[BENSIN]

Rain drainage buckets / water in footwells - updated w. pics

Holy crap, what a pain in the ass. I didn't actually get to remove the buckets because the drain itself that sits over/inside the bucket was a bitch just to loosen. There was one clip that I couldn't get loose so I had to bend it out of the way to get a vacuum hose into the drain bucket.

Anyway, just wanted to post this heads up. If you park your car under a tree, or park it outside, I highly recommend that you check the drainage buckets every once in a while. If they get clogged for any reason, your car is going to have water inside of it and that's never good.

I'm going to post up some pictures in the next few days to show you guys where the buckets are, the drains, and the grates that you can see between the hood and the windshield and what screws you have to remove...

I did research on this and no matter how many people have had this issue and explained their experiences, no one ever posted pics. That's no help at all.

Oh, and if any one can tell me how to completely remove the drains so I can access the buckets with out anything in the way, please post here for all of our information.

 

[iceman350SL]

looking forward to your post. I have similar problems

 

[BENSIN]

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.

 

[lowphat]

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

Good writeup / pictorial.

 

[BENSIN]

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

 

[keyhole]

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?

 

[BENSIN]

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.

 

[mercedes00320]

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.

 

[BENSIN]

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.

 

[davidclk]

bravo BENSIN.. nice DiY

 

[dlbehrns]

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.

 

[MB-W202]

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.

 

[BENSIN]

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:

 

[MB-W202]

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!

 

[keyhole]

3) What about the sunroof drains. Where do they go and do they need cleaning?

We discussed sunroof drainage in this thread: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w124-e-ce-d-td-class/1355227-where-does-water-come.html

Same design on all models. :thumbsup:

 

[BENSIN]

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.

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, at least 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!

LOL - I see what you did there. :big laugh:

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?

I did not use this method to clean the drains myself, I went in from the top and just stuck the vacuum hose down there. If you want to try to go through the flaps, I guess what you could do is stick your finger in there and try to get a feel for what the blockage, if any, could be. If it's leaves, or anything else that falls from trees, try to break it up and then guide the build up out with your finger. In my case, it was a build up of 'sediment', that's the best way I can describe it, just a bunch of sand/dust. Probably years and years of leaves, really thin twigs, seeds, and general grime broken down.

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?

On my w208 there are no engine parts, electronics or really anything else under the drainage flaps, they just aim right down to the ground, water makes its way through and hits the ground.

3) What about the sunroof drains. Where do they go and do they need cleaning?

Check out Keyhole's link, I never looked into this myself.

4) Does the rear of the car have any drains? I know the gas cap has its own drain hole.

As far as I know there are no drains at the rear of the car, just seals when you close the trunk so no water gets in. Although the 'seals' also fill in a 'track' when you open the trunk up you will see what I'm talking about. I have had build up in those tracks, leaves, seeds, etc... and the tracks are shaped to guide the water downward and over the rear bumper.

I don't know if those tracks would be considered drains but they seem to guide the water off the back of the car and around/outside of the trunk. If there is build up in those tracks, you may have water trickling down into your trunk when you lift the trunk lid. If the seals are bad, water may leak in with the lid closed.

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

Don't even mention it, we are all here to help one another. :thumbsup: If I can help out with what I know and give back to this community that has enlightened me and helped me save a lot of loot, then I'm more than happy to do so. In fact, Keyhole was just helping me out in an earlier thread :thumbsup: I had started when this issue first came up, which led me to doing the pictorial DIY.

 

[MB-W202]

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.

 

[keyhole]

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)

 

[MB-W202]

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

 

[Merc mad]

thx bud you saved the day!