Update on my Warped Discs

[cleverdicky]

I always use aftermarket pads and never had a problem even with aftermarket drilled & grooved discs.
Surprising when its probably the only thing i haven't had a problem with.

 

[star]

We will only fit oe pads.

 

[oigle]

We will only fit oe pads.

Me too after horrible squeal problems with non OE pads. Tried everything incl resurfacing disc to no avail. New OE pads and problem went away.

 

[television]

Amazing these threads that go round and round, yet the biggest percentage of uses use the ones from their motor factor and never have a problem either with non oe pads, I have never had a problem and I have never used OE pads.

I cannot wait to take them out of my CL, the black iron dust is so horrible, and for a few more £££ I can get pads that stop me better

 

[EuroCarParts]

True

If they were Pagid / ATE / TEXTAR etc, then you can stand and argue all day that they are Block Exempt [therefore MB cant discriminate against them]
However i'm not 100% on Green Stuff, so i wouldn't feel confident arguing

So what would eurocarparts do in the same situation?? and out of interest what is the return rate of the parts your company supplies to what you call "the price sensitive range"

Hi Carloss,

We offer a no quibble returns on brakes - if one unit fails, we would offer to replace it like for like once (we wouldn't normally do it more than once as it indicates an issue with the fitting / vehicle not the part)

As for the returns rate, ill drop you a PM - its quite interesting.

As most people have said, the MB dealer had 2 options, take it on the chin, and keep the customer to exchange the discs (knowing that you wont have to exchange them again) Or to dig his heels in, and make a mountain out of a mole hill - - he chose the latter, and as we have all agreed its not the best customer service way to go, as he'll probably loose a customer!


As for the argument of OE vs non OE - this question will go round and round, and every body has their belief or opinions, however most of us now understand that a Mercedes pad, is nothing more than a ATE or Textar (or other brand) in a Mercedes box

 

[oigle]

Hi Carloss,

We offer a no quibble returns on brakes - if one unit fails, we would offer to replace it like for like once (we wouldn't normally do it more than once as it indicates an issue with the fitting / vehicle not the part)

As for the returns rate, ill drop you a PM - its quite interesting.

As most people have said, the MB dealer had 2 options, take it on the chin, and keep the customer to exchange the discs (knowing that you wont have to exchange them again) Or to dig his heels in, and make a mountain out of a mole hill - - he chose the latter, and as we have all agreed its not the best customer service way to go, as he'll probably loose a customer!


As for the argument of OE vs non OE - this question will go round and round, and every body has their belief or opinions, however most of us now understand that a Mercedes pad, is nothing more than a ATE or Textar (or other brand) in a Mercedes box

The pads I had issues with were supplied by the Oz branch? of Euro Car Parts. I tried everything to no avail.

 

[EuroCarParts]

The pads I had issues with were supplied by the Oz branch? of Euro Car Parts. I tried everything to no avail.

Sorry to say eurocarparts.au are nothing to do with us - EuroCarParts is a trademark but it doesn't extend to Aus

 

[Miffy]

interesting thread, enjoying the many opinions on oe v aftermarket, but please keep on topic rather than trying to rip into people for their opinions.

 

[Frontstep]

The logic of the OE only lobby is fragile at best, the braking function is shared across most vehicles and the obvious conclusion for the OE lobby is that only MB equipped cars stop efficiently.
Its patently absurd to make that finding, will my Veyron stop of course it will will my Porsche stop yes of course and without an MB brake in sight.
The same logic extends to fluids does my Porsche seize up ? no it doesn't, the right spec yes but it defies logic that Mobil, Shell etc couldn't make me some good oil or transmission fluid.
ATE can't stop my car well ? I simply don't follow the logic.
By all means avoid the Chinese knockoffs, but even then your Ipad is made in China and nobody doubts its quality a lot of car parts are made to good standards all over the world.
If you get some comfort from the MB badge and box then fine but don't lose your objectivity and condemn others who don't need it.

 

[star]

This debate on oe and non oe will go round and round, I can only offer my opinions on cars that I have worked on but as mentioned on here several times but is not the case all the time, aftermarket pads can squeek/squeel and have a different feel and in a customers car, this is not acceptable. We would be the first in the firing line for fitting "cheap" pads.

I use race pads in my BMW race car, the squeel like mad until upto temp but do thing that a standard oe pad cant.

We have a car in now that has a judder from the front brakes, the discs look only a few 000 mile old and have bright silver paint on them, I'll find out where there purchased from and report back?

 

[television]

And so it goes on and on,, No one can explain why, when the after market is some 20 times larger the OE market why TMD should make one type for OE and another for the after market. If they all squealed then they would be out of business in no time, further more it would cost TMD much more in the manufacturing for two types. Now MB do not specify the mix for the pads, they give the cars spec to TMD and their research department comes up with a suitable product from the range that they make. If MB had anything to do with the manufacture of these parts, then licensing would be in place, and we would have to get them from MB as no one else would be allowed to sell suitable pads till the licensing expired.

Now I have never used MB pads, and I have changed about 20 sets over the last 10 years and never have any squealed, there might have been the odd one that would squeal for say 100 miles, then be perfectly OK.

I would defy anyone to say that MB pads stop you quicker and better. In this great big world there has never been one court case over non OE pads, and with the numbers involved there would have been someone who claimed the his non OE pads were not as good and that was the reason for what ever happened .

We all know or should that the compound used is not the reason for any squeal, it is only the gasses escaping when the pads are new, and it happens under light braking only, this is because the gasses keep the pads off the disc by just enough to let the pad resonate and produce the squeal.

You can get the same effect from rubbing your finger round the top of a wine glass, too much pressure and no sound.

