Anyone found a good way to keep leaves out of the engine compartment? Specifically in the hood hinges and under the battery tray area. How often do you clean those areas? I cleaned mine not long ago and did it again yesterday and it was packed with debris. That's how rust develops.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Can't imagine any good way other than a garage. When I notice the leaves, I scoop 'em out.

Just be thankful we live in New England with the beautiful fall colors. I lived for 18 years in a no leaf zone (Dallas)....now, even though I have to rake (and scoop), I wouldn't trade it for the world!

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14 E250 Bluetec "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 153k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 171k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

Leaves can hold moisture but the dust of the desert can cake in and also corrode the metal, I've found. My '78 300D came from New Mexico and had maybe 100+ lbs of compacted silt in various places in the car. In the engine bay, it turned to baked clay and I joke that it increased the structural integrity of the car.

Aside from garaging the car, weekly cleaning with a shop vac looks to be our only option.

Phil Forrest

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1972 220D "Trudy," named by a friend.

"The 220D sounds good... I suspect it is the only car that you need a calendar for, rather than a stopwatch, when doing acceleration tests."
Tom Abrahamsson

If you don't have a garage option but want to park under trees for the shade (or can't avoid the trees in your area) a car cover works pretty good. Covers can be a hassle -- you have to put them on and take them off, they get wet and heavy when it rains, they get stolen, the sun rots them -- but they do keep the leaves off.

I sometimes park outside under a Pin Oak (an East Coast tree, another undocumented alien) for a few hours rather than bring a hot car into the cool garage; it's surprising how much accumulates in just that short time.

Jeremy

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

For years now I've always wanted to try taking some chicken wire or fine window screen mesh and make covers for that firewall area.. I think the hinges would be the toughest areas but covering the rest would eliminate a good amount of debris from entering.

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(4/11/2020: Hi Everyone! I am still taking orders and replying to emails/PMs/etc, I appreciate your patience in these crazy times. Stay safe and healthy!)


82 300SD 145k
89 420SEL 210k
89 560SEL 118k
90 300SE 262k RIP 5/25/2010
90 560SEL 154k
91 300D 2.5 Turbo. 241k
93 190E 3.0 235k
93 300E 195k

I just get in there with the vacuum cleaner every time I wash/vac my car at the house.

Just blow it out with compress air. I have a 3 cars garage but I have too many cars so 2 are parked under a pine tree. I try to blow the pine needles out when I feel like it, which is not that often.

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Not MBZ nor A/C trained professional but a die-hard DIY and green engineer. Use the info at your own peril. Picked up 2 Infractions because of disagreements. NOW reversed.

W124 Keyless remote, PM for details. http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-used-parts-sale-wanted/334620-fs-w124-chasis-keyless-remote-%2450-shipped.html

1 X 2006 CDI
1 x 87 300SDL
1 x 87 300D
1 x 87 300TDT wagon
1 x 83 300D
1 x 84 190D ( 5 sp ) - All R134 converted + keyless entry.

I thought that is what those electric leaf blowers were for. I'm waiting for an aftermarket version labeled with "MB". ;>)

Another alternative would be an extra-long draft dodger. Similar to what they use under doors in the winter.

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

Even in Dallas, I have to keep an eye on the leaves. I would love to hear of a creative and non-destructive way of keeping them away. More importantly away from the blower resistor. I'm glad I had a fire extinguisher that day!

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1991 F250 super-cab 7.3 IDI. (rebuilt by me) Banks Sidewinder turbo, hydroboost brakes, new IP and injectors.
2003 S430 - 107K
1983 300SD - Tanoshii - mostly restored ~400K+.
1983 300SD - Good interior. Engine finally tamed ~250K.
Monark Nozzle Install Video - http://tinyurl.com/ptd2tge

Sorry, can't help you much...

Where I'm from, palm fronds are not typically a problem



And even our National Forests are mostly tree-less

Attached Thumbnails

   

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Current Stable

• 380SL (diesel)
• Corvette C5
• Manx
• Baja Bug
• F350 Powerstroke
• Auburn Boattail Speedster replica

The drain under the battery tray on my 85 was plugged solid with fine black silt, probably a mix of decomposed leaves and dirt. The opposite side also has a drain and is also plugged! It is hard to get access unless the ARV valve/ relay bracket is removed. I cleaned out both drains for now but a long term solution is needed. The problem is that everything drains into the hood hinge cavities (including the channel above the firewall, which then drains into a depression (with a drain) under the battery tray. The opposing drain on the driver's side can be easily inspected but the one under the battery cannot without taking the battery out, which is no small task.

The leaves come in via the gap between the hood and the fenders and hood /firewall channel. A seal of that gap above the fire wall (blocking the channel) and between fender and hood in the hood hinge areas would stop the leaves IMO.

Vinyl weatherstripping, the type with a hollow tube may work if it can be attached securely to the body. A mesh or screen would be difficult to implement due the the hinge arms.

As a test, I will tape the gaps in the areas mentioned, wait a week and check under the hood. I can afford to do this since the 300D is not my daily driver.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

I haven't tried this yet but I think this will keep the leaves out when the car is parked. I don't know how it would affect engine cooling though.

Leaves season should be here in a few weeks so I'll be able to test it.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Whilst leaves can be a pain their effect is nothing - nothing - compared with pine needles. It could be worse!

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

This should keep pine needles out too.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

living under a cover here. I roll it up front to back and store in the trunk then roll forward to install. I clean leaves every chance I get and vacuum them whenever the interior gets attention.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.