Does water run downhill everywhere? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

TheEngineer · #1 10-10-2007, 12:27 PM

Have observed that water appears to run downhill here in Seattle. Well, it rains a lot here and I find it easy to make that observation most any day of the year. I looked at this little plate on my car and it says: Made in Stuttgart. It must be that water doesn't run downhill there because I have water leaks that can't be explained otherwise. The Boeing design manual states that, when designing seals around openings, the flexible rubber seal should only be there to seal out dust. The water should be channeled away by drains/gutters. I have noticed that my old Toyota has gutters. The rain never reaches the rubber seal. Ah - well: Always complaining!

Chadahar · #2 10-10-2007, 02:42 PM

I can tell you have never seen the creek just east of Ten Sleep Wyoming! It flows up hill there! Or at least it appears too. I could not believe my eyes, so I had to turn around and go back and look at it from a stop...Sure enough it was running uphill, or at least IF it was/is an optical Illusion, it sure was/is a good one!

deanyel · #3 10-10-2007, 03:34 PM

And the Mississippi river flowed north during the New Madrid earthquake but what does this have to with your car?

Dee8go · #4 10-10-2007, 03:55 PM

I saw a river in New Brunswick, Canada that flows backwards everyday. I doubt that will help you much, but just wanted to share that . . .

engatwork · #5 10-10-2007, 04:56 PM

Quote:

It must be that water doesn't run downhill there because I have water leaks that can't be explained otherwise.

Where are they? If they are coming into the passenger compartment then something is amiss. What kind of car is it?

BAVBMW · #6 10-10-2007, 04:59 PM

No.

Water flows from the area of greater water pressure to the area of lesser pressure. Under most normal circumstances, gravity makes sure that this is indeed downward, however, moving air, esp around a car at speed, can make for some very interesting flow patterns.

Also, water has mass, and is therefore subject to the laws of physics. It can, and will, be acted upon by things such as inertia and momentum. This may explain the upward flowing creek, I've seen stranger before...

MV

TheEngineer · #7 10-11-2007, 12:54 PM

It's my '95 E320 wagon: The rear windows at the cargo area both leak. But only when it's raining. And when it's raining, everything is wet and I can't fix it. When it's dry they don't leak. Reason they leak is because they are set in rubber and the channel is higher on the outside than on the inside. Duh! But it looks real pretty. I'm just going to drive my '69 280SL when it rains.

Hatterasguy · #8 10-11-2007, 03:11 PM

Its a Mercedes it ain't perfect. The leak lots of things, have flaky climate control, and rust. But other than that they are great!

TheEngineer · #9 10-11-2007, 05:38 PM

Hey Hatterasguy: That sounds just like a description of a woman: She can't cook, spends money like it's going out-of-style, talks on the cell phone all day, spends two hours in the bathroom to put her face on and is dumb like wood. But she's great in bed and I love it!
This wagon is interesting: It appears that the engineers picked the most involved design of many choices: The tailgate lock is a good example, the wiper drive, the climate system another one. It obviously wasn't considered that more complexity brings less reliability. The design philosophy obviously assumed that an owner would take the vehicle to an "authorized Mercedes shop" for anything that goes wrong. There, the technicians would have the special tools and the special knowledge to make repairs. It was assumed that an owner would have very deep pockets. Oh - it suits me fine: It's a very nice car and I consider it the finest wagon ever built. I have many cars and drive whichever suits me at the time and I enjoy the challenge of repairing the unrepairable. My 280SL was claimed by the local MB dealer to be unrepairable. It's sort-of like having a few wifes: Pick one for the particular activity you have in mind at the time and use her talents.

david s poole · #10 10-12-2007, 11:35 AM

don't i remember that the car is subject to rust where the rubber seals go around those windows?especially in a rust friendly climate such as seattle.

TheEngineer · #11 10-12-2007, 12:49 PM

Ah - the way I get around the rust thing: I buy a car that has spent all it's life in Escondido, CA! No rust at all!

Dee8go · #12 10-12-2007, 12:52 PM

Yeah, too bad it's so far from where I am. I'd like to be able to shop for cars there. Every now and then they show up over here on the other coast.