Car accident, :'( Brakes question
10-12-2006, 01:24 PM
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Mercedes E350, E550s on it's way!
Car accident, :'( Brakes question
Doing an average speed of 35, and applying the brakes at a distance of 40 feet, the DSC kicked in, and as we all know DSC kicks in when your car is slipping. Which I explained to the officer who, when pulling my vehicle further over to the road said no your brakes are fine, there working. Well of course cause you going 3 mph only, not 35. My E350 slid right on into an older SUV whom slammed on there brakes, for some ungodly reason.
We've noticed Mercedes cutting corners before on our CLS 500 with putting huge amounts of grease on the brakes to make them seem as if they were repaired, but brakeing power goes to ****. And we proply returned it to be correctly repaired.
The point is, I slammed the brakes down and all the car did was slip, and over 40 feet slammed into the car infront of me. When I got out and after the car was put on a flat bed, I inspected the brakes and there is grease oozing from them. Not legally speaking but wouldn't you say service was a bit negligent in this case.
And my favorite, the airbags did not deploy, now I know the sensors have to be hit, but with the extent of damage, I'm a little upset how they did not go off. But the car did what it was suppose to, it crumpled absorbing the impact, and I'm glad that myself and my passengers are fine. Just a bit of whiplash. The passenger side door was crushed shut, had to wrench it open to get the gf out, that will put some hair on your chest. Especially since when I realized what happen I saw all the damage was on her side of the vehicle.
We've noticed Mercedes cutting corners before on our CLS 500 with putting huge amounts of grease on the brakes to make them seem as if they were repaired, but brakeing power goes to ****. And we proply returned it to be correctly repaired.
The point is, I slammed the brakes down and all the car did was slip, and over 40 feet slammed into the car infront of me. When I got out and after the car was put on a flat bed, I inspected the brakes and there is grease oozing from them. Not legally speaking but wouldn't you say service was a bit negligent in this case.
And my favorite, the airbags did not deploy, now I know the sensors have to be hit, but with the extent of damage, I'm a little upset how they did not go off. But the car did what it was suppose to, it crumpled absorbing the impact, and I'm glad that myself and my passengers are fine. Just a bit of whiplash. The passenger side door was crushed shut, had to wrench it open to get the gf out, that will put some hair on your chest. Especially since when I realized what happen I saw all the damage was on her side of the vehicle.
10-12-2006, 01:40 PM
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4 wheels
Are you expecting a car traveling 35mph to stop within 40ft? Also, its probably brake fluid leaking. Brake grease is used on the pads to stop squealing. Did you have all the SBC recalls done?
10-12-2006, 01:45 PM
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If you'll do the math, you'll find that your reaction time to the brake lights lighting up on the SUV AND your following distance for your travelling speed were insufficient. Not MBs fault. Too bad about the car, but its not quite an "accident". Increase your following distance, especially behind cars that you can't see in front of thru their glass.
10-12-2006, 01:50 PM
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I'm sorry to hear about your accident and I am happy that there were no serious injuries. There are a few things that you need to perhaps answer so that I can better understand your concerns:
1st, When you say that the car just skidded, what do you mean exactly? Were the wheels locked and you left skid marks? Or did the car not decelerate.
2nd, I have never in my life heard of a dealer putting grease on the brakes. Can you take a picture of this? I don't see how the brakes would even work normally if there was any grease on them.
3rd, Judging by the damage that you have, it does not look as if you were driving fast enough for the airbag deployment. It looks worse than it is because the bumper was not hit and all the impact was absorbed by the softer body above the bumper. Had the bumper been hit I seriously doubt that there would be that much bent metal. You have SUVs to thank for that. Also, if this impact was at about 3 MPH, and you were NOT wearing your seatbelt, then there is a chance that the computer determined NOT to deploy the airbags.
In the end, you have to be thankful that at least the car's safety system did its job (the crumple zones), but for some reason I don't understand what you are explaining about the brakes.
I hope you get the car fixed soon and well,
Steve
1st, When you say that the car just skidded, what do you mean exactly? Were the wheels locked and you left skid marks? Or did the car not decelerate.
2nd, I have never in my life heard of a dealer putting grease on the brakes. Can you take a picture of this? I don't see how the brakes would even work normally if there was any grease on them.
3rd, Judging by the damage that you have, it does not look as if you were driving fast enough for the airbag deployment. It looks worse than it is because the bumper was not hit and all the impact was absorbed by the softer body above the bumper. Had the bumper been hit I seriously doubt that there would be that much bent metal. You have SUVs to thank for that. Also, if this impact was at about 3 MPH, and you were NOT wearing your seatbelt, then there is a chance that the computer determined NOT to deploy the airbags.
In the end, you have to be thankful that at least the car's safety system did its job (the crumple zones), but for some reason I don't understand what you are explaining about the brakes.
I hope you get the car fixed soon and well,
Steve
10-12-2006, 02:47 PM
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ouch, sorry 'bout the car.
it looks like though the bumper was not pushed in enough to warrant the use of airbags as it didn't trip the sensors in the beam behind it. The high rear bumper of the SUV was just high enough that it pushed your hood back and damaged the right side of the bumper without actually crumpling the front bumper into the engine bay.
glad though the car did its job and protected its occupants.
it looks like though the bumper was not pushed in enough to warrant the use of airbags as it didn't trip the sensors in the beam behind it. The high rear bumper of the SUV was just high enough that it pushed your hood back and damaged the right side of the bumper without actually crumpling the front bumper into the engine bay.
glad though the car did its job and protected its occupants.
10-12-2006, 03:09 PM
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'06 E500, '99 ML430 and '07 SL65
If you'll do the math, you'll find that your reaction time to the brake lights lighting up on the SUV AND your following distance for your travelling speed were insufficient. Not MBs fault. Too bad about the car, but its not quite an "accident". Increase your following distance, especially behind cars that you can't see in front of thru their glass.
Just in my openion; if you are trying to pin this on the dealer by claiming that they put grease on the breaks I wouldn't even go there. Honestly, you were too close and you (your insurance) will end up paying the bill for both your car and the car you hit.
10-12-2006, 04:44 PM
#7
That sucks...sorry to see it, especially a fellow 2006 Flint owner.
As others have mentioned, the soft sheetmetal absorbed the impact and not the bumper...which is why the airbags weren't triggered, and why the damage looks so bad. Had you had hit a vehicle with similarly aligned bumpers, the hood and fender woudn't be so crumpled, and the passenger door would probably open fine.
That the airbags didn't inflate is a good thing. Obviously you didn't need them to avoid injury or death (which is why they are there), and without interior damage the cost of repair will be much less...may not affect you directly, but it keeps insurance costs lower. And airbags can cause superficial injury.
Regarding the brake issue, I'm completely lost as to what you are describing, what you were expecting, and what you're implying.
As others have mentioned, the soft sheetmetal absorbed the impact and not the bumper...which is why the airbags weren't triggered, and why the damage looks so bad. Had you had hit a vehicle with similarly aligned bumpers, the hood and fender woudn't be so crumpled, and the passenger door would probably open fine.
That the airbags didn't inflate is a good thing. Obviously you didn't need them to avoid injury or death (which is why they are there), and without interior damage the cost of repair will be much less...may not affect you directly, but it keeps insurance costs lower. And airbags can cause superficial injury.
Regarding the brake issue, I'm completely lost as to what you are describing, what you were expecting, and what you're implying.
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10-12-2006, 04:56 PM
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That sucks...sorry to see it, especially a fellow 2006 Flint owner.
As others have mentioned, the soft sheetmetal absorbed the impact and not the bumper...which is why the airbags weren't triggered, and why the damage looks so bad. Had you had hit a vehicle with similarly aligned bumpers, the hood and fender woudn't be so crumpled, and the passenger door would probably open fine.
That the airbags didn't inflate is a good thing. Obviously you didn't need them to avoid injury or death (which is why they are there), and without interior damage the cost of repair will be much less...may not affect you directly, but it keeps insurance costs lower. And airbags can cause superficial injury.
Regarding the brake issue, I'm completely lost as to what you are describing, what you were expecting, and what you're implying.
As others have mentioned, the soft sheetmetal absorbed the impact and not the bumper...which is why the airbags weren't triggered, and why the damage looks so bad. Had you had hit a vehicle with similarly aligned bumpers, the hood and fender woudn't be so crumpled, and the passenger door would probably open fine.
That the airbags didn't inflate is a good thing. Obviously you didn't need them to avoid injury or death (which is why they are there), and without interior damage the cost of repair will be much less...may not affect you directly, but it keeps insurance costs lower. And airbags can cause superficial injury.
Regarding the brake issue, I'm completely lost as to what you are describing, what you were expecting, and what you're implying.
10-12-2006, 07:56 PM
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As others have said, glad you are OK but sorry about the damage. Do you have SBC in your 2006? If so, it should have reacted faster and may have prevented your accident. If not, your car probably was too close when you applied the brakes and the accident was unavoidable. We would also like to know if you were wearing your seatbelt and if the air bag logic may have prevented them from activating at a marginal lateral "g" load at impact?
