johnaresch

The other day I got a low brake fluid msg on dash display. Sure enough fluid down. While adding new fluid, I noticed drip on rear driver side, so with no haste slowly drove car home. There after inspecting rear, I found that there was a crack underneath a rubber spacer next to rear spring of the metal brake line. Not the rubber hose or fitting. Local repair shop stated to fix they would need to remove drive shaft and gas tank to replace line, costing me over 1600.00. Checked Mercedes and found that line is in three parts, one to mid car from to a brass junction a brass junction and a rear metal line back to rubber hose/fitting (diagram on MB was either 85 or 58). Okay the questions... $1600.00 to replace the brake line, following my line on car it is one piece not segmented as per Mercedes, anyone else experiencing similar line crack, do I need to drop fuel tank and drive shaft?

cvx

Are you sure you have only one line? Pic for C280 suggests it is not. And I thought the brake lines just travel under the car above the bottom covers, no?

johnaresch

There are two lines but only the driver side one is cracked and leaking. Thanks for the diagram with the correct numbers. Issue is however my car has a single solid line from each side. so on driver side 80, 75 and 70 are a single line while on the passenger side 110, 105, 100 is a single solid line. And the bushing just above 190 is not indicated on your picture.


Now back to questions, 1600.00 dropping gas tank and drive shaft?. Gas tank is almost full. Steel vs copper, every one says stay away from copper.

johnaresch

PS car was purchased from Inter-car MB Newton NJ as an 8,000 mile executive return 7 years ago. I have been only owner since then and have had fantastic luck with car except crank shaft position sensor (ugh what a job) and camshaft sensors (5 minutes each with E8 socket)....a heck of a job (total cost under 125.00 done by me) but done and car was working well.

johnaresch

brake line goes over the gas tank from both sides. covers one each side off so picture is clear. But may do it under. your picture shows it as going up and then down. Is my car a Frankenstein or early build version for that year?

cvx

I tried to check several W203 models and all of them have the same brake lining as the pic above so no idea why yours is so different.

Also sometimes the pictures are just for reference and not even in scale so the lenght of the brake lines can be much shorter or longer in real life.

Hope somebody with more information can help you out