Everyone keeps on about OE components in the main, whilst yes it is important on some components, some MB product have a very poor life span.

I have a 1998 V70R with 80k miles and a 140 also 1998 with 80k miles

My V70R has had nothing other than disc and pads in it whole life with me and passed every MOT.

My 140 has had, bottom wish bones, steering damper, thermostat, pressure regulator, radiator, One CAT and no doubt I could find more.

Just look at the amount of post on roll bar bushes and drop links we get for our MB cars, along with swivels and CATs .

No they are wonderful cars, but many components leave a lot to be desired.

If I look at my Volvo drop link it is a manly well engineered product that cost double the MB part, but they will last 3 times long, and that is 3 times more with labour cost for fitting them.

 

[lwbnick]

And so it goes on and on,, No one can explain why, when the after market is some 20 times larger the OE market why TMD should make one type for OE and another for the after market. If they all squealed then they would be out of business in no time, further more it would cost TMD much more in the manufacturing for two types.

I don't know how true the following is, or which companies it applies to, but:

"As you may or not be aware, a certain company has bought the licence / rights to a big name in braking for the UK. Therefore allowing them to put their own choice of product in the box that may or may not come from the 'original' supplier that people might believe. Nothing wrong with that, it's their licence so they can do what they want. However to then ride on the success of the product and name following its market popularity by selling a lesser quality part is wholly wrong.
Pulling the wool over customers eyes is not what I do.
In theory a great strategy but with a limited shelf life."

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/parts...ppliers-2.html

 

[S.Speed]

Just for the record i fit several sets of pads and discs every week. GENUINE DISCS AND PADS. Never ever have a problem.
You must have got very unlucky S Speed.

Its nice to know that when I am "Unlucky" that MB take the stance they do..
Please do keep in mind I never do track days and generally pootle about in my car.. Its NOT driven hard and yet the discs have warped..
The mechanic even commented that the discs were hardly worn and were devoid of grooves..
Yes I can understand the stance they have taken..
The fact remains though that a Car accesory shop (national chain) will (and HAVE) replaced faulty discs when they knew damned well that the discs had been fitted by myself and NOT a garage..
That fact NO ONE can wriggle out of !!!

P.S The Greenstuff pads have never squeeled..
Oh and I have used them in 5 different makes of car i have owned without issue...

BREMBO... Here I come !!

 

[Frontstep]

I don't know how true the following is, or which companies it applies to, but:

"As you may or not be aware, a certain company has bought the licence / rights to a big name in braking for the UK. Therefore allowing them to put their own choice of product in the box that may or may not come from the 'original' supplier that people might believe. Nothing wrong with that, it's their licence so they can do what they want. However to then ride on the success of the product and name following its market popularity by selling a lesser quality part is wholly wrong.
Pulling the wool over customers eyes is not what I do.
In theory a great strategy but with a limited shelf life."

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/parts...ppliers-2.html

Then its hearsay or more accurately meaningless gossip.

 

[Miffy]

I have RED STUFF on my CLK, as Simon, never had so much as a single squeek.

 

[television]

I have RED STUFF on my CLK, as Simon, never had so much as a single squeek.

Neither have I,,,, what if find strange is when someone says they only use MB pads, that being the case how do they know about the other pads in TMD's range. We have had reports of Pagid, textar and others being removed from a car the first time round.

Now I am sure that MB indies use MB pads so that they can say we only use MB parts, and that is fair enough and understandable, but they should not pretend that all other product are inferior for that is not the case, and certainly not true.

 

[cleverdicky]

What people are forgetting is that little word that drives these companies to put various materials together and place them in little boxes under a so called brand name to sell to use.
It doesn't matter the company name or the product, they will all club together and juggle the words or the claims about for just one single purpose.

Profit.

 

[star]

As with most aftermarket products, there several qualities available, look at the recent thread about lower control arms that made the op esp light come on, Yes there are good alternative brakes available, but its the come back factor that puts me off (my brakes are squeeking etc).

Now i know it will not always be the case with aftermarket pads (i'd be foolish to think so) but as you said malc, you have had a set squeek (1 in 20= 5%), now if you multiply that figure by the ammount of pads we fit in a year and say 5% come back with a squeek, i'd hate to calculate how many times we would be doing the job twice.

I have used other aftermarket pads in my own cars, but will accept a certain amount of squeek etc (if it happens) but most customers will not and I fully understand that.

 

[EuroCarParts]

Now i know it will not always be the case with aftermarket pads (i'd be foolish to think so) but as you said malc, you have had a set squeek (1 in 20= 5%), now if you multiply that figure by the ammount of pads we fit in a year and say 5% come back with a squeek, i'd hate to calculate how many times we would be doing the job twice.

Hi guys,

I totally take your point onboard! especially when the ramp costs you time and money - its your right to do what you feel right to protect yourselves and I respect that highly!

Just for your own information - I done a little exercise earlier on ECP brake pad sales - Our Warranty returns rate for the past 60 days was 0.4% (imagine how many pads we sell in 60 days!) - The only brand ABOVE that average was ATE (not sure why)
Pagid, and Eicher (Eicher being a value range) were all below 0.4% and Textar (another Original quality supplier) was a tad over.

So in terms of our figures, you see that even the value range of Eicher performs well again original quality suppliers such as Pagid, ATE and Textar!


Its really positive having a discussion like this, as you get all kind of honest opinions (from professionals who run their own garages, experienced individuals, and also DIY enthusiasts!)

Pat

 

[star]

Perhaps customers who purchase the "budget" range are more willing to accept a squeek if it occurs hence the low returns rate? Have you done some figures per marque and returns rate? Now that would be inetresting to know if the higher value vehicle has a higher expectancy from the parts?