Brake/Rotor question

2015_170

Active member
Hello Everyone,

I have a summer trip I am getting my Sprinter ready for and one thing on the list is to have my brakes done. I do not have a brake light on, but the Sprinter is new to me (had it for about 6 months now) so I do not know when they were last replaced.

I have seen the post on doing the brakes yourself and have thought about going the route but do have concerns about getting stuck since I full time in my van.

The dealership said parts would be $721.00 for front and rear Pads/rotors/sensor and $680.00 plus tax for labor.

Does $1,442.00 sound right? I am new to the sprinter game so the prices are a little shock to me
 
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NelsonSprinter

Former Nelson BC Sprinter
That's typical for a dealership, an independent Foreign specialist may be as little as $1000, and DIY as little as $500.
But 1st things 1st, take off the wheels and inspect the rotors and pads and see how much remains, sometimes only pads are needed, sometimes only fronts are needed, that changes cost dramatically
Everything at the MB dealership is a shock to the 99%,. MB considers the Sprinter a commercial van, companies can write off the cost from taxes
 
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2015_170

Active member
That's typical for a dealership, an independent Foreign specialist may be as little as $1000, and DIY as little as $500.
But 1st things 1st, take off the wheel and inspect the rotors and pads and see how much remains, sometimes only pads are needed, sometimes only fronts are needed, that changes cost dramatically
Everything at the MB dealership is a shock to 99%
Thanks for the reply. I am weighing heavily on getting MB parts and doing the job myself. I just fear getting stuck and since my van is my only car/home it makes me a little nervous. I am mechanical, but worry the rotors could be hard to get off and can only work on it at my storage unit.... and have to be out by night time
 

sailquik

Well-known member
The price is pretty fair for a dealer.
You can save $$ by purchasing the parts from Euro Parts SD or one of the online MB parts outlets.
It's fairly important to get the OEM quality in both the pads and rotors.
If you do it yourself you will need to purchase a set of E Torx female sockets (at least one for the
big bolts that the caliper slide and mount on.
But before that, why not get the tools to remove and re-torque the wheels and have a look at the thickness of the
pads and rotors.
You will need the tools eventually anyway, so may as well get the E Torx socket set, a big 1/2 or 3/4 Inch drive torque
wrench (3 series 2500's with steel wheels go 177 ft/lbs!)
Here are the torque values:
R Steel wheel bolts: 177 lb-ft (240 Nm) (3 series/2500's)
R Wheel nuts: 133 lb-ft (180 Nm) (5 series/3500's)
R Alloy wheel bolts: 133 lb-ft (180 Nm)
You will need a 19mm (?? I'm guessing here) 6 point flank drive socket (Impact sockets work the best) and
a long breaker bar to get the lug nuts or bolts loose initially.
The 2 stage hydraulic service jack under your passenger side floorboards will do the job, but many here like to
purchase some hydraulic jack stands for rotating their tires. You need to get the jack out and determine if it's
fully functioning in any case or you cannot change a flat tire.
You will also need to rotate your tires at 15-20K intervals. I believe your 2015 uses the 15 k interval which will really
extend the tire life if the front end is aligned correctly.
On Sprinters, the OEM brakes wear both the pads and the rotors at about the same rate, so if there is still some pad
left the rotors and most likely OK as well.
How many miles on your Sprinter and what kind of service was it in before you purchased it?
Sprinter brakes can last lot's of miles if the vehicle is driven correctly, but they can also wear out
fairly quickly in fleet service with lots of stop and go deliveries.
Is it a 3 series (316/319/2500) or a 5 series (516/519/3500).
Hope this helps,
Roger
 
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2015_170

Active member
Roger, Thanks for the post.

My sprinter is a 2015 3500 170 dually and was previously a Rider van. It currently has a little less than 124k on it (I only know this because I ordered a oil change kit/fuel filter/cabin and air filter (genuine MD parts) from ECS and plan to service it in the next couple of weeks before it hits 124k) and I do not know how Rider serviced the van.

I actually read a post from you saying to use OEM parts which steered me away from Euro Parts and to the MB dealership. I do like the idea of using MB parts since all other components are designed around each other. When I compared the MB Dealership part numbers to Euro Parts brake kits numbers not all of the part number lined up. It seems like Euro Parts is about $200 cheaper which would be great

The MB part numbers I got are attached
 

Attachments

sailquik

Well-known member
2015 170,
You got all the above parts traced to your VIN # at an authorized Mercedes Benz Sprinter dealer's parts department?
In general, Euro-Parts SD only carries OEM quality replacement parts.
I believe Steve orders many of these parts direct from the sources the factory uses in Germany.
Mercedes Benz, in Germany, doesn't make a lot of these parts. The actual manufacturing is out
sourced and packed in Genuine MB parts cardboard boxes.
Roger
 
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2015_170

Active member
Roger,

I emailed the MB dealership but did not supply my vin#, I only provided my van model and year. I can say that I have previously received part numbers from them for fuel filter/cabin and engine filter/oil filter and they did match what ECS listed (except ECS was a bit cheaper, especially for the MD oil).

I attached the part comparison, and I did compare the cheaper Euro Parts version also with no luck. I did call Europarts to talk about their products and the parts list, they did tell me the parts are not Mercedes, the rotor are made in Brazil, etc..
Thank you
Chris
 

Attachments

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dharmasprint

Well-known member
There are other sources of parts such as FCP Euro and Rock auto. Both sell OEM parts though with Rock auto, you have to be more selective. If you stick to a known reputable brand such as Zimmerman, Brembo, AC Delco or Raybestos, you can get equivalent quality parts to the dealership at a significant savings. FCP Euro also has a lifetime warranty on their parts including on oil, oil filters, brake pads and rotors. If you're on the east coast consider that option.
 

irvingj

2015 RT SS Agile (3.0L)
I've had very good luck with idParts, which I've used (some) for our 2015 Sprinter and almost exclusively for my 2005 Jetta TDI. They check out the parts they sell very carefully, it seems. They're also very good at giving advice; good folks, located in MA.
 

2015_170

Active member
I have been watching youtube videos and reviewing post on brake jobs, almost every one I've found isn't a dually. Does anyone have a good video on doing the front and rear brakes for a 3500 dually? I found one rear dually brake video on youtube but the fellow only replaced the pads and I am hoping to replace pads and rotors on all 4 corners
 

hein

Van Guru
No video but we had Freightliner in Portland do our pads and rotors at about 80K miles. They weren't worn out but had them done anyway. Found out later we needed calipers too because the pins/bushings were worn. Replaced brake fluid also.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan
541 490 5098
 

2015_170

Active member
No video but we had Freightliner in Portland do our pads and rotors at about 80K miles. They weren't worn out but had them done anyway. Found out later we needed calipers too because the pins/bushings were worn. Replaced brake fluid also.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan
541 490 5098
Hi Hein, This is Christopher in Colorado, I ordered my insulate and two maxxair van adaptors from you last year. I have been kicking around just doing the job myself and saving the 700 dollars in labor my dealership charges. I just havent found a good video listing the extra steps for a dually.

I have a Freightliner too :)
 

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