benzboi1

I've been so frustrated by the brake squeak as I come to a stop I've wanted to sell my wagon. I asked the chief mechanic at an MB dealership in Germany (while I was there on vacation) and the problem is worldwide. He explained what is causing it but no one seems to have a fix. My Mom's 2000 C230 Kompressor doesn't do it and neither did her '81 240. I'm eager to learn of any permanent solutions. The "goo" lasts 5 minutes.

dsb

Same problem. Dust and squeal. There is a fix...

What I did:
https://mbworld.org/forums/slk55-r171/253987-diy-brakes-job.html

$170 and a couple hours of your time results in peace and quiet. I have also noticed a considerable less amount of dust.

Fr33kn63

my e63 is on its 3rd set of brakes and rotors...

I finally think I figured out how to get rid of the really bad break squeal. Atleast it works for me....

It seems that city driving is the biggest culprit in creating brake squeal. Sometimes, even now on my 3rd setup I get a little squeak when driving around locally...

This is how I do it....
several high speed runs to about 120+ and start applying the brakes from a high speed to a complete stop. for me it does a good job of clearing this up.
My MB Tech tells me these brakes work better when slightly abused. If you baby the brakes you will suffer the squeak everyone talks about.
When I first got my ride I babied it too much and my car sounded like a mach truck when coming to a stop. Really embarrassing!!!

Once or twice I have shown up at the drag strip squeaking a little and by the end of the night its gone. I have also found if I do a good job cleaning your rotors with the armor all wheel cleaner I soak the rotors at the same time and after all the brake dust is gone that seems to help too. Only seems that when i leave the brake dust on for too many days that the build up starts to recreate my squeak.

My .02 ...

Harsany

Me 55 has been quiet. I have only had an occasional squeak when the brakes are good and hot.

MB Fanatic

They have a newer brake pad that addresses some of the squealing. There was a TSB for this issue.

1mean55

my E55 had a squeak when it had 17k mi on it, a friend of mine suggested a few hard runs with hard barking. nothing severe, in street driving from stop light to the next, from 35 or 45mph, brake late and brake hard. I tried it and the squeak went away, but cam back every so often and i had to go through the procedure again. I changes my brakes and put on EBC yellow pads with oem rotors, squeak is non existant, dust is SIGNIFICANTLY less.

good luck.

Gwen

My 2006 S350 Mercedes had brakes that squeaked so loud I couldn't drive with the windows down, and yes, everyone seemed to cover their ears as I came to a stop near an intersection.

After checking with the dealership several times it was clear they wouldn't fix the problem and blamed the squeaking on the high performance braking parts and brake dust.

I couldn't live with the annoying squeak and took my car to a brake specialist (D & D Brakes in Seattle, WA).

Don and Larry at D & D Brakes are awesome. My brakes are fixed and now my car is perfectly silent!!! What a relief!

They replaced the disc pads and rotors and used all the recommendations from the note on how to fix the Mercedes brake squeak posted by MARK CUMMINS.

Don't live with the squeaking anymore! It's worth the $$ to take your Mercedes to a brake specialist, especially a place that's willing to take the time and do the job right.



Note Originally Posted by MARK CUMMINS:

The Brake Squeak CAN be stopped (IF) One can find a tech that WILL take the time to do the propper job..as the complaint is a warranty item on most all the late cars....

The Rotor must be free of all defects...EDGES..Lips...Must be smooth/flat

The Brake calipers MUST be Clean via brake cleen and THEN apply lube to all contact points..AND slide pivots

The Brake Pads MUST be CLEAN and fresh..
Bevel the edges at a 45 degree
apply the MB brake paste to the METAL side of the brake pad and the Piston/pistons area

Then seat the pads with several slow stops..let sit for 30/45 min...then off you go

It Requires LOTS of EXTRA work that warranty WILL NOT pay for...
As the Dealer will just throw in a set of replacement pads and send you down the road

But If the above steps are done the squeak will go away

I did this on Problem cars when I worked for Mercedes and It Works!

It Even works on the aftermarket pads...Porterfields etc that people say squeak a lot


BTW Mercedes even has a TSB for Brake Squeak on the SLRs
As composite brakes can be a challenge to remove the squeak

DFW01E55

You should name the incompetent dealer so that others in Seattle can make a more educated decision on where to service their car.

Blacksport350

Aggressive pad compounds tend to squeal, especially in Brembo (or other large multi-piston) calipers.

if enough people complain about it, they will take away our brakes just like they took away our super chargers.

dkallencat1

I must be very LUCKY !!!!! I have a 04 e-55 with original pads, never heard one sound out of them. Not looking forward to having to replace them, one of these days.

jpohl402

The anti-squeal paste will work, until it wears off !
Correct, calipers can clamp closed for no reason severing fingers....
My E63 squeaks all the time - as someone mentioned, yes the pads MB use may not be the best (although there is lots of surface contact area to cause noise) -
However I would rather have those pads then the pads BMW uses that literally eat right into the wheel very quickly if you don't wash the car often (much more caustic/abrasive brake dust then any other manufacturer).... Have seen that a lot !

LADY_AMG

I just bought a set of Porterfield R4S pads for the rear. I hope it keeps my pig from squealing.

SteveHI

My E55 is the first German car I've owned with noisy brakes. All produced tons of brake dust, but were perfectly quiet.

storm

[quote=Nickerz;1814918]I was thinking about taking my E55 into the dealer Monday to have them figure out a way to STOP MY BRAKES FROM SQUEAKING SOOOO MUCH! I have been putting up with this problem since my C55 and I've heard it on my wife's ML350 and a couple of weeks ago when I had my AMG foot pedals put on at the dealer, I had a shuttle pick me up in the new R-class. Yep...even this car's brakes were SQEAKING uncontrollably!!!



you can try an old but effective mechanics trick,,
have a tech put some COPPER GREASE, which is deisnged for squeaks
on the brake shoes, it helps prevent them from vibrating, and will quiet them,, DONT GET ANY ON THE PADS though..

should work

komp55

Not all brake pad lubricants are created equal. I used CeraTEC when I install my Brembo GT brakes with Ferodo racing pads, and I've yet to hear squeaks:

LADY_AMG

I recently installed Porterfield R4S pads in the rear and am very satisfied with the quality and performance. No more brake squeal, good bite and less brake dust!

Esh

Second set of rotors and pads, zero squeak whatsoever.

Yuille36

High-performance brake system
(E 63 AMG only)

The high-performance brake system is designed
to operate under the extremely high
operating demands required to accommodate
the performance capabilities of the
vehicle. The brakes may produce a squeaking-
type noise depending on the

more quickly.

royslate

BMW and other high end brands also have this problem because they also use semi-met pads. Buses, heavy trucks, trains and airplanes have super loud brakes as well; you know why?? Because they are very good brakes, that's why. Brake noise is considered unavoidable and an engineering limitation. Friction compounds which are needed in order to provide the necessary stopping power of any vehicle capable of the speeds normal to a Mercedes-Benz will have in their formulation a high content of metal, this is what greatly contributes to the noise.

The problem of ‘brake squeal’ in the automotive industry remains eusive despite over 70 years of research. NVH research on brakes eats up millions of dollars per year in research and also in the replacement of perfectly good parts in the name of customer satisfaction. Today's high performance brakes are not designed with any consideration to noise at all but to stopping performance. The dealers are not lying, brake manufacturers have come to a compromise between high performance and a "relatively" quiet operation.

Stopping brake squeal is easy, just take your car anywhere cheap organic (or cheap ceramic) pads can be installed without regards to high performance requirements and your brakes will be noise free!! Just remember to try slowing down without melting the pads.

I know for a fact that other manufacturers have horrendous problems with brake squeal. One factor that makes the difference is that many of their dealers are not bound to use OEM pads and when you complain hard enough, you will get quiet brakes but cheaper pads. This is what happens when you take your car to a "10 minute Brake center" you get quiet organic brakes that will serve you well for most normal driving conditions (just hope you never need to use them in a real emergency). Those places are cheaper than the dealer, apparently they solved your brakes issue (they look good for this), you feel happy and of course, the dealer techs are all idiots.... right. I'd rather squeal my way from 240 - 0 than fade out at 180

royslate

My point exactly. Brake squeal is easy to fix... just use cheaper pads which are made of organic compounds or pads which have a higher content of ceramic fibers as opposed to metallic particles. These after-market pads will serve most normal driving conditions very well. The catch is that after-market brake pads are not required to certify their performance and interaction with your Mercedes-Benz's (or BMW, Audi, etc.) ESP control (or ABC, ABS, you name it) and no one knows exactly how that interaction is going to affect your vehicle's designed handling characteristics. Mercedes-Benz dealers will only use Mercedes-Benz pads, they are tested and certified to be used with the installed systems in your vehicle.