I personally like the SBC in spite of the recalls because of its fast reaction time and excellent ability to steer out of potential problems as opposed to normal brakes. I'm glad I have it and sorry to see them drop it. The recalls have been a minor inconvenience early after introduction.
I personally like the SBC in spite of the recalls because of its fast reaction time and excellent ability to steer out of potential problems as opposed to normal brakes. I'm glad I have it and sorry to see them drop it. The recalls have been a minor inconvenience early after introduction.
10-12-2006, 08:56 PM
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As others have said, glad you are OK but sorry about the damage. Do you have SBC in your 2006? If so, it should have reacted faster and may have prevented your accident. If not, your car probably was too close when you applied the brakes and the accident was unavoidable. We would also like to know if you were wearing your seatbelt and if the air bag logic may have prevented them from activating at a marginal lateral "g" load at impact?
I personally like the SBC in spite of the recalls because of its fast reaction time and excellent ability to steer out of potential problems as opposed to normal brakes. I'm glad I have it and sorry to see them drop it. The recalls have been a minor inconvenience early after introduction.
I personally like the SBC in spite of the recalls because of its fast reaction time and excellent ability to steer out of potential problems as opposed to normal brakes. I'm glad I have it and sorry to see them drop it. The recalls have been a minor inconvenience early after introduction.
I also like SBC, but the "regular" brakes also do that part of helping reaction time. The only thing that is really faster by SBC is the actual lag in sending signal from pedal to pad. SBC does it at the speed of light (electrical impulse), while the regular setup does it through liquid pressure. Since liquids do not compress (in theory), the two systems should be close. The electronic wizardry behind getting the pads closer to the rotor on extreme decelerations, etc still hold for all MB braking systems.
10-12-2006, 10:13 PM
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I think it might be incorrect to assume here that he was following at 40 feet, instead of that being where he was when he reacted to the stopped vehicile in front of him. Either way, the fault is going to be on the MB driver and not the SUV driver from the details given.
I'd sure like some clarification on what 'slipping' means. Is that skidding? Were you swerving or skidding straight? Need more info.
Also, I'd think if someone were going to try to make a case for brake failure, they'd take pictures of the rotors/calipers through the wheel spokes while they were taking the other pictures that were posted.
Nobody puts grease on the business end of brakes. That car would have been wrecked driving out of the service bay if they'd have greased the rotors.
I'd sure like some clarification on what 'slipping' means. Is that skidding? Were you swerving or skidding straight? Need more info.
Also, I'd think if someone were going to try to make a case for brake failure, they'd take pictures of the rotors/calipers through the wheel spokes while they were taking the other pictures that were posted.
Nobody puts grease on the business end of brakes. That car would have been wrecked driving out of the service bay if they'd have greased the rotors.
10-13-2006, 01:56 AM
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Mercedes E350, E550s on it's way!
I am sorry to hear about the accident and glad that everyone is OK, but I have to agree. Using the model highway engineers use (Link here) your following distance should have been 136 feet to allow you to react and apply the brakes.
Just in my openion; if you are trying to pin this on the dealer by claiming that they put grease on the breaks I wouldn't even go there. Honestly, you were too close and you (your insurance) will end up paying the bill for both your car and the car you hit.
Just in my openion; if you are trying to pin this on the dealer by claiming that they put grease on the breaks I wouldn't even go there. Honestly, you were too close and you (your insurance) will end up paying the bill for both your car and the car you hit.
Course not I love Mercedes, entire family owns a Mercedes automobile.
The DSC kicked in, which in an accident scenario, should not happen, because in this that means the car was slipping / slideing instead of stopping and the treads skid marks are 4 to 6 feet apart, whereas from insurance they have seen E350s and there treads marks should be much fewer in distance. Were also testing the theory that 40 feet is sufficent enough to stop the vehicle doing only 35 when you have to take in to notice that the brakeing system on these are far move advanced now.
You can see the build up of substance on the brakes, the same as what happened with our CLS, but we returned that to Mercedes immediately to be properly repaired.
10-13-2006, 02:00 AM
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Mercedes E350, E550s on it's way!
with the accident in such i was not the one to take the photos and yes actually thank you for reminding me, im going to need to stop by the repair shop and take photos of the brakes
10-13-2006, 02:03 AM
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Mercedes E350, E550s on it's way!
And as I stated before, I do realize that the sensors where not deployed due to the offset of the impact and of course as it stands I am at fault (****ty law.) The big issue was raised by police, fire department and insurance whom all thought they should have deployed.
And yes the car did EXACTLY what I wanted it to do, it crumpled, kept my passengers and myself safe and thats what I'm glad for. And luckily the car is all cosmetic repair except a few parts.
And yes the car did EXACTLY what I wanted it to do, it crumpled, kept my passengers and myself safe and thats what I'm glad for. And luckily the car is all cosmetic repair except a few parts.
