Well, as you know I have been having problems getting the wipers off, so I have not been able to remove the cowl panel yet, but will try again on my next day off.

Another thing discovered about the moisture in my trunk is that I did confirm that my RR taillamp is allowing water to leak in, so I know I need a new seal.

Now, here is another discovery. There is water actually in my rear trunk lid. When I open it, I can hear the water sloshing and it will drain down the channels and sometimes spash out. Is it possible that one of the emblems on my trunk lid is leaking, or could it be that there was enough condensation to keep building up to collect all of this water in the deck lid?

I want to fix these leaks ASAP, so any info appreciated.

Unlikely your emblems - they are glued on.

Could be condensation, but that would be a lot of condensation.

Given the design of the boot lid, it would be hard to see how water is getting in.

One way would be to find someone you trust (a lot) get in there with a torch, have them close it and spray the whole area with a hose to see where it is coming in.

__________________
1988 W126 420 SE

beware of fundamentalists!

Ahhhhh..... I've just read on another post your antenna gromet is leaking!!!!!!!!!!

This may well be the source of your puddles!!!! You didn't tell us this before.

__________________
1988 W126 420 SE

beware of fundamentalists!

I am weary of getting in the luggage compartment with it closed, but i may give it a whirl. Oh, yes- my antenna seal is broken, so I think that is also part of the problem. I thought I had posted it here before. True about the water in the trunk lid, but it is full of water. Perhaps extra heavy condensations? We do typically have high humidity here.

I have been trying to get to the MB dealer to get that seal, but now I need a taillamp seal as well. Hopefully that will take care of the luggage compartment dampness.

As an experiment, and understanding that you have a tail light seal issue, why don't you try removing the antenna and sealing (temporarily) the hole.

Then hose down the top of the car (not the tail light) and see if you are still getting the water leakage.

You are going to have to take the antenna out anyway to replace the seal.

I'm not sure how much humidity you get, but I live in the tropics/sub tropics and let me tell you - we have humidity. I don't have condensation in my boot. I don't have leaks either - so I'll give you that.

Did you manage to clear the front window drains? Have you poured water down them to see if its coming out under the car or flooding into the footwell.

Sometimes tracking leaks is best done with 2 people and a hose and just track back where it is coming in. A bit of a pain and time consuming but sometimes the only way.

I feel for your frustration.

Cheers

__________________
1988 W126 420 SE

beware of fundamentalists!

Yeah, my antenna is broken as well, but I have a new one to install. Would be a good time to repair this.

I live in the "northern" part of the southeastern USA, where the humidity is usually high, unless a strong northerly cold front comes through then it lowers it for a while, but typically, it stays high year round, particularly in the
the southeast part of the southeast- especially Florida.

About the front drains- no, I have not had success. I tried to remove the cowl yesterday, but could not get the cover on the passenger side wiper to "flip" up out of place. I did remove that weather molding and get those little clamps off of the cowl, losing one between the firewalls in the process. . When I could not get that passenger wiper off, I gave up.

I never thought about "testing" it. If I pour water down that area and it leaks out under the car, does that mean that those drains are well?

Sure does

__________________
1988 W126 420 SE

beware of fundamentalists!

Splendid. That should be easy enough. If that is not it, then I would say that it would have to be coming in through the rear windshield glass.

OK. A little while ago I tried this "test". I poured windshield washer fluid down both of the drain holes on the "cowl" cover and water came streaming out of the drains on both sides UNDER the car. Does this mean that I can rule out that the secondary drains under the cowl are stopped up?

I still was not able to remove the wipers.

Absolutely!!!!! If its coming out under the car they are working.

However I had a thought the other night when I was lying awake thinking of other things (and trying to get my mind off them - no, nothing exciting!).

Do you run your A/C, is it possible one of your A/C drain hoses is leaking?

I recently had one of mine replaced as my mech said is was in a pretty perished state and if I had ignored it I would wind up with the system dumping the condensate into the footwell, from there it could travel back to the rear. Second idea - somehow it is dumping condensate into the vent where it is flowing down the vent and coming out under the front seat (you know the vents for the rear cabin).

I would still be trying the simple methods of identifying the leak point with a hose and 2 people before launching into dismantling things.

It may be your rear window seal - spray the crap out of it with the hose and see.

Cheers

__________________
1988 W126 420 SE

beware of fundamentalists!

I’m sorry to hear you had to spend so much time on the wipers. I have removed mine several times (leak and failing wipe mechanism) and they came off easily. Hat I did to find the leak was removing the rear and passenger seat and lift the carpet. This made it possible for the foam under the carped to dry as quickly as possible. I don’t like fungi in my car, except the eatable kind in a basket. After drying, with the carpet lifted as much as possible I took the car to a carwash. This revealed where the water was coming from, in my case it came out of the vent under the passenger seat. It did take a whole day, dismantling, drying with rags and electric heater, trip to the carwash, drying again, fixing the leak and putting everything back in. But it was 9 years ago and it completely dry inside ever since.

I did have two leaks in the trunk, the space behind the right wheel well filled up with water. After some frustrating attempts with as hose I tracked it down to a very small (6mm) round hole in the wheel well where apparently something had been attached. When driving though rain the spray from the wheels form a film of water inside the wheel well. This has so much pressure that a small hole results in an big leak
The other leak was under the rear window, the metal under the rubber was rusted trough. This is fixed by a body shop.
These leaks left the cabin dry, only the trunk was wet.

If the front wiper-area drains are plugged to the point you can not get a wire down them to clear, what are the options? I had no luck trying to push a wire up through the rubber boot on the bottom.

Thanks.....

Well, I suppose that I confirmed yesterday that mine are not clogged. I wish I had of known in advance that I could have checked them by simply pouring water in there and seeing if it drained.

Anyway, it did. I bought a gallon of washer fluid, so incase it was leaking in there, it would probably dry faster. I poured it on each side of the cowl and it came pouring out of those drain tubes that come out in the front fender wells. So, I am assuming they are clear. Too bad I lost one of the clips down between the firewalls. I need to find my magnet and see if I can fish it out. ROB - did you ever test yours by pouring water in the cowl area? I ask this, because I am wondering if that even thought it is draining out at the tubes, if water is still not getting in there somewhere.

So, I washed the car for the first time yesterday since I have owned it. After washing it, I opened the right rear door and it is clearly not leaking in there. It was dry all inside of the seal areas. I went on home, then I checked that floor again, because I was thinking it would simply be soaked since I washed the car. I was suprised that it was NOT sopping with water like it was before, but it was damp under the carpeting, but it was further over to the tunnel, whereas before, it was closer to the right side of the floor pan. At least it was not so wet that the carpeting was saturated with water. Now I am beginning to think more and more that it is my rear window seal leaking causing this. I still need to check out the sunroof drains on the next nice day. I ran out of time yesterday.

I went yesterday to my local MB dealer and picked up my antenna seal, so hopefully that will help stop some of the dampness in my trunk.

I did have a chat to my mechanic about yuor water problem.

He suggested lifting your rear seat lower pad to see if it is wet under there, if not - no rear window seal problem.

He was fairly convinced it was probably coming from your A/C dumping condensate into the vent which is traveling down the rear vent system.

Apparently the condensate drains (one on each side) can do this - he said he has been replacing these more frequently on 126s over the past couple of years.

Anyhow, lifting the rear lower seat pad will narrow the problem down.

Cheers

__________________
1988 W126 420 SE

beware of fundamentalists!

Thanks. I will check under the seat at the next chance I get.

I have not used the A/C since I have owned the car, as I bought in last month and have not needed it. Could it still be the problem despite that?

Thanks