Remember that asbestos pads were great for stopping, they could handle the load and were very quiet. Unfortunately they cause cancer, since they were put out of the market we are using mostly semi-mets in most high performance brake applications. It is since then that we have a bigger problem with brake squeal.

220S

You might want to reconsider before you condemn high quality aftermarket pads such as Porterfield, Pagid, AP, Hawk, PF, etc.. The real point is to match the correct pad to the proper application. Everyone has their specific priorities. Race pads allow for better stopping and less fade but can eat the rotors quicker, etc.. Semi-metallic versus Kevlar compounds, etc., all have their positives and negatives. But to imply that all aftermarket pads are inferior to the OEM pads is kind of misleading. The OEM pads are supplied by Pagid, Lucas, ATE, and TRW. There's nothing wrong with going to Porterfield, etc., providing you choose the appropriate pad for your particular end use. Quality mfgs offer top quality pads and are often the OEM vendors in the first place.

btw, ABC is active body control. It's a hydraulic suspension system and doesn't have anything to do with brakes aside from body roll when applying them.....

Anyway you've dug up an ancient thread from the depths. This has been discussed ad nauseum.

royslate

@ 220S

Thanks for your reply but you may want to re-read my post. No where there I am condemning after-market parts or implying lower quality of anything. I simply never named any brands. I stated that brake squeal is easy to fix by installing cheaper organic brake pads, one will agree that after-market organic pads of the highest quality will still be cheaper than Mercedes-Benz OE semi-mets; for most practical reasons organic pads do not cause a noticeable brake squeal and as I stated will serve very well for most driving conditions. I don't see where I am condemning them to being inferior.

Porterfield R4-S are semi-mets and although they are much quierter than Mercedes-Benz OE pads they do produce some brake squeal simply because, after all, they are still semi-mets. I did imply, however, that brake squeal is also reduced by installing pads with less metallic content but I never used the words "cheap" or "quality" and did not imply that after market pads are inferior to OE pads. As for how they will interact with ESP ABS or ABC (you name it) the reality is that no after-market company certifies how their product will interact with any system installed in a specific vehicle by the original manufacturer (they simply would not spend millions to research it). Those after-market companies may state that their product meets or exceeds the OE manufacturer's specifications but if you know of one which conducted the research and extended such certification of compliance please let me know . Companies that supply OE manufactures and also sell their products in the after-market sector are considered OEM suppliers, just in case. (i.e. Bosch is Bosch, just like Ate is Ate so let's leave them alone).

You are absolutely right. Matching the right pads for the right application is the trick to achieve proper brake performance, but I ask you this: Who is better qualified to match the best brake pad to a Mercedes-Benz brake rotor and ESP system? The answer should be obvious. I presume that the same can be said about BMW.

Now, I didn't know that commenting on an ancient post was politically incorrect, specially when the subject is still as valid as ever. The subject of brake squeal is a 10 time per day occurrence in any large Mercedes-Benz, BMW or Audi dealership. The subject is very much alive.

Lastly, I used the ABC term generically since I was also referring to other auto makers and to any form of brake control. For automotive engineers ABC is the standard abbreviation of Active Brake Control, which is a generic term that covers any type automated active brake intervention, including Mercedes-Benz's ABA2.

You may wan to reconsider your notion that Mercedes-Benz's ABC has nothing to do with brakes aside from body roll when applying them. Two actuation mechanisms (controllers & controlled hardware) are considered for the comparison of performance capabilities in improving the yaw–sideslip handling characteristics of a road vehicle (any road vehicle). Corrective yaw moments are usually generated either by the use of single-wheel (and in some systems multiple-wheel) braking or via drive-line torque distribution using an overdriven active rear differential, or by a combination of using both approaches. Two controllers are synthesized via a single design methodology and talk to each other as well as to other controllers in their respective CAN. Performance measures relate to both open-loop and closed-loop driving demands, and include both on-center and limit handling maneuvers which can be positively or adversely affected by the choice of brake pad materials and -of course- tire materials. In other words, body roll can be detected by the Active Body Control system and counter acted by the Active Brake Control system as an alternative or a combination of control strategies.

