Need Help - Trunk full of water

mcat · 07-15-2006

I have a big problem. I noticed a bit of condensation in the trunk so I lifted my boot tub up (accessory I purchased with the car) and saw the carpet was damp.

I lifted the carpet out (saturated underneath) and took the spare wheel and other things out. I had about 3 inches water in the spare wheel compartment.

I know how it got there. I am pretty sure the technician at the dealer knocked the drain hose off that connects the trunk lid to a drain plug - the flexible rubber tube that is supposed to direct water from the rear windscreen safely away from the trunk interior - when they were messing around in the back. The tube was just dangling into the trunk area, ie, directing water INTO my trunk. I know it was them as there was water in the car when they returned my car but they just blamed the high pressure spray.

I got my car back a few weeks ago so the water has accumalated from several car washes and a few days rain.

Some of the tools such as the jack in the trunk have started to rust. I have taken everything out of the car and they are now drying off. It pongs of dampness in the trunk.

However, I am really worried about the dampness underneath the trunk liner around the Satnav drive and the side wall as I cannot see how it will evaporate away.

So my question is this:

How do I safely remove the trunk lining with the minimum of effort so I can dry it out underneath and mop up the dampness?

Please help (if you have pics pointing to the areas I need to undo/pull, etc it would be greatly appreciated.)

Thanks, mcat

**alroumi** · 07-15-2006

Thats too bad, I hope you get that fixed quickly

noregret4life · 07-15-2006

mcat, sorry to hear what happened.

The center lining is very easy to take off.
Here is the link to the Navi install bulletin.

There are 4 pushpins to take off.

First remove these: There is one on each side of the navi drive (check picture with arrows in the link below) and THEN >there are 2 in the middle once you remove the floor lining covering the spare.

Stick a flat screw driver into the top cap (NOT THE BOTTOM Larger one) and wiggle it till you see the cap start coming up. Remove the pushpin, and then remove the base (larger circled one)

The remaining lining is simply tucked in... so just giggle it and pull out all around.

Good luck.
http://www.alldata.com/tsb/Mercedes-...5-431/318.html

mtiede · 07-15-2006

Be careful to note the fitment of the vertical lining at each end. It goes underneath some plastic pieces there.

**etyu** · 07-16-2006

I am very sorry to hear about this mcat. You may think about sending DanSLK a PM as he had a similar problem of water in the cargo are a but from another cause. Let us know how everything went and hope it all gets fixed, as good as new.

By the way, the trunk/cargo light turns off after 15 minutes if you leave the trunk lid/cargo lid open when you're drying out the area. Be careful to not touch the light cover as it gets quite hot.

mcat · 07-16-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by noregret4life

mcat, sorry to hear what happened.

The center lining is very easy to take off.
Here is the link to the Navi install bulletin.

There are 4 pushpins to take off.

First remove these: There is one on each side of the navi drive (check picture with arrows in the link below) and THEN >there are 2 in the middle once you remove the floor lining covering the spare.

Stick a flat screw driver into the top cap (NOT THE BOTTOM Larger one) and wiggle it till you see the cap start coming up. Remove the pushpin, and then remove the base (larger circled one)

The remaining lining is simply tucked in... so just giggle it and pull out all around.

Good luck.
http://www.alldata.com/tsb/Mercedes-...5-431/318.html

Thanks noregret.

I managed to get the back panel out. There is a layer of insulating rubber/foam matting underneath that is glued on top of the bodywork. This is damp but nothing I can do about it except leave the trunk facing the sun to dry out.

For the life of me I cannot figure how to take the side panels off. I have popped every screw visible and also popped all the clips holding the plastic surround at the front of the trunk. I got bits of it lose but chickened out going further as I can see it would be damn difficult to put back.

I just hope any moisture under these panels can evaporate off.

I have a bag full off rivets, screws and pins. I just hope I know how to put it all back together again.

DansSlk · 07-16-2006

Hi mcat real sorry to hear about your problems to remove the side liners is a little bit more difficult you have to remove the retractable partition for the roof and the back wall of the trunk the plastic thing with the lock in it then remove the expanding clips and the bolt at the bottom of the liners you then open the frame around the protective covers for the vario-roof and pull the liner toward he back of the car then pivot the liner toward the inside in the front area and remove it.

