Brake Pad Replacement on a 210
 

My warning signal came on and told me that it's time to change the front brake pads so now I have a question. Is a brake pad change on this car the same as a brake change on a 123 car? What I'm really getting at is do I have to worry about the ABS or any sensors? Is this job essentially like most older cars - pull out the old pads, push the piston back and insert new pads - or is there something else I need to be aware of? I really want to do this job myself instead of paying someone. I've changed brakes in the past on several other cars - just never on something this new (and sophisticated).

Thanks,

Scott

See http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/W124BrakePads I changed mine a few months ago. It's a bit diiferent than my 123, but easy to figure out.

Len
'99 E300TD 55,000 miles

Thanks for the link. That was great. I hope to get this done sometime soon. Doesn't seem any more difficult than other cars.

Scott

That brake pad replacement link is for a '95 124 not a 210. I am not sure if there is a difference or not. If is is like the 124. It is a piece of cake. Just make sure the brake pad sensor wires are tucked away nicely and on the inner caliper. Otherwise, the wires vibrate and cause the brakeware warning light to flicker... Yes, I learned this the hard way.

210 body variations are listed at the end of the article. But, really, if you've done brakes before, it's all pretty intuitive.

Len

Well I finally got around to changing my front brakes this weekend. I didn't have any problems at all except that I broke the front brake sensor on both calipers. The metal wire was so embedded in the brake pad that it snapped off on both of them when I removed it. It seemed really brittle. I don't know if I could have done anything about it. I used Textar brake pads I got from FastLane. I've noticed they squeel sometime at low speeds whereas the previous brake pads never squeeled. I hope the squeeling goes away. It's really annoying.

Thanks for your help.

Scott

I'm not sure, but I believe the business end of the sensors are made of material similar to electric motor brushes. They are brittle and can't handle a lot of stress. With a little finesse I was able to salvage all the sensors and transfer them to my new pads.

My brakes (Pagid) groan just a little bit at creeping speeds, but don't squeal. Did your brake pads come with shims or did you put any antisqueal paste on the pad backing? Without either of these, the brakes will be prone to squealing.

The brake pads didn't come with any shims. I didn't use the paste either. I had heard from other people that it didn't help so I didn't bother with it. Have you had good experience using paste? If so, how do I put it on? If it continues squeeling for a while, I will break down and pull the calipers off again to apply the paste if need be.

Scott

Antisqueal paste is sold in any automotive supply house. It's typically a goop that is buttered on the back of the brake pad and let air-dry for about a half hour before installation.

My original pads came with antisieze paste on the back of the pads. MB sells this as antisqueal paste, which is really just repackaged copper antisieze paste. It's been reported that antisieze paste is only used if the pad backing has a circular pattern of tiny holes to act as reservoirs for the paste. It may also help to put a dab of paste at the pad backing ends that ride in the machined caliper grooves. Just don't overdo it.