So what have you done to your car today?

[countrywoman]

Unless its an auto and they never get used and seize up come MOT time!!!

[Kevin Wood]

Unless its an auto and they never get used and seize up come MOT time!!!

Precisely. The only parking brake I have ever had any issues with is the separate one on the Omega.
It's not just lack of use. I used my parking brake religiously. The friction surfaces never do any work so are never wiped clean of rust. They never get hot enough to drive moisture away and so on...

[Marks DTM Calib]

.....
Next job is the rears.

Guessing it'll have a silly leccy hand/parking brake .... if so, is it easy to tell the car to wind the caliper off?
You can tell my ML via the dash cluster as well as via  diag box .... it told me just this week I need brake pads, which I assume are the rears cos I did the fronts last year.

The ML will have traditional handbrake shoes * so a rear pad change should be straightforward.

* Because, for all their faults, Mercedes engineers understand that where the parking and service brakes are separate, they are actually better.

Not so on many of the later ones, they switched when everyone else did.

The most recent car I have seen with drum in disc parking brakes was a 2021 Kia Sportage (which was quite a surprise!)

[Doctor Gollum]

.....
Next job is the rears.

Guessing it'll have a silly leccy hand/parking brake .... if so, is it easy to tell the car to wind the caliper off?
You can tell my ML via the dash cluster as well as via  diag box .... it told me just this week I need brake pads, which I assume are the rears cos I did the fronts last year.

The ML will have traditional handbrake shoes * so a rear pad change should be straightforward.

* Because, for all their faults, Mercedes engineers understand that where the parking and service brakes are separate, they are actually better.

Not so on many of the later ones, they switched when everyone else did.

The most recent car I have seen with drum in disc parking brakes was a 2021 Kia Sportage (which was quite a surprise!)

Perhaps, but thought Andy has a W164 ML which definitely has the drum handbrake set up....

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Yeah, but never mind that.
Whats the best course of action to fix my leaking thermo switch on the Rad ?
Replacement switch ?  (if still available)
Is there an O ring that could be changed ?
Gasket goo ?

[countrywoman]

Fibre washer.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Might have one in the shed I can try that with. 

[STEMO]

Might have one in the shed I can try that with. 

Buy one of these, Albs, always handy

Arctic Hayes Plumbers Fibre and Rubber Washer Kit https://amzn.eu/d/bf4yaKN

[Doctor Gollum]

The switches should be readily available, but it's possible that it's the plastic tank that has split. In which case a new radiator is in your future...

[Andy B]

.....
Next job is the rears.

Guessing it'll have a silly leccy hand/parking brake .... if so, is it easy to tell the car to wind the caliper off?
You can tell my ML via the dash cluster as well as via  diag box .... it told me just this week I need brake pads, which I assume are the rears cos I did the fronts last year.

The ML will have traditional handbrake shoes * so a rear pad change should be straightforward.

* Because, for all their faults, Mercedes engineers understand that where the parking and service brakes are separate, they are actually better.

Unfortunately not. the R Class before it was ie top hat disc/drum set up as per an Omega & Senator, but this W166 ML uses a leccy parking brake on the disc. You tell it via the dash cluster similar to Alan's VAG above.
I've never needed to look, but wiill have to do sooner rather than later.

edit .... what Mark said 

[Doctor Gollum]

Finally got around to adjusting the other side of the handbrake. It now holds most of the bulk stationary.

Also replaced the NSR abs sensor. Now have fully functional braking/stability/cruise again.

[Doctor Gollum]

.....
Next job is the rears.

Guessing it'll have a silly leccy hand/parking brake .... if so, is it easy to tell the car to wind the caliper off?
You can tell my ML via the dash cluster as well as via  diag box .... it told me just this week I need brake pads, which I assume are the rears cos I did the fronts last year.

The ML will have traditional handbrake shoes * so a rear pad change should be straightforward.

* Because, for all their faults, Mercedes engineers understand that where the parking and service brakes are separate, they are actually better.

Unfortunately not. the R Class before it was ie top hat disc/drum set up as per an Omega & Senator, but this W166 ML uses a leccy parking brake on the disc. You tell it via the dash cluster similar to Alan's VAG above.
I've never needed to look, but wiill have to do sooner rather than later.

edit .... what Mark said 

Fair enough, didn't realise you went that new after the R Class.

[Andy B]

Unless its an auto and they never get used and seize up come MOT time!!!

I wouldn't ''never'' but I rarely use it. Used when parking on a hill or when hitching up the wobbly box 

[Andy B]

....
Fair enough, didn't realise you went that new after the R Class.

A 14 plate is hardly 'new'  though I've had it 6 years now

[Doctor Gollum]

....
Fair enough, didn't realise you went that new after the R Class.

A 14 plate is hardly 'new'  though I've had it 6 years now

Apparently the W166 started in 2012