E55k brakes.

[TDE1]

I've got a niggle.

Had the front tires (or is it tyres? I'm not a scholar) replaced a couple of months (under 750 miles) ago. Since then I get the occasional squeal from the o/s/f, as far as I can tell. It's at low speed and disappears under braking and above 20mph. Seems to occur more after 5 or 6 miles driving.

It's not always there. I took it back and they said the pads and discs seem ok, and that it might just be brake dust. They operate fine, no pulling to the side, no warning on the dash, no rumbling.

It's getting on my **** a bit now, though. Mrs TDE1's suggestion of spraying oil all over the brakes doesn't sit well with me...

Anyone got any ideas, please, before I spend my holiday money on it? Keeping the windows and roof shut does keep the noise at bay, but that's not perfect.

Thanks.

 

[TDE1]

They **'ed out the word meaning boobies! It wasn't meant as a bad word. Sorry.

 

[Dazzler]

Did you have genuine pads fitted or aftermarket?

 

[TDE1]

They were fitted by MB, so assuming they are genuine. Not sure how to get them out to check without setting off codes.

 

[TDE1]

I should add that the pads have done c10k over 3 years, but generally light use and are only about 60% worn (that's what the tyre place said when I took it back, anyway). Discs are rimmed by no more than 1.5mm maximum.

Think I'm talking myself out of a holiday..

 

[Alps]

all i can think of is that the guard may have been bent when refitting the rim , worth a check.

cant see how a tyre chage would effect the brakes.

 

[6cyl]

With constant light use, some pads get glazed and don't work as well. Usually the higher performance the brakes, the harder they need to be used on a regular basis.

If that is the case, the quickest way to fix it would be remove them, clean the pad holders, use a little copper grease on the sliding surfaces, apply some copper grease on the pistons and rekey the surface of the pads with sandpaper on a flat surface, like a sheet of glass and reassemble. Use brake cleaner on the discs. Make sure you don't get any grease on the friction surfaces.

Go for a short drive, some where quiet and preferably down hill, get up to 50-60 mph, check that there isn't anyone behind you, brake hard to almost a stop and pull off let the brakes cool off, a couple of minutes is fine and repeat 2-3 times. Job done. Your pads will smell hot if you've done it properly.

I change discs and pads on my cars and bikes. Works everytime for me.

 

[TDE1]

Thanks guys. Glad nobody has told me its catastrophic. I'll get my hands dirty once the poor weather's gone.

 

[6cyl]

One more thing to check - make sure the pistons in your calipers are moving freely. Not sure how many on the E55K, I would hope they were at least 2 pistons. I'd expect 4 as it is a high performance vehicle. Usually a problem on multi piston caliper, where one or more piston gets sticky. Yearly preventive maintainance of them extends the service life considerably and gives you more consistent braking.

 

[cliveBRABUS]

Tip remove brake pins clean pads with 80 grit sand paper the disc side ! and
clean the piston side with brake cleaner can be bought from halfords



Clive