1982 300CDT 235k odometer broken, this is my first MB and first diesel. I think I'll stay with these diesel cars forever. Here's my problem. Rear floor board, drivers side fills with water when it rains. Car doesn't have to be moving for this to occur. I've also noticed rust on the drivers side door bottom and rear quarter panel. Do these symptoms give anyone an indication as to where I should begin looking to stop the water leak or is rust in these areas typical?
East coast car.

EDZ,

I fought this one for years. I asked everyone that may have a clue as to how to fix it, and NEVER got anywhere. Finally, about a month after discovering mercedesshop, I got the answer that worked for me.

Raise the hood and clear the drains underneath the hood hinges. There is a drain in the hood hinge pocket itself, and a drain between the upright brace that sits between that pocket and the inboard portion of the fenderwell. Once it drains to the fenderwell inboard, under the master cylinder and battery, there is another drain in those locations. Clean those drains and the drain that joins these underneath that vertical brace.

I used a highly precision tool for this task called baling wire. I expect that for city people, an equally precision tool could be fabricated from a coathanger.

Ever since I did this about a year ago, the back floorboards have stayed absolutely dry.

Good luck,

------------------
Larry Bible
'01 C Class, Six Speed
'84 Euro 240D, manual, 533K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
'81 300D Daughter's Car
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles

Larry is right. I learned this procedure by reading this forum. My wife was complaining about water on the passenger floor.

I followed the procedure with a coat hanger and a bunch of dirt and debris fell out. If you look in the back side of the wheel well, you'll see a vertical plastic tube shape about an inch in diameter and three inches long.

This is where the wire should poke through. Mine was so clogged, I had to pull the plastic back and help the dirt out.

Since then, we've had alot of rain and no leak!

This forum is great!

Mr. BILL

90 300SE
85 300D
84 300SD (sold)

Mr. Bill,

If it's been out of the garage in the last week and didn't leak, I believe you've got it made. As bad as we needed all this rain, I'm ready for it to stop.

It was snowing when I left the house this morning.

Have a great day,

------------------
Larry Bible
'01 C Class, Six Speed
'84 Euro 240D, manual, 533K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
'81 300D Daughter's Car
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles