Is it just me?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 253
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From: Brooklyn, NY
2021 GLB35, 2007 E350, 2014 ML350 4Matic, 2008 C350 Sport
Is it just me?
But the front & rear brake dust on my C 350 seems to be about equal and relatively light compared to my last MB. My car still only has about 320 miles but even so I was expecting the usual heavy brake on the front wheels. The front wheels of my previous MB was like a least twice the dust of the rear wheels. Maybe the vented rotors???? 
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 18,677
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From: OC
a quarter mile at a time
most likely MB is using a different pad formulation for the new brakes. The material the pads are made out of contribute to how much dust is given off. Cross drilled rotors do not reduce the amount of brake dust given off. (cross drilled and vented are different)
Good to hear the new brakes dust less though
Good to hear the new brakes dust less though
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 253
Likes: 2
From: Brooklyn, NY
2021 GLB35, 2007 E350, 2014 ML350 4Matic, 2008 C350 Sport
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 678
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From: Vancouver WA
'14 GLK250 Diesel
I agree that the W204 produces less dust than any German car we've owned in the past 30 years, and noticeably less than our '02 W203 C240.
By a very slight margin, I'd say the rears produce a bit more dust than the fronts - but for me, the important observation is that there is just less dust, period. Yes, they obviously changed the pad formulation this time around.
By a very slight margin, I'd say the rears produce a bit more dust than the fronts - but for me, the important observation is that there is just less dust, period. Yes, they obviously changed the pad formulation this time around.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: East Bay, CA
MB w204 C300 Sport, Audi B7 A4 2.0TQ, Porsche Cayman 981
All the euro cars ive owned (BMW E38, E39, E46 M3, Audi A4) always produced a lot of dust. In fact, I made it a point to get graphite colored S-Line rims on the A4 so I'm not washing the rims every week. lol
All the japanese cars I've owned (Honda Civic, Toyota 4Runner, Acura TL) would take a month to produce the same amount of dust a euro car would in a week!
All the japanese cars I've owned (Honda Civic, Toyota 4Runner, Acura TL) would take a month to produce the same amount of dust a euro car would in a week!
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C300 (W204) w/ MM, P1, & 18"amg's
^Ya but why would you want to stop in a honda civic? i would never touch the break and hide my face so no one would see me. JK! i drove a minivan before this i just had to bust chops 
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,894
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From: Connecticut
2003 CLK55
Funny this thread came up. When I first washed Honey's car I noticed the rears had just as much brake dust as the fronts. This has never been the case with my ML or CLK. I though it was my imagination.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: East Bay, CA
MB w204 C300 Sport, Audi B7 A4 2.0TQ, Porsche Cayman 981
it comes in handy going to Warrior games and whenever I have to go to places like walmart, chinatown, etc.
Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 239
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c300 sport
i have a ton of brake dust on the rears and minimal amounts on the front.. man, if these put out less than other models, i would hate to have the other ones.. cuz my brake dust gets pretty darn bad after about a week.
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C300 Sport/Palladium Silver on Black/P2
I'm just hoping if there is indeed less dust that the brakes will have a good life.
How many miles does a C-Class brakes usually go before being worn out? How much is break service at a MB dealer (I'm scared)? ha-ha.
How many miles does a C-Class brakes usually go before being worn out? How much is break service at a MB dealer (I'm scared)? ha-ha.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 678
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From: Vancouver WA
'14 GLK250 Diesel
Yes, every European car I've owned generated more dust than our Japanese cars - they also had better braking performance.
I can tell you this is the least "dusty" MB I've owned since the beginning....which as you can see, goes back a long, long way.
The only car that really stands out in my experience about brake dust was our Toyota Prius - it produced the least dust I've ever seen, because of the re-gen braking. Front pads, even though thinner than average when new, looked like they would last at least 100k miles. The brakes just didn't seem to wear at all. I recently helped a friend put new tires/wheels on her Prius, and at 30k miles, the front pads looked like new.
In any case, MB does not consider this a "problem" to be solved - nor do any of the other German car makers.
Last edited by jrct9454; Jan 28, 2008 at 05:05 PM.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 678
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From: Vancouver WA
'14 GLK250 Diesel
There's no good answer to your question, because EVERYTHING depends on how the car is used. Our '02 C240 was on track to get at least 50k from the front pads, more on the rear. Many people need new pads at 20k. We do very little pure city driving....our C300 has 5500 miles on it, and 4700 of those miles are long-distance freeway driving....very little brake wear. What's "typical" or "average"? You've got me....
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Collegeville, PA
2009 C-300 Sport 4Matic Arctic White; 1998 Corvette Roadster, Black 6spd
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2009
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From: Westchester, NY
2010 Mercedes Benz C300 Sport 4Matic
Simple reasoning: C300 is a rear wheel drive car (even in the 4matic), so there will be more brake dust on the rears. If it was front wheel, it would have more brake dust in the front.
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Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Atlanta, GA
2008 C300 Sport 6 Speed Manual, 1953 Chevy Bel-Air, 2015 Audi allroad, 1963 Chevy Apache
The reason why our cars have more on the rears is due to electronic brake proportioning (EBP) which brakes the rears slightly harder than the fronts to make the car feel more stable in straight line stops.
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2009
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From: Westchester, NY
2010 Mercedes Benz C300 Sport 4Matic
Correct reasoning: Both front wheel, rear wheel and all wheel drive cars will have more brake dust on the fronts. This is simply due to the fact that as you brake, the weight shifts forward and the fronts do most of the work.
The reason why our cars have more on the rears is due to electronic brake proportioning (EBP) which brakes the rears slightly harder than the fronts to make the car feel more stable in straight line stops.
The reason why our cars have more on the rears is due to electronic brake proportioning (EBP) which brakes the rears slightly harder than the fronts to make the car feel more stable in straight line stops.
So basically in a nutshell, we have more brake dust in the rears to make braking more luxurious and to reduce dive...ya?
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Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Atlanta, GA
2008 C300 Sport 6 Speed Manual, 1953 Chevy Bel-Air, 2015 Audi allroad, 1963 Chevy Apache
I don't know for sure but I would expect EBP to be a standard feature on any new Benz. Anybody know??
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From: Illinois
'08 C300 4Matic Sport, '02 530i
http://www.counterman.com/Article/80...ution_ebd.aspx
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From: SEATTLE WASHINGTON USA
'08 C300 Lux Barolo Red Beige Leather P2 MM 18" wheels '84 944
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From: Dix Hills, New York
2012 C250 Coupe
My 2009 build date is 10/08, 4 months after the cut-off for the replacemetn of the brakes. I get minimal brake dust on the front, but I can wash my rims, and within 1-2 days my rears are completely covered with black dust, and the rear bumper of my car... It is so annoying. When I bring it up to my service advisor they make B.S. excuses that the brakes are soft and mercedes proved this is normal... Only one S.A. at a different dealership knew about the TSB, but said it was no applicable for my car because it was in 10/08, not before 06/08... Bull, they obviously didn't put the new brake pad design on my vehicle because my sister jsut got the 2011 w204, and she can go for weeks without any brake dust showing...
