R170 boot/trunk linings

[ARoosterinaRoadster]

Hi to you all out there. I have discovered that the two rear drains (with plastic grills) are severely blocked,I have tried clearing them with both a length of flexible plastic covered curtain wire and also with an electricians 'fish' and I am of the understanding that the only access for clearing them is by removing the side linings from the boot/trunk.


I have also been informed that access to the drain tubes is by removing the rear wheels and the two rear wheel arch liners as the drains exit the car just behind the rear wheels.


Your help in this matter would be more than appreciated.

 

[grahamcol]

This seems to be a common problem. Poor design l feel and the nearside of my R170 has been affected. What l did was crawl underneath to where the water should drain out and get some stiff wire and carefully poke about inside the tubing. I had partial success but must admit it didn't work perfectly. I've heard of people clearing the blockage with compressed air and that might be worth a try. Sorry but l can't help with side panel removal.
In order to prevent further debris blocking the drains l've put a piece of sponge over each drain grill. The sponge should allow water to flow down but does seem to stop debris entering as evidenced by the amount of debris trapped each time l examine the area. As l said, poor design l think.

 

[ARoosterinaRoadster]

This seems to be a common problem. Poor design l feel and the nearside of my R170 has been affected. What l did was crawl underneath to where the water should drain out and get some stiff wire and carefully poke about inside the tubing. I had partial success but must admit it didn't work perfectly. I've heard of people clearing the blockage with compressed air and that might be worth a try. Sorry but l can't help with side panel removal.
In order to prevent further debris blocking the drains l've put a piece of sponge over each drain grill. The sponge should allow water to flow down but does seem to stop debris entering as evidenced by the amount of debris trapped each time l examine the area. As l said, poor design l think.

Hi gc. I have been without my PC since very early Tuesday morning until just now - 17:00hrs Friday 26th.

I am afraid that this is not the only poor design/offering on what is a premium brand marque but the really pathetic fact is that it has been carried over and nothing done about it and not even a modification made available - it is by no means an isolated situation with Mercedes Benz - look at the MISTING HEADLIGHTS and the pathetic explanation for dealing with them.
Fully sealed beam units are the only real answer but the extra cost - if any,SO WHAT. The ****** cars are not cheap in the first instance,so what is an other few pounds in the greater scheme of things when it comes to total customer satisfaction at all levels of purchase.

I have used a steamer down the drains followed by copious amounts of compressed air and repeated use of the various flexible wires/mini Dyno Rods.

What is not entirely clear is exactly where the tube exits the car;the only one that is visible is a 1" wide tube on each side and in line with the inside edge of each rear tyre but that is simply a rubber bung that is not hollow at all.

I am currently looking at putting a very fine mesh into the two plastic grill covers and securing them with a tiny application of Tiger Glue.

 

[grahamcol]

The way l found out where the water exit points should be / are was to pour water down the plastic grilles and watch it drip out from underneath. It’s been a while since l did this but I’m fairly sure both sides on mine were just hollow small bore tubes which l cleaned out with wire. Maybe yours is slightly different but good luck with resolving the issue.

 

[grahamcol]

Resurrecting this in case it helps. I was underneath my R170 today and the drain tubes emerge from between the plastic bumper and the metalwork of the car, in line with the inner half of the back wheels. It's quite difficult to spot but a torch helps. The tube is approx 8 to 10mm section at a guess.

 

[ARoosterinaRoadster]

Resurrecting this in case it helps. I was underneath my R170 today and the drain tubes emerge from between the plastic bumper and the metalwork of the car, in line with the inner half of the back wheels. It's quite difficult to spot but a torch helps. The tube is approx 8 to 10mm section at a guess.

Hi Graham. Thank you for your reply but I have already sorted out the issues on both sides at the rear drainage tubes and with the help via another MB Forum and a member (Rofa) that very kindly posted a reply with a sketch (through) of the rear quarter panel showing the absolutely insane way that the 15mm internal bore tubes do a very tight turn at the end instead of a direct exit.

I actually bought an OS tube - NS no-longer available-because I was about to resort to using a propriety kitchen drain unblocking fluid but was not sure of whether they were rubber or plastic'
After several extremely frustrating attempts with an electricians 'fish' flexible rod and,a steamer,a and compressed air I eventually bought a Helin Trombone cleaning bit of kit (from Amazon) with double hairy ends and cut it down to just under a metre and put the cut end into my cordless pistol drill and gingerly set about clearing the blockages.

The best £12.00 that I have ever spent in a very very longtime.


https://www.slkworld.com/threads/20...-drainage-channels.560102/page-4#post-4676126

This forum has some very very knowledgeable owners of SLK's across the variants.

 

[grahamcol]

Great, glad you're sorted and thanks for this information.

 

[ARoosterinaRoadster]

Resurrecting this in case it helps. I was underneath my R170 today and the drain tubes emerge from between the plastic bumper and the metalwork of the car, in line with the inner half of the back wheels. It's quite difficult to spot but a torch helps. The tube is approx 8 to 10mm section at a guess.

Hi Graham. Thank you for your reply but I finally got the both rear drains cleared of the very very serious blockages.
I resorted to going onto another MB forum https://www.slkworld.com/threads/20...-drainage-channels.560102/page-4#post-4676126 and seeking help from them.
I had tried every possible avenue including an industrial steamer,compressed air and even an electricians fish with a very flexible end but the final resolve came from the purchase of a Helin Trombone cleaning bit of kit from Amazon - the best £11.29p that I have spent in a very very long time.

