No cruise control after wheel bearing/hub change

Hi, I'm having an odd issue with my 2005 5mt LGT. 130k miles, pretty much stock.

 

I changed both front wheel bearing/hub assemblies last weekend. I was careful with the ABS sensors and axle shafts. There were really no issues except drivers side was really rusted in and required lots of beating to get old assembly out.

 

Next morning, I hit the highway, turn on the cruise and hit 'set' and no cruise. The 'cruise' light just flashes, cannot engage cruise or turn cruise off. Turning off the car turns the cruise light out, but the problem repeats.

 

At lower speeds (30-40 mph) cruise can be engaged, but is very jerky and only works for up to 30 sec before the flashing starts. At highway speeds the flashing starts almost immediately.

 

There are no CEL's with any of this, and my code reader reports no errors. No ABS light, ABS seems to be working.

 

About 50 k miles ago I had the NPS issue. I just jumped the NPS switch and dealt with the occasional CEL for probably 10k miles before I deleted the NPS CEL in the ECU. Drove 40k miles under this setup with no issues until now.

 

Any one have experience with this issue? Could I have done something with the wheel bearing change, or is this just coincidence? Dealer can run diagnostic for $100. I'll do this if necessary, but if someone has another suggestion it would be much appreciated.

I would find a independent repair shop before I took the car to the dealer.

 

There was a problem like this a week or so back, not sure he did the same work prior but he had a flashing curise light and no CEL.

 

FWIW, I had to grind down the crush washer on my 05 5mt to get if from dropping out of cruise going down hills. But I never had the a flashing cursie light and no cel.

Coincidence. WB's have nothing to do with your cruise control.

Coincidence. WB's have nothing to do with your cruise control.

 

FALSE

 

The bearings have a magnetic strip in them that the wheel speed sensors use for ABS, Cruise, VDC, etc. You may have installed a bearing that didn't have this strip, or you may have damaged the sensor wire.

I got the exact same issue after having my front left wheel bearing changed yesterday!

 

I called the shop and they were not aware of the Cruise issue related to the wheel bearing, but the guy told me a magnet was used for the ABS/VDC (which I don't have on my car...). I was sure it was also used for the cruise control.

 

Thanks easton, I think you just confirmed my assumption!

Did you guys ever find a resolution to the problem? I have the same thing, just replaced front left wheel bearing and the cruise control does not work correctly. It feels like the throttle is opening and closing way too much while trying to maintain a speed. I also replaced the speed sensor too, thinking that may have been the problem. That did not fix it.

Read post #4

I still don't have my cruise control functional.

 

I went to an independant Subaru specialist shop and asked for a diagnostic. The speed from BOTH my front wheels are dropping to 0 sometimes ( for an iteration only, it's only sporadic). The thing is that I replaced only the front left WB... There is probably an other failure on the right side as well...

 

It happened only above 50-60 MPH. They think that the WB must not have the correct strip for the sensor. It was a Carquest part, not a Subaru...

 

I didn't had much time and money to put on that issue since then, so I am still stuck without CC

easton is correct. speed sensor is in wheel bearing. this reports to abs and tcu. cruise, vdc, speedo, can all be effected. I have seen a bad wheel bearing sensor stop a 4EAT from even running.

Read post #4

Thanks but I had

 

The only thing that I can figure then is that there are some bad aftermarket wheel bearings?

 

I don't think I mentioned in my first post that I replaced the wheel bearing, had the issue, suspected the magnetic strip as being a problem, then returned the first wheel bearing and replaced it with a second new wheel bearing (they were also different brands... but wouldn't be surprised if the they were built by the same manufacturer) I then suspected the sensor (even though the old one looked fine), so I replaced it with a new one. That also did not fix the problem.

 

So maybe next I will put the old wheel bearing back in and see what happens...

How bad was the old wheel bearing ? Did it by chance have enough play in it that it may have damaged the sensor.

Wire can be easily damaged too. Tire "guys" are notorious for damaging them.

I put the old bearing back in and the cruise control problem went away... so it seems like there is an issue with the bearings that I bought from an auto parts store. I guess I will buy one from the dealer.

It still seems odd to me because the ABS computer did not throw an error... Must be the signal was OK for the ABS, but not good enough for the cruise.

ABS reports to the TCU. You might have had a chassis code. They do not trigger like a CEL. I have posted a way to "check" chassis codes from the dash in my vendor thread.

Did you put the bearing in the correct way?

If you put it in backwards it wont work properly

Welcome to the forum. great first post, lol.

 

You cant install a front wheel bearing backwards. It is a complete hub assembly (includes wheel studs even). It is a complete unit. Pressed together. You can not disassemble it.

That's assuming the entire hub was replaced.

The hub can be disassembled, the bearing pressed out and replaced which is usually the cheaper option, but requires the use off a bearing puller tool OR a press.

 

Seeing as how francois_m16 had the bearing replaced by a workshop I would assume they had access to the tools and did it this way?

 

We had this problem when the Apprentice at my work put in a wheel bearing backwards.

worked fine for a while and would intermittently 'drop out' logging a fault

Just noticed in the title where it says 'hub change'.

How awkward.....

You can (technically, but it might destroy the assembly) press out the bearing. But it does you no good, you can not replace it. They do not sell it. There is no way to physically check the ABS "pick up" inside the bearing. You must trouble shoot it down to the bearing and change it (on a prayer, lol). The entire hub assembly. This is how it is sold. By the dealer and every aftermarket manufacturer that offers the part.

 

Even if you could buy just the bearing and integrated "pick up" the cost of labor to press it out and in would exceed the cost of a replacement hub assembly.

Do the Liberty's not use the same bearings as Impreza's?

 

I just found them on your site, cheaper than I've seen them for sale in AUS!!

 

I always get jealous when ever I see car prices in US dollars, knowing that it'll cost me twice as much over here, assuming the exchange rate is 1 to 1

Do the Liberty's not use the same bearings as Impreza's?

 

I just found them on your site, cheaper than I've seen them for sale in AUS!!

 

I always get jealous when ever I see car prices in US dollars, knowing that it'll cost me twice as much over here, assuming the exchange rate is 1 to 1

 

 

That's because your upside down.

Legacys (Libertys) do not share wheel bearings with early Imprezzas. Subaru made a change.

Just to wrap this up from my standpoint and give advice to anyone that may read this.... I put in a new wheel bearing assembly from Subaru and the cruise works fine now. Whereas the cruise did not work fine with either of the two wheel bearings that I bought from an auto parts store. So I can only assume that there is some sort of defect in the magnetic strip in the two aftermarket wheel bearing assemblies that I tried.

Glad you got it resolved.