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Worn Wheel Bearing and Speed Sensor Replacement

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by TimberLong, Feb 9, 2016.

  1. TimberLong

    TimberLong Junior Member

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    My dealership said our left rear is noisy and that we need new wheel bearings and a speed sensor and to do an alignment and balance. I called my other wheel place and they are about $300 cheaper. But, they said I have the option of an OEM wheel bearing or different one. I'm a little confused, but I think the OEM would be about $85 more, if I understood correctly. Can anyone tell me their thoughts on whether or not to get OEM for this?
     
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    First I would seek a second opinion from either another dealer or some respected mechanic. Unless you already have 300k or more miles or you have been towing a heavy trailer with your 2012 Prius v, it's hard to believe. Maybe some brake noise?

    The speed sensor would be throwing codes, so if your check engine or ABS light was coming on, that might be bad.
     
  3. Dion Kraft

    Dion Kraft Member

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    The difference is one is Genuine Toyota Branded and the other is after market Chinese part. I have had no problem with the cheaper ones in regards to hubs and bearings. But that is me...
     
  4. TimberLong

    TimberLong Junior Member

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    Do you mean that if the lights come on, it could indicate that the speed sensor is, in fact, bad? If that's the case, then wouldn't the dealership have checked the codes or something to determine that it was bad? I guess I need to call them and ask more questions.
     
  5. TimberLong

    TimberLong Junior Member

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    Thanks, I'll take that into consideration. We do both, depending on what it is. We just don't know anything about this particular part and how important it is.
     
  6. TimberLong

    TimberLong Junior Member

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    Good idea to get a second opinion before we have our other place order parts. We have about 129,000 miles on it, and no towing, though we did load it heavy on the inside in August for a move to college across country.
     
  7. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    I had a speed sensor go bad and it produced codes and lights. In my case it was some kind of contamination on the sensor and had nothing to do with the wheel bearings.
     
  8. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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  9. TimberLong

    TimberLong Junior Member

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    My SO says that the wheel was making noise all the time, not just during braking, so he is not surprised. Is that enough to believe the diagnosis, or should I still go to another shop? If there are no lights on the dash, can just any place figure it out, or does it need to be a dealer?
     
  10. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Dragging brakes can cause noise all the time. I realize the dealer's are usually right but it sounds like they are charging a lot if you can save $300 at a wheel place. And a bad speed sensor would be throwing codes, but it might have to be replaced anyway if the wheel bearing is changed. That part I don't know. But if I am spending a bunch of money, I check with someone else first.
     
  11. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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  12. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I suspect the main reason they said "wheel bearing and speed sensor" is that's the way the assembly comes, for the rear at least. (I know this is true for my Gen 1, I merely assume it's the same for a v.) So, not necessarily that your speed sensor is bad, there's just no compelling reason to try to pull it off your old bearing without damaging it, and reuse it.

    I had one rear bearing go at 160,000ish IIRC, and one front about 50k later.

    -Chap
     
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  13. TimberLong

    TimberLong Junior Member

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    Well, they quoted the two separately. I called another dealership and the service guy said he didn't know why they would automatically replace the sensor because it just unplugs. But, he said if they aren't careful, they can damage it. Seems to me they should be careful and if they damage it, they shouldn't charge me for it. That's an upfront cost of about $75 for them covering themselves and being allowed to be careless. How would I ever know if it was already damaged or if they did it?
     
  14. a_gray_prius

    a_gray_prius Rare Non-Old-Blowhard Priuschat Member

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    I had a wheel bearing go at around 160k on our Gen2. They had to swap in the assembly because the current one had been so rusted together. Do consider that if you live somewhere with a lot of salt use during the winter, parts will be siezed together.

    Also, it might just be cheaper to replace the wheel bearing if its otherwise going to cost you however many hours of mechanic time at 120/hr to repack and reuse compared to a $200 part.
     
    #14 a_gray_prius, Feb 10, 2016
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2016
  15. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    You still haven't said if you're talking about a front or rear bearing. :)

    I've just checked, and just like my Gen 1, your rear bearing assembly 42450-47050 includes the speed sensor. The sensor is installed to the hub assembly at the factory with a press. My manual actually does describe how you could try to remove it, if you had to, using a bearing splitter or similar tool, and try not to damage it in the process, but "be careful and don't damage it" is easier said than done ... not to mention there's no point because the new assembly already has a new sensor.

    Front is a different story, that sensor is separate.

    -Chap
     
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  16. sfv41901

    sfv41901 Masta S

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    Yes, new rear bearing comes with the speed sensor installed already. Front bearing the speed sensor is separate


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  17. TimberLong

    TimberLong Junior Member

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    ChapmanF, yes, in my first sentence I stated that the left rear is noisy. And, yes, that is the part number that I was quoted for. But they also included part number 89516-47100 for the speed sensor. So, I called the parts department at Toyota, and at first the guy said they are separate parts. Then he told me the front and rear are the same. Then he gave me a different part number for the sensor for my Prius v, but changed it back to the one I gave him above after giving him my VIN. He looked at the picture and said there are no wires coming off it or anything, so he doesn't believe they come together. I went to the link you have on the assembly, and the description does say it comes with the sensor, but I couldn't see anything in the picture either. We couldn't resolve the discrepancy, so, I thanked him and hung up. He called me back a few minutes later and told me that, indeed, you are right, and that they do come together. So, looks like the main thing is to make certain that it is the wheel bearing and not a brake. I'm taking it to my wheel place in the morning to make certain, though they thought I could trust the dealership.

    I did see the dealership is charging $125 more than that website, and another dealership and my local mechanic are charging $100 more. So, is that typical? It's kind of maddening to get charged that much more for a part, and then labor, too. I guess it is a little more than a 30% markup, so it probably is normal. My local wheel shop is charging $396.13 for the OEM wheel bearing assembly, $96.95 for an alignment and balance, $90 labor ($60/hour), plus tax. Between the lower $25 on the part and a lot more expensive labor, it's about $250 cheaper than the dealership.
     
  18. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Oop ... so you did. Sorry!

    Hmm, curious what that is really? (brief googling not shown) aha ... it's the wire to the speed sensor. Not sure why you would replace that, unless it was actually damaged/mouse-chewed/whatever.

    Btw, the parts illustration does show the speed sensor clearly on the back of the bearing ... but of course it's only "clear" if you know that's what the speed sensor looks like. :) It doesn't have wires hanging off, because the small protuberance back there is instead the connector where the wires plug in.

    Yes, auto parts markups are traditionally rather high, I don't think 100% is uncommon at the final step (what you pay, over what the dealer or shop paid the distributor/wholesaler, and don't forget the distributor isn't hurting any in the deal either). The dealers who sell online (like Village, in the link I gave) are usually knocking 20 or 25% off list price and obviously still having no trouble keeping the lights on. :) And when comparing prices, don't forget you pay them shipping, which your local dealer doesn't usually charge you.

    I sometimes order things from Village or Metro (and get the bigger discount, but pay shipping) and sometimes, for convenience, from the local dealer. I think they realize I have that choice now; they tend to work in a small discount too, not as big as the online ones, but with not paying shipping it seems to be roughly comparable.

    -Chap
     
  19. TimberLong

    TimberLong Junior Member

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    I knew it was a plug-in, but somehow I guess the parts guy didn't. Yeah, I realize those markups are there. I wish I had the know-how to do it myself. I've done lots of things. But, somehow, when it comes to wheels, I worry about the safety issue and would rather leave it up to the shop.
     
  20. sfv41901

    sfv41901 Masta S

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    Aren't u still covered under warranty?


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