Am I out of touch? Pads & Discs on C Class

[Rory]

I don't use my car much and am aware the brakes were feeling a bit "dead" but today the dealer reported heavily rusted inside faces of both front and rear discs.

The rears have never been changed but the fronts were changed a few years ago under the old ServicePlus scheme due to pitting. The outer face looks fine and the pads were reported as 30% worn (70% left).

I was expecting a comment about the brakes however I was astonished by the price - fronts £431 and rears £392.

After much wailing and gnashing of teeth the dealer just came back to me with £316 fronts and £245 for the rear.

Is this what it costs these days? Everyone else seems to know an indie who looks after their car for next to nothing but I've tried the guys around here (Chester/Wirral) in the past and there's not a lot of difference.

 

[geraldrobins]

Worth gnashing the teeth for!!! A 25-40% saving.
That's similar to what I paid for similar on a VW about 6 years ago.

 

[jotter22]

Would have thought you would get these much cheaper at eurocar parts then just pay a mobile mech to fit them.

Tony.

 

[renault12ts]

Strange how the side you can't see is heavily rusted.

Are the calipers jammed such that only the outer pads are abutting the discs...doesn't sound likely?

 

[Trickythemerc]

If your in Cheshire try Nick Webster Independent Merc Specialist they list menu prices for brakes on the web page Nick Webster. | Independent Mercedes Specialist

 

[AMGeed]

Would have thought you would get these much cheaper at eurocar parts then just pay a mobile mech to fit them.

Tony.

Priced these up yesterday for someone else with a 2004 C270CDi and the parts came to £324 from Carparts4less dot com. Then you have to add labour costs to fit them.

So using the dealer and OEM parts is £240 more than the price of the parts from elsewhere. Think I'd use the dealer and get OEM parts.

 

[renault12ts]

This is when a little DIY helps...the parts from Eurocarparts for the fronts are £160 at worst and £75 at best.

They are even less from Carpart4less!

In total for front and rear the parts would only be about £255 from ECP...max.

 

[Rory]

Strange how the side you can't see is heavily rusted.

Are the calipers jammed such that only the outer pads are abutting the discs...doesn't sound likely?

I think that's possible, to be honest. I sometimes don't use the car for 2-3 weeks and even when I do, it tends to be long steady motorway trips with little braking.

Also, I have had this on my wife's car in the past and once the rust sets in it eats the pad away so the disc never cleans up and the rust spreads.

Years ago when I serviced cars myself I'd strip, clean and lube everything - I guess that's what's missing these days. I did ask one of the local indies and he didn't want to even go there - just change the pads and disks.

I'm too clumsy to do it myself now - I'd either break something or hurt myself, or both!

 

[Rory]

Worth gnashing the teeth for!!! A 25-40% saving.
That's similar to what I paid for similar on a VW about 6 years ago.

Well, it's not really a saving if the price is over-inflated in the first place.

The price they're offering now is about where I expected they'd be starting from.

 

[paul73mt]

I bought front pads and discs for mine from a dealer in Newcastle cost was £160 ish I think delivered!!!!!!!

 

[martyz]

Calipers definitely need looking at,50% brake force reduction,not good.

 

[C180CGI]

You got mugged, you can get brake pads from as little as £12, good ones for around £45 at euro car parts. Take it to an independent garage and labor will be roughly £80, £100 max.

 

[jotter22]

What would you guys recommend as a break in for new brakes?

Tony.

 

[Rory]

You got mugged, you can get brake pads from as little as £12, good ones for around £45 at euro car parts. Take it to an independent garage and labor will be roughly £80, £100 max.

Add in ~£100 for the discs and you're not a million miles away from the dealer price.

The indie I asked was £275 and said he'd strongly recommend MB for front pads and disks but isn't so fussed about the rears.


It just occured to me to look on the Mercedes MyService website and my dealer list the fronts at £322 - so not sure why it was so hard for them to get to £316. Interesting how MyService varies though - pick another dealer (different group) and it's £400.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

What would you guys recommend as a break in for new brakes?

Tony.

I've always done 100 miles of steady driving/braking to bed in, although some do say less.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

You got mugged, you can get brake pads from as little as £12

Anyone who pays £12 for pads is the mug.

The two things you should never penny pinch with is the two things that keep you on the road; tyres and brakes.

 

[Rory]

Strange how the side you can't see is heavily rusted.

Are the calipers jammed such that only the outer pads are abutting the discs...doesn't sound likely?

I was thinking about this overnight (as you do ) and, bearing in mind the piston is on the inside, it strikes me as odd that the inside face would rust - it would make more sense for the outside to rust as the sliding part caliper gradually lost its ability to slide.

Unless I'm misunderstanding how it works?