HollaBack

I have a 2004 E500 with 5,000 miles on the clock. I've been experiencing very loud squeaking when I break. I thought maybe it was because they were wet but they even squeak when they're dry. Has anyone experienced this problem with not that many miles on your car yet? If so what was the solution. I'm going to set an appointment to have it looked at, but all mercedes dealerships are in other towns where I live. Will this be something simple they can take a look at and repair quickly, or will I have to leave the car there and take a loaner. Certain dealers around here will only give you a loaner if you purchased the car from them.


Thanks for any help

SAguirre

There have not been too many problems with squealing brakes this early (5,000 miles). Like you said you would do, I would check and make an appointment at the dealer. Some people have had squeaky brakes, but it really depends on the severity of the squeaks (which is hard to explain in writing) to know if it is serious. It could be a brake pad failure or it could just be dust and dirt.

My dealer will give a MB loaner to anyone who comes in for service, but I think that is not usual. The other dealer in my area only gives you a MB loaner if bought it from them and the other one gives you an Enterprise rental.

Once you get it resolved, I would like to know what they determined to be the problem.

Steve

Double Eagle

I had a similar problem and found with very slight pressure on the brakes the scratching sound would go away; however, it would often return. I couldn't hear it except when I had my drivers side window open. I asked the dealer to look at it when I took car in for some other things. They said there wasn't anything wrong and that if you applied the brakes really hard for a few stops the noise would usually go away. I don't hear it often any more but when it does occur, I step hard on the brakes at about 30 MPH and that cures it. Problem is related to the fact that our fancy brake system is designed to apply brakes faster than most other systems--especially in an emergency. As a result, the brakes have little, if any, clearnance and will occasisionally make the squealing noises that you hear at low speeds with the window open. Let us know what your dealer says about your problem.

MBE55AMG

Common known problem on W211 models, MY03 and newer. Nothing harmful to the disk brake, etc. at all. The only remedy, really, is some of that brake paste to reduce noise temporarily.

amgkoo

Mine are also squeaking like crazy.... 9600 miles now. They started squeeking at around 7000 miles. I need to find time to bring the car in. My drive dynamic driver seat also squeaks.

RJC

Had this @ 5000 miles and the dealer replaced the pads and rotors up front, went away and now back again @ 12,000. The only true solution is new pads and rotors.

HELL ONA HARLEY

Sorry guys.... 15,500 miles and not even a peep...

HollaBack

I'm setting an appointment today. Not sure how long it will take as I'm going to need a loaner.

HollaBack

I finally took my E500 in for service. I got a C240 for a loaner which was cool . But the dealer told me that they cleaned the brakes which helped to reduce the squeaking noice a little, but said it can't be eliminated without replacing the rotors! And said it's not covered under warranty because they found heat marks on the rotors! I've had it 9 months with 5400 miles on it and the car needs rotors already ? Does this sound right? Should I demand to have them replaced as it seems pretty early for them to go out? Maybe go to another dealer and see what they say? Oh by the way, they said it would cost $410.00 to replace rotors and pads.

lig

28,000 miles. No squeaks. Now it groans a little bit at parking lot speeds but only when turning. Never in a straight line.

The only brake problems I have encountered are

1. the awful pedal feel (which seems to be improved on more recent builds)

2. The red flashing "VISIT WORKSHOP" in the MFD three times now. I basically ignore everything in the MFD now since I've had so many erroneous "VISIT WORKSHOP - YOUR CAR IS ABOUT TO SELF DESTRUCT" messages.

BudC

If the dealer has never replaced the brake fluid, that's probably the problem. My brakes were awful. Bad enough to get me thinking of dumping the car. I took the car in and complained about the way the brakes felt but I was also wise enough to complain about the sound of the SBC system. That forced them to install the Pulsation Damper TSB – P-B-42.46/27A. This gets you a brake fluid change which should fix your problem.

lig

Good info, Bud. Thanks!

konigstiger

Brake squeal is not normal period! MBUSA tells you that it is not a warranty item but more so a wear item and as such only correctable by you paying for rotors and pads. Bull****!! If it’s normal why doesn’t every Benz produced have it, always? I don’t care if it starts as soon as you pull out of the lot or 30000 miles later! If your instrument cluster (IC) does not display that you need to replace anything related to braking in accordance to “their” Flexible Service System (FSS) it’s an embarrassing, annoying defect! Don’t tell me it’s a common problem and leave it at that; it’s because the MB brakes are manufactured for safety first and foremost; MB rotors and/or pads are not like those of other manufacturers; occasionally clean your brakes by force stopping; we’ll clean your brakes as a goodwill gesture but there’s no guarantee it will be solved – replace the rotors and pads!

