Calleva
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2019
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 0
- Your Mercedes
- Mercedes SL/2003/ 350
Hi
I've owned my Merc. since 2013 and like most owners have had my fair share of expenditure (£12,000 in 6 years) keeping it on the road. I am a female driver and don't do DIY on cars so I use a private specialist Merc. garage who have a good reputation for servicing and repairing the car however even they are struggling to fix the boot leak problem that I've had over the last month. At 16 years old I think they think my car is now going to have boot leaking as a issue that will never be 100% sorted unless I replace the rear window and all seals which will cost well over £1000.
This month it started leaking on the RHS under the C pillars that necessitated collecting the water in a plastic pot. I booked the car in having discussed the problem and the centre rear seal was replaced. The C pillar seals were not. The next day I opened the boot to find 1/8 inch water slopping around on the plastic sheet I installed to protect the boot pump- I've had 2 in 6 years! Clearly the problem was worse. Again the seal was removed and re-stuck and all the rubbers reconditioned. All was OK for 48 hours but now I have water coming into the LHS under the C pillar. Enough to dampen two hand towels overnight.This cannot go on and I feel my love affair with my car is coming to an end. The boot seals were reconditioned in 2014 and all has been OK until all this awful wet weather. So I've read the guidance posted by Television in 2005 but the how to photos are all out of focus and I can't see what he is doing. Can someone please post instructions what to do next and hopefully with some photos. I have an husband who is an engineer and with the right guidance I think we are going to tackle this ourselves as going back to a garage and paying several hundred pounds to NOT get a 100% fix is not an option and they did warn me that they could not guarantee a fix. I've ordered the locktite sealant and have also bought gummi pflege rubber conditioner. I wonder if we should buy new C pillar seals as well. Anyway whatever help you can give me would be appreciated. I even test drove an Audi TT Quattro at the weekend as a possible replacement that is how desperate I am. I simply cannot bear the thought of another £1000 on a pneumatic pump but I do love my SL350.
I've owned my Merc. since 2013 and like most owners have had my fair share of expenditure (£12,000 in 6 years) keeping it on the road. I am a female driver and don't do DIY on cars so I use a private specialist Merc. garage who have a good reputation for servicing and repairing the car however even they are struggling to fix the boot leak problem that I've had over the last month. At 16 years old I think they think my car is now going to have boot leaking as a issue that will never be 100% sorted unless I replace the rear window and all seals which will cost well over £1000.
This month it started leaking on the RHS under the C pillars that necessitated collecting the water in a plastic pot. I booked the car in having discussed the problem and the centre rear seal was replaced. The C pillar seals were not. The next day I opened the boot to find 1/8 inch water slopping around on the plastic sheet I installed to protect the boot pump- I've had 2 in 6 years! Clearly the problem was worse. Again the seal was removed and re-stuck and all the rubbers reconditioned. All was OK for 48 hours but now I have water coming into the LHS under the C pillar. Enough to dampen two hand towels overnight.This cannot go on and I feel my love affair with my car is coming to an end. The boot seals were reconditioned in 2014 and all has been OK until all this awful wet weather. So I've read the guidance posted by Television in 2005 but the how to photos are all out of focus and I can't see what he is doing. Can someone please post instructions what to do next and hopefully with some photos. I have an husband who is an engineer and with the right guidance I think we are going to tackle this ourselves as going back to a garage and paying several hundred pounds to NOT get a 100% fix is not an option and they did warn me that they could not guarantee a fix. I've ordered the locktite sealant and have also bought gummi pflege rubber conditioner. I wonder if we should buy new C pillar seals as well. Anyway whatever help you can give me would be appreciated. I even test drove an Audi TT Quattro at the weekend as a possible replacement that is how desperate I am. I simply cannot bear the thought of another £1000 on a pneumatic pump but I do love my SL350.