ML430 Brake life - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ML Dude · #1 07-12-2002, 06:58 PM

Hey Gilly,

What do think about brake squeal upon hard braking. The brakes started squealing in reverse awhile ago, but now they will squeal when I have to stop quickly. The brake wear sensor is not on yet and the truck has 8800 miles.

BTW FSS has extended my A service by 1500miles due to my oil change at 7000. Now instead of at 10,000 it will tell me to go in at about 11,500.

Thx, Ed

Gilly · #2 07-12-2002, 08:19 PM

We were having a rash of squeeling problems on 430's especially, they use a different type of caliper, a fixed instead of floating caliper. Different pad type too. The best thing we found, which actually is part of an MB NET message, is to use a anti-squeel paste called MolyKote. MB has a part number for it, hopefully your dealer is aware of it. Under some circumstances the manager was allowing us to go ahead and replace the pads and use the MolyKote, but some of them I fixed by cleaning everything up and using the original pads and the MolyKote. Been a number of months since we've had any complaints like this, possibly MB switched to a different pad.
Gilly

ML Dude · #3 07-13-2002, 11:23 AM

Thanks Gilly,

I'll take it in and mention the fix you propose. Just to be clear, the pads were worn or not worn? Did your shop change the pads under warranty? Not usually a warranty item but after only 8800 miles.....I'm not a race car driver!

Rgds, Ed

Gilly · #4 07-13-2002, 10:57 PM

Yes, if they were squeeling bad and the friction surface appeared glazed, we could replace the pads under warranty. There was a case or two we attempted to just replace the pads on and use another recommended anti-squeel material, before MB recommended using the MolyKote, in those cases the squeeling persisted, we wiped the old stuff off and used the MolyKote and it fixed it. So there is no firm answer on how your dealer is to proceed. If it were me I'd be tempted to use the original pads and the MolyKote, but I'm a good German, if my boss specified to replace the pads and use the MolyKote I'd do it.
Gilly

ML Dude · #5 07-24-2002, 12:35 PM

Hey Gilly,

I took the truck in for the brake inspection and they didn't know about the molykote fix, they looked it up though! Their recommended fix is the new upgraded brake pads. Not a warranty item but they have agreed to cover 75% of the cost because apparently I have only 40% brake left! Boy, with only 9K miles, that means a city driver like me can expect less than 20K of brake life on a V8 ML.

This leads into my questions, the brake job is $480. $300 for four pads and $180 labor, sounds high to me. What do you think? I'm going ahead with the repair because I only pay 25% but next time I'll be on the hook for a DIY job. I rarely have had more than two passengers and never had heavy loads in this truck. If I drove hard or used it for loads I might understand this brake wear pattern. Do we have a design flaw here?

Lebenz · #6 07-24-2002, 12:44 PM

Ed,

Did the techs actually measure the pads? While the MLs DO get crappy brake life, my experience is that the dealer will give you a threatstamate of the remaining brake lining remaining, which may or may not have any basis in reality....

Changing brakes is pretty easy. At least I think it is. I have some EBC pads on order to replace my OEM pads

Kuan · #7 07-24-2002, 01:49 PM

This link came in the mail the other day:

http://www.petefagerlin.com/ML/brakes.htm

Kuan

ML Dude · #8 07-24-2002, 03:22 PM

Kuan,

That' a cool link, one of the best descriptions I've ever read on brake jobs. I don't know enough to know if he left anything out, I'll leave that remark to Gilly, but very clear, helpful writing and pics. We should ask him to do all our DIY articles....

Tracy,

How you doin? I do enjoy it when the hair on your neck bristles....comment on the MDX/ML comparo. As far as my brake pads, I only have the service writer's word. I don't get to talk to the techs at my local dealer

You think the wear-life is longer(or should be)?

Lebenz · #9 07-24-2002, 03:49 PM

Hi Ed!

Thanks for the nice comments.
Now about the EBC pads, they are reported to be a little longer lived, but mostly to be MUCH less dusty. I vaguely remember that the front wheels of the ML were kind of a brushed aluminum, but it was such a fleeting image! Oh, yeah and the EBC doesn’t squeak as badly as the OEM, or at least the old OEM pads.

