ML 320 Brakes
 

I took my car in yesterday for regular service. A couple of hours later the service rep calls and tells me "Mam, I wanted to let you know that your brakes are REALLY worn" According to him I needed new brake pads and rotors, front and back. I reminded him that there were only 23,000 miles on the car and wondered how that could be possible? He assured me that was common on the ML and I agreed to having it done.
When picking up the car I overheard the same service guy talking to another customer who decided to "wait on the brake job" and my first thought was "Is today push the brake job day?" I asked to see the old pads and rotors, yes the pads were worn somewhat and the rotors who knows, he said they measure them on a machine. I don't know...Today I am still kicking myself for agreeing to having it done and I feel like I was just plainly ripped off.

My question is how long should the brakes last, especially on an ML320. If you have had to replace the brakes how many miles were on the car.

I just feel like "such a girl" after this!!!!

Thanks

brakes
 

the ML's do tend to go through brakes, but he was lying when he said they use a machine to measure the rotors, it is a simple thickness measuring device. as a rule you should get at least two pad changes for each pair of rotors.

okay, maybe they do but a full brake job at 23,000 miles, isn't that excessive. I live in Florida, no hills anywhere, I don't tow anything and I am not an aggressive driver. I've had 2 SUVs before this and didn't have to change the brakes at all.

thanks

brakes
 

i will do a little research and see how often our customers go through brakes on their ML'S. another thing some dealer do is if they feel that the brake pads that are on the car will not make it untill your next service, they will recommend replacing them.

I did get con into replacing the front brakes at 23k miles by the stealer. But the rear brakes should last 55-60k miles. I replaced the front brakes and rotor at 55k mile and there is still some meat left on the pads. If you live relatively close to the stealers (say within 1 hour drive), you should just drive it till the brake sensor tells you to replace the brakes. The stealers tend to recommend the brake job when the pads/rotors are getting close to MB's specifications.

pad wear
 

our customers average 10-15 thousand miles between front pad replacement

Thanks for checking on that for me. I still think 10-15000 miles is a ridiculously short lifespan for brake pads. I still think a full brake job, all 4 pads and rotors at 23000 miles is a rip-off. Oh well, lesson learned, next time they recommend it I take it somewhere else and see what they say and what they charge!

Thanks again. :)

10-15k miles average??!!!! That's crazy.

Ever since the dealer recommended we replace all 4 sets of pads at 24k miles for $600, I have done my own brakes. We have 60k miles on the car and I have put 2 sets of front pads, one set of rear pads, and one set of front rotors on. The rear rotors look to need replacing now. I never measure them, only go by the lip on the outer edge created by the wear. If it's anything more than really minor, I replace.

I did all pads and front rotors for around $320.

crazy indeed
 

i agree, but mercedes and most reputable shops have a huge amount of responsibility and liability when it comes to brakes, when i was at the local dealer here, we had to sometimes deal with customers who had to return after an A or B service to get their pads replaced, they were quite upset, mainly because it could take 2-4 weeks to get an appointment for service, any one who has dealt with mercedes Benz Of San Diego knows what i am talking about. not sure about other dealers, but this one was a mess.

From what i've read, MB recommends rotors after every second set of pads, so it's unlikely you need rotors after only one set of pads. FYI - My dealer wanted $1400 for the job, but I had it done by my local mechanic using all MB parts for $850 and it runs smooth as silk. According to the mechanic, brakes are a snap on the 320.

carson356,

I agree with you there, but if the service manager would be upfront and just say, "you are probably going to need pads before your next service" most customers would appreciate being able to make the choice at that time. To simply say, "you need pads" is being dishonest in my opinion. Using that logic, why not tell them they need a new transmission? I mean, one day they will and wouldn't the customer be inconvenienced if it was between A and B service? ha ha

brakes
 

what we do is if we believe the pads will not make it to the next service we tell them that, give them the option and most of the time they replace them.

Did Mine Myself link with pictures
 

A couple of months ago my dealer told me the same thing. They quoted me $1200 for front pads and rotors. I told them I was going to pass. Ordered cross drilled Zimmerman and pads off of ebay for $600 front AND back! I posed a picture guide of what I did at
http://www.furgasonhomes.com/ml/brakes98ml.htm hope this helps you in the future.

True.

ML pad replacement is relatively frequent compared to other models, but it IS a snap to do in the comfort of your own garage!

Side note: I wouldn't recommend cross-drilled rotors on an off-road vehicle because of the damage potential with thrown debris. If your ML never sees anything but pavement, then fine...

and...by-the-way - with cross-drilled rotors you are increasing your brake pad wear as the holes act as little cutters chopping away at your pads.

ONLY if you are a VERY agressive driver do you require cross-drilled rotors to provide additional cooling properties.

The only reason I put on cross drilled rotors was because I feel that they look way cooler than stock. :cool: It makes my ride just a little different than most ML's. If I wanted to drive a drab boring "practical" SUV I would have bought a cheaper more reliable domestic :eek:

Just for the record, I have over 50K miles on my original pads over 4 years. Getting ready to replace my front ones, but the light hasn’t come on yet. The backs still have about 50% left. Rotors are all in good shape according to the specs imprinted on the rotor itself.

