MikeAtLincoln

My ceramic pads are arriving tomorrow. I just realized there is a wear sensor that also needs to be replaced. Did you order sensors and if so how many were required?

Thanks,
Mike

Phillyfinest

MikeAtLincoln

When I checked around for the labor cost of the ceramic pad install I got a quote from an independant shop that specializes in German cars and a quote from the dealer.
Early on the dealer quoted about $40.00 more than the indie shop so I thought it might be worth the difference. When I checked back with the dealer I made sure they understood that I wanted non OEM parts installed.
They came back to me and said we will not do that! I am wondering if that response is typical. It would not surprise me if it is.

DC450

Can you guys tell me what pads you went with? Brakeworld.com is showing 3 different pads that all sound like they'd work: Hyper ceramic, Titanium Kevlar and Chromebrakes ceramix pads. Thanks in advance!

MikeAtLincoln

I ordered the DISC ITALIA HYPER CERAMIC pads. The web page does not show pads for the S450 but the pads for the S560 (Standard Brakes) are the same.

DC450

Thank you very much for the info! I can't take this brake dust anymore!

DC450

One last question. When going to check out it's asking me if I have heavy duty brakes (360mm rear disc) or standard brakes (340mm rear disc). I have no clue?? How do I figure this out???

MikeAtLincoln

The S450 has standard brakes. Just select the S560 with standard brakes. Also you will probably need two brake wear sensors. The shop I am using got them for me for about 10 bucks each.

DC450

Thanks again for all your help! Much appreciated.

MikeAtLincoln

Well I finally got my ceramic pads installed last Thursday. I first tried three weeks ago but the shop's software for releasing the electronic parking brake did not work on 2018 models. I rescheduled for after the 4th of July week and emailed them a proceedure for the brake release. All went well after that! So far everything is working well and no brake dust although its only been a little over a week. The calipers and rotors look like new after they cleaned everything up. I'm waiting to see how things look after a month or so of use.

Mitch Alsup

If you want wheels that do not show dust and road grime, you need a shade that encompasses "battleship grey" and "desert camo".

DC450

I also received and installed the front brakes last week. It was very easy to install but I've also done some wrenching in the past. I'm trying the front out first to see how big of a difference in dust from the rear. So far so good. By this time the front wheels would of already been caked with dust. I'll report back after I put some more miles on it.

MikeAtLincoln

It's been 11 days since I have had the pads replaced with the ceramic ones. The wheels still look clean but if I take a paper towel and wipe the rim I can see some very light colored dust. So the brake dust has been greatly reduced and what there is of it is a lighter color so does not show. After a few more weeks I will see how easy it is to re-clean the wheels.

Nice Ride

Mix the item below 50/50 with water. Works great after you wash the car, simple mist and wipe. Water beads right off, dirt comes off with a simple quick wash for car and rims.. No fancy chemicals needed. It is safe on Glass/Trim/Paint.... Detailer gave me a bottle to try. Incredible hydrophobic coating. I never use any other wax. It works best after you Clay the car. I usually clay the car if it needs it every two years. After every wash, i do a quick dry, simple mist and wipe. I know many will have there own opinion, but feel free to give it a try.
After you give them a good cleaning, give this a try.. CarPro Reload Spray Sealant 500 milliter with Sprayer. (Amazon)

Phillyfinest

Nice Ride

I pour out 50%, add distilled water to the remaining 50%. Shake and your on your way. You only need to do a quick light mist. and i mean light. This stuff goes a long way. If you really want to impress yourself, pick up some clay off amazon. Wash car first, Spray some detailer or just use soapy car wash water in a spray bottle, wipe one section of the fender or hood with the clay. Tons of videos on how to clay bar a car on YouTube. Just don't drop the clay or ever let it hit the floor, one spec of dirt and you can cause more damage than good. Give it a try, test it yourself, don't take my word for it. It is really simple.... after you clay a small section 1' x 1', rinse area, tiny mist of Reload, wipe with a New/Clean Microfiber towel. If the section you just clayed and wiped with reload is not the smoothest wax job you ever did in less than 5 min, I will remove all my posts and leave the forum for ever..... No really, it is an extremely simple and satisfying process. Especially if you have OCD like me. You can also clay the glass, you will be amazed at how slick you glass will be, reload is safer on the glass than Rain x, and lasts longer. Rain x will dry out any rubber it touches. Reload is safe to use on the entire exterior of the car, and adds UV protection. Mabey I should start a thread on washing / detailing our own cars. The thread will never end and hundreds of opinions / ways / options will be posted, enough to make everyone head spin. Seriously, give it a try and post back. YOU WILL BE AMAIZED. I have purchased just about every product out there..... I have a extremely simple method to wash and wax a car in 20 minutes to a half hour. PM me if you want my process. All items can be purchased on Amazon for cheep....

Bklyn

Like you, I am tired of having to clean off the brake dust every 20 minutes.

greasykid

No longer have an S or other Mercedes. Audi, (had 35 Mercedes over 40 yrs). Changed my brake pads as I was with not satisfied with oem performance & dusting..
SOLUTION: HAWK Street Performance 5.0 brake pads. Now better braking & no dust problems. Cost $200 for pads & had install @local Indy.
HAWK brake pads come in 3 types. STREET, ,STREET PERFORMANCE 5.0 , TRACK. Mine are SP 5.0. My Audi weighs 4500 lbs & has gloss black powder coated wheels. No noises or dust problems.
I have a friend who is a high performance driver who advised me.
Enjoy following the S forum.
.

DC450

I haven't posted in a while but after installing the Disc Italia Hyper ceramic pads and running them for months, they're terrible!!! The dust is minimal and braking is about the same but they squeak louder than a pig! I've tried everything you can think of and nothing will permanently stop the squeaking when coming to a stop. I finally took the car to the dealer and they said you can't run ceramic brakes on these cars without changing the rotors and a few other things. I don't totally believe that but I've come to the point that I'm going to put back the factory OEM brakes back on and deal with the dust.

If anyone has something that's worked, please chime in.

MikeAtLincoln

I had the Disc Italia ceramic pads installed on my S450 18 months ago. I have had no problems at all. Very low dust and no noise. I have noticed they take one or two stops to warm up in the morning.

DC450

That's so weird. I've removed them at least 3 times. Lubed everything, sanded the surfaces, etc. Can't get them to stay quiet.

Warehouser

I had my dealer install the Italia's before I took delivery on my S560, low to no dust and no noise whatsoever.

1bad540

did u grease the back of the pads?

Streamliner

I put ceramic pads on my 2019 SL450. Got them from Porterfield Racing Brakes in Costa Mesa, CA, near my home. I’d say dust is down by at least 50% and the dust is a lighter color. It also washes off easily and not a squeak to be heard.

77Tony

Wiped off a wheel today and the brake dust was black. If staying with the current OEM pads...what's the collective think ? Current: 20" AMG Multispokes..grey inlays. TIA T