So do you do a lot of stop and go driving? How is your tire wear going? F vs R, that is. I’m impressed that you only have 9K miles on the ML!

ML Dude · #10 07-24-2002, 05:59 PM

Tires look great without any rotation! But, I'm getting the brake life of a pizza delivery guy.....

Loved that list of Honda slogans, did you make that up?

Gilly · #11 07-24-2002, 11:36 PM

Ed:
On a customer pay situation, we charge .8 hour to replace either the front or the rear brake pads. The exact dollar amount of course will vary by the hourly rate at the shop you are going to.

The dealer should be aware of the MolyKote and order it and use it especially on V8 equipped ML's with the fixed calipers, I use it on most every brake job I do now.

I scanned briefly through the instructions as was requested of me, it looks OK, other than the anti-squeal spray-on stuff, the spray on stuff won't last as long as the MB approved products, if it did MB would recommend it. A few other things is that the writer says the rotor is worn simply by stating "Note Lip". Big deal about the lip. The area the pad works upon has to be measured, this is how you find if the rotor is OK to reuse when replacing pads. Oh, in regards to pad life, what I more or less have determined is that too many techs simply are looking at the pads also and deciding that they are worn, instead of actually measuring the pad thickness. Looks are deceiving on the ML pads for some reason, a little goes a long ways.
Other things I noticed about the DIY was how it more or less sounded like a DUI article, seems like the writer thinks that auto mechanics and alcohol somehow mix. To me this is a serious, dead serious, business, especially something as critical as a brake or steering system. How much more critical does a system have to be? Sheeeeesh! One final point is the "slugs" (roll pins) that help locate the rotor do NOT have to be removed to pull the rotor. Once the caliper is off and the one set screw, assuming the rotor really is worn out, just tap on the rotor with a large hammer and it will come off. You may want to thread one of the lug bolts a few turns into the hub to keep the rotor from say, dropping on your foot or taking a big chip off the garage floor, but DON'T ASK ME WHY I KNOW THIS!
Gilly

Kuan · #12 07-25-2002, 07:52 AM

Ah, gilly, back from North Wisconsin I see

Hope you had a great time!

Kuan

Q · #13 07-25-2002, 02:13 PM

My wife's 320 was in for the first B service and the shop hostess calls me up and informs me that I need brake pads on all 4 wheels. I was totally taken aback. How in the heck could a modern day car go only 24k miles on one set of pads. Not to mention the rears too! I have rarely ever had to change the rear pads at the same interval as the fronts on any car that I have owned. To add to my shocked state, she told me that it would run me just over $600 to have them replaced. I asked if that included rotors, and she told me no. I said, "wow.....................................................that's a lot". After a long silence, she asked if I wanted them to go ahead with it. How many different ways do you know how to say "hell no"?

I brought the car back home and took down one front and one rear tire. The front pads had about 35-40% left as far as I could tell. The rears had 60-70% left. Idiots! There goes the old trust factor with the local MB dealer service department. Wish I knew of a local indy in North Dallas (hint hint).

Anyway, I went on fast lane and ordered my front pads, popped them in and away I went. All for $108 + shipping.

ML Dude · #14 07-25-2002, 02:54 PM

Q,

I hear that! There's probably some corporate policy or ridiculous state law in CA and Texas that requires them to inform/replace pads that are 50% worn.

What get's me is the cost variance from dealer to dealer. Why should pads cost $300, are they made with gold dust? It sure doesn't look like gold dust.... Your dealer charges more than mine and that's saying alot because mine has the overhead of an extravagent looking store!
Tracy didn't mention the cost of EBC pads but they seem to be a good replacement for OEM pads; quiet, less dusty.

Thanks for the info., I'm glad I'm only paying ~$120 for this work!

#15 07-25-2002, 03:15 PM

I would take that thing back and shove those pads up their @$$. I had a friend who's mom went to dealer and they replaced her tires(michelins) because they were "dryrotted" he found out when he dropped her off to pick up the car and demanded to see the tires......they could not find them. Stealerships......I hate them!