I, too, got great service out of pads and rotors. Granted 80% of my driving is interstate, but here's the history on my 99ML430 w/227.000 miles

49,953 front and rear pads
100,301 front pads
106,402 rear pads
153,184 front pads....fluid flushed/replaced
198,783 front and rear pads/ front rotors
227,012 front and rear pads/ rear rotors

This last service I did myself..paid 59.50/front 42.50/rear Mintex pads and 39.95/each for rear rotors. So far, I've been very happy with the Mintex pads...no squeal whatsoever and great pedal feel. I did use the MB paste on the rear of the pads. This is an extremely easy job if you're the least bit mechanically inclined; although its dirty. Plenty of old towels and some disposable shop gloves come in handy.

Great information on this site regarding DIY brake work..Go for it, save some money and splurge on something for yourself !!

On my ml430 I just did my first front pad/rotor change (I think pads were done once beofre I bought it) at 60k. I went with the Brembo rotors from tire rack as well as the Satisfied ceramic pads. The ceramic pads are well worth it. Not only do they stop better, but with the limited dust (that is white anyway) your wheels stay WAY cleaner. The pad and rotor change is very easy to do at home. Here is a tip though: When you push the pistons back in the calipers, crack the bleed screw and let the pressure out that way. Then, when you put the calipers back on, pump out some of the fluid and replace it, bleeding out any air as well. You will not beleive how much firmer your pedal will be.

The rear pads and rotors were fine, no need to do anything. Another benefit of the ceramics is that they are way easier on rotors, as there are no/much fewer metal "threads" in them to chew through the rotors. Also, not 1 squeak.

227k miles!

:eek:

Replacing the front rotors?
 

Hello,

I am curious to know if the job of replacing the front rotors involves removing wheel bearings or axles, or, do the rotors come off easily when the tire is removed?

Thanks,

Joel

I have a 2000 ML430 with 112,000 miles on it now... The front pads need to be changed every 25,000 miles or so, and the rear every 20,000 miles or so. I drive a mix of city and highway... But I order my stuff through different places, the fronts rotors are about $70 per piece, the rear rotors are about $85 per piece, the front set of pads about $70 for the set, and the rear set of pads about $80.
So, total around $460 for complete change of everything... It's not too bad... rotors changed every 3rd pad change for front, and every 4th pad change for rear... no pulsating brakes and stopping great!!! :D

Please tell me this "and the rear every 20,000 miles or so" is a typo.

My last pad/rotor change was over 30k miles ago and still no warning lights.

One thing that leads to brakes wearing out early is keeping your foot on the brake pedal. In the shop we refer to it as the little old lady syndrome. I.E. little old lady complains that her brakes wear too fast, then as she drives away from the shop the brake lights never go out. If you want your brakes to last longer keep your foot off them until you need them.

20,000 miles is not a typo... that's how long the rear pads usually lasts... anywhere between 20k to 30k... and no... it's not the old lady syndrome... the brake pads all around on my Lexus RX300 lasted 85k miles... it's the weight of the ML and also the compound used in the ML :) Also, depends on how much city driving and how much highway driving... if you drive in traffic a lot... that affects the wear on brake pads... by the way, the rear brake pad don't wear evenly, usually one of the pad wears out a little quicker... that's why sometimes you have to replace them early.

I just want to confirm that sho1 is right. I got 2002 ML320 c/o pad for front at 20000, at 37200 c/o front and rear pads also discs but all 4 disc ( will cut and reuse if possible) some day. The car is too heavy..that is why it eats the brakes disc and shoes:eek: the price is about right if you do for yourself. By the way( this is for sho1) How do you readjust the hand brake after c/o the rear brake. THX

http://www.keysolutions.com/M-class.nsf/aac7d56ca8fd884b852563be00610639/6514894e0f416aa0852568fe00034898?OpenDocument&AutoFramed

Try this link, it shows you a picture of the star wheel adjuster on the parking brake. You have to turn the rear drum rotor so that you can get access to the star wheel with a flat head screwdriver. You then turn the star adjusting wheel until your drum/rotor is locked, then go back 2 to 3 clicks to loosen it up just a little bit... then you are done...

Thanks you, Sho1
do i need to remove the rear brake disc to readjust that ?

Sorry, I missed the "how do you remove rotors" post. It's super easy. Just take down the wheel and remove the caliper. Then, there's a 5mm allen screw that holds it in place. You WILL need PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench to separate the rotor from the hub. I live in Texas, not the rust belt, and mine were fused. I started whacking the snot out of the first one until I remembered what PB Blaster was for. I shot both and waited for about 5 minutes. They came off with a light rap from a hammer. Shoot it inside the bolt holes to get it between the rotor and the hub. I put antisieze compound on the face of the hub before putting the new rotor back on to prevent future beatings. :)

thanks. I got it:D