anyone know what this is? (w124)
 

hey everyone... last night i pulled apart the carpeting on the side of my center console (driver's side). i noticed a foamy tube with a wire spring in it that appears to be broken. anyone have any idea what this is? and should it be repaired?

first picture is a closeup, 2nd is zoomed out a bit. it's a 1995 E320 wagon.

cheers
eric

That is the drain tube for the A/C.

I second that -

Because I did not find one around I replaced a crumbling ( foam) drain with a regular rubber hose. has been working fine for three years now.

so the idea is that it drains any condensation produced from the AC?

is it i necessary to replace? i imagine if you don't replace it, and you use the AC a lot, you'd end up with water in the floorboards?

I have a wagon just like it. It's the drain tube alright. There's a pair: The other one is on the passenger side. You should replace it. Any rubber hose will do. When you operate the A/C, water collects on the evaporator. Lots of water if you live in a hot, humid place. If you have gravity (what's that?) the water will run downhill. As an alternative you can remove all the carpeting and the felt until you have a bare floor. Then you wipe up the water using my special absorbent towels. Looks like Kleenex. I can supply it to you for $500.00 per roll of 20 towels. I'll write "Mercedes" on it.

hahaa. funny! okay. sounds like a good idea. ill get it replaced eventually. i live on the beach in Los Angeles, so i rarely use AC - prefer my windows. nonetheless, i have a rust-free car, and don't want that to change!

and ill pass on your monogramed MB kleenex :)

"Live on the beach" ? Please clarify that: Like a beach-bum? and if so, where do you park? Is that why you bought a wagon? They have 6 1/2 feet with the rear seat down and the rear seat cushion removed. Or are you one of the guys in "Two and a half men". Is that the Mercedes they are talking about? Last I heard, you traded it in for another model just like it because you heard that "banging noise".
P.S. Last time I was at Marina Del Rey, they charged me $2.00 per foot for moorage. I thought that was outrageous. But it was a very nice place.

hah, sometimes i wish i lived in my car so i wouldn't have to pay outrageous rent! i have an apartment overlooking the marina on one side and the beach on the other side.

i didn't know marina had any moorings, just slips. the slips are at the cheapest, $25/ft/month. and as far as i know, the area outside the breaker is a free anchorage, just very rocky. the few boats out there are owned by crackheads according to our local sheriff.

what kind of boat do you have? im an avid sailor.

An old Swan. The boat's ok - the skipper is a chicken.

wow! fancy! i must say, im jealous.

i used to run some Nautor Swan charters out of St. Martin. Swan's are great!

id love to see pictures of your boat and wagon if you have any!

ekstarr@mindspring.com

Don't be jealous: I'm too old and my wife has CRS (Can't remember sh--). The Benz I traded for a Subaru and had to fix it before I could drive it. The boat was bought for me by Mobil Oil because they sank my homebuilt one. You live at a beautiful place, you are young and California weather is so much better!