taxachusetts

Just replaced the rear brake pads in my wifes 2013 GL450.

Very easy, but a couple of different things that were firsts for me.
Figured I'd mention it here in case it can help the next guy...

Our GL450 has the electronic emergency brake, not sure if they all do.

If yours does and you are replacing rear pads, you need to go into the service menu first and activate the "Pad Replacement" selection to retract the emergency brake. Otherwise you will not be able to compress the caliper piston to accommodate the new pads.

The only other first for me was the brake pad wear sensor. On ours it was on the passenger/rear inner brake pad. Very simple to replace while putting in the new pads, but make sure you get the sensor when you buy your pads.

To get into the service menu:
Our GL450 has the push button start...
1.Get in car and make sure all windows, doors, hatch and hood are closed.
2.Press push button start once
3.Make sure odometer is showing on dash screen (or navigate to it)
4.Press and hold both the "talk" and "end call" button on right side of steering wheel.
5.Within once second of step 4, press and hold the "ok" button on left side of steering wheel. (keep all 3 pressed until service menu shows on screen)
6.Navigate down to "Pad Replacement" and select it.
7.Via menu...Put them in replacement position, then return them to normal once pads are replaced.

Once the "pad replacement" procedure is activated, you can recompress the caliper piston just like you do with any other brakes.

Anywho. Hope this helps someone.
I would have enjoyed reading it before I replaced my pads. ;-)

Dreamszalone

Great find, and it would really be helpful. Much much appreciated for this tip.

At how many miles you changed the rear pads.

Thanks

taxachusetts

Our brake pad wear warning message showed up on the dash at around 35k miles. I changed them at 36k miles. Probably could have gone to 40k miles before rotor damage.

Neurobit

Appreciate the tip. Thanks for sharing.

Dreamszalone

Did you change the rotor as well? If not then how much thick the rotor was if you have measure it.

Thanks

taxachusetts

I did not replace the rotors. They measured well above the minimum thickness stamped on the outside edge of the rotor. I didn't resurface them either. Just swapped the old pads with new ceramic pads. Zero pulsating or sound.

Seems like good brakes on these GL's.
I was surprised at how well the rotors and calipers looked.

Wife's previous car was a Seqouia and those brakes were garbage compared to these.

luv2sleep

Thanks for the heads up! Btw, what is the size of the hex bit socket to remove the caliper? Thanks in advance.

taxachusetts

The caliper bolt on mine was a combo hex inside a 13mm bolt.

I used a 13mm socket to remove the caliper bolt while holding the stud with a 17mm open end wrench.

Have some antiseize handy to apply to all bolts before reassembling.

luv2sleep

Thanks for the info!

mustbebenz

Chiming in, did you find torque specs somewhere for this job?

Jpkcpa

I replaced rear brake pads on my 2013 GL350. My first DIY brake job, so thanks to all who posted on that subject. Now ready to replace the fronts. Anyone have any tips? Is the procedure pretty much the same as rears, or is anything different?

maneesh

guys, can you please share how you lift/jack the truck? Do you use jack stands and if so where do you lift and where do you place your stands?

Thanks

doctorG

Got the brake sensor warning on our GL350. Took to the dealer and they said we need new pads and rotors. I trust these guys...they have been great friends, but that just sounds weird.

Thoughts? Thanks!

Jpkcpa

Got the same feedback from both an Indie shop and MB service. I took a gamble and DIY'd the pads only on the rears 10k ago. Runs fine. About to do pads only on the front now.

luv2sleep

Just replaced the rear brake pads (no rotors) at just shy of 27,000 miles. Great write up about the electric parking brakes, btw; that came in very handy! I could have probably waited another 2-3k miles as the pads had enough meat on them. The inside pad always seem to wear out faster than the outside pad. The rear pads only cost $40 and the sensor was about $6. So, $46 plus a little lube and locktite sure beats hundreds that the stealership charges! The rotors looked good with no lip forming. If you want to be sure, measure it for a peace of mind. I like the "TLAR" technique myself.
I always get a kick out the stealership when they tell me that I need new rotors at 27,000 miles (under 50k miles). When MB used to throw in free maintenance like BMW does, they would never, I mean never, replace the rotors with anything less than 50k miles. Now that they charge for everything, the rotors all of a sudden have to be replaced?! Say whaaaaat? Yeah, whatever MB!
Anyways, I have a feeling that the front will be due in about 7-10k miles from now. All in all, it's very easy DIY project.

