mL320 caliper sticking

Ajross

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Having issues with dealer about real reason for brake failure...on my w164 2007 My rear brakes got stuck leading to one rear wheel getting red hot. Merc sent out recovery who told me the caliper was stuck and brake pad worn. (All pads were previously around 40% worn) It was recovered and dealer said as they released Pad, Pistons went Back in caliper on their own so no caliper issue. I was told different reasons for it happening - damp pad with grit between pad and holder then told it was corrosion. So recommendation to have new pads discs and brake fluid change on rears... Had no choice but to have done... Drove home and same issue wheel and disc hot and all other 3 wheels cold !!!!!
So recovered again and now dealer says despite road testing no issue found ???
I have extended warranty with merc but they say not proven caliper failed?
Could this be intermittent sticking with caliper ? Any ideas ?
Not happy with service I've received and car now with dealer for over a week !!!
 

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With these sliding shoe type of caliper there are 3 main points to check.

Take the screw pin out completely and clean it and lubricate with PTFE

If the piston is rusty, then replace the caliper.

The removable part when the pins are out must be checked and cleaned, the outer pad must be a loose fit, you make this loose by scraping out the grooved channels both top and bottom so the the pad can move freely, failure to do any of the above will cause excessive wear, and it will get hot.

There is nothing more to it .
 

panason1c

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Sounds possibly like a ESP or ABS fault to me where the ecu is applying brake to that particular wheel for whatever reason.

Are the tyres all evenly worn and at the correct pressures?, is the reluctor ring on that particular wheel split or damaged?
 

yorkshire1

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another instance of dickheads diagnosing faults,and charging for parts not needed without an inkling of thought being put into the symptoms, theres no way replacing the pads/discs was going to cure the fault, chances are if the new discs get hot enough itll wreck them aswell

not sure whether the wizardry can randomly apply pressure to a corner but as Malcolm those are your true issues from a mechanical perspective
 
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Ajross

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thanks for you replies. I will challenge them on it again today.... tyres are fine as far I know... Technician has been taking car home to do longer road test etc and I cant understand why it isn't doing the same for them as it did for me.
2 weeks car has been gone now. Initially it was there due to the car intermittently driving like a kangaroo, but they could not get it to do it whilst there so that is still potentially an open issue! It was then on the drive back from dealer, I had the rear wheel issue so I was fuming! After much argument with Service Mgr, I managed to get the labour for free, so £600 to change brakes/fluid came down to £300.
When I then complained wheel still getting hot and why have I paid for brakes I didn't need, they instantly offered a refund, but that has yet to be processed...... Given they say they cant find any issue now, not sure if they will or not. I have an open complaint with head office too. I just want them to fix it, I have a week away with kids at easter and have visions of being parked up on motorway with same issue !
 

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Hard to understand how one can get this so wrong, other than the mechanical side, if it was a BAS thing a fault code would be registered.
 
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Ajross

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6 months on, 3000 miles later, I have same problem, same wheel getting hot. Garage tells me caliper all ok. Issue is due to hand brake cable, causing brake to be applied on one wheel and that the cable should be replaced. They have suggested all 3 cables be changed given the age of the car as they may also go at some point. £660 bill. No goodwill from Merc and Extend Warranty refused as classed as wear and tear. With only 70,000 miles I have challenged them on whether this is really wear and tear, especially as we don't use the handbrake very often. I am not convinced its the solution. Anyone else had this issue come up?
 

kid-jensen

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Don't tell them you don't use the "handbrake" very often!

I can just imagine the mechanic sucking air past his teeth and saying "no wonder"..
 
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Craiglxviii

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Tell them to fcuk right off as you do not accept their conclusion. Tell them that 70k is unacceptable mileage for handbrake cable failure, that they still owe you an offered refund that has not yet been forthcoming, that their handling of the affair has been slipshod, that they have taken an inordinate amount of time to sort things out not yet to your satisfaction, and that they still have been unable to explain the sticking caliper.

Go in and see the service manager and really lose it with him, loud and verbally, in the showroom. Threaten to tell each and every customer there how crap the service is if he doesn't back down and fix this for you, as you're so angry. I suggest using the words, "If you don't get this done under my extended warranty, I am going to tell everyone here exactly what that warranty and your service standards are worth!" If he calls your bluff, do it. What do you have to lose?

Makes my blood boil reading this sort of thing, if you can't tell.

NB- yes I have done exactly what I suggested. Yes it works- I've emptied an Orange store before for refusing to replace a memory card that failed when a week old (when memory cards were really pricey).
 

grahamcol

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I had this happen just once on my "new" 202 purchased 18 months ago from my friend. 68k miles on the clock and the n/s/r disk was extremely hot to the point it boiled the brake fluid causing almost no braking action at the pedal. Sent it to my indy who never found out the cause and it has not done it since (or before).
I had something similar with a mk4 Golf. One of the rear brakes was apt to bind quite often and the VW dealer replaced the rear caliper under warranty. It continued to get hot afterwards and I eventually sold the car. I was of the opinion there might have been a fault with the master cylinder ?
Good luck to the op.
 

Craiglxviii

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I too had this issue with my Mk.IV Golf TDi. Faulty rear caliper was causing the pads to bind. New caliper fixed it.
 
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Ajross

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thanks! I should have added, this dealer is a different one. I had the car 'fixed' in March and since has been ok. I then took to a different dealer as again same wheel getting hot. The rolling road showed the wheel is stick when the hand brake is applied. But I understand the hand brake is on a different system so I don't understand how by applying the brakes it causes the handbrake to stick. I am going to have a look at it and talk to the technician. They cant see to tell me why I need all 3 cables to be replaced when only one is supposedly causing the problem. The previous dealer has told me they will look at it and not charge me diagnostics. so in a rock and a hard place, I either believe this dealer or take to the previous one for a second opinion. I don't really trust either!
 

Craiglxviii

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Why not get a recommendation from here for a quality indy in your area, and get a third opinion? Getting it on the ramp, followed by a brake strip and disassembly shouldn't cost much compared to the 600-odd you'd been quoted before.
 
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Ajross

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thanks, any indy recommendations for the Birmingham or Warwick area?
 

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Jay Manic is very good in Nuneaton.
 

Xtractorfan

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Mls do have problems with brake calipers, our 2007 Ml 420 has had 2 brake calipers fitted, the previous 2005 ML had also 2 calipers fitted... and believe me I dont fit new expensive items if the old items can be freed or serviced.. they would work ok for a week or so if freed out and serviced.
Just recently Left hand rear wheel got hot because the MOT suspension shaker caused a handbrake shoe spring to come loose.
 

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