i got my B service from the dealer the other day. they recommended to replace my front break pads (they say i have less than 30%) and the rotors (they say are below minimum specs). i declined. my car is a an 05' C320 Sports Sedan i bought brand new sept of 2004. i have approx 27k miles on it. i'm not sure if i really do need them done, the break pads i may have changed, but the rotors i'm not sure (..at 27k miles????)

any advice/suggestions will be appreciated? thanks.

 

If the break pads are at 30% i don't see why they would go about replacing the rotors. Especially if you've never replaces your pads before...

 

they just qouted me on my 04 with 11k miles.
$580 for pads and rotors, just the front.
i declined, im gonna do a AMG brake kit conversion

 

The dealer is hoping to tempt you to get them done so you don't have to make another trip back. Since you already picked up the car, just drive it until the brake wear indicator light comes on. Unless there is a problem with the brakes, replacing them early is just a waste of money.

 

Why do we have sensors? Ignore them, just drive the car normally and easy on the breaks then you should be fine.

 

what everybody already said above, plus you can change them yourself or some other non-dealer place cheaper (by a lot).

 

Just check the rotor for a lip on the outer edge. If they are the originals then you should have just a little lip from wear, but if there is a heavey lip (from were the pad doesn't ride) then you my have a strange wear problem. But I think they are trying to milk you for money. I think I will do a step by step brake change post on here soon. It is to easy to pay to have it done. and most mechanics are moving away from turning rotor now anyway. Just change them when they need it. (about every second or third pad change depending on the size of your foot)

 

Can you pls post the step by step brake change post here?

I may have to change the rear pads soon.

Thanks

 

30% pad life is too much too throw away. You should learn how to check pad wear yourself so you don't need to rely on someone who is more interested in taking your money than you saving it. You can do a quick visual to check the outer front pads and only need to remove the wheel to check the inner pads....usually they wear fairly evenly. Rears are easier checked with the wheel removed and usually are replaced once for every two sets of front pads. I'm assuming this would be your first front pad replacement....replace pads and rotors together if the rotors are below wear spec (stamped on rotor hub).

 

Wait till the sensor light comes on. When it does, you'll have another 1/8 inch of pad left... plenty to drive at least a thousand miles and more while you order pads and replace them yourself for under $100 dollars. Search the forums for the how-to.

It's E-A-S-Y to do.
.

 

When my sensor came on I drove about 3,500 miles and then I changed them. There was alittle grinding but that was about it.

 

Im at 30kish miles and just got service B. My rotors are cracking in multiple places around the drilled holes and the face of the rotor is extremely uneven -you can feel the waves in the surface with your finger its so bad.

Is this normal? I've never seen a rotor this bad before.

I declined to let the dealer do the brakes again, they have already been replaced twice and I'm only at 30,000. I have a feeling they screwed me the first two times and the brakes didn't require replacement. Im going to STFF about pads/rotors and do it myself. Any recommendations for good rotors/ceramic pads?

 

This sounds like you're a "late braker", driving in freeway stop and go, or you've been doing some spirited mountain driving (Newport Beach ) especially if you've been through two sets of pads/rotors in 30K miles. You can get treated rotors and pads that work at higher temperatures (Porterfield comes to mind). Cracking around the holes in drilled rotors is not uncommon but also not good. How much pad is left now?

 

Thanks for the reply,

Yeah, sometimes I drive the car very hard (Santiago Cyn), but 99% of the time when I'm driving normally I downshift at every stop at the expense of the transmission in order to avoid the brake dust. I'm leaning towards the porterfield pads. What type of rotors would you recommend?

 

I have the Porterfields over standard discs, though. Porterfield is very low dust. Expensive, though.

 

I installed the Porterfields when my original pads had 70% wear remaining just to get rid of the dust because it bothered me so much. I did not replace the rotors at that time. A side benefit is the Porterfields lasted 85K miles, along with the stock rotors, and could have gone more. I'm not a fan of drilled rotors because of the cracking but you can get them
cryogenically treated from Porterfield for more bucks and they will last longer and crack less. Once again....how much (thickness) of your front pads remain? Do you know how to check? No matter which pads and rotors you get you will shorten their effectiveness and life if you don't break them in properly.

 

I have 45,000 miles on my factory brakes and still have some room left to go. Not sure how much but there looks to be plenty of pad left. I am just surprised they lasted this long......

 

I replaced the front brake pads myself on my 2002 C320. It's not that hard as long as you have the correct tools. I had to go out and get an 18mm socket as this was not a standard size that came with my socket set. Cost: $3.00 at Lowes. You also want to make sure you have a good size "C" Clam to compress the pistons.

You can get brake pads (including OEM) at overnightautoparts.com (this is where I got mine). You'll save some money over the dealer. They also sell the pad sensors and rotors. I believe the rotors are around $50 each (not the drilled ones).

I think MB has a tendency of suggesting the rotors be replaced whenever they do the pads. I'm just speculating here, but here is why I believe this. Since they normally only see the car ever 12-15 months, they have to judge the replacement of the rotors on where they will be within this time. They also don't resurface the rotors because the rotors are a pretty inexpensive piece. Probably the labor involved in resurfacing them, along with the added cost of the car sitting in a bay while this is being done, become more expensive than just replacing the rotors with new ones.

Anyway, just my thoughts on the matter.

 

Rev thanks for the great site.

Just to clarify when I'm searching for pads/rotors for my 2004.5 sedan - my car is equipped with the "evolution sports package", correct? Is that what they call the changes they made mid year to the 2004s?

So for front brakes/rotors i want parts made for: Evolution sport package 2004 c230 OR c32 amg

And for rear brakes/rotors i want parts made for: Evolution sport package 2004 c230 (c32 parts wont work here)