R230 wet behind drivers seat

Ewan

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Hi ,

Got a bit of leak behind the drivers seat . I think it's coming from the food joint behind or above the drivers seat . I've been reading the posts on this and I think there is a fix that Malcolm (miss him ) sorted . Has anyone got a copy of this fix please ?

Cheers,
Ewan
 

Craiglxviii

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Go into the DIY section and look up R230 roof leaks, there's a very extensive thread on the subject.
 

peterws1957

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Worth checking to see if the drain holes at the top of the A pillar are not blocked. Don't poke anything sharp and pointy down though- you run the risk of perforating the seals.
 
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Ewan

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Worth checking to see if the drain holes at the top of the A pillar are not blocked. Don't poke anything sharp and pointy down though- you run the risk of perforating the seals.
I've checked the boot drains either side of the rear window and the two drains below the window all are clear , I think it might be coming in from above the drivers seat where the top part of the roof meets the top of the c pillar ? I tried to find the fix in diy section , no luck , Spent a lot of time fixing the boot leak earlier in the year , bone dry now , only to find another leak behind drivers seat !
 

peterws1957

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I had the same. The drivers side A pillar drain was blocked and once cleared the roof leak stopped.
 
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Ewan

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I had the same. The drivers side A pillar drain was blocked and once cleared the roof leak stopped.
Which drain is the A pillar ? I know of the 4 drains at the rear window ?
 

peterws1957

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Which drain is the A pillar ? I know of the 4 drains at the rear window ?
The A pillar is either side of the windscreen. The drains are at the top corners of the screen obviously only accessible when the roof is open. They drain through the door seal on the A pillar.
 

LostKiwi

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Ewan

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Fixed Malcolms guide here:
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/i...-leaks-new-version.142371/page-4#post-1554316

It looks like it only deals with the rear seals and not the mid roof. If someone knows the link to any other guides he's done let me know as I have almost all his original photos now.
Hi thanks for the info . I've done all the rear seals c pillar , bottom of the rear screen , all dry in the boot . This leak seems to be coming in near the top of the c pillar and dripping down onto the rear storage box behind the drivers seat , bit worried as the fuse box is below it.
 

peterws1957

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Try the MBOwners Club videos on You Tube - there are loads of them. There are numerous vids on how MB goes about identifying leaks in the roof and how they get sorted "officially". A good source of info albeit there are sometimes better ways of doing stuff as Malcolm (mhrip) often pointed out.
 

Submariner1

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A Very long shot ... basically just to exclude
Does your car have the roof rack option?. They look like little rocker switches, painted with 2 little indent grooves . If you press them , it reveals the M6 thread for the roof rack to bolt into. Or press them closed when not using.

One of my SL500s had a leak in this. The inside wasnt welded properly. Note there is no technical drain route from this .. they should be watertight.
Took the MB MD 4 hours to find this leak, that then gets into the side hoops of the roof.

Option was change the roof or flood with silicone sealant, press close and wipe off excess, latter worked a treat no more water leaks.
But obviously you cant use the roof rack system ... that I never even tried so no loss.
 

flowrider

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A Very long shot ... basically just to exclude
Does your car have the roof rack option?. They look like little rocker switches, painted with 2 little indent grooves . If you press them , it reveals the M6 thread for the roof rack to bolt into. Or press them closed when not using.

One of my SL500s had a leak in this. The inside wasnt welded properly. Note there is no technical drain route from this .. they should be watertight.
Took the MB MD 4 hours to find this leak, that then gets into the side hoops of the roof.

Option was change the roof or flood with silicone sealant, press close and wipe off excess, latter worked a treat no more water leaks.
But obviously you cant use the roof rack system ... that I never even tried so no loss.
I bet that would look funny, a roof rack on an SL.
 

LostKiwi

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Try locking the roof partially open and treating the seals with silicone grease/gummiphlege/potion of choice to see if that softens the rubbers enough to make them seal again?
 

Wighty

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Another long shot , but it could be a possible Old Persons accident that has dripped through the back of the seat :D:D:D:D
 
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Ewan

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Hi thanks for all input on this. I have used gummi pledge on all of the seals this summer and been checking the boot area after each time it's rained ! The girlfriend thinks I am obsessed, which I am of course as I drive an SL
I'm still convinced the leak is above the drivers seat where the c pillar meets the roof above your head in the car.
 

LostKiwi

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Hi thanks for all input on this. I have used gummi pledge on all of the seals this summer and been checking the boot area after each time it's rained ! The girlfriend thinks I am obsessed, which I am of course as I drive an SL
I'm still convinced the leak is above the drivers seat where the c pillar meets the roof above your head in the car.
How does the seal look? Is it damaged or distorted or unbonding itself from the car?
 
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Ewan

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How does the seal look? Is it damaged or distorted or unbonding itself from the car?
I've had the roof open and looked at this area my self , they look ok but you never know with leaks . That was my thought that a seal has bovine mishaped in some way
 

peterws1957

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If it's driving you that mad try doing what we did with a mates BMW years ago when it had an unidentifiable leak. Use a hose on the roof with someone sitting inside to establish if its a roof seal. On that one we finally used a smoke bomb (one not leaving a residue) after covering dash and everything important up . Smoke came out of a tiny distortion in the door seal which proved where the leak was.
 

Painter16

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If it's driving you that mad try doing what we did with a mates BMW years ago when it had an unidentifiable leak. Use a hose on the roof with someone sitting inside to establish if its a roof seal. On that one we finally used a smoke bomb (one not leaving a residue) after covering dash and everything important up . Smoke came out of a tiny distortion in the door seal which proved where the leak was.
What a good idea
 

flowrider

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You can buy the car safe smoke devices specifically for finding leaks.
 

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