VAamg

Hello all. I have a 99 sl500 I just picked up, and had a brake question. The brakes on the car seem to function fine, good stopping power, no weird noises, etc.. However, the pedal itself seems to stick a bit when first depressed and there is more play than I would expect. Then again, my daily drivers consist of a small Nissan cargo van and company car,Chevy HHR, so the comparison's are off.

Any idea what could cause stickiness of brake pad,and possible fix?

Second issue, one of the lights behind the dash is out, passenger side, effects the vent control on passenger side, and lower dash (radio) area. Is replacing this something that can be done without removing dash?

Jimmy Chen Shib

No expert myself, but possibly your brake booster ?

Second issue, probably no.

w/ smiles
Jimmy

VAamg

Thanks. I fully admit to not being a mechanic, can you expand a bit on what the brake booster is and how I might fix/check that.

Euro Legends

pedal feel is horrible that's just the car.

SRHsl600

I understand the feel issue, from new SLS to an old pagoda 250SL they all feel unique. The amount of travel of a brake peddle is related to design in the direct contact with the boost ( in power assist ) or direct brake cylinder contact. In some vehicles I have cleared the clutter under the dash with a cleaner peddle travel ( wires, hoses et al.)
My R 129 had the knee pad causing some foot issue and after it was properly attached to the underside, my big foot interference was lessened so it felt improved!
Good luck with your brake feel!

VAamg

The feel is something I can get used to, as I said, stopping power isn't an issue and there are no creaks or groans. The stickiness when first depressed is something I would like to correct though.

All that said, has anyone replaced brake lines with steel ones and have an opinion?

cliffyk

Your '98 C43, like my '98 SL500, has the BAS (Brake Assist System), that brings a whole new level of complexity to the brake booster. It uses the signal from a diaphragm travel sensor to sense how rapidly the brakes have been applied, when a threshold value has been reached (as determined by the BAS control module, using vehicle speed and other sensors) it automatically applies full braking force. It also signals the traction control system that it has done this, and sends messages through the CAN bus to let any other system that cares know.

If the initial "stickiness" is not a mechanical problem (I.e. the pedal or linkage sticking) then it is likely the result of a problem(s) with the BAS...