No sensors on rear brakes?
 

Are there sensors on the rear brakes?

When changing the rear pads the other day on the '85 300TD (wagon) I noticed no sensor wires to be replaced. And the pads had no hole for a sensor wire like the front brake pads have.

If no sensors on the rear brake pads I'm curious as to why just the front...?

only ones that matter.

Later cars have them on the rears too.

Len

I can only guess it's because the fronts do the majority of the braking.

Typically, you replace 2 sets of front pads for every one set of rear pads.

All of these responses are correct. When the light goes on for the fronts, change the front pads and inspect the rear, if they are at all thin, change them at the same time. It will only cost a few more dollars and are done very quickly.

BTW, ALWAYS replace pads one at a time always leaving at least one pad in the caliper while compressing the other piston back into the bore. Removing both pads at the same time and THEN compressing a piston can push the other piston out past the edge of the seal requiring caliper disassembly.

Good luck.

The rear pad are usually smaller too, since they don't wear as much.

Because the rears last well over 100k miles usualy. MB added sensors to the rears on the later models, I suspect because the traction control wears the rear pads much faster.

Especially if Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear is driving the car... :eek: He probably goes through a set of pads in one day!

As Larry had mentioned...change front and inspect the rears. The brake bias
on most cars including Mercedes is 60/40 front to back......fronts are going to wear at least 30% faster. If you see very little or uneven wear on the rear pads be suspecious of a seized brake piston.

In the snow you chew them up, can't be helped. I know ML's that people use in the snow a lot can burn through a set of rear pads in as little as 5k miles.

Traction control clamps the rear brakes on when it engages, on some cars thats a lot...