Wheel bearing leaking grease - E46 M3

[strike4A]

Just put my June '02 E46 M3 through it's MOT and the tester mentioned that the rear nearside wheel bearing was leaking grease. It's not a problem to cause an MOT fail but the tester said I should get it sorted. Is it just a seal that I can replace or do I need to get a whole new bearing?

[Ayrton4ever]

it depends how long and how much it's been leaking. If the bearing is gone it will soon start making noise, and then you 'll need to replace. if you're lucky you'll just get away with some grease and the rubber cover.

[T-bagger]

Leaking grease? I've never seen an M3 (or any other BMW with sealed races) leak grease before, but I suppose it's possible. I wouldn't take the MOT testers word for it though if I were you, best to thoroughly clean it off, then cehck it after a couple of hundred miles. Keep your ears peeled (!) for any noises though because if it is leaking grease it's fail pretty soon.
Oh and it would need a new wheel bearing if it were leaking, as you can't repair them.
Keep us updated - interesting case.

[strike4A]

The whole hub and suspension at that corner had to be replaced last Autumn due to accident damage hence I'm wondering if it was not put together correctly.

[GreenV8S]

I would say you'll need a new bearing soon if you don't already. Check the brakes too - it may be that the grease loss is caused by overheating rather than a failed seal.

[Ayrton4ever]

if this problem is a direct mis-hap of work carried out then I would make a claim with whoever did this under warranty. why should you pay to rectify this if they did not fit it properly?

[strike4A]

turns out it wasn't the wheel bearing but the cv joint on the hub side. wiped away all the grease and it looks fine at first sight but when rotated the grease comes out of a hairline fracture. insurance company replacing it free-of-charge. should be back on the road in a couple of days.