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Is this possible???

2K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  COR Wheels 
#1 ·
My 2005 E500, which I recently purchased, is at a local dealership in the San Francisco, CA. Bay Area getting some minor warranty work completed. The service advisor called me yesterday and said my front brake pads only have 4 millimeters left on them and that my front rotors need replacing as they are worn out as well. My car has 22,400 miles on the odometer. He went on to say that a warning light will come on when the pads get to 3 millimeters.

Did I get taken? Is it "possible" that the front pads and rotor could in fact be in need of replacement or was I given a sales pitch and bought something that I did not need? Also, he said the normal cost would be $750 to do the job but the dealership had a "special" going for the month of February for $593.

Although this is my first Mercedes, it seems odd that both the original front pads AND rotors would need replacing at the same time and at this mileage level. Lastly, the original owner I bought the car from did not appear to be someone that drove the car hard. She did, though, live in the hills so probably put some extra wear on the brakes going to and from her home. Any thoughts??:confused:
 
#2 ·
You needing brakes soon is very likely true and probably not BS. The rotors on these cars are not suppposed to be turned. They are supposed to be replaced when the pads are replaced. They do have sensors as well, 2 on the front and 1 on the rear that will let you know when your brakes have worn out. I just had mine done with 30k miles on the car. I spent $388 on front and rear pads/rotors/sensors but this was WHOLESALE PART pricing only, no labor. The fronts were about $225 wholesale in parts. Do the brakes now at the dealership, take it back when the sensors tell you to or buy the parts and do the brakes yourself (lots of threads on how).

Welcome to Mercedes, it's not cheap to maintain these (or most other European cars). Enjoy :D
 
#4 ·
A quick comparison... I have a 2005 E320 with 57K original miles. It's been driven 90% of the time on the highway, even though I live in San Francisco. At the last service (52,000 miles), the brakes were only about 40% worn. Driving conditions make a huge difference!
 
#5 ·
Kodabear said:
My 2005 E500, which I recently purchased, is at a local dealership in the San Francisco, CA. Bay Area getting some minor warranty work completed. The service advisor called me yesterday and said my front brake pads only have 4 millimeters left on them and that my front rotors need replacing as they are worn out as well. My car has 22,400 miles on the odometer. He went on to say that a warning light will come on when the pads get to 3 millimeters.

Did I get taken? Is it "possible" that the front pads and rotor could in fact be in need of replacement or was I given a sales pitch and bought something that I did not need? Also, he said the normal cost would be $750 to do the job but the dealership had a "special" going for the month of February for $593.

Although this is my first Mercedes, it seems odd that both the original front pads AND rotors would need replacing at the same time and at this mileage level. Lastly, the original owner I bought the car from did not appear to be someone that drove the car hard. She did, though, live in the hills so probably put some extra wear on the brakes going to and from her home. Any thoughts??:confused:
You Stated that You Just Bought this car?
Did You have it Inspected or PPI done BEFORE you bought the car ?


The W211s go through REAR brakes before fronts on Most All SPC cars

Also MOST MBs go through TWO sets of pads per set of Rotors..So It does sound like a UPSALE on Repairs...Did The Service advisor give you specs on the rotors as what they measured in at and what is MBs Min Spec? Again Sounds Like a UPSALE....
 
#6 ·
Mark Cummins said:
Also MOST MBs go through TWO sets of pads per set of Rotors..So It does sound like a UPSALE on Repairs...Did The Service advisor give you specs on the rotors as what they measured in at and what is MBs Min Spec? Again Sounds Like a UPSALE....
??? When did MB recommend putting new pads on used rotors? Being able to use new pads on used rotors may be possible if rotor minimum thickness has not been compromised. Being advisable is another story. Fill us in.

blackE said:
mbuskuhl your car looks sick i was gonna get the E63 rims for my car, if you dont mind me asking where did you get them?
Thanks. I got them last September right after the e63 came out. I found a shop who had done some rims for a new e63.
 
#7 ·
Yeah. I'm at 25,000 miles and my SA told me that he projects about 47-48K miles for me (50-50 city/highway 2005 E320). Says the rotors will likely not need to be replaced the first time around because the newer ones are being manufactured thicker to begin with.
He also told me that he's seen owners run thru brakes and rotors in as little as 8K miles, particularly AMG models, simple because of the way that they're typically driven...
My SAABs used to go thru pads at about 23K miles, so this isn't bad...
 
#8 ·
mbuskuhl said:
??? When did MB recommend putting new pads on used rotors? Being able to use new pads on used rotors may be possible if rotor minimum thickness has not been compromised. Being advisable is another story. Fill us in.



I Worked for Mercedes as a Tech for SEVERAL Years and I Have done LOTS of Brake work on MBs they allow the Pad replacement on USED brake rotors as long as they ARE in spec....The Specs are stamped on the Brake rotor
 
#10 ·
Mark Cummins said:
mbuskuhl said:
??? When did MB recommend putting new pads on used rotors? Being able to use new pads on used rotors may be possible if rotor minimum thickness has not been compromised. Being advisable is another story. Fill us in.



I Worked for Mercedes as a Tech for SEVERAL Years and I Have done LOTS of Brake work on MBs they allow the Pad replacement on USED brake rotors as long as they ARE in spec....The Specs are stamped on the Brake rotor

Allowing and advisable are different. Yes you can put new pads on used rotors, that I agree with. I disagree that is advisable or recommended. I have yet to see where MB recommends using the old rotors. A current Master Certified MB tech will be at my house in a few hours to do my front brakes. He did my rear brakes a couple weeks ago. As a Master Certified MB tech currently working at an MB dealer he recommends changing rotors and pads at the same time. He has nothing to gain off of this recommendation, there is no "up sale". I buy the parts, he does the labor. He's done a lot of stuff on my car.

So what if the rotor is over minimum thickness right now. For those who care, buy a micrometer from the auto parts store and measure yourself. The minimum thickness should be stamped in the edge of the rotor. I'll measure today when mine are changed just for the heck of it.

Will it still be over minimum thickness in 10k miles?
Is there any runout in the rotor or uneven wear? You can't turn these rotors to remove problems.

For maximum brake life, spend the few dollars and do the job right. Put on new rotors. When I say a few dollars, specfic rotor prices- $64.60 each for the fronts and $45.90 each for the rears. Those are prices I paid for OEM rotors bought directly from the dealer. Labor is not relevant, the rotor is held onto the hub by one screw. Takes an extra 5 minutes max.

But then again, you can also use paint without sanding or primer. You can also use tires without balancing them.
 
#11 ·
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