I had a car wash and, since I was working with the window regulator, I had the door cover removed.

I noticed water got inside the door... While investigating where it came from, I noticed the vent window seals have two holes in the bottom part, and it seems they are manufactured that way.

Is this normal?
Are there drainage holes inside the door? (I couldn't find any)

I will replace the door seals... Should I replace the vent seals?

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1972 W108 280SE 4.5
1977 W116 450SEL
1981 E12 528i BMW

Wing window seals can compress over time and leak. You can adjust the arm between the lever and window for a little more leverage, perhaps that might fix your issue.

Also, how's your cloth window channel and brush? If that's tired I can see it letting in water.

There are drain holes in the bottom of every automobile door I have ever seen and I started looking at them in about 1948.

But it is common for older cars to accumulate dirt and sometimes scale in the bottom of the doors and this plugs up the holes which are very small, like 3mm.

You can locate these holes by laying on the ground, looking at the bottom of the door and then poking a drill bit or a piece of wire up through them, but unless you remove the interior panel and clean the inside of the door out they will just fill up again. Take off the interior door panel and look down at the bottom of the inside of the door. You will be amazed at the dirt and leaves and what-not you will find there.

Few autos last as long as a Mercedes. I guess a better way to put that would be that few autos stay in service as long as a Mercedes, so this is not a common problem. By the time 99.999% of the cars out there reach the point that these drain holes are plugged up they have long since been taken off the road. But with a Mercedes this is just one more of those things you need to attend to every 20 years or so.

Thank you guys.

I'll clean the inside of the doors and draining holes, change the window uchannels.

And make sure there is some plastic between the door and the covers.

Also will review the vent seals before I order new ones.... I got a quote from Tom at MB.... Pricey!!!

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1972 W108 280SE 4.5
1977 W116 450SEL
1981 E12 528i BMW

If your seals are not just totally shot you might be able to renew them with an application of glycerin. This was a common treatment for these seals before the invention of Armor All, and the seals are made from a compound that is meant to react in a positive way to glycerin.

It is gooey and goes on slowly. It also takes some time to be absorbed. But it is far cheaper than replacing the seals.

You might have to order glycerin through a drugstore. Since this is a chemical that can be made to explode some states have regulations on its' ownership, but if you have a good reason to own it then no one really seems to care.

I know a lady that also uses it on her face to make her skin look younger. She is 62 and looks like she is in her early 40's, so maybe this treatment will knock 20 years off your seals?

If you try this then let us know how it works out. Your seals have to be in a condition that will respond to this treatment. If they are just totally cracked and breaking apart then I doubt that this would do you much good.

I saw some cracks on the vent seals and I was kind of resigned to put a PO... but I will try this and see how it comes.

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1972 W108 280SE 4.5
1977 W116 450SEL
1981 E12 528i BMW

True about making sure door bottom drains are open.

Most "seals", at least in older cars, aren't true seals, but rather a way to slow down the ingress of water to a rate that is slower than the drains can let it out the bottom. Same for sunroof seals, they weep a little, but the manufacturer is banking on the four drains having a faster flow rate than the seals drip.

While the door panels are apart, definitely vacuum out all the dust and crud from the bottom of the door, wipe very clean, and inspect the bottom and inner side of the panel. You could apply some POR 15 to the bottom and seams--without blocking the drains--and a waxy protectant to the cavity to help prolong its life. (It will also help the water find a way out quickly)

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Looking for Early 108 windshield surround wood in decent-to-good condition.

I got the glycerine and when applying I found the rght vent seal was "repaired" by the PO, covered with some black electrical tape!

Here goes $400 for vent seals

PS: are there other options where to buy these seals instead of MB center? .... The windshield seal is cheaper!!!!

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1972 W108 280SE 4.5
1977 W116 450SEL
1981 E12 528i BMW

I know I really shouldn't but... Have you checked with GerryVZ and Tram to see if URO makes them?

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/vintage-mercedes/322028-anyone-else-uro-brand-windshield-rubber-2.html

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Looking for Early 108 windshield surround wood in decent-to-good condition.

Oh wait.... Got it.

Edit: somehow the tapatalk app got the wrong link to a tyre sizing discussion.

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1972 W108 280SE 4.5
1977 W116 450SEL
1981 E12 528i BMW

Thanks a lot. Make sure to bring that up every chance you get to give the Kreisleiter a reason to keep breathing.

I just got another set of those for my '68 230S. I'll be sure to let you all know if the quality has gone downhill yet.

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1968 230S Automatic, Elfenbein
1975 O309D Executive Westfalia Camper Bus, Blau/ Weiss
1972 280SEL 4,5 Dunkelrot
1966 VW Type 34 "Grosser" Karmann-Ghia
1963 VW 1500 Variant Pearlweiss
1969 VW Variant Automatic, Perugruen
1971 VW Squareback Automatic, Clementine Orange
2001 E320 4Matic Wagon- Our belated welcome to the 21st century! Polar White
1973 280SEL 4,5 Sliding Roof "The Bomb", Dunkelblau.

Well? ... Is there an option with them for this parts?

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1972 W108 280SE 4.5
1977 W116 450SEL
1981 E12 528i BMW