The brief
The C180 came in with two jobs: the front brakes due, the pads worn and the discs scored, and the battery getting on, slow to crank. The owner wanted it done with genuine Mercedes parts, which on a car like this is the right call, and having both sorted in one visit is the efficient way. The front brakes do most of the stopping, the pads are the wear item and the discs they clamp wear and score, and once the pads run low it's pads and discs together. A tired battery doesn't get better, it gets worse, until the morning it doesn't start, and on a Mercedes the new one has to be registered to the car's energy management so the charging system manages it correctly. So it was a front brake axle set plus a battery replacement, both done properly.
The diagnosis
On the lift the front pads were worn near the end and the discs scored and below minimum thickness, the calipers and slides fine, the rears with life; and the battery test had it down, failing the load test and unable to hold voltage, the alternator charging fine. So it was a front brake axle set, new genuine Mercedes pads and discs both sides, and a battery replacement, the correct type, fitted and registered.
The work
Both front discs and the worn pads were removed, the hubs cleaned, the calipers and slide pins cleaned and greased, and a new genuine Mercedes-spec set of front discs and pads fitted and bedded in. The old battery was removed and a new genuine Mercedes battery of the correct type fitted, the terminals cleaned and the clamp torqued, then registered to the car's energy management and the low-voltage faults cleared. A road test confirmed quiet, even, progressive front braking with a firm pedal, and a strong, clean crank with steady voltage.
The outcome
Sharp, quiet front braking on a new axle set, a strong start on a fresh battery registered to the car, and both jobs off the list in one visit. The C180 went home sorted. Worn brakes turn into scored discs and a tired battery into a no-start, so catching both and doing them properly with genuine parts kept them from becoming roadside problems.
