Well.... before my brake pads even arrived, I had the Bright Red Warning for Brake Failure come on. And I had no brake pressure! This was while simply pulling out of my garage.
I stopped the car (which was a struggle) and checked the brake fluid level, which was fine. Then I restarted the car and everything was fine again. The car is now at the dealership, as even though everything is magically fine again, I want them to check out the braking system.
I've done some research and understand that it could be the SBC system, which may still be under warranty (10 years?). I believe there was also a recall related to the SBC system. So I'll have them check all of that out and maybe change the brake fluid. Then I'll do my pads myself next weekend.
While I was at the dealership, I said to myself, I am sick of stuff going wrong with my 102k mile car. Let me check out these new cars. Then I saw all the $60k price tags on the new MBs, and I said - well, maybe I'll pay for some repairs one more time!
My car has been paid off for a while now, and I keep saying to myself, if I can pay $500 in repairs, for whatever is needed, every six months to keep my car going, then it is worth it. Of course, when you drop you car off at the dealership - you never know what they are going to come back with!
if you do not depressurize the system you could damage the SBC unit. I learned my lesson changing my brake pads and rotors. i did the same thing you did and in the back when the piston was compressed it damaged the unit. The dealer showed me the damage that was caused. it too me a long while to get M-B to cover the unit. The company will not cover is due to faulty installation of the pads/sensors/maintenance. I know this did not happen to you but just giving you a heads up before the dealer throws something at you. M-B is very finicky about replacing parts under warranty when a non-M-B tech installs parts. I currently have 126K and my unit went out at 51K but that was due to my fault. the current one is running much better but its more touchy than usual.
Are you talking about the caliper piston? Did you loosen the reservoir cap? how did you compress the piston? With a C-Clamp? Where did the damage occur?
I have taken my brakes apart at least a dozen times on this car and I have never had a problem!
Are you talking about the caliper piston? Did you loosen the reservoir cap? how did you compress the piston? With a C-Clamp? Where did the damage occur?
I have taken my brakes apart at least a dozen times on this car and I have never had a problem!
yes i loosened it, turned the piston back in the damage occurred in the unit internally, they told me that it may have been easy for me to feel the difference but the way i drive i never noticed it. they took it apart and the showed me the cracked valve. thats why it lost pressure and the system just failed entirely. now i just buy the parts i want and a friend of mine installs it for me.
Just a couple of comments,
If you are only replacing pads, you can remove the caliper without removing the carrier, the 2 metric 18mm bolts that you mentioned will remove the carrier along with the caliper. The disadvantage of doing that is that it is heavier than the caliper by itself and it is harder to tie down out of the way, the 2nd disadvantage is that you don't get a chance to inspect and re-lube the pins on the caliper.
I recommend that you first compress the caliper piston with a C clamp before you remove anything (and after you loosen the reservoir cap), then you use an allen wrench to remove the caliper, pull out the pins, if they are corroded, polish to a mirror finish, relube and re install, replace the pads and reinstall the caliper on the carrier/rotor.
Good Luck
Well, I started on the front brakes this weekend (E500 2004) and ran into some problems.
I removed the 18mm two bolts and removed the caliper. But the brake pads don't simply come off. The pads seem to have the metal pin running through the tabs on the brake pads. I looks like I need to remove the two Torx bolts from the side of the caliper to get the pads off. These are not allen bolts, but Torx. I tried my T-40 bit, but is was too small. So I probably need a T-45??
So, given that my car is and E500 and not and E320:
1. Do I need to remove the Torx bolts and side plate to the caliper in order to remove the pads? Again, there is a pin that runs through the tabs on each pad.
2. Does anyone know the exact size of the needed T-Bit / Torx bit? T-40 is too small.
As the guy above indicates, it appears as if I don't need to remove the full caliper / 18mm bolts in order to replace the pads. Just the Torx bolts. We will see... Given how hard is was to break the 18mm's loose, they may have never been removed, and I have 102k miles!
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