Location Of W126 Rear Sunroof Drains - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Tom Evans · #1 01-16-2016, 04:31 PM

I need to blow out/ream the rear sunroof drains on my 300SDs. I have already done the front drains.

My question is the location where the rear drain lines exit the body? Are they somewhere in the rear wheel wells?

Any other suggestions about clearing these lines would be appreciated.

resto108 · #2 01-16-2016, 05:26 PM

I was thinking you could see them when you pull the trunk lining out. Try that.

INSIDIOUS · #3 01-16-2016, 07:44 PM

Just rummage around under. You should see all the outlets and be able to clean them out. Just do them all.

Jarod · #4 01-16-2016, 09:57 PM

ummm.... this is gonna sound weird perhaps, but whereabouts are you from?

You have the same name as me. Please tell me your middle name doesn't start with C lol.

Anyhow, maybe this will help?

W126 Sunroof rain leak...help me narrow this down.

seems compressed air is a easy potential fix

or harbor freight has a spring steel drain snake, part number 60523.
this link may work:
10 ft. Spring-Steel Drain & Trap Cleaner

Tom Evans · #5 01-17-2016, 11:46 AM

No, my middle initial is F. However, my sister-in-law lives near you in Oak Ridge.

Clemson88 · #6 01-17-2016, 12:13 PM

I use a heavy piece of week eater line to clear the passages.

Jarod · #7 01-17-2016, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Evans

No, my middle initial is F. However, my sister-in-law lives near you in Oak Ridge.

Glad to know I dont have a twin running around somewhere that I didnt know of haha.

If you're ever up visiting her, stop by and check out my fleet of diesels!

pgringo · #8 01-17-2016, 04:37 PM

I thought the w126 had no rear sunroof drains. Can someone post pics/info proving their existence? Please? I looked and looked on mine and could never find any in the rear. Only references to the rear w123 came up for me when web searching.

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Tom Evans · #9 01-17-2016, 04:50 PM

The Mercedes computer parts catalog shows drains at all four corners on the W126 and W123. If you were parked going up the hill and had no rear drains, the frame would easily overflow in the back.

I just want to find out where the rear drain lines exit the body so I can blow them out with compressed air or ream them out with something flexible.

Alec300SD · #10 01-18-2016, 03:27 AM

The rear sunroof drain exit points can be hard to find.

I took a couple of photos tonight showing where the rear sunroof drain tubes exit the body on my 1983 W126 300SD.

It was raining the photos are a little grainy with the poor quality cell phone camera.

The rear drains exit the body in the recessed space (between the rearmost lower body cladding and the side of the trunk) in the back half of the rear wheel well.

It is about as thick as a thumb in diameter and the opening is beveled by about 45 degrees.

I cleared mine by driving onto a single car ramp under the driver's side front wheel, opening the sunroof all the way and directing just a slow trickle of tap water from a used plastic water bottle towards the rear channel on the passenger's side.

This cleared the passenger's side drain with just a few bottles of water.

Then I moved the re-positioned the ramp to the passenger's side front wheel and cleared the driver's side rear sunroof drain in the same fashion.

If you have a blockage after trying the method I used, then I would consider using a blunt-ended weed trimmer filament to try and clear the line and/or compressed air.

I pulled an entire sunroof assembly from a 1980 W116 at the local yard, so I could dissect it and see how it is put together (before tackling the rusty, slow moving one in my 1978 W116 300SD).

As I recall, on the used sunroof I pulled, two of the four rubber sunroof drain tubes (one front and one rear) had failed because the rubber tube suffered dry-rot then cracked and split longitudinally where it fits the metal drain nipple fitting of the sunroof drain pan. This causes a leak to the interior, of course.

Hopefully, this is not the case for you. Good luck clearing those drains.

pgringo · #11 01-19-2016, 09:45 AM

Those pics are almost as good as the ones I've seen of a sasquatch. I'll check my w126 later this week.

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t walgamuth · #12 01-19-2016, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clemson88

I use a heavy piece of week eater line to clear the passages.

Me too. Works like a charm!

INSIDIOUS · #13 01-19-2016, 03:22 PM

Just brighten them up.

Junkman · #14 01-19-2016, 04:33 PM

The pics in the link in post 4 are of the front drains. I can see the attachment point for the sun visor. Note how the rubber drain attaches to a metal tube welded into the roof frame. The rear drains are in the same relative place only in the back.

My drains aren't even close to dry rotting or showing signs of deterioration and I don't expect dry rot to be a problem unless the car is from a location where rubber deteriorates faster than in NC, FL & TN.

You can access the drains with the HF snake by opening the sun roof and sliding the snake along the the rain gutter that runs along the side under the roof. You may have to remove the roof which is easy once you know how. Destructions are in the FSM and the roof simply unbolts and lifts out.

Alec300SD · #15 01-19-2016, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pgringo

Those pics are almost as good as the ones I've seen of a sasquatch. I'll check my w126 later this week.

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Agreed, grainy night time cellphone photos of a wet black rubber tube in the dimly lit recesses of the rear wheel well of a silver colored car makes it pretty hard to see much useful detail.

Better grainy daytime photos (still not perfect but better - with useful captions) are attached for your viewing pleasure.