To reiterate; The FSS tells me I need to replace the pads or rotors, so be it – at my cost. However, if the FSS does not well then you replace the pads or rotors at your cost MB!

rbordel

I may have an insight into the brake squealing problem:

Normally, I wash my car by hand (using just a garden hose and towels,) but last summer during a driving vacation, I used self-service pressure washers several times, including spraying the wheels and discs. I noticed that the brakes started squeaking about a day after the first such washing. The brakes only squeaked as the car decelerated about 5 mph to 0, and continued for about 1.5 weeks as I drove around the western US. During this period, I was washing the car every 3 or 4 days. Once I got home, the squeaks stopped by themselves, once I started washing the car by hand again.

My guess is the pressure washer removed enough brake paste to cause my brakes to squeak. Once I discontinued using the pressure washes, apparently I had sufficient residual paste remaining to stop the squeaks, once it got spread around.

I've since used a pressure washer several more times, but each time avoided spraying the discs or brakes directly. The squeaks have not returned.

My questions to the people with the squeaking breaks is whether you use a pressure washer on your wheels on a regular basis?

SAguirre

I have never had disk brakes squeal in 100 of thousands of miles of driving. I owned a self-service car wash for years and I still have free access to one that I use on a regular basis. I have yet to get any kind of braking noise and I always clean the inside of the wheels and disks with high pressure (I find that when I do this the wheels stay cleaner much longer).

I am not disputing that this issue happened to you, but this is my theory. Once your rotors get worn in the outer most edge of the rotors tend to develop a lip. If your rotors get hot on a regular basis, they will get rusty at that lip. A lot of the squeaking happens when new water has just caused more rust to accumulate on the lip. Once the car is driven for a while the excess rust is worn off and the noise if gone. I don’t believe that your anti-squeak compound being washed off has anything to do with this.

However, the problems on this thread seem to be happening a bit too soon to be attributed to worn rotors with lips on them. My car has 7,500 miles on it and the rotors and pads still look brand new. They are gray and have no rust on them yet. But, if you make your rotors glow red like it has been discussed on other threads, I bet you will be rusting them out very quickly.

Steve

koko381

I have a brake squealing problem as well. Started at about 10,000 miles and now I am at 15K. Only happens when I slow to a stop, usually below 15mph. I wash my car by hand and never use a power washer. If anybody has a remedy, please let me know. The dealer just tells me it is normal.

HELL ONA HARLEY

My brakes have NEVER squealed..... Ever... This is not normal under any conditions.

"If you lay down, the dealer will squash you".... Nuff said.

RJC

MB knows all too well that there is a brake squeal issue, they just try like hell to get the customer to think its normal or to pay for the repair. I'm going in for my third trip for this problem and they always try the least expensive routes first, "spring clips hitting the rotors" ,"not enough anti squeal paste", "cleaned pads and rotors" then it's always followed by... "road tested all normal" this just wastes my time until they finally do what's right and replace the rotors and pads. Our new Touareg had a TSB issued for the exact same problem and even though ours was not making a peep VW asked us to please let them replace the pads with a newer quieter design.

HollaBack

I called another dealer today and told him how my breaks were squeaking with only 5500 miles on it and he said that it is because Mercedes uses a metallic brake lining and there is pretty much nothing they can do about it. He says he'll take a look at it but doubts there is much he can do. This is complete bulls***t !! My car makes more noise than any other car I stop next to at a light. Now one dealer says the noise comes from me putting heat marks on the rotors and if I want it fixed I have to pay for it. And another dealer who says the squeaking is a known problem and there is nothing they can do ! I wish I would of got a BMW.

