Once you get the discs off and get a look at the parking brake shoes then hopefully it will be clear whether it was the parking brake on or the main pads that heated up. I would think the offending pads/shoes would be badly burned compared to the innocent ones. For my blind guess I am going to side with your wife and say that it was not the E-brake but was the mystery failure described by some others such as master cylinder or hose.

__________________
1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

OK, I got the rotors off. And from what I can gather, I believe this was a main brake system failure. The calipers are in very bad shape and show signs of high temps. The E-brakes don't look that bad. I can actually still see rust on parts of the e-brake pads, which would have easily be worn off if they were engaged against the rotor. Here are some pics of the calipers and e-brakes.







I am replacing pretty much everything, pads, rotors, MC, and calipers.

Attached Thumbnails

     

I had a '94 Dodge Intrepid that had a power booster failure. It failed in such a way that it caused the brake calipers in the rear to get stuck in the braking position.

I didn't realize it was a brake failure at the time. As I was driving along, it felt like the transmission wouldn't shift into high gear.

The entire rear braking system was replaced under warranty, including the rear rims, which had actually melted.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

That is a massive brake system failure.
That came within seconds of incinerating the car.

Professional and personal opinion..

I would replace the:
* Master Cylinder
* Rear Rotors
* Rear Calipers
* New Rear Caliper mounting Bolts
* Rear Pads
* Rear Hoses
* Park Brake Shoes
* Flush the total brake system
* Sand blast the backing plates on the car and repaint

Before considering re-mounting wheels, I would need to inspect the tires and rims with EXTREME care for heat damage.
A test drive will then be needed to determine if rear wheel bearings are damaged.

i have to agree with ILUVMILS.your problem is with the master cylinder which held locked brake pressure to the rear calipers.i have seen this several times.there is no way that sufficient heat could be caused by emergency brake.you will need to replace master,brake hoses ,calipers,rotors and pads.don't think going into rear wheel bearings will be necessary.

__________________
David S Poole
European Performance
Dallas, TX
4696880422

"Fortune favors the prepared mind"
1987 Mercedes Benz 420SEL
1988 Mercedes Benz 300TE (With new evaporator)
2000 Mercedes Benz C280
http://www.w108.org/gallery/albums/A...1159.thumb.jpg

I've seen the same failure as ILUVMILS. Seemed more common on older Benzs, particularly 123 models. Happened to my old 123.133 about 15 years ago. The piston in the master cylinder which activates the rear brakes sticks, and the rear brake system stays under pressure. General concensus is the problem occurs due to rust in the master cyclinder bores, caused by deferred brake fluid changes.

I'm surprised at the amount of damage. My spouse (why is it always the spouse?) drove the car 25 miles at highway speeds and there was not any more damage than on your 202.

Anywho, I concur with the crowd: you need a master cylinder, rear calipers, rotors, pads and hoses. Check everything else out while in there. On my 123 the plastic struts which connect the rear stabilizer bar to the hubs melted. You may have similar consequential damage.

Good luck.

- JimY

I have added the master cylinder to my replace list. I will get the hoses local. As soon as I get everything replaced I will take it for a quick spin around the block to see if the bearings were damaged. Now that I think about it, I should have poured some gasoline on the fire and stroked the flames because insurance would have covered it. hahahaha. I have a Mitsubishi Diamante that I have rebuilt the engine and done lots of work on, so I guess its time to get to know the Mercedes.

The importance of flushing the brake system completely cannot be overstated. That fluid's been boiled. You need to remove all traces of it.

I had the same thing on my 96 500sl. Replaced everything. Root cause was the brake booster hung up a little at the top of the stroke and didn't allow the fluid back into the master cylinder. I backed off on the pedal stop and is OK now.