Just curious to see if it is really necessary to take the car to the dealership to change the brake pads or are they as easy to change as any other vehicle?? I know some cars require a special tool to remove the pads from the caliper, is this the case here.....or will I be fine doing this myself? Id figure id ask you guys before I even remove the wheel

 

You might be surprised that the dealership (stealership) will not do the work without replacing the rotors at the same time.
This is what they told me and it's fairly common. Of course. You can do it yourself with ordinary tools or take it to an independent shop and save a ton. They also will not "turn" the rotors. Of course. Also, they might tell you there is a brake pad wear sensor on each wheel. On my C230K, there's only one on the right front and it was only 7 bucks. I don't know about your specific vehicle. Hope this helps.

 

I'm doing the front brakes on my C230 today and will let you know. I found the same thing as mrcoyote, only one $7 brake pad sensor on the front right. Dealer wants $300 to do the brakes, I've got OEM pads coming in this afternoon for less than $100. Rotors are not grooved and show no signs of warping so I'm going to take a chance and not touch them.

Caliper comes off with 2 12mm bolts, it should be an easy job.

 

Yea I heard that the rotors on MB will be just like any other vehicle......change only when necessary. Now, let me get this straight, there is only one brake sensor??? Because when I went on a site to see how much they cost, they sold them in packs of four!!! Im just glad to see that you dont need no specialty tools to change them. Dexter......do let me know how the brake job goes. Thx

 

Pat>
you can buy a pack of four or just one. If you buy four, you will have three extras to make jewelry out of....perhaps a necklace or a nice wristband to really confuse people when they ask. Or maybe you could braid them together and come up with a leash for a small cat or other furry pet around the house. :-) No, really, of COURSE the dealership is going to want to sell you four and tell you there are four. 28 is better than 7 to them. Need to buy more ferns for the showroom, you know. Right front is the only sensor. At least on my '05 it is. Oh, by the way, my stealership quoted me $1,400.00 for a brake job with new rotors and pads and one sensor. WHAT A DEAL!!!!!!!!

 

I haven't taken the rears apart so I don't know about them but, up front, there is only a sensor on the right, front - nothing but the ABS sensor on the left front. I saw one website that sells a pack of 4 but, the sensors look different. The sensor you need is the 2nd one listed here: ThePartsBin Brake Pad Sensor I was able to get them cheaper at my local auto parts store.

I need to go pick up my parts now, might not get to it until tomorrow morning. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Dexter,
Please let me know how the brake pad change goes. I have to do mine next week, as the light just came on.
Where did you buy yours from? Thanks,
New 2000 c230 owner.
Ryan

 

I got my replacement brake pads from a local auto parts place but you can order them online from the link in my last post. By the way, the first sensor listed is the one you need. They looked funny in the picture but, I actually have them now and that cap in the picture comes off, it just covers the connector for shipping. You only need one for the front right, I hear there is one in the back too but I haven't had mine apart yet to check.

I didn't get a chance to install them today, maybe I'll take pictures when I do it tomorrow.

 

Good luck, keep me posted.
Thanks for the reply. Ever change the oil in your c230?
I am just wondering if the service light for mileage is telling me to change the oil only or if I
need to take it to a shop for the full diagnostics check. I think I'll change the oil and filter and
see if the light comes back on.

Ryan

 

I never had to change the oil because the normal maintenance for the first 3 years were included.

I did a quick search and found a procedure in another forum on how to reset the service stuff. I haven't tried it myself, let me know if it works:

1) Turn ignition switch to position one.
2) Press reset button on dashboard three times.
3) Voltage will display on dash screen.
4) Press down arrow key on steering wheel.
5) Use +/- and page up down buttons to navigate the menu until you find the confirmation selection.
6) Start the engine and you should see a message about reading the data.