MB Medic Mercedes-Benz Repair Guides, Service, How To DIY
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This guide provides instructions on replacing the rear brake pads on a Mercedes-Benz W210 E-Class.
These instructions apply to the following Mercedes-Benz W210 E models.
- 210.025 Mercedes-Benz E300 E220 1998-1999 From A379347; From X000001; w/ 1 Pin
- 210.055 Mercedes-Benz E320 1996-1997 From A379347; From X000001; w/ 1 Pin
- 210.082 Mercedes-Benz E320 1998-1999 Sedan; From A379347; From X000001; w/ 1 Pin
- 210.282 Mercedes-Benz E320 1998-1999 Sedan; From A379347; From X000001; w/ 1 Pin
- 210.065 Mercedes-Benz E320 2000-2002 Sedan; w/ 1 Pin
- 210.072 Mercedes-Benz E420 1997 From A379347; From X000001; w/ 1 Pin
- 210.070 Mercedes-Benz E430 1998-1999 From A379347; From X000001; w/ 1 Pin
- 210.070 Mercedes-Benz E430 2000-2002 Base
Tools Required
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Jack Stands: Best Selling Jack Stands List |
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Hammer. Yes, you will need one. |
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Pin Remover Removal Extractor Tool |
Parts Required
- W210 Rear Brake Pads. Ceramic Recommended 003 420 27 20 0034202720
- W210 Rear Brake Pad Wear sensors.
- Brake pad anti-squeal grease.
- Rotors (if you plan on replacing them).
Before you start, note that every entry in the list above is specified “w/ 1 Pin”. The rear caliper on these cars is held together by a single retaining pin, and that is the design the steps below describe. If you get the wheel off and find two pins at the back of your caliper, you have a different caliper than this guide covers and the pad set is likely to differ as well, so confirm the part against your VIN before ordering anything.
How to change/replace rear brake pads on 210 E-Class E320
- Break the rear lug bolts loose while the wheels are still on the ground. Then lift the car at its jacking point, set it down on jack stands, and chock the front wheels. Leave the parking brake off: it clamps the rear wheels, and those are the ones coming apart, so an engaged parking brake fights you the whole way through this job.
- Open the hood and remove the cap from the brake fluid reservoir. This will allow the brake fluid to return to the reservoir when you press the pistons into the brake caliper. Note the location on the right top corner marked with “Brake Fluid”.
Location of power steering fluid, coolant, brake fluid, and windshield washer. - Remove the rear wheels from your Mercedes-Benz W210 E320.
- Remove the brake pad wear sensor from the right brake pad.
- Use a hammer to remove the pin that holds the brake pads in place. As you extract the retaining pin, be careful not to hit the brake heat shield. If you hit the shield, you may bend it and cause it to make noise when you drive.
- Push the caliper piston back into its bore. The clean way is a piston press or a broad flat bar, which loads the piston squarely. With a screwdriver, bear against the old pad and never against the piston edge or the rubber boot around it: a split boot takes on water and the piston sticks solid a season later.
- Remove the old brake pads and clean the area where the brake pads make contact with the caliper.
- Install the new brake pads. Apply brake grease only to the pad backing and the contact points. None on the friction material and none on the rotor face. Install the retaining pin. Make sure to align the brake pads and install the pin by hammering it in.
- Install the wheel and lower the car. Make sure to tighten the brake fluid reservoir cap.
The last three things, and the first one matters most
Bring the pedal back before the car moves. With the pistons wound back, the pads are standing clear of the rotors and there is nothing for the first pedal press to push against. Sit in the car with the engine off and press the pedal over and over until it stops sinking and comes up solid underfoot. Then start the engine and check it again. Skipping this is how people roll out of a driveway with no brakes.
Put the fluid and the wheels right. Refit the reservoir cap and read the level, because pushing the pistons back sends fluid the wrong way up the system and the reservoir can finish higher than it started. Run the lug bolts up by hand first, tighten them opposite to opposite rather than working around the rim, and finish with a torque wrench set to the figure in your manual or from the dealer.
Go easy on the first drive. Fresh pad material has to transfer onto the rotor face before it grips the way the old set did, so leave far more room than usual for the first few stops and skip the hard brake from highway speed. Anything that feels soft, long or uneven after that is worth going back into rather than driving around with.
Video Rear Brake Pad and Rotor Replacement W210
Related Resources
Rear Brake shoe repacement.pdf Source:BenzWorld.org
Before you buy parts, scan every control module, not just the engine. It shows the root fault behind the warning lights and tells you whether the problem is still active. See how to do a full health check.
