06 CLS 500 front brake pad replacement

[kazino21]

My front pads on the the cls 500 have got about 10% left in them according to MB Temple Fortune. I would like to change them myself and have done some searches on the forum for the W211 which the CLS is based on and found that one remove the connector to the SBC before attempting to remove the brake pads. I would just like to ask if there is anything else I would have to do apart from this on the cls?

Also the brakes on the cls are quite hard to moderate and this has been said by some of the motoring hacks aswell. Is this due to the OEM pads? can it be cured by changing to a different pad and if so which pads would you recommend please.

 

[turbopete]

not sure if the cls has sbc or not as they dropped it from the e class and im not sure if it was ever fitted to the cls

 

[television]

not sure if the cls has sbc or not as they dropped it from the e class and im not sure if it was ever fitted to the cls

You are right Pete, SBC not fitted to the CLS.

The pads are straight forward to change, if you are in doubt, I can print off for you the instructions, but I do not think that you will need them

 

[kazino21]

Thankyou for your swift replies and great to hear it will be a relatively straightforward job. I have not changed pads before so having instructions would be most helpful.

I would also like to do the brake fluid change at same time while the wheels are off and the car on jackstands, I have read some articles on how to do this however there are a plethora of devices for the job, is there one than anybody has used which would be suitable for a novice.

 

[television]

Warning

You do have SBC so disconnect the battery, and not the pump as this is a live circuit.

With an Email address I can send you the pad change details.

You cannot change the fluid as this can only be done on STAR

 

[turbopete]

so a cls DOES have sbc then? sounds like 1 to avoid for me then!

 

[jarig]

cls brake pad and rotor change

Warning

You do have SBC so disconnect the battery, and not the pump as this is a live circuit.

With an Email address I can send you the pad change details.

You cannot change the fluid as this can only be done on STAR

hi television i have a 2006 cls500 i live in canada and i think my dealer is financing his retirement with what he quoted for brake pads and rotors and instructions you have would be greatly appreciated. I have brake jobs on many cars in the past but not this model thanks in advance

 

[Aviotech]

I have an '05 CLS500 in the UK with SBC. It was discontinued here in '06 for widely reported reasons. However, SBC is a very sophisticated system, but nothing to be afraid of and well worth having. If you Google 'SBC Tool' you will find a number of electronic devices available which will disable the SBC without using Star. As previously advised, under no circumstances should you touch the brakes without disabling the SBC. Do some more searching on the internet, you'll find more information and explanation about the system and how it works.

 

[ALFIEBEARD]

so a cls DOES have sbc then? sounds like 1 to avoid for me then!

Hi Pete,

My CLS is an 07 and does,nt have SBC so they must have discontinued it as Aviotech said in 06 made me feel better after my W211 SBC failure.

Alfiebeard

 

[Aviotech]

Alfiebeard, I'm still very optimistic about the CLS 500s Airmatic and SBC, amongst other things, having only owned the car for a fortnight. However, I reserve the right to change my mind if things start going wrong

 

[jberks]

As previously advised, under no circumstances should you touch the brakes without disabling the SBC. Do some more searching on the internet, you'll find more information and explanation about the system and how it works.

As a catch-all this is sage advice.
However, and follow this process at your own risk ....
I have replaced pads on 2 SBC equipped cars over the last year, both without disabling SBC.
SBC officially can fire up at any time. However, in reality it fires up when you unlock, open a door, do things with the key or pedals or potentially within 20 mins of such an activity.
So, what I do is as follows.
Unlock the car and open the bonnet and boot.
Put the key out of reach
Ensure that anyone nearby knows that under NO circumstances do they open any doors.
Walk away from the car for 30 minutes (in reality this gives time to jack up the car, remove a wheel and place a stand under the suspension). Then strip the brakes. I've not had a problem and speaking to various mechanics, this is pretty much what they do too.
However, obviously, shutting SBC down is always the safest option.

 

[ALFIEBEARD]

Alfiebeard, I'm still very optimistic about the CLS 500s Airmatic and SBC, amongst other things, having only owned the car for a fortnight. However, I reserve the right to change my mind if things start going wrong

HA HA ive owned mine a couple of months and up to now only one glowplug and an oxygen sensor failure, I reckon I am doing well eh, but hey who give a **** I love the shape:lol:.

Alfiebeard

ps I dont have airmatic or SBC thats probably why my glowplug and oxygen sensor packed in instead eh.