Carbon Ceramic Brakes = noisy or not noisy?
 

So what's the final verdict? Mercedes has a disclaimer in the ordering guide that the ceramic brakes are noisy and will squeak during normal driving. I've done some searches here and on Google and it seems mixed. Some guys say they have no noise issues. Some guys have major noise issues, with video evidence.

Is there a consensus amongst owners as to whether or not the carbon ceramic brakes are noisy for a non-track car?

Consider adding them to my order but don't want to be annoyed by them making noise. This car will be my weekend/fun car and will see track duty (just for fun, nothing serious) once a year.

I can only offer my own experience which is that they have been squeaky since I purchased the car two years ago. At times the brakes will bite and not squeak but usually they do.

My SA had them checked and said it is normal.

Thank you. I've seen similar posts that if you're "light" on the brakes (say stop and go traffic) they squeak like crazy. But if you're a bit more forceful with the pedal, they bite hard and don't squeak.

Then I've seen others who say they never squeak for them, so I wonder if those guys are driving their car hard all the time?

That makes sense. I tend to only notice the sound when softly braking.

That in general is an issue with MBs performance brakes. I do not have CC brakes but mine still squeal occasionally under light application. Dealer changed the pads under warranty first but since the squeeling didnt go away, theyvsay its normal for these performance brakes :nix:

I almost voted no noise, but figured that since I did have an instance of a slight squeel once, technically I should vote "barely any noise".

I'll tell you that they are MUCH quieter than the PCCB equipped Porsches I've driven. Although let's not forget, we only have Carbon FRONT brakes, so that may be keeping the noise down as well.

In short, get them. I love the feel, and look of the Carbon brakes, not to mention the lack of brake dust!

Funny you mention the PCCB's - my neighbor has a GT4 with PCCB and those things squeal like a pig :rolf: But it's also primarily a track car for him, so no big deal.

Thanks for the insight. Good to heard the MB brakes are much quieter than the Porsche brakes.

I'm also considering these due to lack of brake dust (although the rears will be dirty all the time, oh well) and agree with you on the look.

Just picked up my 2019 with CCb and if I'm honest in the 200 miles i did, i didn't hear one bit of noise. They may still be bedding in, so that may change. Braking performance is sublime however!

Had the same exact experience. I love these brakes. I was widely on the fence about getting Carbon Ceramic brakes or not but I’m soooooo happy I did. The feeling and confidence they provide is well worth the price for me personally.

Yes they squeak at times under light load but it’s a tiny side effect compared to the look and feel. I would 100% do it again.

100% agree that I love them. Performance, no dust and no squeaking here.

Also, forgot to add that the carbon brakes are considerably lighter. Never a bad thing for unsprung weight.

In all honesty, CCBs are overkill on a primarily road driven car. I know those who have it swear by them, but that's expected since that's what they have on their cars. I'm guessing there are few owners who have had both types on the exact same car and done similar kind of driving and mileage with the regular performance brakes and the CCBs for a proper comparison. I have personal experience with driving the same car with and without CCBs. Not the C63, but the R8 Their main benefit is lighter weight and more fade resistance, but they are not bullet proofed. Folks have cooked CCBs on the track and they are very very expensive to replace. Many who frequently go on the track opt for iron rotors, because it's much cheaper to replace them and with a good set of race pads they can hold up to high temps as well. On my current car (Audi RS5) I have replaced the OEM iron rotors with true-float rotors, installed stainless steel brake lines, replaced the OEM fluid with high temp fluid and put street performance aftermarket pads on. I don't track the car, but regularly go canyon carving in the summer and the brakes are phenomenal. I never felt I needed CCBs other than for bragging rights. Do you have a history of overheating and fading the brakes on your past cars? If not, what exactly are you hoping to gain from CCBs? A lot of the noise depends on your climate and how you drive. CCBs do not perform so well when they are cold for example. They generally need to be brought up to operating temperature before they work properly.

All good points that I'm taking into consideration. This is a weekend/fun car for me. I live in Los Angeles and frequently drive the canyons for a couple hours of fun. I do hit the track once a year, but just for fun, nothing serious. And agree with you that if this were going to be a track car, I would go with iron rotors simply for the cost of replacement.

I have experienced some fade in my previous E92 M3, but that was with the standard iron rotors. I had a Civic Type R (fun company car) and while it had very good brakes, they would fade after prolonged aggressive canyon runs.

Funny you mention the RS5 - my final decision for this purchase came down the RS5 vs. the C63S.

I would consider upgrading the brake fluid if I were you over going with the CCBs. In all likelihood any previous fade in the canyons would be remedied with proper high temp fluid. One other issue with the carbon rotors is that they can crack if they get hit with debris. Something that can happen in the canyons with gravel on the road for example. Looks like we are using our cars fairly similarly. In my case it is technically a daily driver, but I'm not commuting. All my driving is essentially fun driving, even if I'm running errands and I frequently hit up the canyons here in NorCal on nice weekends.

One thing I forgot to mention is tire consideration. Something that's rarely talked about with CCBs, but with street performance tires the CCBs will overpower the tires. That was my biggest issue with the R8. Hard braking would result in the ABS kicking in on bone dry roads. That's not a good thing as you end up being limited by the tire grip. If you go CCBs, you should go for the optional Cup tires otherwise it's a bit of a waste and you may find having to be very judicious with the brakes in the canyons.

My RS5 is a 2013, so the original with the high-revving V8. I'm here getting a C63, because the new RS5 wasn't doing it for me, and the M4 is lacking a lot of the luxury features that make the C63 a much better GT.

I also felt the new RS5 wasn't doing it for me either. It's a great car in its own right, but it doesn't have the character of the C63S. The RS5, which is typical for Audi's in my opinion, is a bit subdued and doesn't display have enough engine/exhaust sounds to make you feel like you're driving a car that is special. The C63S has that character and can be a very nice, calm, collected GT in Comfort mode. A great combination. The C63S also has a more "mean" look to me.

Agree with you also on the M4 - too brash, not as refined, and lacking in the luxury feature department.

Again, thanks for all the great insight. Really appreciate it.

I don't have the CC brakes and mine squeal all the time in light application. I have to brake hard to not squeal. Dealer said it was normal for my brakes so I've had to learn to live with the squeal even though it's embarrassing at times.

I second this. At first I thought MB had mistakenly installed CCBs on my car.

1. They do squeal under light breaking, its normal
2. They are overkill for the regular road, but when you need or want to stop...wow!
3. Love not having break dust, and they look bad ass