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That's a great thread you linked to. And thanks for the tip on the corrosion prevention materials. I'll probably start using something like that since I don't yet have rust.
I'm pretty sure my rear subframe is going to be the first casualty.
Took a peak at the front ones while working on my washer bottle and they are still fine.
Both my front lines were rusty behind the wheel well liners, one was leaking, the other was close. I also park in a heated garage and wash the salt off most of the car in the evening when I go out to smoke a cigar, I do my best to get the underside but I don't lay on the floor, LOL.
That's a great thread you linked to. And thanks for the tip on the corrosion prevention materials. I'll probably start using something like that since I don't yet have rust.
I'm pretty sure my rear subframe is going to be the first casualty.
You are aware of the subframe recall, yes? Even with your car YOU GET A FREE SUBFRAME!!!!!!
I dont know how true it is but i heave come across articles saying that keeping the car in a heated garage in the winter can speed up rusting.
I live right on the ocean and im always washing my car due to what looks like a film of salt everywhere. I park my car 10' from the water though. Sometimes ill go in the engine bay and notice the engine looks wet. Probably from the humidity. My engine looks white with all the corrosion.
The belt tensioner in this photo is fairly new, only a 2yrs old.
well, ive heard that also, but it hasn't been my experience, my engine still looks new and my garage is dry about an hour or so after I wash, water goes down sewer and the Reznor hanging heater drys the rest quickly after I wash the car, all of the snow stuck to the car is on the floor in 15-20 minutes, also my '12 sits next to my '13, has never been in the salt with 30k miles and looks mostly brand new underneath.
2016 E350 4Matic wagon, 2019 Ford Expedition, 2019 Chevy Bolt EV
Folks I know in the NE rust belt who want their new cars to last get them Fluid Film'd (or Surface Shield) as soon as they get them, and every other year until they are around 10 years old, then there's usually enough build up they are good for life. Its important to have an applicator who knows what they are doing, and shoots it into all the crevices and stuff with rubber tubes. its basically lanolin with some volatile solvent..
I tried 3 different products all around the car recently. I'll see how things look in the spring to see how they worked. Im thinking just using Fluid Film would be fine.
- Fluid Film. Sprayed great using the straw included. Left a nice coating. Was able to stick the straw under the panels under the car to spray down the brake lines that run along the side. Only negative is it does stink like a zoo.
- Blaster Surface Shield. Sprayed great but no straw included. When i did try using a straw they just shot off so spraying inside holes wasnt easy.
- CorrosionX HD. The stuff leaves a THICK film. Im seeing sand and small rocks imbedded everywhere. Probably should have used the CorrosionX XD instead.
From the looks of it I think this coming year i'll go ahead and replace the section of rear passenger brake line where it runs under the car. The drivers side looks much better leading me to think the drivers was replaced at some point.
2016 E350 4Matic wagon, 2019 Ford Expedition, 2019 Chevy Bolt EV
the spray can size of fluidfilm is typically used for touchup after doing repairs... when they undercoat a whole car, they are spraying it from a 5 gallon pail.
although products like fluid film work well, the initial application including rust remover and sealing is around 900 dollars, then you need yearly applications at 300 dollars for the first three years and then every other year from then on, so over ten years if you follow their recommended application rate, you could be spending 2700 dollars, obviously if you DIY it, you can cut that cost to less than half. also I have seen many a car rust out from clogged drain holes, especially in doors and body panel drains, so one needs to weigh the cost benefit analysis and be careful with the application.
Last edited by pierrejoliat; Jan 1, 2025 at 10:07 AM.
I tried 3 different products all around the car recently. I'll see how things look in the spring to see how they worked. Im thinking just using Fluid Film would be fine.
- Fluid Film. Sprayed great using the straw included. Left a nice coating. Was able to stick the straw under the panels under the car to spray down the brake lines that run along the side. Only negative is it does stink like a zoo.
- Blaster Surface Shield. Sprayed great but no straw included. When i did try using a straw they just shot off so spraying inside holes wasnt easy.
- CorrosionX HD. The stuff leaves a THICK film. Im seeing sand and small rocks imbedded everywhere. Probably should have used the CorrosionX XD instead.
From the looks of it I think this coming year i'll go ahead and replace the section of rear passenger brake line where it runs under the car. The drivers side looks much better leading me to think the drivers was replaced at some point.
