SL55 2003 Leaky boot issue - how much to fix?

[G3RPY]

Hi Guys,

I have just bought an sl55 on a 2003 and have a badly leaking boot.

How much does is cost for a new boot seal?

How much do MB charge supply and fit?

will this solve my issue? or does the boot need aligning somehow?

Please help!

Gurps

 

[Cole@MBS]

Its a couple of hours to replace!!

Seals can be re-sealed.

Got your e,mail, welcome to the forums!!

 

[G3RPY]

how much we looking at mate?

when could you book the car in for?

 

[drmw]

Hi Guys,

I have just bought an sl55 on a 2003 and have a badly leaking boot.

How much does is cost for a new boot seal?

How much do MB charge supply and fit?

will this solve my issue? or does the boot need aligning somehow?

Please help!

Gurps

Mercedes will apparently relieve you of approaching £3k for seals (yes - £3000) so it's a very, very last resort!

I am on my second SL & had similar problems on both. Basically, there are some very weak links in the chain of keeping water out of the boot - crap design.

More helpful I hope:

Check the drains that should allow water that's dripped off the boot onto/into the rubber seal around the windows. You'll find them at the very front of the boot seal, nearest the window - the bit the pointed ends of the boot lid fit into. One each side - small hole with a plastic guard to stop big crud blocking - also allows smaller crud to accumulate, blocking the drains. Use a bit of strimmer cord or a bit of electric cable (with plastic cover in place) & gently prod about until you find the drain, then gently pouring water into the channel, flush through until you see water appearing in front of rear wheels.

There are also two further drains more or less in line with rear screen. Look into the boot & you will see a couple of flexible rubber tubes - trace them upwards & you'll find the drains - again clean these gently.

Over & above blocked drains, you will get water from the numberplate end of the boot lid drops straight into the boot - nothing you can do about this, but carry a small cloth/chamois/sponge in the boot & every time you open it in the wet, mop up the water that's dripped in.

After the drain cleaning, half open the roof & clean, then lubricate every seal to seal contact area with a light smear of rubber or silicone based grease.

If your boot is already wet, there's a job you have to do immediately to avoid a £1000 bill. Lift out the floor panel of the boot, giving access to the spare wheel area. On the left, you'll see a flat area of foam rubber than covers the roof pump. Lift that out. You'll see the pump is held in place with 4 10m nuts - remove these & gently lift the roof pump off the locating pins and move it to the left. Under there, you'll see another bit of foam rubber - this is the top of the foam block that encases the PSE pump. This pump operates your central locking & if you have them, your seat cushions.

The PSE pump is a black plastic block with lots of yellow pneumatic tubes attached on the left and some electrical conectors at the rear. Leave these all in place & gently lift the whole pump out of the block in which it sits. This is a bit of a fiddle - three hands would be better than two, but so long as you don't force anything you won't break anything.

Now, with the PSE pump raised, get the foam block in which it lives out. If your boot is wet, the foam will be wet and it is matter of time until the pump expires - I just had a new one fitted last week & it cost me over £800 with discount - it failed for some other reason than moisture, but the last SL had a replacement due to moisture & warrantly companies will more often than not exclude water ingress damage.

Back to the task - now you have the foam block out, you have to dry it - not a 10 minute job. You can stick something else in for the moment to stop the PSE pump rattling about if you need to drive the car in the meantime - I used some sponge rubber in a plastic bag which worked fine.

Get the original foam block dry by leaving it in a airing cupboard or the like - it will take a day or so, but worthwhile.

When you go to refit, cut a square of bubble wrap to line the housing where the foam block sits - that will help stop it drawing up any more water as it insulates it from the actual boot floor.

This sounds complicated - it's not - 4 10mm nuts have to be removed, a bit of juggling and each half of the job is done - literally 5 minutes work - but work well worth doing.

Good luck - you'll get used to the foibles of SLs but come the better weather you'll stop swearing at it!!

 

[G3RPY]

i owe you a bottle of black label DRMW...thank you for taking the time to write the above...much appreciated.

one more question.

in the event the holes are cleared and water is still leaking as the trunk lid is not sitting tight against the rubber seals due to wear and tear..how much is the seal to buy?

Regards

Gurps

 

[drmw]

I believe the seals are in the area of £1500 - you'll find the info on here somewhere as that's where I got the pricing so again, last resort - I don't believe they are likely to fail but MB dealers don't repair, only replace & by doing so, things like drains will be replaced by default, thus curing the problem.

A bit like fitting a new wheel & tyre to cure a puncture !!

 

[Mic]

Mercedes will apparently relieve you of approaching £3k for seals (yes - £3000) so it's a very, very last resort!

I am on my second SL & had similar problems on both. Basically, there are some very weak links in the chain of keeping water out of the boot - crap design.

More helpful I hope:

Check the drains that should allow water that's dripped off the boot onto/into the rubber seal around the windows. You'll find them at the very front of the boot seal, nearest the window - the bit the pointed ends of the boot lid fit into. One each side - small hole with a plastic guard to stop big crud blocking - also allows smaller crud to accumulate, blocking the drains. Use a bit of strimmer cord or a bit of electric cable (with plastic cover in place) & gently prod about until you find the drain, then gently pouring water into the channel, flush through until you see water appearing in front of rear wheels.

There are also two further drains more or less in line with rear screen. Look into the boot & you will see a couple of flexible rubber tubes - trace them upwards & you'll find the drains - again clean these gently.

Over & above blocked drains, you will get water from the numberplate end of the boot lid drops straight into the boot - nothing you can do about this, but carry a small cloth/chamois/sponge in the boot & every time you open it in the wet, mop up the water that's dripped in.

After the drain cleaning, half open the roof & clean, then lubricate every seal to seal contact area with a light smear of rubber or silicone based grease.

