7?! Seriously?

I've been through a problem similar, but the replacements stopped after 3, and those were starters. I can understand your pain to a certain degree, as my first car was a '74 240d. As a sophomore in high school things didn't come too cheap for me. Luckily the 240d has had barely anything wrong with it in a matter of 9 years or so since I've owned it.

No offense, but you should've just followed some of your basic manly instincts and stopped with the autozone after a few problems occured. And even though more than a few have occured, still stop with them. And make sure to GET YOUR CORE BACK!! i dont remember if the caliper's required a core, but if so, don't forget to get it back. Or getting your working caliper will end up being way more expensive than it is now.

Another thing is I'm really wondering how the caliper leak could've managed to get on the outside of the wheel? And if it did why you didn't wipe it off immediately!?!!

I cant even imagine a broken hose under pressure managing to get fluid on the outside of the wheel in order to damage paint. I'd like to know what exactly were the problems with the last calipers. The idea that something is consistently wrong makes me believe that you may be installing it incorrectly. You do remember to replace the copper washers that go on the fluid hose banjo don't you? Its been awhile since I've played with the calipers but a majority of them have the two copper washers that need to be replaced. And after every time they're compressed, not only when you are getting a new caliper and you go through a # of them. You should replace them if you haven't. It may stop the leak, assuming its coming from the hose.

Shoot for ******** or this forum's shop as everyone before me has nicely mentioned.


Good Luck!
- James

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1974 240d "Peace, Love and Empathy" - Kurt Cobain
1982 300sd "It all depends upon the Benz!" - Me
1983 300sd
1985 500sel
1992 300se

Well the hoses are brand new and its not coming from the hose. the seals inside the caliper is what is causing the leak. as for the rims to getting paint damaged I was traveling to my friends house about 20 miles away and there was alot of braking and freeway traveling so the fluid was thrown on the walls of the rim and the fluid worked its way to the outside of the rim. i didn't even notice the fluid on the rims because it was so thin and it was night time. Came out in the morning and it looked like dirt coming out of the hole in a star pattern. went over to the car and the clear coat was coming off the rim and that is where I noticed the leaky calipers. last time the caliper was leaking from the inside. the one that really got me mad was when i got the caliper one the car and then noticed a hairline crack at were the hose goes onto the caliper. well that little crack started leaking right away.

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http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...titled-1-3.jpg
1981 300d

Yup, the finish on one of my powder-coated/clear-coated wheels is messed up a little from my caliper leak a couple of months ago. One of these days I've got to get it refinished.

Apparently it has been too long!!! No banjo bolts on the subject model. Not on the brakes, anyway.

Auto part stores will also price match. Works great to shop for the cheapest part and then get the nicer one for the same price.

Yeah, I view my ownership long term too. How much time do you waste and what's the cost trying to nickel and dime it to death? You can get quality rebuilds as long as you turn and resleeve the inside of the bore, something NAPA rebuilders will do. It would be worth it to buy a auto dismantlers pair and have NAPA rebuild them if nothing else and have them waiting for the inevitable failure. But I would get a pair from Phil and hold them. Sometimes a sudden failure on a vehicle that is heavily depended on can be a pain!

Those cheap Calipers cost a lot when you have to remove and replace several pairs of them one after the other!