BTW. It is "ad nauseam"

220S

When you responded to Lady_AMG's post about getting the Porterfield R4-S pads hoping her squeal would diminish, you said, "My point exactly. Brake squeal is easy to fix... just use cheaper pads which are made of organic compounds or pads which have a higher content of ceramic fibers as opposed to metallic particles."

So the assumption is you implied that her choice was inferior to OEMs, and are "cheaper pads." The connotation being that "cheap" is considered inferior. You go on to suggest (and also in other posts) that we should all adhere to MB's protocol without question (which I do agree with but not under all circumstances.) So certainly you can understand my interpretation.

Anyway, no reason to belabor this. But I will say that the OEM pads are chosen not only for performance but with other factors in mind such as contract vendors and costs, etc., in response to your statement: "Who is better qualified to match the best brake pad to a Mercedes-Benz brake rotor and ESP system? The answer should be obvious." Daimler has produced some less then stellar components in their cars, sometimes notoriously so. Just because they use a particular part doesn't mean it was done only with longevity, reliability, or performance in mind. Costs enter into it, too. And sometimes it is just poor engineering. And so there are always some compromises. Mercedes has made a lot of mistakes. In addition, over time vendors change and so do parts. One may not get the exact same formula that they did 15 years ago for a car that's still on the road. There are sometimes compromises there, too.

But I realize you come from a different philosophy which is fine. You've posted 5 times here, and in one of those posts you claimed that anyone who uses an Indy for any service while under warranty is "daft." And: "What makes you all think that independent techs will do better than factory trained techs?" There are always exceptions. I have an Indy who is factory trained and was the shop foreman at the dealership before he went out on his own. I actually believe he is better than the techs at the local dealership. I know he is certainly conscientious. So, there are simply different schools of thought out there.

And some aftermarket companies like Kleemann and Renntech feel that they can offer better components and better performance than OEM with their goods and services. Just like Aufrecht and Melcher were doing when they started their tuning shop, which we all know now as AMG. And one of the administrators of this website offers rotors for AMGs that are arguably superior than OEM. But if one feels much more comfortable with doing only what Mercedes says and never deviating, then that's perfectly okay.

btw, "wan" is an adjective and I'm not sure what "I wan" means in the context you used. Yes, correcting someone's spelling and/or grammar is simply a tactic in an attempt to undermine the other person's dialogue; we all know it serves no other purpose. And I'm sure I've made other spelling errors, so have fun.

Cheers.

royslate

btw, "wan" is an adjective and I'm not sure what "I wan" means in the context you used. Yes, correcting someone's spelling and/or grammar is simply a tactic in an attempt to undermine the other person's dialogue; we all know it serves no other purpose. And I'm sure I've made other spelling errors, so have fun.

Cheers.[/quote]

@ 220S Then why did you just do it? trying to undermine my dialog with tactics ?

Well, you know what they say about assuming so... please stop assuming things. I just found it funny how the term you used inadvertently made reference to a 1978 Album by Derek & Clive. I run the spell checker and usually not care whether it takes one word for another just like I don't care when someone else has done the same. You see this type of occurrences in published books all the time. One disadvantage of the spell checker.

Anyway, on a more serious note. Since, as per your original reply to my post, you are disgusted by the number of times this subject has been discussed, please look somewhere else and stop commenting on this matter. You are not the holder of the truth and just because a subject is discussed to exhaustion doesn't mean that it should be forgotten. Go write another 4000 or more posts on something else and leave the people who are still experiencing brake squeal issues and are still researching the Internet for more information and a solution to this very annoying and persistent problem some room to hear another point of view. Now, If you'd like to recommend a specific part number or brand of brake pads and rotors that effectively eliminates this condition on a Mercedes-Benz, BMW or Audi please do so .

And now to my subject:

I'd like this post to be informative to people out there who are experiencing the issue of break squeal. Some vehicle owners keep taking their vehicle to the dealerships and the problem is not resolved. After they get their vehicles back, their brakes are fine for a little time and then the problem returns, sometimes worse than before. Customers of these dealerships have come to think that the dealer is just not taking them seriously or are simply incompetent. They question the technician's competence, the quality of the parts used, and even come to think that they have been ripped off by the dealership or the service advisor and technician. For some reason they tend to believe that their vehicle is the only one on the road with such noisy brakes.