Those lines look very corroded. I would budget to get new ones installed for those that look like that asap. Alternatively, if you can get them off intact, have a hydraulic hose supply shop make the new hard lines in stainless steel. Several posts ago somone mentioned Technafit for the flex lines. They, along with Goodridge, have a good reputation for quality Teflon inner liner hose stainless braided hoses. You might contact them to see if they would make a set if you sent them the old hoses.
Also try looking on the web in Europe for brake suppliers...probably someone there makes them for your car.
2016 E350 4Matic wagon, 2019 Ford Expedition, 2019 Chevy Bolt EV
Originally Posted by WRC-LVR
Those lines look very corroded. I would budget to get new ones installed for those that look like that asap. Alternatively, if you can get them off intact, have a hydraulic hose supply shop make the new hard lines in stainless steel. Several posts ago somone mentioned Technafit for the flex lines. They, along with Goodridge, have a good reputation for quality Teflon inner liner hose stainless braided hoses. You might contact them to see if they would make a set if you sent them the old hoses.
Also try looking on the web in Europe for brake suppliers...probably someone there makes them for your car.
if it doubles or triples the useful lifetime of an expensive new car, its *totally* worth it. I occasionally watch this mechanic on youtube who's really good at diagnosing hard problems (half of which turn out to be caused by previous mechanics firing the parts cannon indiscriminately), he's in upstate New York... 5 year old cars that haven't been fluidfilmed are unsafe rust buckets, with perforated frames, suspension arms, etc.
I would buy the ready made stainless braid if it were me. I replaced all the lines on my truck with stainless hard lines and Earls stainless braided flex. I used -3AN fittings, not the oem. To find stainless with the ready to go Mercedes fittings and length is awesome.
For hard line I've used stainless and zinc plated steel. I'd likely buy hard line from summitracing.com or maybe speedwaymotors.com. Here's an example of stainless, which is likely what's on my truck now: https://summitracing.com/parts/sum-220205-25x
The stainless is nice when done but not easy to flare. The plated steel I've used on various things and I simply go to the local auto parts store and get the longest stick they have and cut it up. They have ready made lines in various lengths, all straight, and reasonably cheap. The plated stuff, at least the stuff I'd get, was super easy to bend and flare. I don't know how they do it but no bender tool required, you just bend it by hand it comes out perfect. Every other tubing I've tired to do that with, regardless of material or diameter, will fold.
The brake lines look fine for now. Thats why I went under to take a look to see if they were like the section I had to replace. The sections under the car will be easy to replace with hardly any bends. I'll grab another roll of nickel copper line. For the rear section i replaced i bought a 12' roll for $6.99 and used around 6' of it.
I still have the section I removed to look at. Can tell what is just surface corrosion or what is rusted through. If I replaced everything on my 15yr old car that had corrosion and rust I would end up with a new car.
Heres the old line and this section still looks good, just surface corrosion.
Now this section is rusted and cracking. Clearly needed to be replaced.
Good example is the rusted transmission pan I recently replaced. i saw all the rust and thought it would start leaking any day. When I removed it and inspected it the inside looked fine. I even took a screwdriver and hammer to it trying to make holes in it and couldnt. Glad I replaced it anyways, but i see it wasnt really critical that I did.
If I felt i couldnt make the lines myself i was looking at linestogo. Seems like a very good price. I tried it myself with the nickel copper rolls and it came out good though.
If I felt i couldnt make the lines myself i was looking at linestogo. Seems like a very good price. I tried it myself with the nickel copper rolls and it came out good though.
Unfortunately, they don't have any 2014 E-classes listed...
I wonder how a Mercedes dealer makes the lines. I know the lines themselves come in rolls. The part #'s are the same for many other models so its not exactly specific. Do they bend them by hand or do they have some automated machine that bends them? The lines on the car look too perfect to be done by someone.
I didnt go with stainless because i read they are very hard to flare properly and im my case I flared the old lines still on the car.
If someone knows of a hand held tube bender that works perfectly id like to know. I bought one off Amazon and it worked but it kept leaving indents on the line. I'd like to get my 90 degree bends tighter. i kept my old line to practice with and try and get it better. I wouldnt mind re-doing the section I installed.
I just ordered another 12' roll on AGS. Came out to $7.43 with tax, free shipping. This is the same line i already used. I did buy some fittings from them before but they didnt look that good so never used. used the Mercedes fittings instead.
Ill show why I say the brake lines I showed above look ok to me. I have a photo of the section I had replaced and the line does look pretty bad. So I just went and cleaned that specific part.
Heres the line installed:
Heres what it looks like after cleaning it with dollar store all-purpose degreaser:
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
