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#1
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400E declining brake service life
Hello All, I have a 1992 Mercedes 400E driven less than 8K annually by my retired schoolteacher wife (read that light use). Here’s the issue. Always serviced at local Mercedes dealer. Front pads and rotors at 53K, front pads and rotors at 73K, front pads and rotors at 91K, now front pads and rotors at 105K. See the trend ? I’m now getting 25 % less service life than at 53K. Local service manager unable to explain why this is occurring. Wife is not going to track days on weekend nor does she drive with her left foot on the brake. Any thoughts?
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#2
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Are they replacing the rotors due to service life OR due to warpage?
Is the brake warning lamp comming on every time?
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MERCEDES Benz Master Guild Technician (6 TIMES) ASE Master Technician Mercedes Benz Star Technician (2 times) 44 years foreign automotive repair 27 Years M.B. Shop foreman (dealer) MB technical information Specialist (15 years) 190E 2.3 16V ITS SCCA race car (sold) 1986 190E 2.3 16V 2.5 (sold) Retired Moderator |
#3
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400E declining brake service life Reply to Thread
No, there is no warpage, replacement occurring due to service life (pads worn out). I know this is a heavy car with soft pads and I thought 20K was poor but 14K is ridiculous. I know it will vary based on how the car is driven but the car is driven 50 % less than it was previously and I'm getting 25% less service life out of the components- doesn't make sense to me
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#4
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A lot of it has to do with driving style. Did you physically see the pad degradation at each service interval, or just trust the dealer to be honest?
If the dealer is being honest, and the wife really isn't riding the brake--It is weird at the least to get such poor pad life... With a 400E track days could be some fun -GH
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For Now: 1992 Mercedes Benz 500SL 1998 BMW 528i 2003 Honda Element 2002 CBR600F4i 1977 Coachmen Motor Home |
#5
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Brakes
My '87 300E went to 160K before the rotors were changed out. Front Pads were changed every 40-50K. Rears were changed twice in 200K, and I drive like Kyle Busch.
My '95 E420 has 110K and the original rotors. Pads were changed once. Anziani |
#6
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Brake rotors should last 2-3 brake pad changes. They have a service life that is marked as a minimun thickness on the DISC hat area. Sounds like they are replacing the rotors WAY too soon!!
Your brake pad life is short, but not terrible if you live & drive in a metro area with constant stop & go driving.
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MERCEDES Benz Master Guild Technician (6 TIMES) ASE Master Technician Mercedes Benz Star Technician (2 times) 44 years foreign automotive repair 27 Years M.B. Shop foreman (dealer) MB technical information Specialist (15 years) 190E 2.3 16V ITS SCCA race car (sold) 1986 190E 2.3 16V 2.5 (sold) Retired Moderator |
#7
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try Bendix brand rotors and pads, price is a bit more....Bendix has been in the brake business a LONG time. Bendix is either made in USA or made in Canada, advance auto parts is a good place to find Bendix brake components.
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#8
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I get about a year out of front brake pads 15-20K miles, but I am one that does all the stopping at the very end of the off ramps. I am hard on brakes. i have never worn out a rotor though. I buy soft organic brake pads instead of metallics to preserve the rotors.
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1959 Gravely LI, 1963 Gravely L8, 1973 Gravely C12 1982 380SL 1978 450 SEL 6.9 euro restoration at 63% and climbing 1987 300 D 2005 CDI European Delivery 2006 CDI Handed down to daughter 2007 GL CDI. Wifes |
#9
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Bought my 400E in January 1998. FWIW, here's the service history for the front brake pads. By the way, my 1993 takes 1992 front pads:
90,200 101,488 112,900 129,289 148,500 166,763 179,607 195,075 210,493 228,947 I think it averages about 15,000-18,000 per change. I noticed that it has increased as I age and my driving habits have changed. I tried the non-factory pads initially (Performance Products), but they only lasted about 5,000 miles. I have consistently used only factory pads since. I change the rotors about every third or fourth pad change. Maybe one or two good hard stops could have contributed to your increased wear.
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1993 400E, 256,000 miles (totaled) 1994 E420, 200,000+ miles 1995 E420, 201,000 miles |
#10
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Quote:
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1959 Gravely LI, 1963 Gravely L8, 1973 Gravely C12 1982 380SL 1978 450 SEL 6.9 euro restoration at 63% and climbing 1987 300 D 2005 CDI European Delivery 2006 CDI Handed down to daughter 2007 GL CDI. Wifes |
#11
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I think the dealers just change discs a lot "because". Most owners know nothing, and don't bother actualy looking at the brakes. I remember looking at the bin that they throw old brake discs in, and they were all brand freaken new. MB discs are soft and it doesn't take long to get a lip, I couldn't feel a lip on most of them. Some were probably warped but that was a big bin.
I was actualy looking for W126 rotors I would have grabbed them.
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1999 SL500 1969 280SE 2023 Ram 1500 2007 Tiara 3200 |
#12
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The dealer is hosing you on the rotors. You should get 2-3 pad changes per rotor. I always do my own brakes and rotors as the job is too easy to pay someone lots of $$ to do it.
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85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold 83 300D Manganese Brown 109K 97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold 98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold 95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold 93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold 95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold 94 E320 White 127K, sold 85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold 84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold 99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease) 00 Honda S2000 Red (lease) 86 Mercedes 300E (sold) 84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold) |
#13
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So are all the front pads wearing evenly? If not, check for a seized caliper piston.
The rotors should either be scored or have a definite lip at their outside edge if they are really worn out. |
#14
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This is why I always change my own brake pads.
When to change pads and rotors is a judgment call. It is in the interest of any repair shop to be cautious on bad and rotor replacment. it is in my interest to only change things when they are worn beyond what is safe in my own mind. Tom W
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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC] ..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis. |
#15
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Are the pads truly worn out? Pull a wheel off and take a look for yourself. I had a 1993 400E that I put 135K miles on before trading it. Fronts would go about 50K while rears went 85K. I wonder if you are buying something you do not need.
I do a lot of track driving. The requirement for Porsche and BMW events is 3/16" pad remaining to pass tech inspection at beginning of weekend. For street use, I let mine go down pretty far. Besides grabbing the rotor to slow the vehicle, the pad provides resistance that impedes heat from getting into the caliper and possibly boiling the moisture in your brake fluid and making your pedal spongy. Changing pads is very easy to do. Ditto for the rotors. You would save large dough doing it yourself.
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Lawrence Coppari 2002 SLK32 AMG 2005 Acura TL 1987 328GTS 1986 944T |
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