pks485

Hello,

My brake warning light just flashed on a few days ago. I also feel that my brakes are quite warned. I have about 41,000 miles on my car right now. Does anyone know an economical place to get the brakes fixed. How much does your W202 brake service cost.

Thanks a lot.

fast mayte

hey, check with midas or mineke. or just breaks. any breaks place can do it. it should cost around 60 bucks just for the front, (pads and relining rotors). make sure u reline the rotors if u change the pads cuz then they'll wear out really qucik. if u were in houston, i woulda hooked u up and done it for like 40. or u could just get the pads and do it your self. it's pretty easy.

sph17

Real men/women do their own brake jobs! On the MB its not that hard to do. MB Pads cost about $65 retail and you will need one or two brake pad sensor(s) that runs about $3 each.

If your rotors are worn, most people suggest replacing them as they are not that expensive ($65 each?). MB rotors are made of soft metal and are not as expensive as other cars rotors. They are made to be replaced, not turned (ground down on a lathe to a smooth surface). If you decide your rotors are worn, replacing them is not that hard, but may be more than you want to take on.

My experience with the national chains is that they do not carry aftermarket pads for late model MB's and they told me they would have to get the MB pads from the dealer (at $65 just for the pads) then add labor, etc. Your milage may varry. I also don't know if their "lifetime warranty" applies if they use MB pads.

Have Fun.

pks485

Thanks a lot guys.

Do you do you your own W202 brake work? How long would you say it would take?

sph17

I have done all my brake jobs on all my MB's over the years, 240D (junked at +200K), 300D (+200K), 300TD (sold at +200K), 86 190D (sold at 40K), Range Rover (sold at 72K), C-220 (traded at 56K), BMW 528I. I can do a pad replacement in under a half hour on a MB. But then again I have been servicing my MBs for 20 years and I know what to expect, what tools and tricks I need to get the job done quick and efficently.

It shouldn't take you longer than an hour or so. You will need a set of channel lock pliers and a large skrewdrive to open up the pads and to push the piston back into the calliper. You will need a nail (like you dive into wood) topush the "pins" out that hold the pads in-place. A set of needle nose pliers are helpful to pull out and replace the brake wear sensors from both the calliper and the pads themselves. Make sure you put a jack stand, or a cinder block or a big piece of wood (like a piece of RR tie or a big piece of fire wood). under the car while you are working on it. Many posts on the forums say that the MB jacks are not that good any more and tend to collapse. If you want to purchase a 2000 lb jack that pumps up, they can be had for $20-35 from an auto supply store, Sears or K-mart. Check the tire/wheel forum for a recent dialog on jacks.

pks485

sph17,

First of all, thanks for your feedback. What parts would I have to buy? I was looking at the brakes, and they look like four wheel discs. My other cars are somewhat different. Can I find these parts at pep boys? I changed my brakes myself years ago. Thanks for your help.

-pks485

sph17

I use aftermarket pads on my older cars as I can get them at Auto Barn or Pep Boys. They do not carry the pads for my old C-220 or my present C-280. I get my pads from the dealer and as a member of their "owners" association I don't pay the retail price. My experience is that you get about 2-3 sets of front pads for every rear pad you need to replace.

If you don't mind working a bit, Jack your car up and pull all the tires (one at a time) and look carefully at your pads to see if it is front, back or both you need to peplace. Rotors need to be replaced when they get below a certain thicness (in their thinest area) I don't know what the specs for the W-202 are yet as my cars were Starmarked, and I didn't put enough milage on to need rotors yet. Rotors need changing about every 2-3 sets of pads. There alwayse is an area of the rotor at the outside edge that the pads don't grind down, and the rotor is thick there. This thickness can be a problem getting the new pads and calliper back on the rotor. Sometimes you need to grind/file the lip down to get the pads & calliper to fit.

pks485

Thanks a lot sph17

sph17

On another thread on this forum they are talking about a vibration in the front end ("tires or something else?"). One of the people mentioned that you should re-pack the front wheel bearings each time you do a brake job on the W-202. You might want to go over to that thread and read it as it has some good info on the W202 and what suspension things to look out for, i.e. a reputation for bad lower ball joints etc.

vas2vas

got them from BMA, www.bmaautoparts.com

these are the ones I used for my 95 C280 (without ETS)

