Parts for your 2013 Mazda Premacy-Centre bearing

2013 Mazda Premacy centre-bearing — is it actually a thing?

Short answer: a centre-bearing isn’t fitted to the 2013 Mazda Premacy (CW series), so it’s not a relevant service item for this model. Technical documentation backs this up. The Mazda Premacy (CW) uses a transverse engine with front-wheel drive only, so there’s no long, two-piece propeller shaft running down the vehicle that would need a centre (carrier) bearing. Instead, it runs two front driveshafts with constant velocity (CV) joints, and on the right-hand side there’s an intermediate shaft supported by a bracket and bearing on the engine block.

Why that matters: centre-bearings are a rear- or all-wheel drive thing, where a long, multi-piece tailshaft needs a carrier bearing to keep it running true. Because the 2013 Premacy is FWD, Mazda never gave it a prop shaft, so there’s nothing for a centre-bearing to support. The relevant component people sometimes mix up is the right-hand intermediate shaft support bearing—different job, different location, different symptoms.

What to look after instead: if there’s a vibration under load, a humming/whirring between about 60–80 km/h, or a shudder on take-off, a workshop should check the front CV joints, wheel bearings and the intermediate shaft support bearing. The support bearing can wear or its rubber mount can perish, but it’s not the same part as a centre-bearing and is serviced under the driveline/axle section, not a prop shaft section.

Technical sources referenced:

• Mazda Premacy/Mazda5 (CW) Workshop Manual — Driveline/Axle: Front Drive Shaft and Intermediate Shaft sections (no Propeller Shaft section listed for CW).
• Mazda Electronic Parts Catalogue (EPC) — CW-series listing shows Front Drive Shaft and Right-Hand Intermediate Shaft with support bearing, no propeller shaft or carrier/centre-bearing assembly for this model.
• Driveline design conventions — centre/carrier bearings are used on two-piece propeller shafts in RWD/AWD layouts, not on FWD transverse-engine layouts like the 2013 Premacy.

If a parts search is surfacing “centre-bearing” against a 2013 Premacy, it’s almost certainly a catalogue misclassification. Ask the supplier to confirm whether they actually mean the right-hand intermediate shaft support bearing. When replacing that bearing, use OE-quality parts, check CV boots at the same time, and road test for any lingering vibration after torquing mounts to spec.

Popular questions

Does a 2013 Mazda Premacy have a centre-bearing?
No. The CW-series Premacy is front-wheel drive and doesn’t use a propeller shaft, so there’s no centre-bearing. The closest item is the right-hand intermediate shaft support bearing, which supports the short shaft between the transmission and the RH driveshaft.

What’s the difference between the Premacy’s intermediate shaft bearing and a centre-bearing?
A centre-bearing (carrier bearing) supports a long, two-piece tailshaft in RWD/AWD vehicles. The Premacy’s intermediate shaft bearing supports a short front driveline shaft on a FWD layout. They do different jobs, sit in different places and aren’t interchangeable terms.

How do you spot a worn intermediate shaft support bearing on a Premacy?
Typical clues are a humming or grinding noise that rises with road speed, vibration under acceleration, or visible play when the shaft is levered on a hoist. Techs also check the rubber mount for cracks and ensure the CV joints and wheel bearings aren’t the real culprits.