Mushrooms growing in my car

[imyourboss]

1994 W124 E220

I think it's time I fixed my leaking sunroof, I have a nice big mushroom growing in the drivers side carpet and what looks like mustard cress in the rear passenger one. I assume it's the sunroof because of the amount of water in the rear foot well after it rains. Obviously I should've delt with this sooner, but it was easy to ignore in the cool summer. So the long and the short of it is does anyone know of a good place to fix this in the brighton / sussex area? does it have to be a specialist sunroof place? Is this something that's going to be a real trial and error to fix? I'm tempted to sell it now before it turns into papermache - it's been 100% perfect before this.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[BarryG]

There have been previous posts about it possibly being blocked drainage holes.
Some over the last few days do a quick search.

On the brighter side you do have the basics for a nice salad

 

[Blobcat]

with some French Dressing I'm sure it will be quite nice.

As for the damp clear out all the drain holes from the sunroof and under the bonnet. Open the sunroof all the way and give the area a good polish so the water doesn't hang around.

 

[IAN MAC]

And then check for a tear in a door seal,,,,, it just might not be the sunrroof

 

[amanda]

Sunroof drainage holes

Just exactly where (in the sun roof area) are these drainage holes (or any of the other ones mentioned in this thread so far)? My E280 estate has a saturated carpet in the area around the driver's side wheel hub, the tailgate carpet lining (lower half) and dampness in the footwell behind the driver's seat. I have opened the sunroof and examined closely for any sign of rust/damage/drainage holes and I can't find them. Any further description of location would be helpful.

 

[lepton]

Drainage holes

Water in the front and back footwells suggests quite a large leak because it is being carried via the wiring trunking, which runs from front to back (look under the front carpets). If this is the case check the two sets of drainholes under the bonnet, below the windscreen, just inside the bonnet hinges. These get blocked easily and can cause corrosion which leads to leaks in the firewall. Good luck,

Alan

 

[cellardoor]

If only you could have bacon appear also you would have breakfast sorted!

 

[Bolide]

I'd clean out the sunroof drains first. I think a good clue here is if the top of the seat belts is wet when you pull them out

The drain under the windscreen exits via a pipe each side of the engine compartment next to the bonnet hinge. Clear that out & pour water through to make sure it exits OK

Leaks through the firewall are common when new wiring has been passed through the grommets. Make sure all wires are dressed to come upwards into the grommet so water doesn't flow along the wires. Fill any openings with non-setting silicone sealer

In the estate the leaks are normally from the rearmost side windows. The clue here is rust under the window. You may need to remove the trim to clean the seal and to use some silicon sealer. The seal tends to fit badly to the bodywork in the rearmost bottom corner so use silicone there

Final thing is the aerial - more sealer needed

If you remove the front carpet mats you may find the foam backing is soaked with water. Remove them and leave them to dry for a couple of days. In the estate, lift the rear seats and open the rear compartments and leave the car in the sun with the windows open

If you have a dehumidifier, try leaving it in the car for a couple of days with the front mats out and the seats lifted. You'll be amazed how much water comes out

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk