

Besides, another noise has also disappeared, which I had mistakenly identified as a transmission whine.
That could have been expensive otherwise - lucky us.

Besides, I'm glad I found a qualified, non-VW workshop.
It's more friendly and significantly cheaper.
The part itself only cost 38.50 euros there, compared to 68.50 euros at VW.
I don't even want to start talking about the wages...

Hello,

Wow, that's really cheap... what kind of workshop is this? I received a quote from an independent garage for a Passat wheel bearing replacement, and it's EUR 78 plus an unspecified additional charge ('fairy tax').

With such price differences, I start to wonder if there aren't quality differences in wheel bearings, just like with all other products.
Does anyone know anything about that? What are the telltale signs? Are there different manufacturers? Which ones can you recommend?

@Markus H.: How many working hours were billed for the installation?

Best regards,
Ralf.

Hi,

The workshop is owned by the company Manfred Sausmikat, located near the A46 highway, close to Neuss.
This is a Porsche master technician who started his own business and has a good reputation. Besides Porsche, he also works on vehicles from the Volkswagen Group (VAG).

The hourly wage was 46 euros; he worked for 2 hours.
Including VAT, I was at 150 euros, but VW wanted 210.

Well, I don't know whether and to what extent the quality differences between replacement parts exist.
However, it's often the same with VW original spare parts, just like with Aldi: You can get products cheaper there - elsewhere, the same product is sold at a higher price with a more prestigious brand name.

@Rainer!

What is the cost of replacing the wheel bearings? It's due for me too (140,000 km).

Best regards,
Uwe

It cost 140 EUR for my Passat, but it would probably have been much more expensive at a VW workshop...

The good news: My front right wheel bearing is running smoothly again . Regarding urgency, I can say that the rattling started at approximately 30,000 km and, although it became progressively louder, there were no consequential damages to the axle, etc. So, if the noise doesn't bother you excessively, I believe you can definitely approach the matter with a relaxed attitude.

Okay, here's the translation:

'Now for the bad news: Since the swap, the ABS and ASR lights are on, and the control unit for my Passat TDI PD 115 hp indicates an 'ABS error' after driving for a while.'

Is it a coincidence, or is it related to the expansion of the ABS sensor on the front right side during the wheel bearing replacement? After all, the lights first came on about 20 meters after the replacement... What could have gone wrong with the sensors? In a week, I'll know more, as the error memory will be read out.

It's strange: sometimes the lights would go out for 100 kilometers, and the ABS seemed to reactivate, but earlier than usual. While braking at the traffic light, just before coming to a complete stop, I felt the characteristic ABS pulsing under my foot.

Can anyone help me figure out what's wrong with my ABS? What could they have potentially done wrong in the workshop when replacing the wheel bearing, specifically regarding the ABS sensor etc.?

Hi!

Sometimes, brake dust or dirt can get into the toothed ring, which is detected by the ABS sensor. Then the sensor may receive false signals, which can cause the ABS light to illuminate and the ABS system to activate even at low speeds.
Simple solution: Remove the sensor and blow out the toothed wheel with compressed air.

Best regards,
Uwe

@RalfBru

Have you found the error?
Please provide the text you would like me to translate.

Best regards,
Uwe

The ABS error was actually caused by too much dirt accumulating on the sensor and the toothed ring. Cleaning these parts resolved the issue. Thank you, Uwe!

PS: Perhaps this problem can be avoided by carefully packaging the relevant ABS components when working on the braking system, wheel bearings, etc., as it's always dusty around the wheels.

Hello Ralf,

ABS sensors operate on an inductive principle, so dust and dirt shouldn't cause any issues as long as there are no iron filings or other magnetic materials stuck to them.
Was that the case?

Best regards, Rainer.

Hello Rainer,

There were no noticeably large chips present, which was surprising to me. I initially suspected a magnetic effect, but perhaps even the smallest chips were enough to cause the problem. However, these tiny chips didn't seem to separate significantly from the rest of the brake dust, etc.

Regards,
Ralf.

Hi Rainer!

This error occurs more frequently, and it appears that the brake pad dust contains conductive or inductance-affecting material.

Best regards,
Uwe