Mercedes-Benz Check Brake Pad Wear Message

Is there a brake pad wear message on your Mercedes-Benz dashboard? Learn what the brake pad wear message means and know possible solutions to solve the problem.

What does Check Brake Pad Wear mean on a Mercedes-Benz?

Check brake pad wear means that the front or rear breaks have worn and need to be replaced. The error message comes up when the brake pad material has worn to the minimum thickness, which means the brake pads need to be replaced.

As the brake pads wear out to minimum thickness, the wear sensor inside the brake pad comes in contact with the rotor, which then turns on the warning message.

How do you check brake pad wear on a Mercedes-Benz?

When you check brake pad wear on a Mercedes-Benz, you don’t know which brake pads need to be replaced. Most likely, your front brake pads need to be replaced, but you need to inspect the pads.

There are two methods to check which brakes are worn. One method is to use a Mercedes-Benz scanner and read the fault codes. The YOUCANIC scanner will show if it is the front or rear brakes.

The option is to remove the brake pads and inspect them for wear. You will notice that one set of brake pads may be more worn than the other.

In some cases, the brake pads may not wear eventually. The outer pad may have plenty of life left, while the inner pad is completely worn out. Check the inner brake pad, not the outer one, since the wear sensor is also installed in the inner brake pads.

How to reset Mercedes-Benz check brake pad wear?

Mercedes-Benz check brake pad warning message resets automatically once you replace the worn brake pads. There is no procedure to carry out to reset the brake pad wear. If you don’t replace the worn brake pads, the message won’t reset.

I changed the brake pads on my Mercedes-Benz but the check brake pad still comes up.

There are two common reasons why the check brake pad message comes up even after replacing the brake pads.

• You did not replace the brake pad wear sensor. Every time you change the brake pads, you must also replace the brake pad wear sensor on a Mercedes-Benz.
• The other set of brakes is worn as well. If you replaced the front brakes and sensors but are still getting a check brake pad wear message, your rear brake pads may also be worn and need to be replaced.

Other issues can prevent “check brake pad” warning messages from resetting, including damaged modules, connectors, wires, etc. Still, the most likely scenarios are wear sensor wasn’t replaced, or another set of brakes is also worn.

What is a Mercedes-Benz brake wear sensor?

The brake pad wear sensor alerts the driver that the brake pads need to be replaced on Mercedes-Benz. Depending on the Mercedes-Benz model and year, the wear sensors are designed to break or complete a circuit once the brake pad gets worn out,  enough for the sensor to contact the brake rotor.

Can I drive a Mercedes-Benz that shows check brake pad wear?

Once the warning message comes up, you typically have about 200-400 miles of life left on those brake pads. If you go past that point, the brake pads will wear completely.

In addition, check brake fluid level warning may come on if brake pads are not replaced on time.

Do all Mercedes-Benz wheels have brake pad wear sensors?

No. Mercedes-Benz cars typically have only two brake pad wear sensors, one per axle. Typically, there is a brake wear sensor at the front left wheel and another for the rear axle at the right rear wheel.

Can I reuse my old Mercedes-Benz wear sensors?

No. Once the brake pads wear, they also wear the insulation for the wear sensor. Once the insulation exposes the wire underneath, that sensor can not be reused.

If you replace the brake pads before you even get the brake-worn warning message, you will be able to reuse the sensor in those cases.

We hope you find the Mercedes-Benz Check Brake Pad Wear Message guide helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your Mercedes-Benz.