Just be careful not to rip the seal right off really you should put the trunk lid in the assembly position but i don't think it really needs to go that high and again be careful when re-installing it all i am sure noregret has had his liner removed more times than me so he should know but make sure it fits in just as tight as it did when you removed it otherwise the roof will make contact with it

Hope this helps if you want any pics or whatever i will see what i can do but to be honest i would have the dealer look at as it is them that messed up let them fix it why should you have to maybe just keep an eye on the tech

Dan

mcat · 07-16-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dansk

Hi mcat real sorry to hear about your problems to remove the side liners is a little bit more difficult you have to remove the retractable partition for the roof and the back wall of the trunk the plastic thing with the lock in it then remove the expanding clips and the bolt at the bottom of the liners you then open the frame around the protective covers for the vario-roof and pull the liner toward he back of the car then pivot the liner toward the inside in the front area and remove it.

Just be careful not to rip the seal right off really you should put the trunk lid in the assembly position but i don't think it really needs to go that high and again be careful when re-installing it all i am sure no regret has had his liner removed more times than me so he should know but make sure it fits in just as tight as it did when you removed it otherwise the roof will make contact with it

Hope this helps if you want any pics or whatever i will see what i can do but to be honest i would have the dealer look at as it is them that messed up let them fix it why should you have to maybe just keep an eye on the tech

Dan

Take out the retractable roof liner? err, I think this is a bit too much for me to cope with! I am not that confident in my abilities. Thanks anyway. I am going to leave the back panel off to give the insulating mat a chance to dry out and I will just hope the damage is not too much elsewhere.

**etyu** · 07-16-2006

mcat, perhaps you can place a small cardboard boxes/soft wooden dowels to hold the liners open while letting everything dry out and evaporate.

DansSlk · 07-16-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcat

Take out the retractable roof liner? err, I think this is a bit too much for me to cope with! I am not that confident in my abilities. Thanks anyway. I am going to leave the back panel off to give the insulating mat a chance to dry out and I will just hope the damage is not too much elsewhere.

Yeah it is a big job to get the side liners off and a pain in the backside to get them back into place again get the dealer to replace all the panels and the tools it is them who messed up make them take the stress of it the dopey gits!

mcat · 07-17-2006

I have been thinking a bit more about this. It is hard to see why the dealer would be messing around in the trunk to knock off the drain hose when fixing the air con.

I know it was off when I got the car back from the dealer as the trunk had water in when I picked up it up and the electronics soon started failing when I drove off (ESP and ABS failure). The electronic glitches went away after 24hrs so I never thought more of it. The drain hose could have been off the car before I gave it to them and may have even been delivered with it off.

Which leads to a more worrying conclusion.

Has anyone watched what happens to these rubber hoses when the roof retracts. They get bent and stretched beyond belief. It is hard to see how they even stay connected with the punishment they are going through and they pop off very easily if pulled in the right direction.

This seems to me to be a recipe for disaster and an obvious point of failure in future. I can just see one of the hoses failing again and directing torrents of water into the trunk.

You have been warned. Check how secure your hoses are.

DansSlk · 07-17-2006

mcat if you have had electronics failures no matter now quickly they disappeared go to the dealer or an Indy with the SDS computer the electronics in this car are made to a price and therefore are crap they will corrode very easy and they really should be looked over by somebody who knows what they are doing the warranty will not cover failures due to water damage i found that out you will have to use your insurance so its better to get it looked at sooner rather than later to have the ABS and the ESP fail points to a CAN problem and as the rear SAM provides wheel speed data to the ESP control unit and its location being right in the water damaged area i would seriously have it inspected i have seen lots of Merc's in the shop suffering from major water damage months after the fault occurred and major bills my friend major bills.

The hoses are mega stressed but if yours are looses i would get them checked to remove the hoses on both my SLK and SL you have you be nothing short of superman they don't budge easy maybe thats a UK thing but i cant see why it would be.

