Water in the Boot Lid

[Razoo]

2004 E320 CDi

I don't open the boot very often, but I did open it last night when I was preparing the car for its MOT today (it passed!).

As the boot lid lifted, I could hear what sounded like the equivalent of a small lake sloshing around between the inner and outer boot lid skins. With the boot lid fully open, the water drained out of the corners. It had been raining a lot.

I mentioned the problem to my MB dealer, and they tried to replicate the problem by putting the car in their wash-down bay. Needless to say, they couldn't get any water to penetrate the boot lid.

Two questions:

1. How/where might the water be getting in?

2. Why didn't the water drain out?

I notice there are not any drain holes (or none that I spotted) in the lower edge of the boot lid. However, there is what appears to be a small, black plug in the lower edge of the boot lid, to the left of the latch assembly. I'm wondering if I removed this plug (it's not keen to come out), would it function as a drain hole?

Thanks,

Razoo

 

[roofless]

i can only guess it could be at the lock or number plate light ect http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GA=722.626&CT=F&cat=64U&SID=75&SGR=030&SGN=02

 

[television]

Many cars had what we call bad stampings for the lights, lock etc, these parts should be taken off and the holes checked for any burr's around the holes

 

[Dec]

As it is inside the boot lid, it is likely the rubber seal that goes around the edge of the boot opening isn’t making a good seal with the boot lid when the boot is shut, this is precisely the problem that I have at the moment with my W202 as it is also letting in water.

The water didn't drain out, perhaps because there is a well or pocket that contains the water at the lower part of the boot lid but when you opened the boot fully, then the water spilled out at the corners.
Because you don’t open the boot very often, the water has accumulated quite a bit over time.

Still trying to figure out a cure for my own, other than replacing the seal.

Dec

 

[television]

The 210 dec was worse for the bad stamping thing than the 211 as the rear lights on the 210 leaked as well.

Most of these faults have been deleted from the current WIS but I used to answer loads of these type of post 2 years back, as you say it is never the rubber surround and the locks and lights are the only places.

The cure was to file away the burrs and treat the metal, and seal the components when re fitting

 

[Dec]

It could well be the things you mention, I can’t speak for the 210/211 Malcolm but in my case it is definitely the rubber seal, as the water sheds off the bonnet, it clings to the underside of the boot lid, the seal should block its path at this point, if it was doing its job but there is the tinniest of a gap at the seal, allowing the water to pass, gravity takes over and the water trickles down the inner boot lid, emerging at the bottom of the lid.

Dec

 

[television]

On my 230 this did the same thing, just where you speak of, the cure in my case was to glue the boot rubber down where the rubber passed over welds as the water in my case would go under the rubber, over the metal and down on the inside into the boot where the welds were

 

[Razoo]

Many cars had what we call bad stampings for the lights, lock etc, these parts should be taken off and the holes checked for any burr's around the holes

Thanks for the advice TV and Roofless.

I had a really good look around the bootlid today, but found nothing obvious. The numberplate lights were well sealed and didn't appear to be letting in water.

I did remove the plug in the lower edge of the bootlid. It turned out not to be a plug, but a black adhesive disc stuck over what looks like a useful drainage hole.

I'm going to monitor things and see what happens over the next few rainstorms. Fortunately the bootlid is all aluminium construction, so rust won't be a problem, although the damp environment might encourage corrosion.

Razoo