PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

dmorrison · #5 09-07-2003, 11:30 PM

Well David and David this is David *G*

My 2 cents.
Everything that David of the second part told David of the first part is very good.

Now for what I can suggest.

If your wear light has not come on you do not have to replace the wear sensors, the little wires plugged into the pads. The outside plastic coating is warn down by the rotor as the pad is warn and the rotor makes the ground for the light. So if it was not on, don't worry about replacing them.

Flush your brake fluid now while your all greasy and have the tools out. Do a search on bleeding the brakes, it has been covered. Weather you buy the auto bleeder or get your significant other to press the brake pedal for you.

DO NOT ALLOW THE BRAKE FLUID TO TOUCH YOUR BODY PAINT. it will remove it.

Rotors
The rotors on the 88 560SL are actually from a different body style. To remove them. After you take the wheel off look for a allen head bolt, just one, that is on the hub section of the wheel. Remove that allen bolt and the rotor comes right off. Mercedes uses the lug bolts of the tire to hold the rotor secure. The manual shows the rotor assembly to be part of the wheel hub and a bear to replace. The 88 is not set up this way. Look at the supplement section at the end of the service manual. Your 88 has a brake system that was installed on the 124 and 201 model

Service Manual Chassis and Body Model 107 Volume 2:
Go to page B42 way in the back. The upper left picture shows your rotor. Item #8 is the allen bolt to remove your rotor as I explained above. But you do have to unbolt the caliper to remove the rotor.

I would recommend opening the bleed valve to push the caliper pistons back into the caliper. I agree with the idea about getting dirt and such in the ABS.
My method is to actually do it with a large screw driver while the whole assembly is still on the car. Remove the wear sensors, the pins and rattle spring. Then put a large screw driver between the rotor and the pad. Open the bleed screw and push the tip of the screw driver towards the pad. You don't want to push the tip towards the rotor so you dont' damage it. Fluid will come out the bleed screw. Once the pads are full retracted against the caliper. close the bleed screw. Then remove the pads and clean the caliper aera with brake cleaner spray. Now you can check the caliper for any fluid leaks. Press slowly on the screw driver, A slow steady pressure will move the caliper, you don't have to muscle it. Once you do this method I would highly recommend bleeding the brakes to ensure that no air flows back into the system thru the bleed screw. I ALWAYS bleed the fluid and replace all of it when I do any brake service.

Anti squeel paste. I have tried a few differnt brands. A Mercedes mechanic recommended Permatex anti seize compound. Thats all they use at the local dealer. It works fine. Use a pea size amount on the edge of the pad and the round circle place were the caliper piston touches the pad.

Other things while you are there. Look at your rubber brake hoses that comes from the side of the wheel well to the caliper. If they look old and cracked you will want to replace these soon.

Check the black wire that is gong from the wheel well to the caliper area. This is your speed sensor wire for your ABS. If it is in bad shape you might start to get an ABS light on while driving the car. You can get this light if any of the wheel sensors is not inputing a speed due to a intermitent wire in that harness. I have had this happen.

Good Luck

Dave, Party of the 3rd part.