Hi all,
I'm a newbie to this forum but I have learned a wealth of knowledge so far. I've done a search for my question but have not been bale to find an answer. It's time for my front brakes to be serviced ( I have 23k on OEM pads and rotors) and they are cross drilled. My local delaer is telling me that I don't need the rotors turned but that they do need to re-drill the cross drilled holes because of brake dust build up. Does this sound right? I've never heard of such a thing and I'm hoping to get some feed back from all the informative people here. I appreciate your responses. Also should I stay with OEM replacement pads or do dealers carry other brands that don't produce so much brake dust. This is the first vehicle I have had that has produced so much brake dust.

 

NO NO NO!!!!!!! Do not drill or re-drill the rotors!!! I find it hard to believe a dealer told you that, but if he did, here is a great piece of advice: Don't walk, RUN AWAY FAST from that dealership. And don't go back for anything. They might try to sell you muffler bearings
the next time. Most places replace Mercedes brake pads with new rotors. The rotors are meant to wear "with" the pads. And they do, as you can see. Also, the pads put out a lot of brake dust, as you can also see on your wheels. This is just the nature of the particular pad being used. Look at a BMW some time. Same thing. Some dealerships will tell you they have a "newer" style less-dusty pad you can use. Others will say there isn't one. Independent shops seem a little more sympathetic towards the dust problem than dealerships.
There are aftermarket pads that are quite a bit less dusty, like EBC greens and others. If it were me, and brakes being probably the most important safety device on your car, I wouldn't cut any corners here. Do new rotors and new pads and let somebody RELIABLE
do it. And for all those people who are going to say, "Oh, I just re-use the old rotors" or "Oh, I just had them turned".........your choice.

 

mrcoyote........Thanks for the great advice. Let me see if I get this right though. You recommend replacing the rotors every time I replace the pads? I'm accustomed to having the rotors turned atleast once or twice before replacing them. Would you recommend turning the rotors whenever you replace the pads as long as the rotors are within factory spec? I look forward to hearing from hear. As a newb to Mercedes vehicles I'd like to get as much input from veterans as possible :-)

 

OK, let me see if I can clarify it a bit. But, remember, this is one of those topics whereby if I say you should do this or that, somebody else will come back and say, "Oh, I didn't do that and my car was fine". So.......this is MY experience only. I have had three brake jobs on my '05 C230K so far and the car has 130,000 miles. All three times the rotors were so worn with deep grooves that I replaced them with the pads as a "set". Mercedes typically recommends this for a variety of reasons, one of which I would guess is that there are fewer come-backs and return visits on brake jobs for problems due to rotors being turned instead of being replaced new, liability issues, pulsing brake pedal due to rotors not completely cut concentric, etc. And of course, they sell rotors. BUT, BMW does this as well, and I couldn't get anybody to turn my BMW rotors when I had one either. Same story for me, anyway. So, to answer your question, I have never had much choice in the matter because the rotors on my cars are pretty much shot by the time the pads are gonzo. On my car, the rotors are also cross-drilled. A lot of shops don't want to turn cross-drilled rotors anyway, so there you go. I got the idea to do it once and try it, but gave up going around begging people to turn rotors on my car and got the same story, so I gave up. They aren't that expensive if you shop around for them, but just remember to replace them in kind, so if yours are drilled, buy the drilled ones and do it right. I still believe that the brake system on your car is the most important part of the whole car, perhaps right up there with the restraint system and air bags. So, in my mind, this is not something to nickle and dime about. Maybe tires are right up there too, but that's another story unto itself. I hope this clarifies my experience and helps you out. And yes, I was used to turning rotors and drums on cars for years before I bought a BMW or MB too. Now I'm over it.