What can be done with brakes?
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Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Texas
2005 C240
What can be done with brakes?
I've got a thread going in the general MB section but want some more technical advice. The brakes on my new C240 Luxury Sedan are inadequate. I've had 2 loaners -- one just like mine and today a C230SS and the brakes are significantly better. So, I have 2 questions, 1 technical and 1 not. The technical one is, of course, what could be causing this -- a bad master cylinder? And the other question is how likely is MB to repair a system that isn't entirely broken, just underperforming?
Oh and a 3rd question -- have you heard of other examples of a problem with the brakes like mine? Just to reiterate what that is, the play in the pedal is about twice normal and then once I get a firm pedal it is very tough to modulate -- I really have to concentrate to keep from under or over braking.
Oh and a 3rd question -- have you heard of other examples of a problem with the brakes like mine? Just to reiterate what that is, the play in the pedal is about twice normal and then once I get a firm pedal it is very tough to modulate -- I really have to concentrate to keep from under or over braking.
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From: Ashburn, VA
'19 GLC 300, '19 TM3SR+
Originally Posted by postoak
I've got a thread going in the general MB section but want some more technical advice. The brakes on my new C240 Luxury Sedan are inadequate. I've had 2 loaners -- one just like mine and today a C230SS and the brakes are significantly better. So, I have 2 questions, 1 technical and 1 not. The technical one is, of course, what could be causing this -- a bad master cylinder? And the other question is how likely is MB to repair a system that isn't entirely broken, just underperforming?
Oh and a 3rd question -- have you heard of other examples of a problem with the brakes like mine? Just to reiterate what that is, the play in the pedal is about twice normal and then once I get a firm pedal it is very tough to modulate -- I really have to concentrate to keep from under or over braking.
Oh and a 3rd question -- have you heard of other examples of a problem with the brakes like mine? Just to reiterate what that is, the play in the pedal is about twice normal and then once I get a firm pedal it is very tough to modulate -- I really have to concentrate to keep from under or over braking.
Last edited by vadim; Apr 12, 2005 at 07:43 PM.
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From: By the City by the Bay, CA
2001 E320 (210.065), Brilliant Silver; 2002 Ducati ST-2, Arrest-me Red
New? Dealer, escalate
Hi, Postoak.
Sorry to hear you're having problems. That is definitely unusual as well as sounding dangerous. I'll assume you've made this issue clearly known to the dealer; has their mechanic (excuse me, "service technician") driven the car and experienced the poor braking performance?
If it's done it since you purchased it new then it's clearly a warranty issue; you might try taking it to another dealer or escalating it to a regional issue with MB; if it's stressed as a safety issue, they're more likely to work harder to resolve it. There's also the lemon law that may be applicable, so read up on Texas' version at triple "w" dot nationallemonlawcenter.com/texas/index.htm.
As technology-laden as are modern MBZ cars, it could be almost anything, since the brakes work in combo with the rest of the computer inputs on the car. If it stopped fine when new but developed symptoms later -- particularly after some very sporting driving or running some mountain curves, etc., it's possible that you might have boiled the fluid and/or glazed the rotors/pads. Flushing/bleeding the brakes will take care of any boiling issue, but the sudden grabbing and difficult modulation sound symptomatic of glazing, the cure for which is (1) replacement of the pads and (2) emery-clothing the rotors (both sides, all four wheels) to take off the glaze. If you did overheat the brakes then it's not a warranty issue and you'll be responsible for the fix, but again, if it did it since new, then it's the dealer and MB's responsibility.
Good luck and please post a follow-up with the final results. In the meanwhile, take care.
Sorry to hear you're having problems. That is definitely unusual as well as sounding dangerous. I'll assume you've made this issue clearly known to the dealer; has their mechanic (excuse me, "service technician") driven the car and experienced the poor braking performance?
If it's done it since you purchased it new then it's clearly a warranty issue; you might try taking it to another dealer or escalating it to a regional issue with MB; if it's stressed as a safety issue, they're more likely to work harder to resolve it. There's also the lemon law that may be applicable, so read up on Texas' version at triple "w" dot nationallemonlawcenter.com/texas/index.htm.
As technology-laden as are modern MBZ cars, it could be almost anything, since the brakes work in combo with the rest of the computer inputs on the car. If it stopped fine when new but developed symptoms later -- particularly after some very sporting driving or running some mountain curves, etc., it's possible that you might have boiled the fluid and/or glazed the rotors/pads. Flushing/bleeding the brakes will take care of any boiling issue, but the sudden grabbing and difficult modulation sound symptomatic of glazing, the cure for which is (1) replacement of the pads and (2) emery-clothing the rotors (both sides, all four wheels) to take off the glaze. If you did overheat the brakes then it's not a warranty issue and you'll be responsible for the fix, but again, if it did it since new, then it's the dealer and MB's responsibility.
Good luck and please post a follow-up with the final results. In the meanwhile, take care.
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Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Texas
2005 C240
Thanks for the responses. 
I've driven the car like an old man since I picked it up -- I haven't even floorboarded it yet. The brakes have been like this since the beginning. They're not in a completely different ballpark from the brakes on the other two C-classes I've driven, but the difference is significant enough so that I could pick my car out, blindfolded, by brake feel. I'm not sure what I'm going to do -- probably nothing right away since I've had my car in for service twice in 8 days -- but I DO know I'm not going to spend my own time or money bleeding the brakes or trying to fix them. It may be a while before I post an update.
I've driven the car like an old man since I picked it up -- I haven't even floorboarded it yet. The brakes have been like this since the beginning. They're not in a completely different ballpark from the brakes on the other two C-classes I've driven, but the difference is significant enough so that I could pick my car out, blindfolded, by brake feel. I'm not sure what I'm going to do -- probably nothing right away since I've had my car in for service twice in 8 days -- but I DO know I'm not going to spend my own time or money bleeding the brakes or trying to fix them. It may be a while before I post an update.
