300SL : Condensation in boot

[Malcolm Brown]

I'm getting condensation on the underside of the boot lid of my 1988 300SL, and it is getting worse in the current cold spell. Its the first winter I've had the car, which is kept outside. The water drips off the underside of the boot lid and wets the carpet, gathering in pools at the low points.

I'm pretty certain it is condensation, having checked thoroughly the conditions in which the problem occurs.

It strikes me this must be a common problem unless my vehicle is missing some lining from the boot lid. This does not look to be the case.

I plan to stick some inulation material to the whole underside of the boot lid. But has anyone got any other ideas before I try it?

(Edited by Malcolm Brown at 7:12 pm on Dec. 12, 2001)

 

[Neil Eglintine]

To get condensation inside the lid, you must have dampness in there to start. Insulating the lid may mask the problem, but not solve the dampness. This is the 107 SL, isn't it? Mine use to let water into the boot through the hood well and corrosion round the aperture. Water would get in when the boot lid was opened wet, too.

 

[David Halsey]

I'd agree with neil there

Check the seals on the hood covers, thats a common place for ingress

 

[Matt Crooke]

This is the old favourite when a car has recently been valeted, the carpet isnt left to dry properly, hence the condensation forms.

 

[Andy]

Hi,

All the advice previously mentioned is good. The best way to find out. Armed with a torch, Is to get inside the boot & close it (hope you are not closterphobic) then get somebody to cover the boot with water via a hose. And trace the water ingress. Check around the light clouster for water ingress. If its the seals around the light lenses. You will not like the price of new ones.

Happy hunting

Andy @ www.mercedesservicing.com

 

[Malcolm Brown]

Thanks for all the advice. Yes, it is a 107.

Definitely no signs of ingress round boot seal but some water does drip in off the boot lid edges when opened. Will check the hood-well etc when I can get round to removing the hardtop.

In the meantime, I decided against the insulation idea - too messy and worried about nasty glue marks on underside of boot lid. I'm using silica gel to absorb the moisture instead, which is working fine.

 

[VITO]

to do a proper search it may be nessesary to remove all boot trim panels and climb in.
check all boot seals, lamp seals,sunroof drain tubes, seams ( if just one seam has a small gap in the sealer, in can allow a lot of water to flow through it.)
get a friend to stand outside with the hosepipe, and keep a good look out, if there is a fault this is still be best way to find it.
i worked in a bodyshop and have been in the boot of many a car.
p.s. the friend with a hose pipe works well

 

[csilk]

This is a problem which comes up regularly in the MBOC 107 forum.  107's leak in several well documented places. The major causes of water ingress into a 107 boot are 1. glue dried out under rubber boot seal- solution carefully remove rubber clean surfaces and re glue with contact adhesive. 2- worn out rubber seal hood cover panel to body- solution  remove and replace seal.  3, light units (less likely) - solution remove light units and refit with panel sealant such as dum-dum, repair cracks in lenses if any. 4 perforations around inner wheel arches- pinholes can develop especially just above the bumber corner- solution check and seal.
E-mail me if you need more on curing rain water leaks I have a useful article somewhere on this.

 

[Malcolm Brown]

Gosh, I'd almost forgotten about this problem. I never did find any leaks. The silica gel sachets continued to do their job all last winter and kept it perfectly dry, provided they were removed and dried out every ten days or so. I'll need to get back into the routine now the weather is cooling down.

Thanks for the tips though, Chris. And welcome to the forum - I've found your advice on the MBOC one very useful (I'm just called malc on there).

 

[Dave Hannon]

Malcolm

I have the same problem with my 1984 280SL 107.  There is definitely no leak coming through from my soft top well cover.  Also, my boot seal is almost new and I am trying to narrow the problem down.  The only thing I have noticed is that firstly, a bit gets in through the badge on the boot if it is not sealed and also if you leave the boot lid up after rain, you will notice more than the average amount of water running around the rim at the back.  I am still baffled as to how, sometimes so much can gather on the inside of the boot lid while there may be none on the boot floor.  In other words why is it condensing on the lid and not dripping down onto the floor even though the car is not used and cold.   Sorry I cant be of help but thanks for bringing it up again.