I've had a terrible rain water leak on the drivers side of my '85 300td for months. The A/C condensation line was part of it. Found the info on the old coke bottle trick here on this forum and that was that for the A/C leaking. Still had a pile of water leaking in every time it rained. Replaced the boots that hook to the drain boxes [they were dry rotted anyway] and it still leaked whenever I poured water into the box on the drivers side. Took the cover off from under my dash and, with a flashlight, examined the underside of my dash to see if I could trace the leak. There it was, pouring off the steering column near where it goes through the firewall. I got under the hood and looked carefully at the boot that surrounds the steering column and it had a huge split in one of the grooves that wasn't visible unless you pulled on the boot. Took some silicone sealant [no, I didn't get any on the metal] and applied it to the boot. No more leak! Don't know why the water tracked UP the steering column, but it did. So, those that have rain water leaking in on the drivers side, check the boot. Hope this helps somebody.

Cheers,
Bill

yup, it will help me, as I have seen the tear, but not done anything about it yet.... Thanks

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46 WDX Power Wagon

84 300TDT daily driver

Any water getting inside? Maybe there is and you just haven't noticed. That factory insulation hides water well!

Cheers,
Bill

I've got one that recently popped up on the passenger side. It sounds like water is getting in where my blower motor is. If I take the car through the car wash and then after the first left turn on the way out, the motor makes weird noises (if it was running) and water drips onto the passenger side floor. Haven't had a chance to troubleshoot it yet, but I had already sealed under the battery tray once, but if this is coming in the blower box, is the water entering through the fresh air intake?

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

I had a lake in the backseat passenger footwell area...after checking around, I found the right side cowl drain (under the battery tray) was completed clogged up with flaky-leftovers of what was once my battery tray. the water was building up under the battery and then seeping into the car through the rubber grommets in the firewall. These cowl drains empty into the wheel wells...look for the grayish-black plastic drains, visibel from the wheel wells. Both of mine (left and right) were pretty well full of years of New Mexico sediment/mud. clearning those out (accessed from the wheel wells) helped the draining immensely (the right side drain gave off an interesting collection of red N.M mud and rust flakes from the aove mentioned battery tray. Anyhow, not more problems with water inside the car!

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1983 300D 218K miles

Could be. Maybe a hole there someplace? While doing my homework on my leak I read a thread that sounds like your problem. The fix was fairly simple. It was a bolt that had rattled loose from the mount on the wiper motor and the water somehow getting into the blower motor. Might want to check that and while you're in there clean out the crud that has accumulated.

Cheers,
Bill

If you will search on water leaks you will find tons and tons of info. The most common and the most obscure is cured by cleaning the drains under the hood hinge pockets and under the battery and master cylinder.

Have a great day,

thanks for the tip Bill, I have been meaning to get in there and track down a squeaking wiper arm.

The drains under my hinges are spotless. Not a leaf, let alone muck is allowed to converge under my hood.

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

[QUOTE=LarryBible]If you will search on water leaks you will find tons and tons of info. The most common and the most obscure is cured by cleaning the drains under the hood hinge pockets and under the battery and master cylinder.

Have a great day,[/QUOTE

Larry....When I did my search I surely found tons of info on the drains in the hood hinge pockets. First place I looked. Mine are clean.

I also found tons of info pertaining to the sunroof drain pan, door seals ,body drains, windshield leaks and a host of other places that can leak.

I did not find any info pertaining to the steering column boot. If you should happen to know the name of the boot, please post it. Thanks!

Nice hard rain here the other day so my fix got tested pretty well. No more leak thank God. That leak drove me nuts for months!

John....the center cowl part just under the windshield is removed by first removing the 2 phillips screws on either side, then by removing the rivets across the front [accessed under the hood]. The rivets have a little hole in the center. I took the correct size finishing nail and used that as my punch to poke out the pins that are in the center of the rivet. After poking out all 4, the remaining plugs can be pulled out Then I pulled the cowl off and retreived my pins. You'll be amazed how much crud is in there. *Good luck with the GTG. Be sure and post some pics!*

Cheers,
Bill

The tear on my boot is so bad that not even silicone sealant will repair it. Anyone have the P/N for this boot? I'm afraid this will require some disassembly of the steering shaft.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.