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Mercedes Dealer said brakes/rotors after had done 18 months/5K Miles

1K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Heatwave 
#1 ·
Re: 2007 SL550
Mercedes Dealer said brakes/rotors after had done 18 months/5K Miles
Does anyone think this is out of line?
I drive locally to my own business a few blocks away and have not had any trips longer than 50 miles.
I live near the beach in a flat area.
I have always had a full warranty that covers just about everything except oil changes and brakes Etc.
It seems they always find something that is not covered to have me give the OK to do.
It is remotely possible that after front brakes and rotors and the sensor done in late 2016, that I could need all that again?
I am not a driver who rides the brake pedal.

Any advice would be appreciated.
I have had the sl550 since 2011 and just paid $1500 for 4 Michelins last year also which were needed along with the brakes and rotors.
 
#2 ·
You should be in the R230 section.
But as long as you are here, Ill give my opinion.
I guess you are saying the dealer wants to put on new rotors and pads, 18mo old.
BS
You should be getting 25-35 K mi out of the rotors, and maybe 20-30k mi on the pads.
They may be thieves, or its possible you never had new ones put on before and the previous shop was thieves.
And they want to put new tires on a car with new tires.
Do everybody a favor and tell us what dealer this is so we can all stay away!
 
#3 ·
Thank You
I will go to the R230 section next time. Thanks for the heads up as I am a newbie in this particular site.
BTW: It was the biggest MB dealer in St Petersburg FL. who put on new brake pads and rotors 18 months ago, not a shop.
The new tires were also put on last year and they were needed due to excessive cracking and wear and they do not want to put on new tires, just front brakes and rotors again at the same MB dealer.
I am going to meet with the service manager who has solved other issues in which I thought there was a problem with the quote on what I needed.
I was told my car was ready to pick up with the warranty work done, and now no mention of breaks and rotors since I had questioned the need.
 
#5 ·
Before we go any further,

Are you handing the car over to the dealer, asking them to suggest and recommend fixes? or are you trying to fix a specific issue?

brakes will last many folds over 5K, as many as 10 times as long for some drives, while 30-40 being the most common.

Exceptions are to either badly corroded rotors due to lack of driving and car being exposed to elements.

or binding calipers that causes pad drag and irregular wear...

if you're not addressing a specific complaint, then the service adviser somehow missed the fact you serviced them 5K ago, and suggesting the service, without even looking st the car (again, assuming brakes physically look like what they should look at 5K), and there is no irregular excessive wear, that should be addressed, or else, you will need another brake job in the next 5K
 
#6 ·
You can see a lot just by looking. Look at your rotors and pads. If necessary to see the pads, pull off a wheel. Check for a ridge on the outer circumference of the rotors ... swipe your fingers from the inside of the rotor face to the outside. Do you feel a ridge that runs around the circumference? If so, how "much" of a ridge? By "much," I mean: is the ridge barely discernible or is the face of the rotor deeply worn down? Just a guess: after only 5000 miles there will be no ridge at all. But if the rotor is fairly deeply worn after only 5000 miles, you may be riding your left foot on the brake pedal all the time. If you rest your left foot on the brake pedal ... stop doing that. Use only your right foot for the accelerator and for the brakes ... put left foot on permanent vacation.

And look at this page on this forum. If your page appears like mine, you'll see a "Quick Reply" window at the bottom of this screen. The words "Quick Reply" appear in a black band. Use that band as general reference for gauging brake pad thickness. New pads are thicker than the band. Moderately worn pads are roughly that thickness. If your pads are much thinner than the band, then you need to make plans to replace them ... you'll get a message in your dash display stating "Replace Brake Pads," or words to that effect.

Good luck, Mate.
 
#7 ·
And look at this page on this forum. If your page appears like mine, you'll see a "Quick Reply" window at the bottom of this screen. The words "Quick Reply" appear in a black band.
Good luck, Mate.
That's not a good reference. The relative size of this band is dependent on at least 2 factors, the size of the display and the resolution. On my 23.6" display, that band is .28" or 7mm, but on a laptop display or a large display with ultra high resolution i will be a lot smaller.

Use inches or millimeters as a reference instead.
 
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