gellie

Mb dealer said i need new front brake pad and rotors for $650.Does that seem fair? Btw anybody know a good mechanic in the union/essec county NJ area? thanks...

bamberger_1

[QUOTE=gellie;2569102 front brake pad and rotors for $650.[/QUOTE]

Is way out of line. To swap the rotors and the pads is an easy job, any DIY can do in 1 hours time (max). Go to any MIDAS or similar and have it done. If you like, you may buy brand parts (like ATE or so) from a parts dealer, and have them mounted. In any case way below $650.

zam2000

I paid for $80 for pad, $6 for sensor, and $120 for the rotors. Brakeshop charged me $45 labor. It's an easy job, since they don't even have to machine the rotor.

srknutson

The rotors should always be turned. Brake job not complete until that's done. Very important part of the process.

zam2000

You're not supposed to turn Mercedes rotor, especially when it's new. Dealer often change rotor & pad at the same time.

Lot of the S class use slotted & drilled, so no turn.

my06clk

I agree..

Vader55

+1

brenner

I live 6 months out of the year in Germany, and none of the MB shops ever turn the rotors, not even when they just replae the pads.

kenstudios

You've probably been quoted a cheap price if you go with MB OE parts from dealer especially if you consider the dealer charges $90-120 for front pads and 70-90 for rear pads, rotors at the dealer will be btwn $100-150 each and the MB going labor rate is btwn $100-150 per hour. This is the MB dealer rates. You can buy rotors and pads from any reputable online parts store for cheaper and have them installed by someone else for much less than MB will charge you. Also as mentioned above, this is an easy DIY project.

S500 Man

if you buy them yourself at dealer and pads, you will save like 150-200 bucks

fkong777

Brakes are easy to do. I did a tutorial on a brake job. Search my name and Brake. However if you dont have the tools to do it then it is best to Bring it to an independent service shop.

or more saving is.
Buy parts from Online store like bmaparts.com or Pelicanparts.com You will need Rotors, Pads and 3-4 brake wear sensors.
Then you bring part to a brakes service shop and pay their hourly rate. 2 hours max.

IngenereAMG

MB OEM brake parts are really cheap, so its really not worth turning the rotors...just replace them.

Before I went with an upgraded Brembo system on my SL55, I bought OEM front rotors for $100 each and I bought Porterfield R4S pads for $200. Way too cheap to just not replace.

jmiaebrown

Fkong777. This is jmiaebrown. You wrote that great write up on the brake DIY job for me. How about another to change the rotors?

Thanks.

AH1W-COBRA

there arent any specs available to the brake tech to turn MB rotors.they wont do it.

my06clk

Yes there are specs.. its 30mm +/-5 It's etched on the rotor... problem is that 99% of rotors are worn close to or beyond that so if they were turned they would be too thin. So its a waste of time to even try.

AH1W-COBRA

im aware of the wear limits,it is my understanding that you cant resurface the rotors under any circumstances.it voids all brake system warrantys.this is what the dealer told me.

mcssci

1. You CAN resurface MB rotors, whether or not MB thinks so. About $20 per.
2. You most likely don't need it at all (unless the car shimmys on braking) so don't let anyone touch them.

Replacing them is a scam unless the wear limit is reached, which I've never done in any car and up to 137,000 miles on a given car. SCAM SCAM SCAM.

AH1W-COBRA

he says he has attempted to resurface them but that they are so soft that he wasnt able to match speed/tooling to get a "renewed"surface.

whoover

MB rotors are soft. That's why they should only be replaced, never turned. A competent mechanic will mike them and replace them if they're past the limit (or warped of course). Reading the grooves like tea leaves is a waste of time. It's all about the thickness. If your dealer replaces them without miking he's a crook but I doubt this happens very often.

If you drive any Mercedes is a spirited fashion, you will go through rotors. It's by design. The pad and rotor materials are optimized for brake effectiveness and feel, not longevity. Heavy S-class cars can easily go through front rotors in 30,000 miles. People who get 100,000 out of a pair of S-class front rotors are either very unusually easy on their brakes or have thin rotors. Thin rotors will be prone to fading, but if you don't drive in a way that puts heavy demands on the brakes anyway you may never encounter a problem. At some point, the rotors may be thin enough to allow a caliper piston to travel out too far and cause real problems, but that would be pretty unusual.

Bottom line: if you want your brakes to work like they're designed to under all conditions, have your mechanic mike them at every pad change and replace them if they're past the limit. If you don't trust your mechanic/dealer demand to see the reading yourself and the wear limit spec. Or find another dealer.