Front Brake Rotors - 202 421 09 12 – ATE Power Disks (German) - $41.00 each
Rear Brake Rotors - 202 423 00 12 – ATE (German) - $21.00 each
Front Brake Pads - D1295P - $43.00 - Pagid (German)
Rear Brake Pads - W/one retaining pin - D1274P - $29.00 - Pagid (German)
Brake Pad Sensor - $1.50 each (2 needed)

results are very rewarding

BenzMan1

For a good lesson on break pad change out go to

http://www.slk32.com

look in the "how to" section. This guy did a awesome job on the instructions.

sph17

Also remined me: Instead of having the pins that you push through (as older MB's have), the calliper and pads on the W-202 are held on by two screws that you get to from the engine side of the calliper. Remove the plastic cap an there is an allen or torx nut in there that you need to remove. BMW and Range Rover front brakes are like this also.

metagear89

Is this DIY applicable to a 94 C280 or only SLK specific?

YNVDIZW124

I did my front brakes for only $70, i got the front rotors for 18.95 each mahle and pads for 24.95 plus 8 for dot 4 fluid... pretty easy btw

metagear89

So if I follow this tutorial, can I change the brakes on my 94 c280?

MercBimmerman

On average a brake job cost about $500

For this cost you could get great quality parts and do it yourself

Changing the brake pad and rotors are so easy
a caveman could do it.

xvvvz

I used that tutorial and it helped a lot. I would look up more on the different MB forums to get a better rounded view. Make sure you have all of the parts, sockets and wrenches you will need before you start. With the money you save, you will pay for the tools. Definitely get new sensors, brake paste, etc. Go for the Axxis Deluxe Plus/Advanced pads. No black dust, OEM performance and they don't eat up your rotors. You need to test your rotors first to see if they have to be replaced too.

xvvvz

Don't do this unless you have jack stands. The jack is not safe enough.

metagear89

I did it this past sunday with my dad's mechanic friend who does brakes. We were able to replace the rear right pads and rotor. We got to the left side and realized the previous owner had messed up the parking brake adjuster when he got the brakes repaired while he owned the car. There was a problem with the mechanism underneath that side's rotor and an incorrect part had been installed, thus the new rotor wouldn't fit when we tried to push it in. It got dark so we didn't finish the job. I had to go back to school 300 miles away on monday so right now the job is on hold and the car sits back at home. I'll probably have it towed to an indy and have them fix the brakes when I go back home during thanksgiving break. Sucks but I figured I might as well pay to get the job done properly.

$tallion

Depends on whos doing it.. my friend and i bleed them a few months back brakes are easy any joe shmo can do it...

MercBimmerman

Can you afford to rent a car until you fix it. I found it was a great experience when I was in between cars. I rented a Mustang, Hemi Charger, Pontiac G6 GTP, and a Mazda 6. The Hemi was pretty fun with the tiptronic transmission. The Pontiac was pretty quick for a V6 (240HP) but was all over the road on hard acceleration. I was impressed on how well the Mustang and Mazda handle the back roads.

Couldn't you get the correct parts for the park brake assembly so you can do it yourself?

rennwerkes

If your rotors are grooved or have a lip worn into them replace them. Don't cheap out and turn them. More than likely the rotor is past is minimum wear limit.
Axiss/PBR pads are good pads and what I have used for years. But there are good alternatives like Akebono. Silly name but good pad.
Use the anti-seize paste anywhere metal parts contact each other. Like where the brake rotor contacts the hub. You'll be happy you did this when you do the brakes the next time.

+1 what the poster said about jack stands. NEVER work under a car that is only supported with a floor jack. Too many of the floor jacks being sold nowadays are cheap and poorly made. Sure they'll work but I've seen several fail and when they fail they don't just lower the car slowly, the car slams down.

MercBimmerman

Always use jacks stands, if not available lay the spare tire under the car. Anything to prevent it from slamming to the ground if the floor jack fails; block of wood, etc...

+1 on Akebono, they are a good name brand (Brembo is another)
You could get away with having the front rotors turned if they are within tolerances. The rear rotors I wouldn't recommend because they are not vented or as heavy duty as the fronts.

Would also recommend flushing the brake fluid out and replacing with new if it hasnt been done for a long time.
If you want to take it a step further, upgrade your rotors and calipers from an AMG model or larger discs, or upgrading to braided stainless steel brake lines would be the least expensive upgrade.