I have a 2000 SL with 125000 miles, I have replaced the front disk brakes twice. The rear drum brakes have showed very little wear.


Upon replacing the front disk pads yesterday, I noticed that the rear brakes did not stop the car at all, I had not pumped the brakes to get the front cylinder to touch.


I then pulled off the drivers side rear drum and the pads look almost new. The inside of the drum was not shinny, like the brakes had been used. The parking brake still works... So I put the drum back on and pulled the access plug to adjust the click wheel, after a minute of trying to spin the wheel, I pulled the drum again, the access hole does not match up to the click wheel, looking at the brakes, the access hole is on the left, the click wheel is on the right....


There is no way to move the click wheel to the other side due to where the emergency brake connects. So I had to adjust the pads out without the drum on and then get a kind of snug fit.


It is the same for the passenger side, that drum still had the lock washer on the stud. I have adjusted both, so now the brakes work much better, the emergency brake does not come up as far as it used to.


So the brakes do not seem to be auto adjusting, and the access holes do not line up?


BTW I have ABS/Traction control, so luckily I have not had to use the ABS without any rear brakes.

 

Have you had this car since new? Have the rear brakes been changed? It
sounds like the left brake is on the right and visa-versa.

 

I have owned the car since it was new, the rear brakes have never been changed, every time it gets the safty inspection, they only check the drivers rear, and the pads have plenty of wear left.....





So if they are on incorrectly they came that way from the factory.