Good Luck

Dan

**etyu** · 07-17-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcat

Has anyone watched what happens to these rubber hoses when the roof retracts. They get bent and stretched beyond belief. It is hard to see how they even stay connected with the punishment they are going through and they pop off very easily if pulled in the right direction.

This seems to me to be a recipe for disaster and an obvious point of failure in future. I can just see one of the hoses failing again and directing torrents of water into the trunk.

You have been warned. Check how secure your hoses are.

Thank you very much for the tip. I will check the hoses before I wash the car and everytime rain is reported in the forecast. Makes me wonder: couple of small dabs of rubber cement for security?

mcat · 07-18-2006

I can't fit the back panel back in place.

The problem bit is the two tongues that go up along either side of the nav unit. They just won't go back in place properly.

I am assuming that the go under the plastic surround that forms part of the retractable cover but I just can't push them up far enough.

Has anyone fitted this piece themselves. How?

There is a MB document, AR68.30-P-4810V "Remove/install centre trunk paneling" that describes the whole procedure but I don't have it.

Any suggestions appreciated.

DansSlk · 07-18-2006

Give me a minute to pull that up on the WIS from experence however its just brute force and luck more than the procedure

*easty* · 07-18-2006

"Snap tolerance fit" is the modern design to replace conventional fasteners. Problem is people focus on the Snap a little too much.

mcat · 07-18-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by DansSlk

Give me a minute to pull that up on the WIS from experence however its just brute force and luck more than the procedure

Thanks

What is WIS and how do you get access to it?

Brute force ain't going to do it as there is nothing get a purchase on to give it a good push. Instead of it being horizontally flat if correectly fitted mine ends up curving down on the outer edges. Somehow it pokes in underneath at the back the black plastic surround. How to actually do it is easier said than done.

DansSlk · 07-18-2006

If the lower panel is installed OK and seated correctly you can check in each corner if thats OK then it just pushes on and the expansion clips lock it in place try moving it around a bit maybe its snagged on something i can send you the document if you like but it basically says unclip and pull out and install in reverse order

noregret4life · 07-18-2006

Perhaps it we may be easier to help if we see what you see... a quick picture will do of the problematic spot.

07-15-2006	#1 (permalink)
mcat Founding Member #3 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Switzerland & UK Vehicle: 2006 SLK350 MT LHD & 2009 SLK350 7G RHD Posts: 274 Country: Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Need Help - Trunk full of water I have a big problem. I noticed a bit of condensation in the trunk so I lifted my boot tub up (accessory I purchased with the car) and saw the carpet was damp. I lifted the carpet out (saturated underneath) and took the spare wheel and other things out. I had about 3 inches water in the spare wheel compartment. I know how it got there. I am pretty sure the technician at the dealer knocked the drain hose off that connects the trunk lid to a drain plug - the flexible rubber tube that is supposed to direct water from the rear windscreen safely away from the trunk interior - when they were messing around in the back. The tube was just dangling into the trunk area, ie, directing water INTO my trunk. I know it was them as there was water in the car when they returned my car but they just blamed the high pressure spray. I got my car back a few weeks ago so the water has accumalated from several car washes and a few days rain. Some of the tools such as the jack in the trunk have started to rust. I have taken everything out of the car and they are now drying off. It pongs of dampness in the trunk. However, I am really worried about the dampness underneath the trunk liner around the Satnav drive and the side wall as I cannot see how it will evaporate away. So my question is this: How do I safely remove the trunk lining with the minimum of effort so I can dry it out underneath and mop up the dampness? Please help (if you have pics pointing to the areas I need to undo/pull, etc it would be greatly appreciated.) Thanks, mcat

07-15-2006	#2 (permalink)
alroumi Moderator Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kuwait City, Kuwait Vehicle: 2006 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG Other Toys: 2007 Ebony Jaguar XKR Coupe' and 06 Black Cayenne S Posts: 6,271 Country: Thanks: 288 Thanked 231 Times in 145 Posts	Thats too bad, I hope you get that fixed quickly __________________ 06 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG 06 Porsche Cayenne S 07 Jaguar XKR Coupe' I use the Torque and keep the HP for my Steak Sauce!

