brummerh

Dear all,

I am puzzled about a problem with leakage of water on the right and left side of the roof from the inside, see attached pic. The car is just sitting in the rain when these pics were taken When i drive a swap of water is coming out of the gray section but still drips the whole time if the rain continues.

This happens on both sides driver and passenger. The picture taken is from the passenger side

It all looks fine, seals look good windows close tight.

Any idea's

Your help as always appreciated

HB

brummerh

Ok i fixed it, It is a bottle of 3 M spray from your local Wal-Mart you find in the camping and show section to spray the roof. Look for the bottle with no poly inside it is blue. I used 3 bottles for the roof and all is sealed again. Spray evenly and double spray the sites especially nice. Bruch you roof prior doing it and make sure it is dry. Don't waist any money on MB kit , it is just the same.

Klinh

Mine leaked one time while park when it rain. All I did were reseated the top by open and closed again and it never leak again.

brummerh

I did that too at first but every time it was raining the water started to leak out of the two plastic parts ( see pics ) . I cleaned already prior my actions the drain channels in the window rubber seals on the right and left site so that was not an issue. The car came from the south, so due to the intense sunshine the protective rain seal will break down and you should renew it every year.

When i owned a 3 series in Germany i bought ones the kit for canvas maintenance and it came with the 3M Bottle and a brush for cleaning. So i did the same here brushed the dust out of the roof , with some soap water removed some stains, applies 3 coat's of spray water repellent for cloth.

Fixed it, I guarantee, it rained quite a bit sinse , had no problem at all. Water pearls from the roof as if it is freshly waxed car.

HB

Klinh

Thanks for the infos.

Rudeney

Actually, cleaning and using the water repellent on the top is a temporary fix for a leak. The outer canvas of the soft top is actually a multi-layer material where the bottom most layer is a waterproof material. If it leaks, it means there is a breakdown in the material. There are ways to permanently fix it, but you have to find the actual leak. It's likely in a spot where the material folds or rubs against a part of the frame or actuating components.

Rudeney

I know this is an old thread, but a similar problem showed up on BW and below is my response, in case it might help someone:

Believe it or not, the seal between the soft top and the windshield is not water tight. Instead, there is a channel in the rubber seal designed to trap water and then allow it to drain away. A common cause of water dripping from the front corners of the soft top is clogged drains.

There are actually two drain channels, both running along the rubber gasket on the inside of the side windows. In the photo below, the green arrows point to two openings in the windshield gasket. Follow them and you will see where the water should go if it collects in the windshield header channel. The larger upper/outboard opening goes to a channel that is open against the inside of the side glass so it should be easy to check for clogs. The smaller, lower/innermost opening goes into a closed channel in the side window gasket.

To test for clogs, first check these gasket openings for obstructions. Use something soft and flexible like cotton swab to probe the openings and make sure they are clear. Next, with the top lowered and side windows raised, slowly pour a small stream of water into the windshield gasket channel and see where it goes. Unless you pour too much water too quickly, the water should disappear into these holes and drip out the front edge of the door, between the door and fender, or in front of the side mirror. If the water pools in the rubber gasket, you have a clog. Be careful clearing it as you don't want to tear the gasket. Using low pressure compressed air might work, or blowing into a straw pushed into the channel.

ZEEK

Thanks Rudeney, I had the same leak problem as the OP in the first post. Unfortunately, i freaked out becasue it was winter and went to the dealer and paid 700 bucks to get those "seals" replaced

harborcountry

2005 CLK320 42,000 miles. After 6 trips to the dealer, they adjusted every window, the top, the doors, etc. the dealer washed their hands and told me there was nothing else that they could do.
It leaked just like the pictures brummerh posted.
I got disgusted and took matters into my own hands.
I purchased 2 of the largest cans of Scotchgard and went to town on the entire canvas top.
No more leaks.
$6
Done.

brummerh

Good to hear.

Update:
I newer resealed my roof since last November in 2011, we had a lot of rain this summer here in NC. The roof is still not leaking. Coming November i will repeat the cleaning sealing procedure again with my 3M can's from Wal-Mart.

HB

Rudeney

Guys, I am glad the Scotchgard is working, but the reality is that you have a bigger problem. The outer shell of the cabriolet top should be waterproof even without any special coatings. If it requires a coating to keep it from leaking, then the inner "membrane" of the fabric top has failed. I guess spending $6 every few months to plug this is better than spending $1000 for a new top, but eventually, a new top will be required. I guess it's just the price we pay for the pleasure of driving topless.

harborcountry

The scotchgard is still keeping me dry. BTW, my top was completely taken apart, all layers were inspected. Everything still looked like new. The inner membrane, the outer membrane, the insulation, everything.

Rudeney

My guess is that you have a leak in the stitching and the Scotchgard is helping to repel that. If it works, great, but that's not "normal" maintenance to prevent leaks.

BTW - how about some photos of the Fleetwood?

harborcountry

We are going on 2-1/2 years since I scothgarded the top of my 2005 CLK cabriolet. It's still NOT leaking. We had more than a few real gully washer rains in the past since and those times the car wasn't garaged I assumed there be some leaking....Nope. Still dry as a bone.

Sethmark

I would like to add to this comment. I have a 2005 that has been garage kept its entire life. It however is in South Florida. Tough on tops. I went around circles with the dealer and tried every trick with rubber gaskets. Ultimately the solution was to retreat the top with a water repellant.

We get rain in buckets. A couple of inches in a day isn't odd. The car went from leaking like a faucet was turned on to dry as a bone. There's ZERO chance any of the other solutions worked for me. The car sat in the rain on multiple occasions and leaked after each failed attempt. Spray it with a soft top treatment 3 coats and now it doesn't leak. End of story.

Rudeney

If you want a good water repellent, try Rustoleum Neverwet. Get the spray bottle specifically for outdoor canvas. Even though my top is in bad shape (bad glue job on the seam) and I am going to replace it this winter, I sprayed mine and the stuff is amazing. My only advice is to make sure you cover the glass and car as the over-spray is like cleaning off bubblegum.

jwb007

hi, hope all is well. i am in Florida and is experiencing this familiar leak. what brand did you used and how many coats/cans and whats the present situation with your top?

jwb007

hi, hope all is well. i would like your opinion. Is rustoleum brand better than raggtop/Scotchgard, and do they have Haartz approval?

Sethmark

I used Raggtop. 3 cans of it and hit the stitching around the windows hard. We've had 51" of rain this year and my car does NOT leak anymore. It was pouring in around the inner door seals prior to treatment. My guess is the stitching has stretched.

jwb007

thanks for the quick response. what are the necessary precaution with Raggtop sealant?

jwb007

Hi, I had a tire shop clear these holes with a compressor neddle. It stills drips when it rains. Any other suggestion? Before I treat the top with rustolien outdoors fabric spray.

Thanks

Rudeney

It seems that as the canvas ages, it may start leaking. Treating it with water proofing may help, but ultimately you'll need new canvas. I used Never Wet on mine - the kind designed for outdoor canvas. It works very well. Water on the fabric beads and is completely repelled. You can literally dry the top by blowing on it with your mouth - the water just falls right off.

jwb007

Thanks for replying. I got two bottles of the never wet and looking forward to coating the canvas.

harborcountry

It's 2017 and it still hasn't leaked since I treated the top with $6 worth of scotchgard.

harborcountry

Well it's been how many years now since I used $6 worth of scotchgard to repair the leaking issue? 5 years. I've got 121,000 miles on it now, it's been rained on and soaked through umpteen number of times. Canvas still looks new, seams are perfect. It;s still bone dry.