looking forward to your post. I have similar problems

 

okay folks, here are the pictures, any questions, ask away.

Oh yeah, I forgot to add, once you remove the grating and the drain, stick a vacuum hose into the bucket and clean all that shit out. duh.

 

okay folks, here are the pictures, any questions, ask away.

Thank you. A great pictorial. I've been looking for this for a while now. If I was a woman I would offer to have your babies.

Would you or anyone know if this is similar in a W202 like mine. I am trying to avoid taking off my grate because it seems to have some cracks. Trying to remove it will surely crack it more if not destroy it.

 

Your pics are funny as hell - love the Kleemann/Brabus Crybaby 6.1 engine

Good writeup / pictorial.

 

Thanks man - I just hope this will be helpful and useful to some one in the future. :thumbsup:

 

Bensin - nice pics on your DIY. Just for interest, I looked for these parts in the WIS.

What you refer to as the grills, MB call 'left/right air intake covers'. What you call the buckets, MB call 'left/right air intakes'.

When yours got clogged, where did the water enter the car?

 

Keyhole,

Thanks for the 'official' names, good to know. To answer your question, the water was present in the passenger foot well, I didn't have problems with the driver side but it did get a little moist.

Right where the passenger foot well starts under the glove box/dash all the way down to behind the passenger front seat. It was pretty bad, but no electrical problems thankfully. I ran the heater for a while and just let it sit there blasting it with the hot air, that did the trick.

BTW - if this ever happens to any one, I got a heads up for you, the carpets smell like shit when they're wet.

 

BENSIN, with this water in your car. Did it get in with your ventilaztion system at all? Did it give you humidty (mositure) on your windscreen? Also did it cause a film substance on your windscreen? And finally, if all of the above are correct, did you get a strange smell every now and then from your ventilaztion system? I am experienceing this problem and am trying to figure it out.

 

I had massive amounts of condensation on the inside of the wind shield, and the only film left over was from when the water had dried up. I saw your other thread and I'd be able to smear the water film with my finger the same way. I would check the 'intakes' aka drainage buckets and clean them out. At least that way you have one possibility out of the way and you can go by order of elimination.

It's a cheap DIY and could save you a lot of money, before you go and pay out the big bucks to the dealer.

* edit: I did not notice any problems with the ventilation system at all, and there was no moisture in or on the vents. The glass up front had the moisture/condensation build up and the rest of the car just had a 'dank' feeling but it all cleared up running the heater for a while on full blast.

 

bravo BENSIN.. nice DiY

 

FWIW: the best way to eliminate moisture in the cabin is to use the AC and press the recirculate button. The AC evaporator removes moisture from the cabin air really fast and it won't stink.

 

lol - thanks, I'm honored. I'm not sure if the parts and procedure are the same on your model line for line, but it shouldn't be too different. I think you could probably get a thin hose or something in there, or perhaps try to clean it from the drainage opening.

...but if I'm to give you advice, I would remove the grating and clean it out right, if you have stuff lodged in there. I can't imagine that the grating is too much too replace, it's just a piece of plastic. Post up some pics if you can, that will help us help you out better. :thumbsup:

 

Thanks. Things look similar. I'll take some pics soon. However, I will do a thorough cleaning in the spring. It is cold as shit here, it has been 28 degs here lately, and since I am a poor asshole I do not have a garage.

A few questions for you if you would please answer. Or anyone else.

1) How easy is it to clean the drains through the drainage flaps?
2) Does all the water drain out through the drainage flaps located at the front of the firewall? What drains go to the bottom of the car?
3) What about the sunroof drains. Where do they go and do they need cleaning?
4) Does the rear of the car have any drains? I know the gas cap has its own drain hole.

Sorry to throw all these questions at you. You have the best post regarding this issue I have found on here.

I had some water in the cabin a couple of years ago, the dealer cleaned it and fixed the blockage. I never knew this could happen! My surprise when I saw the water was like getting HIV, atleast I know when I play around without a raincoat I can get HIV. But I never knew that a water blockage would flow back into the cabin!