07-16-2006	#5 (permalink)
etyu Founding Member #2 / Ambassador Of Good Will Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orange County, CA Vehicle: 2008 SLK 55 Posts: 5,280 Country: Thanks: 377 Thanked 277 Times in 168 Posts	I am very sorry to hear about this mcat. You may think about sending DanSLK a PM as he had a similar problem of water in the cargo are a but from another cause. Let us know how everything went and hope it all gets fixed, as good as new. By the way, the trunk/cargo light turns off after 15 minutes if you leave the trunk lid/cargo lid open when you're drying out the area. Be careful to not touch the light cover as it gets quite hot. __________________ *Eddy* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Pewter/Beige, PIII package, Airscarf, Hands-Free Communication System, Lighting package Designo Black Leather Cover on e-brake handle, ( To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Bill T), SmartTop v1.0, Kleyman 3BFM (NoRegret Custom), Green Air Filters, *Mod. R170 ant., EuroClear sidemarkers w/PIAA PlasmaIon lamps, chromed front & rear turn indicator lamps, PIAA SuperPlasmaGTX front parking lamps, bilateral rear fog lamps enabled. Last edited by etyu; 07-16-2006 at 01:33 AM.*

07-16-2006	#7 (permalink)
DansSlk Dude Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,752 Country: Thanks: 96 Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts	Hi mcat real sorry to hear about your problems to remove the side liners is a little bit more difficult you have to remove the retractable partition for the roof and the back wall of the trunk the plastic thing with the lock in it then remove the expanding clips and the bolt at the bottom of the liners you then open the frame around the protective covers for the vario-roof and pull the liner toward he back of the car then pivot the liner toward the inside in the front area and remove it. Just be careful not to rip the seal right off really you should put the trunk lid in the assembly position but i don't think it really needs to go that high and again be careful when re-installing it all i am sure noregret has had his liner removed more times than me so he should know but make sure it fits in just as tight as it did when you removed it otherwise the roof will make contact with it Hope this helps if you want any pics or whatever i will see what i can do but to be honest i would have the dealer look at as it is them that messed up let them fix it why should you have to maybe just keep an eye on the tech Dan __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening. Last edited by DansSlk; 07-16-2006 at 09:06 AM.

07-16-2006	#9 (permalink)
etyu Founding Member #2 / Ambassador Of Good Will Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orange County, CA Vehicle: 2008 SLK 55 Posts: 5,280 Country: Thanks: 377 Thanked 277 Times in 168 Posts	mcat, perhaps you can place a small cardboard boxes/soft wooden dowels to hold the liners open while letting everything dry out and evaporate. __________________ *Eddy* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Pewter/Beige, PIII package, Airscarf, Hands-Free Communication System, Lighting package Designo Black Leather Cover on e-brake handle, ( To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Bill T), SmartTop v1.0, Kleyman 3BFM (NoRegret Custom), Green Air Filters, *Mod. R170 ant.*, EuroClear sidemarkers w/PIAA PlasmaIon lamps, chromed front & rear turn indicator lamps, PIAA SuperPlasmaGTX front parking lamps, bilateral rear fog lamps enabled.

07-15-2006	#3 (permalink)
noregret4life Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NJ Vehicle: '05 SLK350 Posts: 1,092 Country: Thanks: 1 Thanked 17 Times in 11 Posts	mcat, sorry to hear what happened. The center lining is very easy to take off. Here is the link to the Navi install bulletin. There are 4 pushpins to take off. First remove these: There is one on each side of the navi drive (check picture with arrows in the link below) and THEN >there are 2 in the middle once you remove the floor lining covering the spare. Stick a flat screw driver into the top cap (NOT THE BOTTOM Larger one) and wiggle it till you see the cap start coming up. Remove the pushpin, and then remove the base (larger circled one) The remaining lining is simply tucked in... so just giggle it and pull out all around. Good luck. http://www.alldata.com/tsb/Mercedes-...5-431/318.html

07-15-2006	#4 (permalink)
mtiede Founding Member #7 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Western New York Vehicle: 2006 SLK 350 Posts: 1,645 Thanks: 101 Thanked 55 Times in 45 Posts	Be careful to note the fitment of the vertical lining at each end. It goes underneath some plastic pieces there.

