• The Forums are now open to new registrations, adverts are also being de-tuned.

Condensation???? 300SE W126

LamboV8S

Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
42
Location
Ilkley, West Yorks
Car
SE300 w126 & Discovery
Hi All,

Seem to be getting a heck of a lot of condensation! not just on the windows but pulled the rear arm rest down and it was wet on the top, also the ignition barrel was wet?

Is there any common leak area's on these old girls? not had her long.
Looks to be a rubber grommet on nearside bulkhead could be suspect?

Cheers
Lambo
 
That doesnt sound right. Are your floor carpets wet?

There are a few areas, that antenna seal is one. Also the rear lights, the seals around them can get suspect when old and let in loads of water.
The sunroof drains can be blocked. But also they can rust. there are four, one at each corner of the sunroof assembly. Unfortunately thats a headliner down job though.

The flaps that vent fresh air into the car are in the boot. Might be worth making sure they are clear. You can see them in the wells on each side of the boot, low down. Take the boot lining out for that. Thats the only route of fresh air into the car.

The rear window seal is another. Windscreen could be leaking.

And just ensuring all your water drains are clear would be a good idea. Hope you get it sorted.
 
Front passenger carpet is piss wet through!! theres a large grommet in the bulkhead with two pipes coming through, is that a leak point or are we talking windscreen?
Lambo
 
..possible leaking A/c pipes?

I would suspect windscreen at first hand. Is the driverside wet?

Feel the carpet along the sides of the transmission tunnel too although i would suspect that this will feel damp also.

Usually things like this have to be put through the test.

With all floor and sound dead mats out use a hose and concentrate on the areas of the windscreen corners first. Have a look to see if water is trickling in.

Eliminate eash possible cause one by one. Do the same with the boot areas taking out the lining. Also pour water down the sunroof drains (while the roof is open) use a milk bottle or similar and pour in the corners of the roof. You'll see holes in each corner of the sunroof in the front. The rear you wont as the roof will be open but it leads to the back of the bootwell. See if water is comming out consistently.

Front sunroof drains will come out in between the door jamb or underneath the car.
 
Last edited:
Check the rear and front windscreen for corrosion on the edges. They tend to rot badly in these areas.
 
You need to remove all the plastic under the windscreen.. One of my cars had a big hole there...
 
Do you mean under the wiper blades plastic or inside the car?

Had some 4mm od nylon tube down the sunroof drains at the front, was some crap in the passenger side but cleared easy enough.
Just have to work my way through the other trials!
Cheers
Lambo
 
I agree with ianrandom, my old w126 500SE started to let in water where the front passenger mat/carpet was. I originally thought it was the grommet that you mentioned but now I think it was under the wiper blade assembly that water was getting in. Good luck with yours getting fixed.
 
Huge amount of water leaking in!!!

Hi All,

The carpets are sopping wet and when I lifted the rear seat base there was 25mm of water and soaked Sound deadening material.
I checked the other possible leak area's wiper mounting, sunroof drains all ran water to ground.
I have just taken the seat back out and there seems to be wet down the front edge of the wheel arch, am I right in thinking that to have puddled under the seat it has to have come from above?
I don't think it's coming from the front of the car?

The Merc has been sat on the drive throughout the heavy rain and wind so probably getting driven in by that? but where?
Getting very VEXED NOW!!
 
Its got to be either your rear window seal, or more likely perhaps the drains for the sunroof are corroded. Maybe a car cover would be the easiest fix for now..

If you are quite handy, its not that bad to take the headliner down. I swapped mine in a day or two. I noticed the tubes at each end of the sunroof cartridge on mine were corroding. One was perforated slightly. Its just where they meet the rubber tube that runs down from them. I slapped loads of hammerite on them, i have a spare cartridge but i just couldnt be ****d to swap that too at that point.
 
Yes, it's looking like stripping more out! how does the parcel shelf come out?
Want that out and hose the back end before dropping the headlining. although when I ran water in the sunroof channels it ran out pretty well at the back end?
There is just so much water to say it's been stood for a couple of weeks!
And of course with the temp. being up and down condensation don't help.