10-13-2006, 02:03 AM
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10-13-2006, 02:09 AM
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Mercedes E350, E550s on it's way!
DSC light came on, thats the problem, thats why we know the car was slipping / slideing.. so of course...all relates back to as far as anyone can tell to brakes. The car was not going side ways, just straight forward. This is why
10-13-2006, 02:11 AM
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Mercedes E350, E550s on it's way!
If my specs are correct, a Mercedes ABS brakes pump at a matter of 6/10's of a second. Mine. Thats yet to be seen
10-13-2006, 03:40 AM
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All Diesel Fleet !1983 240d stick,2005 E320 CDI Midnight blue, 2005 E320 CDI, Desert Silver, Kubota
Damage Estimate?
Not being an estimator, my guess is between $10-15,000. Anyone care to join in?
10-13-2006, 04:23 AM
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Mercedes E350, E550s on it's way!
You are correct on the repair price. And I use my right foot, but im the case of my accident I used both lol.
THANKS ALL FOR THE FEEDBACK ABOUT THE VEHICLE AND THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND PASSENGERS!
THANKS ALL FOR THE FEEDBACK ABOUT THE VEHICLE AND THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND PASSENGERS!
10-13-2006, 04:33 AM
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Mercedes E350, E550s on it's way!
Funny thing I forgot to mention to add to my ever growing bad week. Today I was actually involved in another accident in my older brothers CL 500. Luckily I was the passenger this time.
Thank god for armor, that thing took that impact so well, the air bags deployed and his side was hit extremely hard. Sadly once more I had to relive a nightmare, but this time my own familywas involved. I got out of the car ran around to my brother whom wasn't responding and worst then the E350 could only pry the door open enough to grab him out, he was rushed to the hospital by ambulance immediately, and I'm glad to say he's home tonight and making a steady recovery. Its funny cause we were on the way to Mercedes to do some repair work on his car.
And Im no robo cop so I actually didn't go to the hospital yesterday but after this one ya had to, pain was increaseingly more elevated.
Thank god for armor, that thing took that impact so well, the air bags deployed and his side was hit extremely hard. Sadly once more I had to relive a nightmare, but this time my own familywas involved. I got out of the car ran around to my brother whom wasn't responding and worst then the E350 could only pry the door open enough to grab him out, he was rushed to the hospital by ambulance immediately, and I'm glad to say he's home tonight and making a steady recovery. Its funny cause we were on the way to Mercedes to do some repair work on his car.
And Im no robo cop so I actually didn't go to the hospital yesterday but after this one ya had to, pain was increaseingly more elevated.
Last edited by AkMadness; 10-13-2006 at 04:40 AM.
10-13-2006, 09:11 AM
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'06 E500, '99 ML430 and '07 SL65
I am wondering if you just picked up your car from brake repair? The substance on the rotor and pads could not have been there for long or you would have noticed it sooner. Did you feel anything before the accident?
Assumeing for a second that the service dept. didn't leave anything on the breakes can it be leak for somewhere in the engine compartment? Is it on both sides of the car or just one?
Assumeing for a second that the service dept. didn't leave anything on the breakes can it be leak for somewhere in the engine compartment? Is it on both sides of the car or just one?
10-13-2006, 09:48 AM
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Mercedes E350, E550s on it's way!
The car was picked up from the service department three days before the accident for brake repair. I've been in situations where I've had to slam down on the breaks but all of those times the car reacted as it should. This time as I stated you could feel the car slideing, and the DSC confirms this theory.
The thick yellow substance is on literally oozing out of the brakes. Photos today will be posted hopefully, and I'll see what peoples opinions are.
The thick yellow substance is on literally oozing out of the brakes. Photos today will be posted hopefully, and I'll see what peoples opinions are.
Last edited by AkMadness; 10-13-2006 at 09:50 AM.
10-13-2006, 09:56 AM
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Mercedes E350, E550s on it's way!
(I didn't realize you had said that, thats exactly what I was trying to say)
Ah, I was not aware of any recalls, usually I'd assume with how often I'm up there at the dealer ship I would have been informed though I know the recalls are voluntary.
10-13-2006, 09:56 AM
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All Diesel Fleet !1983 240d stick,2005 E320 CDI Midnight blue, 2005 E320 CDI, Desert Silver, Kubota
Brake Repair
I seem to recall that MB specifically says not to put any grease on the pads. There might have been some on the inside of the rotors, if you had that done also. They do it to prevent the rotors from sticking when they pry them off. Good luck. At least MB prevented injury. When all is said and done, that is the primary reason for having these cars.