07-17-2006	#11 (permalink)
mcat Founding Member #3 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Switzerland & UK Vehicle: 2006 SLK350 MT LHD & 2009 SLK350 7G RHD Posts: 274 Country: Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Maybe dealer is not to blame I have been thinking a bit more about this. It is hard to see why the dealer would be messing around in the trunk to knock off the drain hose when fixing the air con. I know it was off when I got the car back from the dealer as the trunk had water in when I picked up it up and the electronics soon started failing when I drove off (ESP and ABS failure). The electronic glitches went away after 24hrs so I never thought more of it. The drain hose could have been off the car before I gave it to them and may have even been delivered with it off. Which leads to a more worrying conclusion. Has anyone watched what happens to these rubber hoses when the roof retracts. They get bent and stretched beyond belief. It is hard to see how they even stay connected with the punishment they are going through and they pop off very easily if pulled in the right direction. This seems to me to be a recipe for disaster and an obvious point of failure in future. I can just see one of the hoses failing again and directing torrents of water into the trunk. You have been warned. Check how secure your hoses are.

07-17-2006	#12 (permalink)
DansSlk Dude Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,752 Country: Thanks: 96 Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts	mcat if you have had electronics failures no matter now quickly they disappeared go to the dealer or an Indy with the SDS computer the electronics in this car are made to a price and therefore are crap they will corrode very easy and they really should be looked over by somebody who knows what they are doing the warranty will not cover failures due to water damage i found that out you will have to use your insurance so its better to get it looked at sooner rather than later to have the ABS and the ESP fail points to a CAN problem and as the rear SAM provides wheel speed data to the ESP control unit and its location being right in the water damaged area i would seriously have it inspected i have seen lots of Merc's in the shop suffering from major water damage months after the fault occurred and major bills my friend major bills. The hoses are mega stressed but if yours are looses i would get them checked to remove the hoses on both my SLK and SL you have you be nothing short of superman they don't budge easy maybe thats a UK thing but i cant see why it would be. Good Luck Dan __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening.

07-18-2006	#14 (permalink)
mcat Founding Member #3 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Switzerland & UK Vehicle: 2006 SLK350 MT LHD & 2009 SLK350 7G RHD Posts: 274 Country: Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	bugger, oh bugger! I can't fit the back panel back in place. The problem bit is the two tongues that go up along either side of the nav unit. They just won't go back in place properly. I am assuming that the go under the plastic surround that forms part of the retractable cover but I just can't push them up far enough. Has anyone fitted this piece themselves. How? There is a MB document, AR68.30-P-4810V "Remove/install centre trunk paneling" that describes the whole procedure but I don't have it. Any suggestions appreciated.

07-18-2006	#15 (permalink)
DansSlk Dude Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,752 Country: Thanks: 96 Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts	Give me a minute to pull that up on the WIS from experence however its just brute force and luck more than the procedure __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening.

07-18-2006	#16 (permalink)
easty Moderator Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Montreal Vehicle: ///AMG Posts: 2,075 Country: Thanks: 17 Thanked 19 Times in 9 Posts	"Snap tolerance fit" is the modern design to replace conventional fasteners. Problem is people focus on the Snap a little too much. __________________ "I'm not a roman mum, I'm a kike, a yid, a heebie, a hook-nose, I'm kosher mum, I'm a Red Sea pedestrian, and proud of it!" Life of Brian To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

07-18-2006	#18 (permalink)
DansSlk Dude Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,752 Country: Thanks: 96 Thanked 221 Times in 173 Posts	If the lower panel is installed OK and seated correctly you can check in each corner if thats OK then it just pushes on and the expansion clips lock it in place try moving it around a bit maybe its snagged on something i can send you the document if you like but it basically says unclip and pull out and install in reverse order __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening.

07-18-2006	#19 (permalink)
noregret4life Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NJ Vehicle: '05 SLK350 Posts: 1,092 Country: Thanks: 1 Thanked 17 Times in 11 Posts	Perhaps it we may be easier to help if we see what you see... a quick picture will do of the problematic spot.