Been raining here in Atl for about the last week.

Opened the rear trunk tonight and water spilled down into the trunk area from *inside* the trunk lid where the hole cutouts are.

How the heck did water get in there!?

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Chris
1985 300SD - 'Grace' (198K mi.)
2018 Honda Civic Sport
2018 Honda CRV LX
2010 Honda Fit Sport (RIP)
2013 Honda Accord Sport (Sold)
1996 Lexus LS400 (Retired)
1995 Ford Contour SE (Retired)
1976 Porsche 914 (Sold)
1972 Datsun 240Z (RIP)

Maybe condensation? Sometimes if the temps cool rapidly enough, it will collect under the sheetmetal. But I would wonder if there is reason for more humidity in the trunk than there should be. I would check for accumulations of water under the spare tire and under the capeted panels on both sides of the trunk.
Gilly

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Try checking your license plate lights' gaskets.They dry out and become brittle.Good luck.

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Democracy dies in darkness, you have to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight

*bump*
I am having this same problem
this is a lot more than condensation...
my question...HOW?!

It could be a leaky rear window seal combined with how you were parked at the time of the massive rain storm. It has been raining here in Kentucky a lot too. Yesterday, I noticed where the water was getting into the trunk of my '83 300SD.

Just an idea.

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1983 300SD - OLLIE
1985 300D-HILDA (SOLD)
2002 VW Jetta TDI - Puddles
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Diesel passt mir leid!

I'll have to take a look later. Just from memory, I don't see how water is getting in there.

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Chris
1985 300SD - 'Grace' (198K mi.)
2018 Honda Civic Sport
2018 Honda CRV LX
2010 Honda Fit Sport (RIP)
2013 Honda Accord Sport (Sold)
1996 Lexus LS400 (Retired)
1995 Ford Contour SE (Retired)
1976 Porsche 914 (Sold)
1972 Datsun 240Z (RIP)

Check for junk collecting under the gasket at the top of the decklid, and for blockages at the sides were the water drains. If I don't keep mine completely cleaned out, it collects small amounts of water in the trunk.

Also make sure you don't have small twigs, leaf bits, or something similar on top of the gasket -- water will wick around things like that and run down the bottom surface of the deck lid.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

I wiped the gunk (only minor stuff...nothing making a small dam) out so we will see if that helps. I reseated the emblems eariler today and put a dab of sealent on the places where they press in to assure none gets in there...also cleaned the soot off the back end of my beauty lol
We will see if this helps any...hopefully so...the water is casuing mold problems in my trunk...having to keep from putting things in there
Feel like I own a cabrio!

Just happened to me a few weeks ago. Looked like it was leaking from the rear deck area. I checked to make sure it was not the seal for the trunk lid - it was good. Only thing left is the rear window seal. reading several posts here it seems to be a common problem with old mercedes - rubber ages and shrinks allowing water to get by. Mine looked ok, not cracked and dry looking, but you apparently can't go by looks. Ordered the rear window seal from Adsit (sorry Phil, they were cheaper). I called a couple of body shops that do restorations and/or work on older cars to get a recommendation for a glass outfit that could handle the old style seal with chrome trim like we have. They both said the same guy, called him and he installed my seal - rained for a couple days last week and no leaks

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'85 300D - 206K (sold)
'81 240D - 149K (sold)
'03 Jetta TDI - (sold)
'79 300D - (sold)