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Regenerative braking and/or wheel bearing

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by qmanqman, Apr 2, 2020.

  1. qmanqman

    qmanqman Active Member

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    I've been driving my daughter's Prius the past week or so to feel it out and have a question.

    I know this car has regenerative braking but I'm not up to speed on the details. If this were a gasoline only car I'd swear that the left front wheel bearing is starting to make a slight noise and I'd dive into it. But right now that noise is so slight it doesn't really sound bad. It's just a noise kinda like road noise only coming directly from the left front wheel area.

    Could this just be the regenerative braking system or do these cars actually run into bearing issues? I don't even know how to start on this.
     
    #1 qmanqman, Apr 2, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2020
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    bearing issues aplenty,

    how old and how many miles?
     
    #2 bisco, Apr 2, 2020
  3. qmanqman

    qmanqman Active Member

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    2007 Prius with 285,000 miles on it. I finally got my hands on her folder of maintenance items but haven't gotten a chance to look it over. She bought it with 200,000 miles on it and the ICE had just been replaced. The previous and original owner is a nice enough guy (I've met him) on his 2nd or 3rd Prius and he's a Toyota salesman. He's not much of a car guy so I'm not sure how much maintenance info is in that folder. She's smart enough to at least know to change the oil.
     
    #3 qmanqman, Apr 2, 2020
    bisco likes this.
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i would wait until it gets louder
     
    #4 bisco, Apr 2, 2020
  5. Graeme1949

    Graeme1949 Member

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    In my 2004 Prius (more than 190,000 miles) the regenerative braking doesn't make any appreciable noise. The only brake noise comes after I brake hard enough for the disk brake pads to start working.


    -Graeme-
    2004 Prius with >190,000 miles.
    Sent ?.
     
    #5 Graeme1949, Apr 3, 2020
  6. qmanqman

    qmanqman Active Member

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    Thanks. Turns out the only maintenance receipts she has are for oil changes over the 85,000 miles she's owned it. I'm gonna keep my ear on it.
     
    #6 qmanqman, Apr 3, 2020
  7. Jackie V

    Jackie V Junior Member

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    Seasons Greetings, bad wheel bearings (generally) will create enough friction to make the hub area warm to very hot.
    When we test drive any vehicle we consider to purchase we always put it through our wheel bearing test. After a 20
    mile test cruise we find an uphill exit ramp, allow the vehicle to roll to a natural stop as you pull to the berm, with the
    back of your hand, place it near the hub axle area's of all wheels, if you have a bad bearing chances are one of these
    wheel hub area's will be warm to hot. Since you didn't apply brakes its an easy discovery.
     
    #7 Jackie V, Nov 18, 2020
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