If your boot is already wet, there's a job you have to do immediately to avoid a £1000 bill. Lift out the floor panel of the boot, giving access to the spare wheel area. On the left, you'll see a flat area of foam rubber than covers the roof pump. Lift that out. You'll see the pump is held in place with 4 10m nuts - remove these & gently lift the roof pump off the locating pins and move it to the left. Under there, you'll see another bit of foam rubber - this is the top of the foam block that encases the PSE pump. This pump operates your central locking & if you have them, your seat cushions.

The PSE pump is a black plastic block with lots of yellow pneumatic tubes attached on the left and some electrical conectors at the rear. Leave these all in place & gently lift the whole pump out of the block in which it sits. This is a bit of a fiddle - three hands would be better than two, but so long as you don't force anything you won't break anything.

Now, with the PSE pump raised, get the foam block in which it lives out. If your boot is wet, the foam will be wet and it is matter of time until the pump expires - I just had a new one fitted last week & it cost me over £800 with discount - it failed for some other reason than moisture, but the last SL had a replacement due to moisture & warrantly companies will more often than not exclude water ingress damage.

Back to the task - now you have the foam block out, you have to dry it - not a 10 minute job. You can stick something else in for the moment to stop the PSE pump rattling about if you need to drive the car in the meantime - I used some sponge rubber in a plastic bag which worked fine.

Get the original foam block dry by leaving it in a airing cupboard or the like - it will take a day or so, but worthwhile.

When you go to refit, cut a square of bubble wrap to line the housing where the foam block sits - that will help stop it drawing up any more water as it insulates it from the actual boot floor.

This sounds complicated - it's not - 4 10mm nuts have to be removed, a bit of juggling and each half of the job is done - literally 5 minutes work - but work well worth doing.

Good luck - you'll get used to the foibles of SLs but come the better weather you'll stop swearing at it!!

Excellent Post....I have printed it off (I am a technophobe) and put it on file in the expectation that I will one day need to refer to it.

Mic

 

[television]

The roof and boot seals can be done without replacing the rubbers,,the seal below the the rear window needs to be removed and re sealed along the the complete rubbers on the bottoms of the C pillars and the one that goes around the edge. I have put up some info in the DIY section on this.
If anyone cares to bring their car down, I will do it free as I can then do a write up for the forum, along with the photos

 

[G3RPY]

The roof and boot seals can be done without replacing the rubbers,,the seal below the the rear window needs to be removed and re sealed along the the complete rubbers on the bottoms of the C pillars and the one that goes around the edge. I have put up some info in the DIY section on this.
If anyone cares to bring their car down, I will do it free as I can then do a write up for the forum, along with the photos

Where are you based television..

thanks for every1s input.... a very nice forum we have here.

 

[television]

Where are you based television..

thanks for every1s input.... a very nice forum we have here.

Lyme Regis in the West Country

 

[tony5535]

I have been watching these posts for some time now as the problem seems quite common on SL cars. The advice Television has passed has been very useful to me and many others, thanks. Ive just had my SL cleaned to get rid of general muck over the last 2 weeks, and horror of horrors they found the carpet behind the passenger seat is soaking wet! Not just damp but as if a bucket of water had been dumped in there. I seem to be fighting a losing battle with this car, sadly I have to always get friends to look at it, or a garage as I cant do it myself. Everything inside the car looks fine no gaps, damaged rubbers etc but something is leaking to cause this problem, has anybody got ideas what I should look for.
Regards Tony

 

[television]

As before Tony once the weather gets a little better,,maybe I can call in and re seal the thing

 

[Chillbrazil]

SL Rubber

Hi
My apologies :Oops:for not introducing myself on my last post but was not a happy boy due to some minor leaks.:cry:
Any way just got a peach of a 350SL 04 black with 13k on the clock, was really looking for a 500 but this came up with excellent mileage so went for it. Have a lovely 993 but wanted one of these for years and years and having got it was very disappointed a. with the roof and b. Mercedes attitude.
In answer to your question on cost here is my estimate as a result of a service representative advising after me paying for a water test that the rear two seals were ‘coming away’. Not quite sure how this warrants a full replacement.
Regards

 

[Chillbrazil]

David Hi
Fantastic article, thank you.
Is it ok to as you state below to stop the roof 'half open', this should not strain or damage anything or worst still get stuck in this position.
Thank you

After the drain cleaning, half open the roof & clean, then lubricate every seal to seal contact area with a light smear of rubber or silicone based grease.

 

[drmw]

it'll do no harm at all. Just start the engine, retract the roof about one third so it's about two feet back from the top of the windscreen then fit something between the front of the screen and the front of the roof. If you want to play extra safe do the same at the back with a longer something into the boot as well, the you can turn of the engine while you do the work. ("something" = bit of timber/broom handle in my case!)

The greasing should only take a few minutes anyway

 

[100%Bitch]

Like this: -

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=57886

 

[Chillbrazil]

SL Roof

Thank you to both of you I will give it a go next weekend.

 

[television]

The roof and boot rubbers have not changed in design,,the new ones come self adhesive. the old ones will seal perfectly well, what happens is on those in the to corner C pillars is that water runs in the outside and goes around the other side coming out inside the boot

 

[Chillbrazil]

Thank you, need to open and stop the roof and look at the rubbers to put into context your comments.

 

[Jules55012]

Thanks to all who have posted on this topic.
My boot is wet through and took out the PSE pump, I'm now looking at the seals and drains.

N/s drain runs out 'behind' rear wheel not in front of it? I cannot clear the o/s drain from the top....where it the drain exit and how do I access it?

I think I need to prod it from there too.

Also looking at the C pillars it looks as though they need glueing...is clear silicone the best for this job?

Thanks
Jules