 

I went out and took some pics and looked around. My w202 is cramped with electronics right in front of where your drain flap resides. My drain flap goes into the side fender therefore it seems that I will have to take out the grate and clean from within. Sucks ass. I have 2 major drain tubes running from the roof to either side of the front of the firewall.

My rear doesn't have any drain holes but this thread had a guy blowing air through some hole! My baby doesn't seem to have that hole.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r170-slk-class/1300402-rear-drain-problem.html#post2201764
And keyhole's diagram seems to show a complex maze of roof drain lines that run to the front and back.

My grates however look much like yours and it seems I might be able to follow your instructions in removing them-- thank you. Then I will have to see what lies beneath. A project for the spring.

Although sunny, it was windy and 25 degs in our beautiful Capitol, and while Obama was getting his ass handed to him by the GOP and the Federal judge in VA I was getting my drain hole, um, my ass, frozen taking pics and looking around my car's holes.

 

Access to the air intake on a W202 looks like a piece of cake, according to the WIS.

First remove the air intake covers according to the drawing (a). You may then be able to see right inside the intake 'box' to decide if it needs removing.

If so, proceed according to drawing (b). The clips might be tricky to remove. MB use a bent rod as a tool. Don't drop them inside!

(You do not have to touch the wiper assembly - that information is for another task that uses this same drawing)

 

Thank you keyhole. It seems easy enough now that I have been looking over all this info. You guys are great.

 

thx bud you saved the day!

 

Nice work... I have the day off tomorrow and will have a go at this.

I too get wet feet in the front passenger footwell.
I first noticed it after going through the car wash.... heard a noise on the blower fan, like playing cards in pushbike spokes.

We had massive rains the past couple of days, and now the blower has gone to god. As the blower is right in the way of the water (car wash experience) Im assuming that either the resistor or blower - or both have had it.

So, tomorrow will be a drain cleaning day... Thanks for the pictures and DIY..

Ben

 

That was pretty funny...9 out of 10. That freaking Russian judge!!

 

I have w209, 2004 CLK500 and same issues water during/after rain in the passenger footwell area, is it same procedure?

I manually cleaned all debris/gunk/leaves at the end of windshield and around the area where hood is separated from fender/or you can extend height of hood by releasing that 'Red' 'Push' button.

 

I guess... I popped the bonnet up to full access and then had a really good look. I did the clean out and did a thread on it in here somewhere (with a couple of piccies) but the bottom line is to grab a torch and something like a metre of coax cable (to be used like a plumbers drain de-clogging tool)

Look on the blower motor side and unclip the drain hole covers. Underneath that you will see a large rainwater collecting area. remove any crud from here.



Then look towards the corner of it, and you will see a rubber hose attached to this tray.

This is the first choke point for flooding. With your finger, inspect the opening. its probably ok.... but the hose in the W202 has two 90 degree bends which form an ideal choke point.. If you can, use the coax to de-clog this hose.
You may have to unclip it...

IF this is clogged, the water will overflow into the ventilation system and drown the fan - and give you wet feet.

In the W202, the hose clips to the bodywork, and right next to it is another drain hole.... This is the Y shaped opening to a common drain hose to the outside world, under the car.



Now... take the coax, and insert it down the opening.. hopefully it will extend right to the bottom of the car floorpan. if not, then its clogged with dust and dirt and other crud that when wet forms a plug that backs the water up, and makes it overflow.

This hose exits just behind the front wheel, and in the W202 there is a panel on the floorpan, attached by one screw (designed to let water out, not in). Undo this, and then use the coax to complete the de-clogging.

(Pic not mine but by another member whose name, sadly I have forgotten)

Finally test with a hose and water..

then reassemble.

Takes about a half hour..

When I did mine, I noticed the windscreen cover clips had been opened before... as had the blower access... and the blower itself. My guess is this is a common problem.

I first noticed mine after coming out of an automatic car wash... the fan blades were spinning in water.



The sad and sorry sight of a dead fan, drowned...:frown

 

Thank you very much. Great write up!

 

Not a prob... hope it works for you.