Cheers
 
Yeah thats a good idea actually - Parcel shelf comes out forwards, it basically just slides out, the only fastenings are the phillips screws that are under the latches for the two cubby holes in the parcel shelf. Needs a bit of persuasion coming over the rear speakers (which stay in place.)
But first you have to take out the rear seat back, and also the C pillar covering panels. Those panels have just one screw near the bottom front edge. But they also have these really stupid clips behind that are a pain in the ****. Pull towards you and out and they will come out, its getting them back in that i hate. The velour draught strip just pops off and on.
Good luck with finding the leak, they are really annoying arent they.
 
Shelf out and water around the bottom of the rear window but! headliner is dripping so headliner to come out, but how do I get the grab handles off? and also it seems to have plastic rivets (2) each corner.
So when it down can I get replacement tubes or do I have to make some?

Cheers
 
Ah so you found the cause then i guess.

The grab handles have a bit of a knack to them. There are covers on the ends of the grab handles that expose the screws/bolts. They just lever off, but you have to be careful so as not to mark the headliner. they are the bits that run around the edge of the ends of the handles. Once you see how to pop them off you'll see the fixings.
There should be bolts holding them in or screws, and there are kind of pointed plastic studs aswell. Once the bolts are removed you just pull the handles off firmly.

There are more of those plastic pop studs elsewhere on the headliner. they do just pop out. Then the headliner is kind of hooked up at the rear. Its hooked up underneath the velour draught strips too.
And on each side, where you see a kind of seam on the headliner, just above the doors and near the grab handles - along that seam underneath is attached a piece of coathanger like wire/rod that hooks up to create the tension needed.

You'll also need to take out the B pillar covers. Two screws at the bottom of those to remove the bottom plastic cover. Then the B pillar trim piece should be able to be released downwards.

The sunroof trim around the edges needs to come off too. And the headliner is hooked around the edge underneath those in a similar way to how it is at the tops of the doors under the velour.

You'll need to get the A pillar covers off too. Those just unclip but it works better with a plastic wedge. I cant remember which direction they come off though. Towards you when sat in the car i think.. I think theres more plastic pop studs under there too to release the headlining.

The sunvisors have to come off completely, the rearview mirror (That just pulls off, its springloaded but be careful not to pull the bracket for it off too!) and all brackets on that ceiling panel at the front so it can be released down once the A pillar covers are off.
On mine it seemed to be glued at the front by the windscreen so i didnt pull it down completely. I just released the rear edge of it. I think i left the domelamp assembly in place. It was enough to get to the headliner fixings at the front.

All in all its a bit of a faff, but i ended up being quite impressed by how well it went back up, once i'd figured it out..

I wonder if you'll find rust on the metal outlets for the sunroof cartridge drains. if so, perhaps fibreglass would be an idea to repair. Otherwise you would need to swap out the whole sunroof cartridge with one thats not rusted.
Fibreglass might be okay, if you were to use rust stabilizer on it first. I caught mine just in time so i used Jenolite rust remover and slapped load of Hammerite on them.
Maybe, it will be just the rubber tubes that have perished, dont know where you'd get them but that'd be easier to sort out wouldnt it.

Good luck!
 
Hi Ianrandom


First thanks for all the info it's a great help.

Got the rear of the liner down as far as the grabs, enough to get my hand in and feel the very wet and rusted through! drains!!

So it would seem I will have to re-engineer the drainage situation, bit slack of our German brothers not to have used stainless for this application?
I have left the windows open a 'crack' maybe help reduce the condensation? maybe throw a tarp over it until I can get enough time to do it.

Cheers

Lambo
 
Thats a shame. Let us know what you do to make them watertight again. I may have to do this at some point when my bodge wears out..
I use a car cover whenever possible so maybe have a look at them on ebay, only about £30. If you buy one i'd get one with strings though. My current one has no strings and its a nightmare keeping it on the car.
 
Oh yes! very much seeing the problem now! the tubes are part of the housing by the looks of it? does the outer shell come away or is it all part and parcel? be a doddle if it comes off, clean out the oval bore and use one of the fantastic glues we now have available to secure a new bit of tube.
I'm sure with my luck it's not going to be like that is it!

Cover for now then £30 on fleabay you say?

At least we have identified the problem, cheers Lambo
 
If the tubes are still sound up close to the frame clean up what's left and find some tube that closely fits over the existing drain tubes, use J B weld or similar to bond them in place then when fully set connect the piping to the "new" pipes.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom