Hey guys... noticed a new noise in the car last week after i had got back the NW pre xmas drink at the Swan....

It occurs when the car is moving and is most prominent at 30-35 mph.

It doesn't go away if i dip the clutch or take the car out of gear.

From what i can tell its coming from the rear of the car but cant tell at all...

I have a few things i can think of... wheel bearing, brakes, cv joint, gearbox.

I think a trip to the garage to see what they think of the noise!

is that like a whirring noise?

Lol... just realised that i hadn't mentioned what the noise sounded like! hehe

Yeh its kinda whirring like noise... but it pulses louder and quieter rapidly.

If it's from the rear it'll be either a wheel bearing or an out of shape/bulged tyre.

If it's from the front you might feel it through the steering wheel....is that the case?

Sounds like a wheelbearing to me too =)

Dont feel it through the wheel and all my tyres are fine and brand new...

I can hear it more prominently if i stick my head back between the seats and listen... had a pull at the wheels and there wasn't any movement but they might just be starting the wear out not actually totaly worn yet.

Are they hard to change?

Not hard to change.

They are the bearings you remove with the rear drum from recollection so fairly straightforward.

just to back everyone up on this subject yes its the wheel bearings.

Right... thanks for your help guys... that was my best guess too.

How do i check them... could i jack the car up and spin the wheels and would it be obviousl?

I think my bearings need doing as my uncle asked whats that whirring noise but I think I've grown used to it.

Mines getting worse everytime i use it!

Its getting fairly loud now.... will hopefully be getting it sorted on monday if i can fix my alternator problem and get it started by then!!

i vote take it to the garage

i vote take it to the garage

Hehe... booked in at local/regular garage monday morning!

Fingers crossed it won't cost too much!!

Just heard from the garage is one of the rear bearings gone and i'll have it back this afternoon!

He said they're the same as on a polo! But don't worry he's not one of these that reckons the car is actually a polo he knows about em! lol

Phil, out of interest how much did you pay the garage for bearing replacement? I think one of mine is going on it's way out. Looked at the Haynes and don't fancy the job myself as I know something will go wrong, although it is tempting to do it myself and save the money JHMButtco June 06 price list says the parts needed are £20.

Could be the cold weather makes them go?

It cost be a total of £45 at my garage!

Pretty cheap really... cost me double that for one doing on my old citroen!!

Got a quote of £45.95 with the rest being £60 - 110. The garage with the cheapest quote seemed to know their stuff, and like yours they believed the drum brakes were the same set-up as a polo

Yup... sounds spot on that! Go for it.

Speaking of rear brakes... just had new shoes all round and a new cylinder on the passenger side.. cost me £90!

err... guys...

a pair of wheelbearings for a favorit/felicia are a tenner or thereabouts from jorily on ebay, and it costs about a tenner in labour to replace one, or £20 at a dear local garage.

£90? someones getting hammered.

It seems £90 was for the new shoes both sides and new cylinder passenger side.

As for replacing wheel bearings, is it easy to DIY? I feel ok about getting the brake drum off, and the hub itself (I think). Not so sure about replacing the bearings though. Again the Haynes doesn't seem to make the entire process transparent, but I hope it's easier to figure out once the hub is off.

Is it just a case of forcing the old bearings out, removing old grease from hub with cloth, grease up new bearings, push them in evenly with an appropriately sized socket?

Was going to get it done at a garage but considering the parts themselves are a tenner I'd rather keep the extra £35 and spend it on a low torque wrench so I can adjust the bearing myself on replacing it.

I suppose once I've got the hub off, if I really struggle with getting the old bearings out, or putting the new one's in, I can take the bits and walk down to the nearest garage and ask if they could do it for a fiver or something.

Well... my issues were, time, space and tools!

At the moment we live in a flat so no garage or driveway to do any work to the car and i don't have a decent tool set at the moment and i just don't have the time anyway and my local garage are really good too...