Barry45RPM

If there were a "known brake squeal" issue, ALL MB E's brakes would be making noise. Mine are dead quiet since delivery. (15,000 MI) I have never been next to or heard brake squeal on any E W211, so it is apparently unique to certain cars, either from a too fast/too hard break-in, dirt, improper installation, non MB parts department pads or some other reason.

Your dealers service people stink because brake squeal CAN be eliminated. They just have to want to invest the time & effort, & MB's warranty money to do so.

Try somewhere else.

abk

My brakes started to make noise after I took my 2003 E500 in for the brake recall work...before that they never made any noise, squealed or squeaked....I am not sure what the dealer did, but my brakes don't feel the same, less of a grab, almost like they unplugged the SBC. My invoice for the brake recall work states "SBC Reprog....Completed campaign reprogram and brake flush as required (only if required by VIN range". Does anyone know if the reprograming or brake flush would cause the brakes to become noisy (only while slowing down and coming to a stop) or make them feel differently?

koko381

I would consider it a known problem if more than 25 people on this forum with an E500 or CLK500(which have the same brakes) have gone to their dealership and complained about this similar problem. Just because you do not have it, doesnt mean it doesnt exist. If you dont have any useful input on this topic, go lurk somewhere else.

hilmar2k

I have had the same brake squeal problem since about 20k miles (now have 34k). Dealer says it's normal, just deal with it. Actually, while getting a lift to work when my car was in for service and they were out of loanners, (they are are always out of loaners!), my service rep told me she would never buy a MB, and I should have bought a Toyota, I was shocked. Anyway, I agree, just because not everyone has the issue, doesn't mean it's not a MB issue. I drive aggressively, but not hard, never make my brakes glow, don't wash with a power washer, use OEM parts, etc., and still have brake squeal.

ATS

You have to remember that person hears the worst things and complaints. People just don't call up their service advisor and say, "Hey I am great and so is the car, okay, bye!". Talk to a guy a Toyota.

I actually have a funny story. The biggest Toyota dealership here in Toronto at Front and Spadina. It must be the owner. He drives a AMG. I see him drive into the garage and quickly they put a cover over the car. It is sooo funny. It is covered right there at the front of the garage all day. The car looks too good to be in there, thus the cover.

jangy

First off, I agree with you all that you may be having these issues and that a loud squeaking noise that can be fixed is a defect.

Having said that let me just say some things about my own experience with brake rotors and pads in general (not related to any manufacturer).

Rotors: When I get a new car or Rotors, I ALWAYS put the brakes through some VERY mild heating and cooling cycles as the metal has not fully "conditioned" yet. I learned this lesson as a teenager, when I used to take brand new cars and go hell raising with them. It turned out that I was able to literally warp new rotors over a weekend of "fun" on new cars and not have the same effect on identically equipped used cars (I worked at a Pontiac / Cadillac dealership). Later, as I got into racing, etc. this theory of conditioning the rotors and pads showed me better brake performance, regardless of noise.

Pads: The dealer that told you that it is due to metallic is actually being honest. You can buy pads that are specifically designed to be quiet. A few years back, you had to choose between stopping / cooling power and squeal noise. These days, newer compounds allow for better traction and reduced noise. German cars, in general have always gone with the safety route.

Not that it makes any prospective BMW owners feel any better, but to be honest, Mercedes Brakes are one of the quitest German ones out there. My old M3 squeeled like a *****, but stopped on a dime. My even older 911 did the same. My past habits have been to use the original pads to "condition" the rotors and move on to better semi-metallic pads as replacements.

I am not saying that any of you abused your cars or did anything that MBUSA says not to. Perhaps they should consider adding a break in period advice notice or a reformulation of the pads and rotors. I don't know.

I will be honest enough to say that mine has almost 12K on it and it has displayed the telling squeaking (at about 15mph) on a few occasions. So, I definitely could see that some of you may be experiencing a much worse version of that.

I am interested to follow this thread to see if MB chooses to address your issues. While I have been happy with brakes on my car, I would like an upgrade, if these are deemed to be either defective or even suspect.