W126 500SEL, water in trunk from rear window
 

My 500SEL is leaking from the rear window.
I tried my best to find out where exactly the water is coming from. I have removed all carpet in the trunk to better see what is happening
As far as I could find out it drips down from the rail underneath the bottom of the rear window. My assumption is the rear window is not tight. I don't see an obvious leak or gap in the rear window rubber.
What is the fix here?

Best, Martin

The bad news Martin, is that you most probably have rust-through in the window channel. No amount of silicone goop will seal it permanently. The good news is that it is repairable by a decent body shop. The glass has to be removed and the channel rebuilt where necessary. A new gasket and the window goes back in.

I went through this with my 300CD. In my case, I had a good glass shop come in to r&r the glass. W123 coupe rear glass is more rare than mule cum so I didn't want to take any chances. The whole job came to $450.00

Thanks... that is what I feared a bit. Rust underneath.
How difficult is it to remove the glass.... any manual here?

How to cut the rubber and remove the glass properly and how to install again after sheet metal work?

Is the new rubber seal still available from MB?

Martin

When removing these they are easy to break. This applies to all cars with a rubber seal. A wrecking yard in Dallas even has you pay up front, before pulling a windshield front or back, since the chance of damage is so great.

But a glass shop, with the right tools, can do this quickly and for much cheaper than you might think. They could also recommend a body shop that can deal with any rust. They have seen this before and know which shops do good work and which ones don't, so you are not only paying for the glass R and R but also their experience with body shops.

I have an old van with a rusted out windshield frame. The glass shop made the seal work but they told me it was just a matter of time before the front glass fell out. How long, I asked? They said maybe ten years. By that time either the van will be dead or I will be so not making an expensive repair was the easy choice.

Quality advice is well worth the cost.

Most good auto glass shops will remove a front or rear window for around $50. Well worth it.

Thanks for all your advise. I'll see what I will do. I am not afraid of the
rust and repairs.
Martin