edgalang

Hey folks,

My 2012 C350 is nearing its 60k mile maintenance window, and my brake pad wear indicator also just happened to turn on. Since I was planning on doing the maintenance myself (including the spark plugs), I figure I'll do the brake pads (including bleeding the lines) as well. But before I begin, just a few questions...

#1 When the wear pad indicator turns on, how do we know if it is for the front vs the rear? This is my first time dealing with electronic wear sensors and I was wondering if there is more to it or it is just a general indicator to check the brakes overall? I ended up buying Akebono pads for all 4, but it would be nice to know more about it moving forward in the event I only want to replace 2.

#2 How do I properly remove the front brake caliper clip without breaking the caliper plate off. I've seen a few W204 DIY videos, but none of them had caliper plate covers and I would really like to avoid this...https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...e-caliper.html

In the event you don't know what I'm talking about...

Picture 1 shows caliper plate in tact with clip on the right side of the plate.


Picture 2 shows caliper plate missing with the clip still in place.


I can only assume the reason for the missing plates is because whoever replaced the pads broke the plate off by accident?

Any inside tips would be appreciated.

c300white

Not sure about the caliper pins - but with a flashlight you should
Be able to see pad thickness through the wheel - that's the best way to tell if both front and/or rears need replacing.

Btw - unused akebono on my bmw - great pad - less dust- wears much longer than stock - and brake performance is good once you have some heat in the pads - only downside is that initial bite is a bit less from cold start....

95Sinned420

Recently did a brake job on mine, including bleeding. But mine did not have that plate (luxury model).

Anyways, you can't tell from the sensor whether it is front or rears that triggered it. It could be both (unlikely) and if this is the first time, highly likely it is the fronts.

Only way to find out is to take the wheel off and check. There is one sensor on each axle. I forget which side though, if I remember right, passenger side.

Since you are changing pad material, it's highly recommended the rotors be changed as well. I mean, braking will still work and all that, but optimal wear/best performance would be to change them so that the materials on the rotor are the same. You may have brake squealing issues as well if not.

handyman762

????

95Sinned420

New rotors when changing pads is what dealers recommend. Especially if you are changing pad type (metallic to ceramic, etc). Either new rotors or have the old ones resurfaced. Dealer would never recommend resurfacing though, as they'll tell you that those rotors aren't meant to be resurfaced.

If not, braking performance is compromised and you may have brake squeals.