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Post by Roadrunner on Jan 9, 2024 13:51:51 GMT
Partly prompted by Alf's recent post regarding upcoming work on his car. The MOT and service are due on the Benz at the end of this month and, while the warning light had not yet come on, I was aware that the back brakes were well worn. No point paying a garage to do this when it is a relatively simple job to do at home so this was the scene on Saturday morning.  All straightforward, other than what I found on one of the rear tyres - a chunk missing out of the inside edge of one of them. Can only assume is was caused by a pothole or some debris in the road. Would have been almost impossible to spot with the wheel on the car, so at least it is an opportunity to fix the problem before it goes to the garage. A shame, since there is probably another 8 to 10,000 miles left on them, even allowing for the maintenance of good tread. Two new CrossClimate 2s ordered from Asda tyres for a total of £469 fitted, which was about £40 less than Blackcircles wanted. Being fitted by ETB. ETA. The filthy state of the car is due to it still wearing quite a lot of Herefordshire, which it picked up during an incredibly wet week over New Year. I think I must have brought back quite a lot of their soil and water to the Cotswolds. |
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Post by LandieMark on Jan 9, 2024 13:58:35 GMT
I did the brakes on the pickup last time due to Mitsubishi wanting over £500 for front discs and pads that cost me £125 delivered.
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Post by Roadrunner on Jan 9, 2024 14:01:15 GMT
Rightly or wrongly I didn't bother with the discs, since they don't have much of a lip on them. Genuine Mercedes pads £62.50 delivered, plus an hour and 10 minutes of my time.
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Post by Blarno on Jan 9, 2024 14:24:36 GMT
Home spannering, no matter how little, is always satisfying.
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Post by Tim on Jan 9, 2024 15:56:28 GMT
I bought front discs and pads for the BM pre-Christmas to ensure there was plenty of meat on them in anticipation of some high speed autobahning but the weather was so cold I booked it in to a local garage and got them to do it.
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Post by alf on Jan 9, 2024 17:08:35 GMT
Well done! I used to do mine, a long time ago - last time on a Pug 309GTi where the pistons had to be screwed back in, I realised after a lot of swearing and staring at parts on my drive on a Sunday night, that needed to be back in the shape of a car to take me to work the next day..... The Giulia has fly-by-wire brakes on separate left and right circuits. One issue the specialists and dealers often see, is a car where someone like Halfords, or a home mechanic, has changed the pads, where since the swap only one side of the car had working brakes.......................... I think I'll leave it to the experts, though the Boxster I would consider! Blarno would crack it, I'm sure. I still do bike mechanics but I have very limited patience for optional tasks going wrong these days, I'd rather use an expert. OR an Eastern European for house stuff (conscientious AND cheap). |
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Post by Blarno on Jan 9, 2024 21:42:01 GMT
Fly by wire brakes? Are they legal now? Seems odd to have separate left and right circuits, normally they are opposite corners.
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Post by alf on Jan 10, 2024 16:28:39 GMT
Fly by wire brakes? Are they legal now? Seems odd to have separate left and right circuits, normally they are opposite corners. They'd better be - the Giulia QF has been running them since it came out in 2016... They are weirdly hard to modulate for the very last part of stopping in traffic, otherwise you'd never know... |
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Post by Roadrunner on Jan 10, 2024 17:59:34 GMT
Fly by wire brakes? Are they legal now? Seems odd to have separate left and right circuits, normally they are opposite corners. They'd better be - the Giulia QF has been running them since it came out in 2016... They are weirdly hard to modulate for the very last part of stopping in traffic, otherwise you'd never know... The original version of the W211 E Class had fly by wire brakes. There were expensive maintenance issues with the battery system, so they reverted to a more conventional system from the 2006 face-lift. |
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Post by Martin on Jan 10, 2024 18:16:48 GMT
That’s good work and you were quick too. Just swapping 4 wheels takes me 45mins, although some of that is getting everything out and tidying it up.
That’s my limit when it comes to ‘spannering’, but I do admire anyone who has the patience (and skills for the more complex stuff) to work on their own car.…or house.
