Substandard brake discs

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Haqra

New Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2020
Messages
7
Location
London
Car
E220D
I've had my E220 for exactly a year. Hadn't driven it for almost 4 months due to lockdown. After approximately 14k miles, brakes began screeching. During the first service 2/3 weeks ago, the staff at MB Croydon said that the brake discs and two front tyres were quite worn, though not to the extent that they were illegal. It matters not that during my driving career (36 years), I have not experienced - on any vehicle that I have driven - the tyres and discs being worn down so quickly (less than 30k miles). I have researched and asked those that are knowledgable about these things; I've been informed that the discs should last between 30k and 70k and as I said, that's what my experience tells me too. Now, I know that it obviously depends on how the vehicle is driven, even before I've been told this 3/4 times by various MB staff/technicians like I'm an idiot. I work as a chauffeur and I'd be a terrible one that didn't get much work if I did not drive very carefully, so please do not tell me it's down to the way I drive. The way I drive gives Hoke Colburn a run for his money (he's the chauffeur in Driving Miss Daisy), and driving as I do, the discs should not even be looked at before 60k in my opinion - especially on a £35-40k car.
 
Find a local F1 Autocentre. IMO they are open and honest. They'll do a free brake and tyre test for you. Get a second opinion.
 
No way to get 70k miles out of discs on moderns in my experience.

30k is much more likely.

Of course if the car is sitting around and the discs rusting then this could reduce this significantly.

Is the car on only 14k miles in total from you having it new for around a year and needs new discs?
 
No way to get 70k miles out of discs on moderns in my experience.

30k is much more likely.

Of course if the car is sitting around and the discs rusting then this could reduce this significantly.

Is the car on only 14k miles in total from you having it new for around a year and needs new discs?

Yes. It seems like we end up replacing a lot more on modern cars than we used to. I guess the big companies have moved over to the throwaway culture too, and want to charge an arm and a leg for everything. The car has a now done almost 19k. Whatever the case, IMO it's a huge con.
 
No way to get 70k miles out of discs on moderns in my experience.

30k is much more likely.

Of course if the car is sitting around and the discs rusting then this could reduce this significantly.

Is the car on only 14k miles in total from you having it new for around a year and needs new discs?
Just swapped my E class discs recently , originals at 100k (front and rear) and that was just after an MOT :)
 
Have you tried spraying them with brake cleaner? You'd think the friction would be enough to burn off any contamination, but on a golf I recently purchased I had brakes squealing, spraying them generously has stopped the noise and a few hundred miles have passed without it returning.
 
Have you tried spraying them with brake cleaner? You'd think the friction would be enough to burn off any contamination, but on a golf I recently purchased I had brakes squealing, spraying them generously has stopped the noise and a few hundred miles have passed without it returning.
I can try that, thanks. But the real issue is that MB said they're worn enough to and recommend they should be replaced. That shouldn't be happening on a vehicle of this age, mileage and condition.
 
No way to get 70k miles out of discs on moderns in my experience.

30k is much more likely.

Of course if the car is sitting around and the discs rusting then this could reduce this significantly.

Is the car on only 14k miles in total from you having it new for around a year and needs new discs?
Yes.
 
😁 Doesn't really help me though.
Just info that sometime these don’t need changing based on MB’s suggestion that they do . Back when the car had 40k (ish) on it , I got a phone call from the dealer when I dropped it off for service , “your discs are a bit worn Sir , shall we change them ?” . 60k ( and 6 years ) later , yes they needed doing :)
 
I seriously advise you to get a second opinion. Easy to do your own quick check by feeling for a lip at the rim.
The fronts on my CLS55 were changed at 58000.
IIRC disc life shortened when pads were reformulated to remove asbestos
 
The only real way of checking is to measure the thickness and compare with the stated min. thickness, assuming that they aren't rusted to shreds or badly scored.

Generally, it's correct that discs don't last as long now due to the newer pad compounds but there are too many variables to put a mileage on a lifespan; heavy braking, electronics cutting in to apply brakes (hence why rear pads don't last for some people), use of acidic wheel cleaners, garaging with wet discs/pads after washing, how many motorway miles etc etc.. Having said that, it's a common theme 'pads/discs need replacing, Sir'. Not surprising when you see how much they charge and how long (little time?) it takes them.

I'm not sure how much difference these auto-releasing handbrakes and 'hold' functions make as with some cars there's a noticeable 'drag' as the brakes release whilst the car is moving off, which must add wear.
 
The only real way of checking is to measure the thickness and compare with the stated min. thickness, assuming that they aren't rusted to shreds or badly scored.

Generally, it's correct that discs don't last as long now due to the newer pad compounds but there are too many variables to put a mileage on a lifespan; heavy braking, electronics cutting in to apply brakes (hence why rear pads don't last for some people), use of acidic wheel cleaners, garaging with wet discs/pads after washing, how many motorway miles etc etc.. Having said that, it's a common theme 'pads/discs need replacing, Sir'. Not surprising when you see how much they charge and how long (little time?) it takes them.

I'm not sure how much difference these auto-releasing handbrakes and 'hold' functions make as with some cars there's a noticeable 'drag' as the brakes release whilst the car is moving off, which must add wear.
Don't you just miss the good old days of driving!
 
Back in the days when Mercs were 'expensive' and relatively exclusive, those who could afford them wouldn't have concerned themselves over these 'trivial' costs...
Nowadays, when the vast majority of Mercs are bought on a budget, lease or contract, every penny cost is challenged.
 
I find with my s212 and the rubbish active brake assist, that as the car slows down the brake assist 'feels' much more, er, assisting as I slow down and particularly when approaching a junction to come to a halt/near halt. I noticed this significantly when I've been taken out by garages on test drives when looking to buy where the braking feels comfortable, but when pulling up to the junction it feels more and more progressive on the braking to the point I was thinking it was pretty harsh as a passenger. It will feel much more acceptable if you have a steering wheel to hold on to. Now I own one, I find I have to seriously modulate (release) the brake pedal when getting to slower speeds from a higher speed braking, otherwise the tendency for the car to pull up sharply is way too strong for my liking. This 'assistance' will in my opinion create a higher degree of brake wear from unobservant and mechanically unsympathetic drivers (which there seem to be plenty) e.g. the garage rep who obviously drives and goes out on test drives in these cars all the time. If they don't notice it when their job is to 'sell' the car, why should others? I still get shed loads of brake dust despite my braking style, which I'm guessing is much like the Ops, and I put it down to the aggressiveness of the braking assist. Works very well in anger though, as I had to slam on the anchors in anger last week when a young deer literally kept out in front of the car over a fence, and virtually no ABS required.
 
I've just turned 70K on what I am assuming are the original discs as there is nothing in the service record to show they were replaced in the first 40K before I bought the car, but I supposed they could have been. Doing a lot of motorway miles, I get 40K out of tyres so I can't be hard on the brakes.
 
Definitely get a second opinion. Some dealers are known for scaring people when it comes to brakes or tyres. Worst case scenario, you have brake pad wear sensors. When these go off, you still have plenty of time to get them done.
 
Thanks for the advice guys, but this is not the issue. I cannot accept that the discs are almost worn to the point of replacement because I've now done only 19k miles and drive very carefully. Especially when I look back and remember before I became a chauffeur, oftentimes driving like Hamilton Lewis and still not having to replace brakes before (in the worst case) 35k. I feel these days big corporations / manufacturers deliberately use inferior parts so they need to be replaced sooner. I replaced my mums 35 year old washing machine 13 years ago - had 4 new ones since! Fridge, TV, car, etc. All made of shit nowadays.
 

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