At 39000 miles, I have already replaced 4 brake pads. But the pedal seems too low. Sitting at a stop light, there isn't that much more to push on the pedal to what feels like bottom.

I have had my 2000 since new so I know it is notorious for the spongy brake. But it just doesn't seem as good as it should be.

I got a Motive power bleeder and flushed the system and bleeded the lines. Did not see much difference.

Is there a special brake bleeding sequence or procedure for the ML?

I did the standard, farthest away from the master cylinder sequence.

BTW to Motive brake bleeder is awesome. No fuss, no muss.

 

It may not be a question of bleeding, I've found that if, whilst parked, I press hard on the brake pedal until it is depressed as far as it will go (usually near the floor) then the brakes seem to return to 'normal' for a few thousand miles.

Worn pads can also worsen the pedal feel.

I realise that this is not a direct answer to your question, I hope someone else answers it authoritatively.

 

Appreciate any feedback on this issue. Thank you, that is quite interesting. I wonder what mechanical/hydraulic aspect causes that?

 

Usually but not always, if you have air in the system, the pedal will go very low on the first pump but than rise if you continue to pump.

I had a problem years ago where the pedal behaved as if there was air in the system. To isolate the problem I pinched off the front brake lines (put a clamp on the rubber parts of the break lines just before each front caliper), and the pedal stopped going to floor and became very hard. To make a long story short, it turned out that my rotors were so warped that the break pads were actually bending to conform to the surface.