It arrived in the lunchtime post and by 13:00 hrs it was shortened by about 500mm and into the chuck of my cordless drill and within a few minutes both absolutely choked rear drains were running totally free again.
That has got to be the best £11.29p that I have spent on sorting out a problem that was beginning to get at my psyche.

The gunge that came out of the very bottom of the tubes could really only have been described as Black Concrete as the splashes began drying on the paintwork.

I reduced it down to approximately a metre and put the cut end into my cordless pistol drill and with the tubes filled with water I gingerly set about working it up and down until it was running completely free once again.

I had resorted to buying a new drain tube because I wasn't sure whether they were plastic or rubber after being warned off of using a proprietary kitchen sink unblocking liquid foe fear of causing the tube some serious damage with a very very strong caustic product.

 

[grahamcol]

Further info in case it's of use to anyone with a R170 and possibly other models too. Again l found the nearside drain wasn't draining. I didn't have strimmer cord or similar so l improvised by using coaxial TV aerial cable and stripping off the outer plastic / foil layers, leaving the inner plastic tubing and copper insert. This was much easier to insert into the end of the drain tube behind the bumper and l managed to get further up into the tube than before. However, each time l removed this makeshift rodding tool l found the flow tended to reduce quite a lot and l suspected that in my case the tube itself was perhaps deformed somehow. So l reinserted the cable, trimmed the excess and tucked the loose end behind the bottom of the bumper. This seems to have resulted in a partial cure. The flow isn't perfect but it is reasonable and the wire acts as a kind of stent which l feel will be sufficient to keep the water draining even in fairly heavy rain. Much easier than removing trim & bumper in order to try to rectify matters but l will keep an eye on things to help ensure the flow does not get further compromised in due course.

 

[flowrider]

Hi Graham. Thank you for your reply but I have already sorted out the issues on both sides at the rear drainage tubes and with the help via another MB Forum and a member (Rofa) that very kindly posted a reply with a sketch (through) of the rear quarter panel showing the absolutely insane way that the 15mm internal bore tubes do a very tight turn at the end instead of a direct exit.

I actually bought an OS tube - NS no-longer available-because I was about to resort to using a propriety kitchen drain unblocking fluid but was not sure of whether they were rubber or plastic'
After several extremely frustrating attempts with an electricians 'fish' flexible rod and,a steamer,a and compressed air I eventually bought a Helin Trombone cleaning bit of kit (from Amazon) with double hairy ends and cut it down to just under a metre and put the cut end into my cordless pistol drill and gingerly set about clearing the blockages.

The best £12.00 that I have ever spent in a very very longtime.


https://www.slkworld.com/threads/20...-drainage-channels.560102/page-4#post-4676126

This forum has some very very knowledgeable owners of SLK's across the variants. View attachment 60238 View attachment 60239 View attachment 60240

I use net curtain wire to clean the drains on my SL, very flexible and gets around all the corners.

 

[ARoosterinaRoadster]

I use net curtain wire to clean the drains on my SL, very flexible and gets around all the corners.

Hi flowrider That was actually the very first thing that I tried but the tube was blocked solid solid.
Then came an industrial steamer and that did not clear it either,that was followed by the Karcher with soapy water and eventually after a very very helpful tip from a member on another MB forum I bought and successfully used the Helin Trombone cleaning bit of kit from Amazon - the best £11.29p that I have spent in a very very long time.

I have since modified the 'pop-out' grill covers at the entrance to the drains by putting a very very fine mesh underneath and bonding it into place so that the cover can be put back in place without the mesh coming off and finally I removed the grill bars by cutting trough them with a pair of nail cutting pliers so that I had easy access for removing the small bits of leaf that get stuck now that they cannot get down the tubes and block it up at that stupidly tight turn just before the end of the tube.

 

[flowrider]

Hi flowrider That was actually the very first thing that I tried but the tube was blocked solid solid.
Then came an industrial steamer and that did not clear it either,that was followed by the Karcher with soapy water and eventually after a very very helpful tip from a member on another MB forum I bought and successfully used the Helin Trombone cleaning bit of kit from Amazon - the best £11.29p that I have spent in a very very long time.

I have since modified the 'pop-out' grill covers at the entrance to the drains by putting a very very fine mesh underneath and bonding it into place so that the cover can be put back in place without the mesh coming off and finally I removed the grill bars by cutting trough them with a pair of nail cutting pliers so that I had easy access for removing the small bits of leaf that get stuck now that they cannot get down the tubes and block it up at that stupidly tight turn just before the end of the tube.

I've done the same, 2mm plastic mesh over the airbox on my SL. Stops the larger pieces from blocking the drain which 9n the SL can cause catestrophic electrical issues if the airbox overflows.

 

[ARoosterinaRoadster]

Hi again to you all. This attached (copied and pasted quote is from another MB forum

https://www.slkworld.com/threads/20...-drainage-channels.560102/page-4#post-4678592

Bit late to the party again, but I thought I would post the drain tube routing (1997). Mine are fortunately clear but the drain cover is plastic and fragile and expensive. Part no is A 170 639 00 18 pre face lift of course.