Replacing Front Wheel Bearings & ABS Sensor

[deltic777]

I have a 2003 Berlingo Multispace 2.0 HDI (125,000 miles), with very noisy front wheel bearings. Took in into the garage, my understanding is that the calipers and discs are removed, and the bearing pressed out.

Anyway the mechanic has broken off the ABS sensor while trying to remove it, hence incurring extra cost, £62 for a new sensor. 

So my questions are:

(a) Does the sensor need removing when changing the bearings?
(b) If the mechanic breaks off the ABS sensor, who is liable for the new sensor, me or the mechanic?

Many thanks in anticipation.

[cancunia]

Welcome to the forum.
There are a few threads on here about getting the wheel bearings out, it can be quite a big effort as there's a large circlip then the bearings are normally held in with a bit of rust. I'm not sure if you can get the bearings out without first taking the hub off the car. If you have a search around, you should find more details.
To answer your questions:

A) Almost certainly
B) I think it'll depend on how it broke, they should come out without too much difficulty, £62 seems expensive though.

[polar]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Im going to be honest your vehicle is a 2003! anything can happen when you take a vehicle like that in for repair, i would just appreciate the mechanic was willing to work on it. Years of corrosion can mean anything can happen give the guy a break £62 extra is nothing.

Im a retired mechanic and trust me it not easy repairing a high milage old vehicle - components just break.

[cancunia]

I agree that old parts get brittle and are prone to break which why I wrote that it 'depends' on how it broke but a quick search shows they are £26 ish from GSF, if your mechanic gets them from a parts factor, probably the same or less. I'd argue that you should pay for them at cost. or come to an agreement. Perhaps the £62 includes fitting?

[polar]

Thats the way i read it the £62 included fitting and additional costs for having additional problems.

The point i was trying to make cancunic is that owners need to understand not all mechanics are trying to rip them off and the older or higher milage the vehicle the less chance things are going to be straightforward.

A mate of mine rang me the other day to say a garage wanted to charge he so much for some work he was having done - old old vehicle. My reply was that is a nightmare mess about of a job on your old Berlingo your lucky he wants to do it in the first place, its going to take him best part of a day so he is actually losing money.