W126 swimming pool

[Doooogie]

Just bought myself a 420sel (1990 - 93k miles) and it's fantastic. Except that the passenger side footwell is swimming in water. More so after rain (obviously) and always a puddle in the rear if the car is parked facing up the hill. As i've just bought it and it has rained every single day since, I haven't been able to investigate and have only managed to repeatedly mop up. The windscreen seal looks pretty shot at the bottom although there seems to be a single drip up at the top of the a pillar inside every morning.

Guess it's either drain holes from sunroof or down sides of windscreen but just wondering if this is a usual problem on the w126 and whether 1 is more likely than the other. Passenger side boot is also a bit wet, but seals around rear screen seem fine, guess it's just some water that has found it's way thro from inside.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Stircrazy]

I would check the sunroof drain channels first, you might get lucky.

Try pushing a plumbers snake down them. Or a bit of thick wire.

 

[FizzyFarmer]

hi i used to have a w108 that did that and it was down to the sun roof drain holes as stir crazy has said. I once braked in the rain and got a bucket full of water all over my head because it had filled up and not drained

 

[Doooogie]

Well so far so good with the no water on the head thing! but the swimming pool just keeps getting deeper. Add to this that it has not stopped raining since i bought the thing, not even long enought for me to go out and check what might be wrong with it!! Argh! On top of all that I am off on holiday for 2 weeks and it will be standing outside the whole time.

Still a great car tho!

 

[television]

Take out the heater filter and see if the drain holes are clear.
you can always check on the roof by putting a plastic sheet on top and tying down to the door handles.

You could make up a simple float in the foot well and attach that to a pointer in the window to show the water level

Malcolm

 

[dave500sel]

Hi
I too have the wet footwell on the passenger side on my 500 sel it does not appear to be wet in the rear though , I have not traced the fault yet but appears to be the door rubber as i get a drip from the top of the A post now and then in wet weather but not always, also the cloth trim around the bottom corner nearest to the hinge as wet , not sure if the seal is letting the water in and running down the front of door and the cloth trim is soaking it up or wether it is the sunroof drain as mentioned in other posts . If the drain is ok where should the water come out ? If I have any joy I will keep you posted( just hoping its not the drain as this does not appear to be an easy fix)

 

[lepton]

I had exactly the same problem when I bought my 1990 300SE. There are two drain points on the firewall just inside the bonnet hinges, these are regularly blocked by leaves etc and can cause the firewall to corrode. I found a largish hole in the firewall which when sealed cured the problem. The water entering the car runs down a wiring channel (easily seen when the front passenger carpets are lifted) straight to the rear footwell. There are drains in the floor but these will almost certainly be blocked on a car as old as yours. Good luck!

Alan

 

[Dunn83380SE]

Thanks Lepton
That makes much more sense. Recently bought an '83 380 SE, 123,000, full service history, always garaged. Obviously hadn't met rain before, wet down both front A pillars (to be sorted with a windscreen re-fit on Tuesday, as the sunroof drains beautifully) but an inexplicable soggy rear passenger-side footwell. I'd noticed the very neat wiring channel, but hadn't considered it might be the source of the wet, right back to the firewall. That's my job for this evening, torch in hand. Wish me luck, Cheers

 

[Bobthebuilder58]

I feel so left out!!! ...my 500 SEL is bone dry

Bob.

 

[Doooogie]

Thanks guys, you are right... seems to be a corroded hole unders the screen, big enough to get a finger thro apparently. hopefully fixing this will solve it, although i'm sure the screen will crack when it's being taken out and there is a small hairline in it. argh!

 

[hiram]

Try the front window where it joins the bulkhead in the corner. The brothers 300se had the same problem, sorted it with a small amount of seam sealer but under the corner of the windscreen.