clk 230 water leak!
 

Folks..i have a very bad leak coming down the side of the passenger footwell (UK car)...water has been pouring in and the car stinks of damp!..when i pop the bonnet i can see a build up of water behind the aircon box unit at the corner of the windscreen..how do i take this unit out to have a closer look?..is this a common problem in clk's and if so then thats bad build quality!

Thanks..

RE: clk 230 water leak!
 

Hi,
Common problem. Plenum box drain is blocked with pine needles or similar detritis.
Should be able to clear the drain without removing the plenum.
However removal of the plenum is straight forward.
Stuart

RE: clk 230 water leak!
 

hi..thats absolutely correct as i can see lots of leaves etc in there..how do i just clear all that?..is there a quick way?..Thanks

RE: clk 230 water leak!
 

Something like a knitting needle is quite effective. You need to "stir" around in the area of the lowest part of the plenum till you find the outlet and poke around until it clears and all the water runs out.
Need to take care that you are not too heavy handed otherwise you can damage the rubber valve which seals the outlet (and is the cause of the blockage Just normal common snese is all that is required.
Stuart

RE: clk 230 water leak!
 

thanks again..i put my finger in and could feel the block and all i ended up doing was push back the block. I tried the needle but cant get good access...any other ideas? i really do need to get this thing unblocked properly!..thanks again..

RE: clk 230 water leak!
 

CAREFUL use of an airline can help. Watch your eyes!!
If not you need to take the whole plenum off.
There are only a few screws and seals to pull off.
Stuart

RE: clk 230 water leak!
 

thanks again..quick question..any instructions on how to remove the plenum?..i dont want to pull too hard and snap anything as ive had a look and cant see any screws etc holding it in place.

also, the a/c smells awful so what filters would i replace and how would i get rid of this nasty smell when i put the a/c on.

once again..thanks in advance..

RE: clk 230 water leak!
 

I haven't actually unblocked the plenum on a CLK, and I don't have WIS up at present, so can't help with how to remove the plenum.
On my SLK there are a number of screws, a seal and the wiper arms that have to be removed to gain adequate access.
On my S class I had to remove the wipers, then a couple of screws to remove a closing panel and then the plenum was held in place with one screw.
As I said its quite straightforward but i am unable at present to spell it out exactly step by step.

Water gets onto the pollen filter and this causes them to smell. You may need to replace the filter. It can be accessed thru the glove box. Lots of posts gibe instructions how to do this.

Are you sure that water hasn't got under the carpets? This is a big problem to resolve, especially the smell. Need to remove carpet from car and dry in an appropriate area before refitting.

Sorry i can't help further.
Stuart

RE: clk 230 water leak!
 

Thanks snanceki

I managed to clean out the plenum box completely..it was full of rubbish..this is going to sound daft now but it doesnt have any sort of filter in does it cos it was empty (apart from the mold etc)..anyway, water should have a clear run now so no blockage..I then looked at the pollen filter and it was bone dry..a few dead flies etc but nothing too concerning so brushed it up a little and put it back..then took out the mats and carpet...the carpets were soaked..very very badly and the sponge underneath was a mess and green..its still out o dry..been 3 days now! but still a little wet..got some fibreze so will spray once dry..hasnt rained yet so i cant say whether the leak problem has been solved but thanks very much to you and the forum for the replies as i would never have guessed what the problem is and looked for holes in the panels!