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Hello, my w204 has been hit with the dreaded rotted subframe issue. I currently have everything unbolted except for the dang eBrake cables. I've watched a few videos and read up on this, but I just can't seem to get either side free. Does anyone have any advice they can lend? I've tried pulling the "curved" part toward the driver's side outside of the car and pop the rectangle end out of the metal sleeve with a small screwdriver, but I just can't seem to get it to pop out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I replaced the drivers side on my W204. I remember it was a pain, took me like an hour laying under there trying everything, its very tight. I think removing was easy, have it unhooked at the spindle obviously, then yank on the cable so the sleeve pulls exposing just the bare cable then push the cable towards the rear so the cable itself can clear a channel then pull down to bring the circular end down and free. I think it was getting it in that had me swearing. I'll have to find a photo to refresh my memory of what I did.
I found the photo i came across that made me realize it's pretty simple to replace the rear cables, it's from an article on Pelican parts on replacing the rear differential fluid.
I had the cable already disconnected at the spindle then halfway up the cable it snaps into a bracket you just push out. Then pull on the cable so the white end part pops out of the bracket. Then it's just like removing a bicycle brake cable, maneuver the bare cable so it falls out the bracket. I seem to remember installing it was the hard part because of the spring at the spindle end, fishing the bare cable back into place was difficult because of the spring tension on the cable sleeve. I think I ended up using needle nose vice grips to hold the spring compressed while reinstalling. Put the vice grips on the cable between the spring and the sleeve, pull the sleeve down the cable to compress the spring as much as you can than lock the vice grips on the cable to hold it.
Ok so, basically you disconnected the cable from the hub. I didn't do that, I was trying to just remove the connection (in the top photo)
Yes. You need to release the tension on the cable before you can remove it from under the car. Theres ALOT of tension on that cable from the parking brake pads and the spring at the back of the spindle. Have to remove the parking brake pads so you can unhook the cable end, then the end of the cable is held to the back of the spindle with one bolt. Then a simple bracket halfway up the cable that just snaps in. Then you can work on removing it from under the car.
I had to replace my drivers side because I had an issue with a rusted dust shield, rusted so much the parking brake pad hold down springs popped off while driving and the pads were just flopping around. At the time I wasnt familiar with how everything works and was so frustrated that I just cut the cable so I could remove all the parking brake stuff so i could put the rotor back on in the mean time.
Actually i just remembered that I bought a used drivers side assembly that came with the carrier, wheel bearing, dust shield, hub, speed sensor, parking brake pads and parking brake cable all together. So clearly they removed it without removing it from the carrier. Maybe they unbolted that bracket from the frame to separate the cables from it.
Actually, I just got it. I feel like a dumbass. I changed my perspective from the way I was laying on my back. There is a bracket bolted to the subframe that all those ebrake lines clip in. I just unbolted it and I had tons of slack to remove the links. But, unbolting one of the lines to the hub helped, not removing it, just unbolting it. Thanks for the support.
Mercedes dealers suck in my experience. I had a check engine light which ended up being the purge valve which should have been covered in the pzev warranty, Mercedes wanted to charge me $80 to just look at the car and wouldnt give me an answer about the part being covered. Whats a new Mercedes purge valve, $65? I ended up buying a used purge valve on ebay for $12 shipped and its been working fine since.
With the subframe id keep all the receipts and try to get reimbursed, may be worth a shot.
It was one of those things that if i could get it for free cool, if not oh well. Just from the phone call I was annoyed talking with them, so I paid the $12. If i had not stumbled on used ones so cheap i probably would have gone down and talked to someone in person about it.
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