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Post by LandieMark on Jan 11, 2024 12:45:30 GMT
They'd better be - the Giulia QF has been running them since it came out in 2016... They are weirdly hard to modulate for the very last part of stopping in traffic, otherwise you'd never know... The original version of the W211 E Class had fly by wire brakes. There were expensive maintenance issues with the battery system, so they reverted to a more conventional system from the 2006 face-lift. I seem to recall that the SBS unit would only allow a finite number of pedal presses then it would simply stop working and need replacing at ludicrous cost. |
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Post by Tim on Jan 11, 2024 14:15:36 GMT
Was it Merc that proudly demonstrated their auto braking system to journalists where the demo car promptly ran into the back of the thing it was meant to be stopping for?
That would be around the same time
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jan 11, 2024 14:33:05 GMT
Fly by wire brakes? Are they legal now? Seems odd to have separate left and right circuits, normally they are opposite corners. They'd better be - the Giulia QF has been running them since it came out in 2016... They are weirdly hard to modulate for the very last part of stopping in traffic, otherwise you'd never know... I think all hybrid, and subsequently electric, cars have had some form of brake by wire system since the first Prius in 1998. |
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Post by clunes on Jan 11, 2024 15:46:06 GMT
Was it Merc that proudly demonstrated their auto braking system to journalists where the demo car promptly ran into the back of the thing it was meant to be stopping for? That would be around the same time I recall at the time this was blamed on the transition from outside to inside (a hanger or similar) where the journalists were seated and the other car was placed combined with smoke designed to simulate the fog but a quick google turned up this: www.theregister.com/2005/11/29/mercedes_brake_test_fiasco/ |
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Post by Roadrunner on Jan 11, 2024 17:28:16 GMT
The original version of the W211 E Class had fly by wire brakes. There were expensive maintenance issues with the battery system, so they reverted to a more conventional system from the 2006 face-lift. I seem to recall that the SBS unit would only allow a finite number of pedal presses then it would simply stop working and need replacing at ludicrous cost. Yes, that's my recollection too. |
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Post by Roadrunner on Jan 11, 2024 17:34:32 GMT
An efficient and painless experience having the tyres fitted at ETB. Fitted while I waited and all done in about 40 minutes.
While I was waiting, two customers came in to have Chinese ditchfinders fitted. One customer was offered Landsail tyres today, or they could get something cheaper tomorrow. I shudder to think what the 'cheaper than Landsail' option is.
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Post by Tim on Jan 11, 2024 17:36:13 GMT
Was it Merc that proudly demonstrated their auto braking system to journalists where the demo car promptly ran into the back of the thing it was meant to be stopping for? That would be around the same time I recall at the time this was blamed on the transition from outside to inside (a hanger or similar) where the journalists were seated and the other car was placed combined with smoke designed to simulate the fog but a quick google turned up this: www.theregister.com/2005/11/29/mercedes_brake_test_fiasco/I only ever remember the first bit, I'm guessing the reality wasn't revealed for a long time and not deemed particularly newsworthy. Anyway, I've somehow become the owner of 2 impact drivers which a re great for removing sticky bolts IF you can get enough access to get the socket head on! |
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Post by ChrisM on Jan 11, 2024 18:53:45 GMT
Was it Merc that proudly demonstrated their auto braking system to journalists where the demo car promptly ran into the back of the thing it was meant to be stopping for? That would be around the same time I think rather embarassingly it was Volvo: |
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Post by alf on Jan 12, 2024 14:45:55 GMT
An efficient and painless experience having the tyres fitted at ETB. Fitted while I waited and all done in about 40 minutes. While I was waiting, two customers came in to have Chinese ditchfinders fitted. One customer was offered Landsail tyres today, or they could get something cheaper tomorrow. I shudder to think what the 'cheaper than Landsail' option is. Good. ETB is wholly owned by Bridgestone, as is the company I work for, I have to use them for my staff discount tyres.... I also sold them our Telematics at one point and spent some time with their management until we realised their tyre outlets were unlikely to sell Telematics in a hurry, its too complex these days ( I just came back from two hours in Swindon discussing truck trailer EBPMS testing, tachograph downloads, and trailer weight monitoring equipment). Its very disappointing that Joe Public think budget tyres are acceptable - they really are not, all the tyre dealer networks drum test the ones they regularly sell and try and pick ones that disintegrate slightly less often at motorway speed than the others. The difference to tyres from a premium company is absolutely massive, in grip, ecological impact, and potential self destruction at high speed. |
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