Brake Judder

CaptMike

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Hello folks,
some 6 months ago I had the brakes on my c220 avantgarde SE estate completely serviced front and rear, all pads and discs replaced etc. The reason for this was that the brakes had begun to operate unevenly and were worn.
After the service the brakes were better but not completely so and I was advised to bear with it for a while. The situatioin has now in fact worsened as they now judder, especially when the vehicle is loaded.
I get this chat from the servicing engineers about "how long the car has stood without being used" etc etc, when in fact I have been using it with the family on holidays, although it has had the odd week standing in the drive.
Am I to expect this problem to keep re-appearing every few months? If so I reckon there is either a design fault or a problem peculiar to my car. I can't afford to keep having the brakes done every few months.
Any suggestions as to how this problem can be fixed?
Mike
 

television

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Many a time new disc can warp or go out of true,,this has nothing to do with the car standing as the only thing that happens is that the cast iron disc soon rust over. This comes off on the first or second braking action of the day.

I think that you are being fobbed off,,if you feel it through the steering wheel then it is a faulty disc,if through the car then the rear disc.

Go back and tell them to sort it out as that is what you paid for
 

Birdman

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Judder can be caused by patching - uneven transfer of brake pad material onto the discs. Try four or five hard braking sessions from 60mph -10mph (usual safety precautions; and do not attempt full stops, see below) and maybe this will cure your problem.

Btw Holding the car in traffic on the footbrake when the discs are very hot (rather than applying the parking brake) is a good way to transfer pad material onto the discs unevenly and best avoided.

If you find this brake test cures the problem (ok we can only hope) try applying the brakes hard occasionally. Like engines, the braking system works more efficiently if it is occasionally pushed to (not beyond) its design limits (and the human body too, come to think of it!).
 

rpe2

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I had warped front discs on my old W210, changed them got 4k miles out of the new set before they too warped. Car used daily so just bad luck I suppose.
 

Stucoupe

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Judder can be caused by patching - uneven transfer of brake pad material onto the discs. Try four or five hard braking sessions from 60mph -10mph (usual safety precautions; and do not attempt full stops, see below) and maybe this will cure your problem.

Btw Holding the car in traffic on the footbrake when the discs are very hot (rather than applying the parking brake) is a good way to transfer pad material onto the discs unevenly and best avoided.

If you find this brake test cures the problem (ok we can only hope) try applying the brakes hard occasionally. Like engines, the braking system works more efficiently if it is occasionally pushed to (not beyond) its design limits (and the human body too, come to think of it!).

Ditto.

Whenever you get new pads and disc, bed those in too. That is braking firmly from 40 to zero a couple times, then from 50, then from 60 once, hard.

Whenever driving normally, avoid firm/hard braking on cold disc; this applies to any car, to help avoid warping mentioned by Television. After 2 minutes driving in town, they should be plenty warm.

However, you said new discs did not help entirely. I'd want to ensure they'd put the disc on straight.
 

television

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Any cast iron object can go out of true within a short space of time or if it gets too hot,, these things are guaranteed and you can take them back
 
OP
C

CaptMike

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  • Thread Starter
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  • #7
Gentlemen,
thank you very much for your excellent advice. In the end I took the car back to where the brake service had been done, and they have now put everything right with no fuss. The discs were indeed warped. I suppose Mercedes quality control let us all down.
Many thanks again
Mike
 

television

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Gentlemen,
thank you very much for your excellent advice. In the end I took the car back to where the brake service had been done, and they have now put everything right with no fuss. The discs were indeed warped. I suppose Mercedes quality control let us all down.
Many thanks again
Mike

In all fairness this is nothing to do with MB quality control,,just something that can happen to any cast iron object. Pleased it is all OK :D:D
 

turbopete

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also i always clean the hub face where the disc is held against. any dirt there could increase the chances of new discs warping. many garages i have seen dont do this and just keep changing discs under their warranty!
 

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