MBc230

I've done several searches for a "grinding brake" feeling but most of them pertain to cars that just had pads replaced or if their ABS brake assist kicks in?

Here's my situation. Just got my new '05 c230, and I'm the kind of guy that likes to drive bare foot (more confortable--- don't ask.....). Well what I just noticed the other day was, when I approach a stop light, and I apply the brakes, sometimes I would feel a "grinding" motion on the petal. Even when the car is coasting in a very slow motion as I hold the brakes at the light, I can feel that "grinding" on it, like the rotors or pads are bad?

Anyone get this as well? I know it can't be my ABS brake assist since the car is barely moving at all?

pokerFACE

I can feel some rumbling under braking on my C240.. but that's from higher speeds. not sure if it's the same issue. Kinda like a train braking (a really heavy, industrial feel to it)

jchai00

same here.. i have a 05 230k i get the same problems i hope its not something major

SpicyC320

I have a 2004 C320 Coupe, and I get the same thing. I thought my brakes felt a bit strange when I first picked my car up, but didn't take it into the dealer until my friend brought the brake issue to my attention when he tested out my car.

I told my service advisor that my brakes feel a bit spongy - sometimes I have to step on the brake quite hard before it really starts to stop. This happens at low to moderate speeds AND at higher freeway speeds, and it is way past the break-in period (my car has 5600 miles right now). The first time I took my car in, I had one of the technicians test my car while I sat in the passenger seat - he said the brakes feel normal . The second time, I just dropped the car off and had them take a look at it - I was told my brakes are fine .

After reading your posts, however, I realize that "grinding" is a more accurate description of how my brakes feel. Either way, I am not sure why the technicians did not find anything wrong. The three loaner C240 sedans I drove did NOT have the same spongy/grinding feel to the brakes.

Now the brake issue REALLY concerns me. Do any of you with the "grinding" issue also feel that the brakes are not as stiff as the ones in other C-Class benzes (other than the AMG)? I'm going to take my car to Tahoe/Reno in 2 weeks and I hope I can get my dealer to resolve the brake issue before I head off.

W0n6_3d4n

Hey i drive bare foot too, and yes i do feel the grinding especially when crawling along traffic or at stop light, sometimes it's there sometimes it's not there.

CitronC230K_03

i get it too, not all the time, usually when braking harder than normal with my AMG brakes and had it with my stock brakes in my 2003 coupe. acutually felt it this morning on my way home from school. im used to it now though.

Guest0001

I have that grinding sound come up as well. I guess its normal Weird

Anyways, the braking power is still superb. No complaints about that.

MBc230

Yea you can definitely feel it better when barefoot, also the rubber bumps on the pedals give your feel a "massage therapy" feeling when driving, haha.

But it comes and goes as well for me. Braking is still strong as heck on there, but just wondering if this would become an issue in the future?

My best guess would be it's brake dust that gets collected in the drilled rotors that grind between the pads? I'm gonna go out to some performance shops and see if cross drilled rotors have that grinding feeling to them, will let yall know....

clkcadet

hey this may sound dumb but i dont feel it in my clk320, but in my porsche 996 i do feel it. it is just my guess but i always thought it was because the brakes are drilled and the pads are just grinding over them
after reading this i remembered my friends c230 (2005) has front drilled brakes standard so does anybody think that can be the answer?

SpicyC320

My 04 C320 Coupe does NOT have drilled brakes but I get a similar "grinding feel".

Also, unlike Noble C320 and MBc230, I do not find the braking power strong or superb. Anyone with a C320 or C230 Coupe notice this?

As mentioned in my previous post, the loaner 04 and 05 C240 had very strong brakes. Could the brakes in the sedan be stronger than the brakes in the coupe? Or maybe this is just an issue with the C320 Coupe since I do not remember the brakes having a grinding feel on the C230 Coupe I test drove a while back..

MBc230

I'm not sure, but do the '04 models have the crossed-drilled rotors in front like the '05 models (sedan)? Compared to my '04 accord, the c230 brakes are far superior (bad comparison, but I've been driving Hondas all my life!) than my Accord's?

Do the C coupe's come standard with cross drilled in '04 and '05 models?

SpicyC320

According to MBUSA, the 2005 C320 Sport Coupe comes with "Dual-circuit power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes. Ventilated front discs. Solid rear discs. Single-piston floating front and rear calipers." This should be the same for the 2004 coupes as no changes for 2005 were mentioned.

Standard on the 2005 C230/C320 Sport Sedans are 13.6" drilled and ventilated front brakes which look much better (having black calipers with "Mercedes" imprinted on it) and appear more powerful (they look like performance brakes) than my coupe's.

The 2005 C320/C240 Luxury Sedans/Wagons, I suspect, do not have these brakes as they seem to be exclusive to the new sport sedans.

Guest0001

I dont have cross drilled rotors and I have the grinding sound. so its not limited to those have them.

Guest0001

What you can to is go to a track or a wide open parking lot and test your brakes. If your really concerned about the situation, try going to a independent shop or some different dealer.

SpicyC320

Looking through MBUSA's C-Class gallery makes me wish I had waited for the 05s

Too bad details of the redesign have not yet been released when I made my purchase. Release date was not available either. Then 6 months after my purchase in April, I started seeing the new 05 sedans everywhere!!

Being more sporty on the front end, I preferred the coupe for the 04. But with the redesigned body, the 05 sedan looks VERY sleek and sportier all-around... even the coupe's front end looks sportier for 05

MBc230

Yup, only reason I waited for the 05! But man I just found out that the 2005.5 SS model gonna have a new A/C look.

One of the changes they made on the current '05 SS was the a/c knobs which had a slight facelift.

They've gone digital on the 2005.5 by revamping the entire a/c unit which now has buttons and a digital LED in place of the knobs which looks a heck of alot cleaner than the one now. Now that's foul!!!

Guest0001

Time to sell your car