How to remove windshield "cowl" (air intake) on W126?
 

I was going to attempt to remove the cowl on my car today to see it the drains under there are clogged, but I do not even know were to begin. I know the wipers must come off of there first.

There are little plug looking things on the cowl itself, but they act like they do not want to pull off. Do these have to come off? Any guidance (step by step) in helping me remove this panel would be greatly appreciated!

I've looked through my manual and there is nothing to say how you get it off!!!

Have you tried pouring water down the corners and seeing if it comes out under the car before attempting to pull it apart??

If they are blocked, I would try feedind some thin wire down them (just through the plastic holes) and seeing if that cleaned them out before dismantling.

Just looking at it suggests it would be a major PITA with lots to take off - but perhaps others have done it.

Cheers

pull off the wipers, mark their position on the windshield with a marker, remove the rubber seal infront of the plastic cover, once removed you will see some metal clips remove them and the seal at the glass, it should come off fairly easily

Thanks! I am off on Tuesday. I will give it a whirl!

I had meant to ask- you said "pull off the wipers". Is it as simple as pulling them off? Any tool I should use to easily remove them?

I did not get a chance to do that on Tuesday, so I am going to try to get it this week.

Thanks again.

flip up the plastic cap, there is a 13 mm nut and a flat washer, once the nut and washer are off wiggle the wiper to get it off.

Hmmm... I do not remember seeing a "cap" there, but I will double check tomorrow.

Thanks!

Shew... tired.....
:sleeping3

it is at the base if the wiper where it connects, let me know if you need it i can post some pictures tomorrow from my 500 same setup as your 560

Yes, at the base of the wiper arm, where it attaches. It is obvious.

Haasman

The wipers are aluminum and stuck on what seems to be a stainless steel splined shaft. Sometimes they corrode a bit, I taped mine a little with a hammer and they popped. Don't go nuts or you will be buying a new wiper assembly.

Thanks. With all of the Christmas hustle and bustle today, visiting family and being visited by family and friends, I did not get a chance to get to that today. This morning was very nice- it was sunny and in the upper 50s, but by the time I got out around noon, it had clouded over and heavy rain showers rolled in. :(. Just in time to get my right rear floor wet again. :mad:

BTW- I noticed today that water was standing in my right rear taillamp. I guess those seals are shot too. :rolleyes:

OK. It is nice outside and I am trying to work on this. I removed the weatherstrip and the little clamps. Of course I ended up losing one down between the center of the firewalls. :rolleyes:

I cannot get anything on the wiper mounts to "flip" up to gain access to the bolts there. There seems to be a plastic cover on them and it will not pop loose.

Where exactly are these drains under that cowl? I may can pry it open enough to gain access to them. Thanks

To update, I got the driverside wiper mount cover to flip up. As mentioned they are plastic and very tempermental. It was a pain to get it to flip up. The passenger side was impossible to get to move. :mad: Also, as mentioned, I ended up losing one of the clamps between the firewalls. Now I am really frustrated because of that. I had my father helping me and he kept saying that he does not know how in the world that a stopped up drain there would cause water in the right rear floor, but I told him that is what I was told. I did raise up the cover a bit and seen some debris in there, but not that heavy. I was able to see the air intake for the heat/AC, but the leaves were not up to that level.

I am about to forget it and let that floor turn into a swimming pool. :mad:

Also- I "TRIED" to check the sunroof drains, but WHAT drains? I opened the roof and did not see any. Perhaps I am just to stupid to work on this car? :silly:

Hi 86

There is sort of a plastic mesh on either side of the cowl in the corners by the bonnet hinges.

Why don't you try feeding some thin wire down them into the drain holes and see if that cleans them out.

Cheers

Thanks. So the secondary drains are below the drains on the cowl?

Yup!

Excellent!

The sunroof drains are in the front corners of the sunroof. Open it up stand on the door sill and look under the lip, you will see them.

My car is outside in winter storage, so forgive me if I'm memory challenged here, but I think the drains are visible at the very rear of the right and left side of the sliding roof, when fully open. I think they exit just forward of the rear wheels (or just behind, I really can't remember), look like tubes. You can try compressed air into the drain holes and see if it blows out like it should.

Edit: Just read last post, and holes are in the front, not back.

I do recall discussing with a MB mechanic friend some time ago a water problem that he had spent some time on for a customer, similar to yours. He said that the sunroof drains sometimes leak into the inside of the rocker panel, and the accumulated water finds its way into the floor area. Checking this would entail pulling up carpeting though, but it might be the problem.

OK. Thanks. To verify a little something about the sunroof. If the drains were indeed stopped up, wouldn't there be water standing in there? I guess what I am saying is, shouldn't it be obvious whether or not it is stopped up? When I looked at it today, there was not even any dampness in there and we had a heavy rain about 3 hours before I had checked it.

Not so much a matter of them being plugged, but that the path for the water is straight through to the outlet, as opposed to a leak in the tube/pathway somewhere (rust, eg.) allowing it to exit inside the body (inner rocker panel, eg,). Perhaps someone who has had hands-on experience can clarify if the drainway is a steel tube, or a non-metal (plastic, vinyl) tube. If steel, I can see how a partial clog could allow water to sit long enough to rust through a small hole allowing water to get diverted into the rocker cavity.