64 plate Superb 'droning'-wheel bearing failure?

[pist0nbr0ke]

So my boss has a 64 plate Superb hatch 140 manual-it's a 4x4 with only 7,000 miles.

 

Last weekend, he managed to 'drive over something' (he doesn't know what even-I assume/hope  :wonder: it was dark) and now has a droning noise from the front. I took it to a local tyre centre and also a local garage and had it checked out on a ramp, wheel balancing, tyres etc-all OK. It sounds really like a wheel bearing to me, is this a possibility even though there is no damage to any wheel? No vibration through the steering & it drives straight & true too...  :S  

 

Local garage (independent), who are good and look after a few fleet cars for us, say they are reluctant to touch it as it's so new, and they could start replacing bearings & not get anywhere but cost a fortune. Thinking now of having a Skoda dealer look at, but the nearest one to us is 3/4 hour away and a bit of a PITA TBH.

 

Any suggestions? (oh and before anyone suggests it, I have already recommended he tries driving it without his missus in the car  :p   )

[silver1011]

Take it to Skoda and don't mention the 'driving over something' bit.

 

The car is under warranty, the dealer will be able to hear the droning and will need to fix it.

[superbdreams]

"so" (odd).

I had to have both front wheel bearings replaced at 11k miles.

[FLAPPERJACK7]

Bent the hub which is part and parcel of the bearing. It's all one piece. Made from Swiss cheese.

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[pist0nbr0ke]

Thanks a lot for the replies folks-seems it's not impossible it's a hub or bearing then.

 

Cheers.

[FLAPPERJACK7]

Hub is a bearing. One part on these vehicles. Not like the old days.

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[Hedgecutter]

my 4x4 combi has suddenly started droning, but dealer said it was saw toothing, despite mot tester saying tyre wear was even. No bumps or hits, appearing to come from the rear.

[pist0nbr0ke]

Saw toothing was an issue on the rear of my Octavia and very common on them, and other cars with the same platform (Golf, Leon, A3 etc). Changing the tyres to Michelins helped, some tyres seemed to be more susceptible than others, along with revised suspension geometry settings, which IIRC are on the site here somewhere, albeit I think they were only for the Octavia.

 

This issue with my bosses car is definitely not related to sawtoothing though.

[Superb170]

my 4x4 combi has suddenly started droning, but dealer said it was saw toothing, despite mot tester saying tyre wear was even. No bumps or hits, appearing to come from the rear.

The wear can be very subtle sometimes.  I had tyres checked numerous times before and nothing found until they begun to wear down and it then became more obvious that it was saw toothing

[StuartTunstall]

Both my Leon and the Exeo suffered with the saw tooth issues... the Leon had the Bridgstone tyres replace for Continentals after 5000 miles because the noise was that loud through the car it was terrible... Had no issues once Continentals were put on.

 

The Exeo had Dunlops which lasted 10000 miles.... 

[Defenderben]

Think flapperjack is pointing you in the right direction with the hub/bearing assembly.

If you have hit or driven over something and the droning has started since that, then you or your boss rather has damaged something.

As much of a PITA take it to Skoda and plead ignorance of hitting driving over anything.

Edited 21 September, 2015 by Defenderben

[psycholist]

If you rub your hand along the surface of the tyre you'll find your hand can slide around the tread pattern more easily on one direction than in the other if there is sawtoothing. It's not visually obvious unless it's really bad.

[James@RRG_Skoda_Rochdale]

Had a 2014 superb in just last week with distorted front tyres, they were Dunlops and had started to "saw tooth" on the inner tread.

[2SkodaFamily]

my 4x4 combi has suddenly started droning, but dealer said it was saw toothing, despite mot tester saying tyre wear was even. No bumps or hits, appearing to come from the rear.

I've got this as well.

 

It's most likely to be sawtoothing. When the MOT tester says that the tyre wear is even, they mean the tread depth across the width of the tyre.

[pist0nbr0ke]

Well the dealer has been unable to diagnose it after two days in the workshop, so it's been returned with a recommendation to 'drive it until it gets bad enough to diagnose'.   They're not prepared to start throwing parts at it in the hopes of striking it lucky and fixing it, which is fair enough I suppose.

 

Bit of a PITA though, dealer is 3/4 hour away and courtesy cars are Fabia Greenlines.  :peek: (Could be worse, I know!)

[silver1011]

I wouldn't be having that. Your boss must be more easy going than me.

 

There is clearly a fault so something is wrong. I'd be taking the car back and asking them to call me when it is fixed and not before.

 

Dealers are often happy to replace parts at will when looking to fix faults when the customer is paying. Time to practice what they preach.

 

Driving a car with an obvious fault and an annoying drone for the next several thousand miles wouldn't be an option for me, especially on a brand new car still under warranty.

 

Time to contact Skoda Ireland.

[peterposh]

Far more likely to be tyre related, take it to tyre place and get them to examine tyres and or swap it for rear

[Rajakay]

I had the exact same problem. Changed all 4 tyres and had 4 wheel alignment but noise was still there. Changed all 4 hubs which quietend it a little but the droning is still there.

[pist0nbr0ke]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Silver1011-I agree with what you say, and I'd be kicking up more of a fuss, but don't know if I could cope with a Fabia Greenline courtesy car for any length of time, especially considering the driving I do. Oh and we live in Wales so Skoda Ireland may not help!  :p

 

Wheels have actually been swapped from another car, but nope, it hasn't made any difference, it definitely seems to be drivetrain related.

 

Skoda UK here we come, I think.   :yes: