'94 E320 water intrusion - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

little_e · #1 06-12-2011, 10:13 AM

My '94 E320 collects water in both driver side and passenger side footwells.
It's not much considering the heavy amount of rain we've had lately where I live, but it's enough to make the footwell carpeting wet from underneath.

I have used a plastic coated wire to make sure the sunroof drains are open.

On some rare occasion when I drive I can see a drop of water forming in the front of the sunroof. The sunroof works like intended. Could it be that the sunroof doesn't stop where it should stop when I close it?

Is there some gasket or something that should be changed?

little_e · #2 06-12-2011, 02:02 PM

I can also add that I've been running the water hose over my car for like two hours now. Not a single drop of water in the footwells

...but water MUST be coming from somewhere, since the car had been standing for a few weeks now and the carpets felt very damp and soggy...

Gilly · #3 06-12-2011, 05:04 PM

At least on an MB of that vintage it's easy to dry the carpets!
Although it makes no sense since the car has been parked, it almost sounds like the AC evap drains are plugged or disconnected. Can you run the AC and look for A)condensation water dripping inside the car, and B)under the car to make sure the AC is indeed running on to the ground?

If the car has sat outside you can run water into the air intake area in front of the windshield and also check for water running in the car, I know this can get plugged up but can't remember how water coming in to the plenum is supposed to work it's way on to the ground, it might be through these same drains (for the AC), I know I had some MB once that was filling with water somehow this way.
On the sunroof, crack the roof open and pour water into the front drains and see if it comes in if you do that, you should see it run to the ground behind the front wheels at the bottom of the fenders.
Gilly

Gilly · #4 06-12-2011, 05:09 PM

Just remembered, there are drains for the upper part of the plenum. This got plugged (IIRC the drains have small rubber flaps moded to them, and the car hardly ever saw rain, the the little flaps sort of fused together and water would back up into the plenum/cowl area pretty bad). Anyways, the water backed up bad enough that it ran into the air intake itself, and into the heater/AC box and dripped onto the floor. Normally not a problem getting a little water into the air intake, but they got into some realy heavy rain on a trip and carpets were getting a little damp.
Cleaned out these cowl drains and opened the small flaps and that fixed it.

little_e · #5 06-12-2011, 05:19 PM

The thing is that this winter the car was parked for a couple of weeks with a few inches of snow on it. When it started to thaw, it started to drip from the front of the sunroof, but I can never ever reproduce it.

Can it also be that it's leaking from where you say, or from the bottom of the windscreen or something?

It's also worth mentioning that my car as a pollen filter and it's wet as an ocean...

Gilly · #6 06-12-2011, 05:31 PM

How about this scenario:
You have a little water leaking in at the sunroof seal (if it bothers you, sure the sunroof seal can be replaced). The water get in past the seal, the drain tubes have a little junk in them, through freeze/thaw cycles, the water collects in the junked up tubes and freezes. The water continues to collect in the front area of the sunrrof, then it thaws enough that melt water drips in to the interior. HOW it makes it onto just the carpet does confuse me a little though.
Again, make sure the sunroof drains are all working, front and rear. If they are working freely, you shouldn't get water inside the car from the sunroof, the drain hoses for the roof are pretty large diameter.

Gilly · #7 06-12-2011, 05:33 PM

By pollen filter I assume you mean the white paper filter in the center of the air intake? That's just a dust filter.

little_e · #8 06-12-2011, 05:50 PM

But sure this filter shouldn't get wet like the sponge you use to wash your car with?

Gilly · #9 06-12-2011, 07:52 PM

Well, temporarily, like in a heavy rain it will. The air being sucked in to the climate control should dry it out.

little_e · #10 06-13-2011, 11:27 AM

I partially removed the plastic cover in front of the sunroof between the metal roof and the sunshades), and felt if I could feel any moisture. Nothing whatsoever, although I hosed the car for hours yesterday, and poured water down the drains today. Guess I can say that my drains are okay and not rusted.

Could my rubber gasket be faulty, or is there any other gasket to the sunroof that could cause drips of water down the a-pillar? I've only seen this on the drivers side.

little_e · #11 06-13-2011, 12:48 PM

A little bit of an update here;
I sprayed water on in the area of the power brake booster today, and suddenly it started dripping water from behind the dashboard.
Is there some common leakage point or something here?

I'm relatively new to the w124 so I greatly appreciate all the help you guys give me

Gilly · #12 06-13-2011, 04:31 PM

Never seen it, but I suppose there could be leakage where the brake booster meets the firewall, not sure if there is a seal of some kind there or not.

The sunroof is built to accept a certain amount of leakage, that's why there are drain tubes, they realize some water may enter at times.

little_e · #13 06-13-2011, 04:44 PM

...and I bet the brake booster is bolted in place from inside the car. Bloody marvelous