Gordon R Posted September 5, 2022 Report Share Posted September 5, 2022 (edited) Put new discs and pads all round on my lad's CLS 350 Merc today. Quality motor - do me a favour. Whoever designed the rear braking / suspension system wants a kick in the backside. 18MM bolt holds rear caliper, but the bolt head is covered by the rear anti roll bar. Had to use spanners and low access sockets. Just designed to make life awkward. Put car in maintenance mode, but only one rear caliper retracted. The other wouldn't retract, but then pushed the piston out of the caliper. Had to bleed brakes. Absolute joke. A two hour job turned into 6 hours. This on a relatively new motor - less than three years old. Edited September 5, 2022 by Gordon R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted September 5, 2022 Report Share Posted September 5, 2022 8 minutes ago, Gordon R said: Put new discs and pads all round on my lad's CLS 350 Merc today. Quality motor - do me a favour. Whoever designed the rear braking / suspension system wants a kick in the backside. 18MM bolt holds rear caliper, but the bolt head is covered by the rear anti roll bar. Had to use spanners and low access sockets. Just designed to make life awkward. Put car in maintenance mode, but only one rear caliper retracted. The other wouldn't retract, but then pushed the piston out of the caliper. Had to bleed brakes. Absolute joke. A two hour job turned into 6 hours. This on a relatively new motor - less than three years old. eerrrr..............Toto Wolf ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted September 5, 2022 Report Share Posted September 5, 2022 They design them so you have to use a main dealer. All sealed parts and laptops these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted September 6, 2022 Report Share Posted September 6, 2022 12 hours ago, Gordon R said: Put new discs and pads all round on my lad's CLS 350 Merc today. Quality motor - do me a favour. Whoever designed the rear braking / suspension system wants a kick in the backside. 18MM bolt holds rear caliper, but the bolt head is covered by the rear anti roll bar. Had to use spanners and low access sockets. Just designed to make life awkward. Put car in maintenance mode, but only one rear caliper retracted. The other wouldn't retract, but then pushed the piston out of the caliper. Had to bleed brakes. Absolute joke. A two hour job turned into 6 hours. This on a relatively new motor - less than three years old. But how many miles? Must be considerable, surely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted September 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2022 30k miles - warning light came on to say rear pads low. Mercedes garage said it needed discs and pads all round. In fairness a small lip on discs, but pads were well down. I would have gone with new pads, but my lad wanted the lot done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centrepin Posted September 7, 2022 Report Share Posted September 7, 2022 They also use 18mm because most spanner and socket sets don't include them and have to be bought seperate. All pushing towards main dealer doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted September 7, 2022 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2022 I have sockets and spanners from 4mm to 41mm, plus some really large sizes. I have, but rarely used, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29, 31 and 33mm. They have been used about once each on various cars / motorbikes. I did wonder why manufacturers used those uncommon sizes, when the most common are 22, 24, 27, 30 and 32mm, so you might well be right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countryman Posted September 10, 2022 Report Share Posted September 10, 2022 I had an ml and that had an add Blue issue, only Mercedes’ could put it right, £1200. I now have a Range Rover Sport supercharged, what could possibly go wrong. I pray to the Landrover Gods each morning before I press the start button. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wylye Posted September 10, 2022 Report Share Posted September 10, 2022 Had a gearbox failure on an E Class this year - 3 weeks out of warranty and I hadn't extended it. Cost to repair was £1800 and the dealer refused to discount the price. Long story short, I managed to get £800 back from them. This was on a three year old car with 25K on the clock by the way. My own fault I know, I should have taken out the extended warranty. Left a nasty taste all the same. I sold it in the trade for what I paid for it a year earlier. Back to BMW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted September 10, 2022 Report Share Posted September 10, 2022 What do you expect from something named after a woman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted September 13, 2022 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2022 Eldest lad turned up tonight with his 72 plate Merc EQC 400 AMG - the nicest wheels I have ever seen. Had a quick peak under the bonnet - couldn't resist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scouser Posted October 2, 2022 Report Share Posted October 2, 2022 On 13/09/2022 at 23:19, Gordon R said: Eldest lad turned up tonight with his 72 plate Merc EQC 400 AMG - the nicest wheels I have ever seen. Had a quick peak under the bonnet - couldn't resist. had a good look, but find the S U carbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted October 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2022 Had 114 cars, most of which I could do anything on them. You can't touch a thing on these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted October 2, 2022 Report Share Posted October 2, 2022 1 minute ago, Gordon R said: Had 114 cars, most of which I could do anything on them. You can't touch a thing on these. I have also had lots of cars and thought it would be nice to get a model of each of them but I doubt I would remember them all. I started with Singer Chamois, Triumph Herald, Triumph 1300, Hilman Avenger and then an Opel Ascona. I used to work on them all upto the Opel but then work took over and I lost touch with all of it. I doubt I could do much beyond a service. Interesting now with my boat (yanmar diesel) I am having to re learn all of the things that I had long forgotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted October 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2022 oowee - I dropped an engine into a Triumph Herald yesterday. A friend is building a kit car - Fairthorpe - which uses Herald chassis, engine and running gear. I am unimpressed with Heralds - chassis seems very thin gauge, rear suspension was leaf spring (across the back) - now trailing arms and coil over shocks. The gearbox output shaft and crankshaft rear do not have any oil seals, but a screw thread oil return system. Having built a couple of kit cars, this is not a model I would have chosen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted October 2, 2022 Report Share Posted October 2, 2022 41 minutes ago, Gordon R said: oowee - I dropped an engine into a Triumph Herald yesterday. A friend is building a kit car - Fairthorpe - which uses Herald chassis, engine and running gear. I am unimpressed with Heralds - chassis seems very thin gauge, rear suspension was leaf spring (across the back) - now trailing arms and coil over shocks. The gearbox output shaft and crankshaft rear do not have any oil seals, but a screw thread oil return system. Having built a couple of kit cars, this is not a model I would have chosen. I remember lifting the engine out of mine standing on the suspension tops with a strap across my back. 🤣 things you do when your young. Made mine more powerful upgrading the engine to one from a spitfire and running it without an air filter. 🤣 It was definitely carp but so much better than the imp, in that it would start in the morning. I quite enjoyed fixing them back and buying a haines manual for each car I owned. 😊 Building a kit car was a dream out of my price bracket at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centrepin Posted October 3, 2022 Report Share Posted October 3, 2022 11 hours ago, Gordon R said: Had 114 cars, most of which I could do anything on them. You can't touch a thing on these. Which is one of the reasons my latest car is on lease, everything that happens or needs doing is someone else's problem and I get a loan car while they suck air through their teeth, twiddle their fingers and leave it to someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted October 3, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2022 I have done little on my own car as it is under warranty, but done loads of brakes, discs, suspension, intercooler etc on friends' cars. I have also been doing a few days a week at my daughter in laws nurseries - the list of building work is endless. Sadly work on my latest CR500 AF Honda has ground to a halt. My youngest has slipped a disc and has retired from motocross, so the Suzuki RMZ 450 and two Honda CR500 AF's will be going. I haven't the enthusiasm to finish the second Honda, as I know he won't be riding it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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