The fact is that brake squeal is an ongoing problem for the automotive industry. Brake noise is perceived by customers as both annoying and an indication of a problem with the brake system. In reality this type of noise usually has little or no effect on the performance of the brakes but causes a perception that dramatically affects customer satisfaction. Warranty costs (due to the replacement of otherwise perfectly good parts) and customer satisfaction are the two main reasons the automotive industry is looking for ways to control it.

Problem systems whose design is finalized (the vehicle is already on the road) and systems with other engineering limitations (technical compromises and production costs included) which are prone to noise require the application of noise control methods as the only solution available. Due to engineering limitations the materials used in many of today's brake pads is a compromise between performance, durability, dust production, application force & comfort, cost (yes, cost is always a factor) and noise.

From the engineering point of view the fix is achievable, we can supply the world with superb friction materials that will last a very long time, produce almost no vibration and dust and when combined with properly designed hardware would be noise free. Unfortunately the cost of such materials would make it impossible for automakers to fit their vehicles with such wonderful brakes.

The minimum braking performance standard is set by the National Highway Traffic & Safety Administration (NHTSA) in North America. It is a tough standard which has forced automakers to upgrade the brakes on some vehicle models they sell in this area so they meet the strict stopping requirements. Friction materials that fully meet these standards have a tendency to be semi-metallic or low-metallic but these materials also tend to be noisy.

European automakers have mostly used low-metallic friction materials to date since it is the best material to be used for certain high performance street legal vehicles. These low-metallic formulas offer excellent stopping performance but are noisy, dusty and wear quickly.

Now the problem: Most dealerships will use exclusively OE parts for all repairs (especially for brake repairs) this practice makes the problem one that will not go away. If a customer's OE brakes squeal the chances that replacement OE brakes will also squeal are very high. Dealership technicians are trained to use different techniques and support materials in order to minimize the chance of a comeback but, despite all these, the customers will return again and again with noisy brakes. Dealerships can do nothing about the problem other than subjecting the vehicle to yet another brake service or to the replacement of the brakes again. Who pays for this is the biggest question. The dealerships and their technicians are not at fault and the parts are not of inferior quality, it is the material used that causes the issue of noise, dust and rapid wear.

The standards apply to new vehicles only, there are no FMVSS standards for after-market replacement materials. However, after-market brake suppliers realize that their products should be as safe as the OEM brake materials and consequently their testing procedures have improved along with their products. Unfortunately, the test procedure currently covers about 40 to 60 percent of the vehicle applications that are on the road. The goal is to develop test procedures for about 80 percent of the vehicle platforms.

The BEEP procedure is one way brake suppliers are making sure that their after-market products meet essentially the same requirements as their OE counterparts. This is a process that takes a great deal of time and not all manufactures will perform the testing that will enable them to match their product to the requirements of a specific vehicle. Furthermore, the testing is done on a good faith basis because there are no FMVSS standards that specifically cover after-market brake systems or materials. Most reputable manufacturers of replacement brake parts will follow the OEMs so closely these days that finding high quality replacement brake pads that will meet or exceed the requirements of OE parts is not difficult and is usually a cheaper option as well.

Having said that, and since this post is already too long, there are after-market brake pads that will eliminate or greatly reduce the brake squeal you are beginning to detest in your fine German beast. Choosing them should be done carefully since not all after-market brake parts are made equal. The chances that you will end up with semi-mets or ceramics (instead of low-mets) are high. There is also the question of how precisely those parts will interact with your on-board active or passive control systems (whichever they are) but for most of us that question will never be a problem since our driving needs will most likely not put us at the limits of the designed criteria. If brake squeal is driving you crazy, your driving needs are normal (I’m sure they are, that’s why you have brake squeal) and the dealership cannot resolve the issue, then consider the after-market brake pads but choose them carefully, there’s an overwhelming selection out there. Also choose the shop you take your car to very carefully and stop torturing yourself with OE low-metallic pads. Premium after-market brake pads will not void your vehicle’s brake systems warranty.

In my case, I’d rather live with the squeal but have my car 100% original besides, I know how to make it go away when it begins to show up but that is another topic.

Check this out, I found it to be quite informative: http://www.bendixbrakes.com/techCorner/

grantwoodtx

sorry but that gave me ZZZZZZ's