CA_Tallguy

I have a 2013 GL350 Bluetec and consider myself pretty good at finding good prices on good quality parts. I don't usually shop on that website advertised on TV with "all the parts your car will ever need" but I found crazy deal there on Bosch. Picked Bosch Severe Duty BSD1455 ($33) and Bosch Blue BE1630 ($23) and it seems like I had to look at least one of them up by part number because it didn't come up as an option when I browsed by make/model (confirm fit at bosch website). And Uro Parts wear sensors were less than $3 each! Looks like BSD1455 fits GL350 (14-13), ML250 (2015), ML350 (15-12), ML400 (2015) along with Dodge Durango (15-11); Jeep Grand Cherokee (15-11);

novae500

good post to keep in mind when doing the front/rear brakes on the GL.

Ahole4Sure

I have a 2017 GLS450. Bottom line question is do I dare replaced pads without rotors (on the rear) even though the driver rotor has some pretty good grooves in it? (See below)

Background ... bottom line is that I'm trying to get "trade - assistance" from Mercedes but not having much luck. Bought vehicle brand new approx 1 yr ago. At about 10k miles I started hearing a strange sound only when I first started the car that got worse over time. Went away after running a few minutes. Ultimately at about 15k miles took to dealer and they had the car about 2 weeks and determined the Oil Pump needed replaced (I had never heard of a new car needing an oil pump so early.)
About 1500 miles later the car went completely crazy and I could have sworn that a wheel was coming off (almost felt like the lug nuts were lose or something). My wife wouldn't even drive the car so it had to be towed to the dealership ---- turned out to be some kind of electronic leveler system fault and this was replaced.
Now at the 19k point - brake pad wear light comes on and within a week could hear metal on driver rear (?wear indicator or pad wear , not sure). But visibly the ONLY rotor with wear is the driver rear.

So my more in-depth question is --- do any of you guys have an opinion about what I should do from here ? I know I don't meet the legal criteria for a "lemon" but I have never had so many issues with a new car! And what's the deal with the driver rear brake wearing out so soon. I drive 98% (literally) highway. All highway, 60 miles to and then back from work every day. No stop and start at all.

The reason I ask about not replacing the rotor is that I would like to get out of the vehicle as soon as I can because of all of the issues (but upside down on loan at 1 year) so I don't want to spend more than I have to.

mustbebenz

The brakes on these things, rears surprisingly so, go fast. It's part of the MB ownership experience.

Look, if there is metal on metal I'd get new rotors. If it's just pads worn and the rotors aren't more than moderately grooved, you could pad-slap it. It's not the right thing, at least not without machining a new rotor surface (lightly, keep as much metal as possible), because the new pads won't evenly mate to the worn rotors. Whatever you decide, don't let the dealer do it. Save at some independent shop, but not some chain box instead an owner-operator with high end experience. Preferably one that lets you bring your own parts. Then, choose aftermarket rotors if needed (better grade Centric is fine), and since you're not keeping it long, get Bosch or other pads rather than MB. I don't know from your gasser, but I recall knowing which company made my GL350 pads and I ended up getting that brand's box rather than the MB pad itself, t'was the exact same part without the private label upgrade. A little work and a $450 dealer job is only $200 or so.
Just be sure to read and inform about the e-brake procedure here. My follow up post above helps explain the reset after job completion, that's the only confusing-ish part for first timers, and it's nothing in the end!
Good luck. Trade in = big loss. New GLS for 2020 model already revealed, too.

Ahole4Sure

I went for the rotors -- just finished the rears. Took about 1.5 hrs for the driver (first one) and 20 min for the passenger rear! Actually pretty easy and less than $200!!!

DaveW68

You may be able to get away with putting cheap, Chinese made rotors and pads on the rear since they only do about 20% of the braking, but don't put that garbage on the fronts on these heavy trucks. You can find OEM rotors and pads at a significant discount online. My entire front brake job with OEM parts (pads, rotors, new slide pins, sensor, and all hardware) done at my indy was $650. Dealership wanted $500 more to put on the exact same stuff without replacing the hardware.

Mudhen

I'm getting killed by the front caliper bolts. 11mm allen? Can't get one of those locally...tried welding a bolt/nut together but it didn't work.

Guess I'll have to drop it down and try another day. :-(

DaveW68

It sounds like the guy who did the brakes last time used Loctite red. You may need an impact wrench to get that off if that's the case.

MBQureshi

It is 11mm allen. Sounds like you are not able to find the 11mm allen bit? I had to buy a whole set that had one in it. I found the set at Advanced Auto parts. Brand is gearwrench

Jim Ma

If you don’t have the 11mm Allen head socket Just unbolt the caliper bracket and take the whole thing off with the caliper still attached. Only concern would be lubing the pins but if you are in a pinch or the pins are still good may be an option.