3 Signs your Mercedes-Benz Needs a Brake Repair

Good brakes are a primary safety feature of your Mercedes. When you drive, you have to be able to control your speed. You can reduce speed by shifting to a lower gear, but it’s not as precise as stepping on the brakes. Brakes, like any other mechanical device, can get damaged. When you need a brake repair, your Mercedes dealer is the place to go. For your safety, these are some signs you need to get your brakes checked.

Car Pulls to One Side

Pulling to one side can be annoying, but it’s also very dangerous. To keep safe when you drive, you have to stop exactly when and where you need to. There are several different reasons why your car pulls to the side, but the most common is a damaged caliper. Calipers are attached above your wheel rotors, and when you brake hydraulic pressure is exerted on the calipers. This pressure pushes the calipers against your rotors and causes your car to stop.

A caliper has a piston that forces it to close on the rotor. The position is protected by a dust boot, but if the boot is damaged water or mud can get into the piston and cause corrosion. A piston that’s corroded won’t be pushed back into its bore and this prevents the caliper from stopping the rotor it’s connected to. Another possible reason for a caliper failure is the caliper freezing due to lack of maintenance.

Vibration When You Brake

The strange vibrating sensation when you brake can be due to an unevenly worn rotor. Your rotors should be flat, but over time, the heat caused by braking can cause the rotors to warp. When you apply the brakes, the calipers should squeeze the rotors and stop your car. If your rotors have been warped, the brake pads will grab the rotors unevenly and this causes a vibration.

Our service technicians will check your rotors for signs of damage. If the damage isn’t too great, your rotors can be resurfaced to flatten them again. Rotors that are seriously warped would have to be replaced. We advise that your rotors are resurfaced or replaced in pairs to ensure your brakes operate equally.

Soft Brake Pedal

When you press the brake pedal you should feel some resistance, and the harder you press the more resistance you should experience. If you press the brake pedal and it has little resistance, your brakes need to be examined. The most likely cause is a leaking master cylinder. The master cylinder is responsible for supplying brake fluid to your brakes, and the fluid is held in a reservoir attached to the cylinder.

Brake fluid is used to generate hydraulic power for your brakes to work. A fluid leak will reduce the hydraulic force and your brakes won’t work properly.

If you experience any problems with your brakes, call our service department immediately at Mercedes-Benz of South Charlotte.