Mechanic Screwing with me - Wheel bearings, please help.

[Fryguy]

K, here's the basic info:

1997 mits eclipse

got an oil leak about a week after having an antifreeze leak and getting my rad replaced. Bring it back to the mechanic that I always do, and leave it for a day (he's been busy). He calls me next day and is like yah I got bad news. You need a new oil pan and a bearing is shot in your transaxle.

Oil pan, ok, but transaxle? WTF, how does he get THAT from me bringing in an oil leak? Keep in mind that my transmission has been running perfect.
And then check out the price quote:

$1600. I do NOT have that kind of money to throw around, so I tell him it's gonna have to wait a while. I leave it at that.

He tries to get in touch with me the next day (I'm at work), and he speaks to my parents. He tells my parents it's the rear wheel bearings (which, as I understand, are built into the hub assembly).

Now, how does he get from a transaxle bearing (on the front fo the car), to rear wheel bearings (rear of the car)?

So now I don't know what to do. Do rear wheel bearings even go bad on our cars? How can I tell, what feelings/noises should I have from that?

I'm just going to go pick up my car tomorrow and have somebody else do the oil pan, because this is ridiculous, but I want some more info about the rear wheel bearings.

 

[ph3r3d]

Get your car back.. and do the oil pan your self.. any time you take your car to a shop, they are going to find something else wrong with your car, even though you might not have anything wrong with it.

and oil pans arent hard to do *bonk*

 

[Fryguy]

well, I just want to be assured it's bullshit. How can I tell if the wheelbearings/hub assembly need to be replaced?

 

[Cirus_93TSI]

i would get what he is charging you broken down and itemized for you, cause for the ammount of labor it requires and the cost of the parts you need i think your getting overcharged, espicaly if the radiator and its labor isnt included in that 1600

i have replaced a wheel berring before, though it wasnt on a dsm, and its not that hard of a job, nor does it take more then a few hours, less with an impact wrench and all the right tools
he is probally exagarating the extent of the problem into you buying a whole new hub or something, because just the berring itself doesnt cost no damn 600 bucks, but a whole hub on the other hand might

wheel berrings can go bad on any car, although on a 97 i wouldnt think one would have gone bad already, but theres always the chance, hopefully someone else can tell you an easy way tp check if its bad, because the last time i came across a bad one on a car we already had the entire suspension and everything connected to it ripped appart and happened to notice that bearing wasnt any good

 

[leet]

Left rear axles have a tendency to die.

 

[Moosh]

I think you should get your car back, buy a new oil pan from the junkyard and install it yourself. Just get the oil pan, get some gasket maker tubing. Remove the oil pan and any lines going to it, remember where you got the bolts from because I think they vary in size not sure though. Anyway, after you remove it take your new oil pan, put gasket maker all around it for a good seal, and bolt it back up and hook up the oil lines you took out. Its not a hard job, may take you a little while but you will save a lot of money.

As far as the wheel bearing and hub goes, if one of your bearings are going out trust me you will KNOW. You will hear annoying sounds coming from your wheels. I don't know if the bearing can be purchased seperately from the hub on DSM's, but on my uncle's Intrepid, they came as one unit. It cost about $100 some odd dollars, not $600. Replacing it is like replacing your rotors, with a couple of additional steps to it. I don't think you have to worry about it unless you've been hearing noises or noticed and problems. He might just be trying to make a quick buck off of you.

Moosh

 

[Fryguy]

well, I got my car back and brought it to another mechanic (good reputation, recommended by quite a few people).

I'm not even leaking oil at all. It's the axle seal on drivers side. total cost:

$20 + 2hours labor. $125 out the door.

sweet deal