Water inside the cabin after a carwash!.. DEVELOPING STORY!
 

Took delivery of my '13 C350 4 Dr sedan last December 15, 2012...
So far.. 2980 Miles on it... been at service 3 times already for the same issue (2.5 weeks at service all combined). The reason... water dripping inside the front passenger side.. right behind the glove box... after going thru any automatic car wash (brush or brushless).

MB Houston North Service has seen the car all three times.. and today after I picked up for the third time!.. finally... from what I was told, MBUSA Headquarters gave them the reason why I keep having this issue. Turns out that I was not driving thru the carwash properly all my life!. Not while I owned two BMW, not while I owned my previous '08 C350... and surely not with my new '13 C350. According to the actual manual (honest!, page 292 if you dont believe me) that comes with the car... the dumbass driver (Me) needs to shut the A/C OFF prior to going thru any automatic carwash. Pretty Amazing coming from the "Most Engineered Car in the world".. or so the commercials in the USA TV claim.

The A/C in the ON position.. so MBUSA claims (according to my service rep here in Houston) causes a "venturi" like effect (vac) that allows water to sip inside!.. Again!, what a great piece of engineering!.

From this I conclude...
1. A $45K Mercedes is no better than a $17K Ford.
2. German Engineers apparently have not been in a South Texas Storm driving from Houston to Dallas. I guess next time I do that drive... I need to pray for no Rain... and if it does rain.. I need to shut the A/C OFF (sweat thru the trip) so that the water from the storm wouldnt get inside.
3. MB doesnt care anymore about customer satisfaction and problem solving based on the answer I got today
4. Very dissapointed with my vehicle.

Thanks

First, go to another dealer. They are not all created equal. If you get the same line, have them take a car off of their lot or one of their loaners and replicate the issue for you. It won't happen.

Second - do yourself a favor, and never use a brush equipped carwash. Swirl marks are not your friend, and they will quickly add up. :D

I've taken my car through the car wash exactly four times in it's lifetime. The first time I did a couple years ago, I got water around the passenger footwell as you have experienced. My issue, though, was that the wash jets flipped up the front right roof-rack attachment cover, which allowed water to run down an inside channel. Ever since then, when i caved and didn't hand wash, I taped down all four covers w/ blue painters tape before going through. Zero water issues. I do notice that the front right cover is the loosest of them all, though.
Can't say if that's your issue or not since it's cold/winter was what drives me to use the washes in the first place, so definitely no A/C on.
Have you run through again only w/ A/C off and received no water inside the cabin? If not, you could run an experiment by taping the covers down and going through again w/ the A/C on. Depends on your pain threshold for possibly more water inside.

Damn I would be pissed, but then I don't think I ever had the a/c on while going through a car wash.

I agree with the Swirl Marks comment, however, the MB manual states not to use touchless car washes due to them using harsh chemicals which can damage the paint. Sounds like a catch-22..

If this is true then how come my car is perfectly fine driving through the automatic carwash with the AC on? No water in my cabin...? :crazy:

Yeap you are correct.. hard to find a reputable service dealer.
Point taken on the brush carwash. Thanks https://mbworld.org/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif

I appreciate the comment... but seriously... tape on a $40K+ vehicle.. so water doesn't get inside??. KIA's are far cheaply built and engineered.. don't have this issue.

You and me both!!
Ridiculous isn't it?!

I don't believe the story. The car wash should have no effect. I've been involved in vehicle development programs while at a major manufacturer. I've seen the water test booth which is used to simulate heavy rain and find areas of potential leakage. I can only imagine the kind of water booth MB has invested in. Ever been in a true deluge and had the HVAC set to AUTO or defrost to keep the windows from fogging? Why don't all MB cars leak in that situation?

This sounds like a weak excuse for not taking the time to find the true root cause. This could even be an improperly sealed windshield...who knows at this point? They probably are guessing they are chasing a small defect somewhere and don't get enough labor op warranty hours to find it. Call MBUSA and ask for a Technical Service rep who travels the territory to meet you for an appointment at the dealership.

Years ago a friend of mine had a similar experience happen to him with a brand new Maxima (300 miles). He barely uses car washes but when he did and anytime it rained water would find its way behind the “A” pillar and down behind the glove box.

Turned out there was a blockage in the right front drain in the sunroof that was causing the problem. He was told that something must have gotten into the drain during assembly and went unnoticed.

Not sure if this even applies to your “C” or if there is a drain in your sunroof, but I figured I would throw it out there anyway.

Good luck, and as someone else suggested try another dealer

Exactly!... Off all car makers out there.. MBUSA (not the local MB) is trying to sell me the idea that the A/C ON is causing it... I am actually gonna see if I can get a copy of the email from MBUSA I was shown yesterday by my service advisor... so ridiculous.

Ummm... Good Point.. I do have a scope I can feed thru that drain actually to check for foreign objects

The only issue for me is that one roof-rack attachment cover is looser than the other three when closed so it's easily sprayed open by the high pressure jets. On the very few occasions I've taken the car through, I tape it down and then remove it afterward. Not a big deal to me. Nothing different than the SUVs you see that have the rear wipers taped down due to the jet engine dryer causing them to fly off.
Sounds like you have a different problem, which I agree is not due to the A/C. The only reason I said to run the experiment was to prove to the dealer once and for all that they're on crack.

I had same issue with my vehicle all be it in my W202. As some one else has posted it was a blocked drainage channel. I was informed that the water was not draining out. Once blockage cleared no further problems. Have the drainage channel from the sunroof that runs to the A pillar looked at as that was where mine was found to be blocked.

Well Ladies and Gentlemen...
The issue with my new C-Class persists...
Today I got into an argument with the Service Manager at my local dealership... and after a few rounds, I challenged him to drive thru the same car wash with any of the C-Class in his lot... We did.. and Water got inside this vehicle as well... So... I am open to suggestions from all of you out here at MBWorld...

As of right now, I have drafted a letter to my Dealer requesting a full refund for this junk of car I am driving. To me this is a very serious design flaw... regardless of what the car's manual says (which it does tells you to shut the AC off). I challenged every single sales person at the dealership to tell me about the issue.. and all I got was a deer in the headlights look as to if I was on drugs or not.

Thanks

Good luck getting your money back. You have a long road ahead of you if you try to lemon the "junk of car" that you are driving (you know, the same car that we all on here paid for... I for one don't consider it junk).

Regardless of the situation, if you are doing something that the manual says you shouldn't do and you have an issue, you don't have a case. Furthermore, if it went to litigation you have now posted in a public forum that is easily found on google and archived that you have not followed manufacturers guidelines.

I'm not suggesting that its not a problem - but 4 years working in a service department in college showed me cars with missing trim, damaged seals, broken mirrors, missing wheel center caps, damaged wheels, broken antennae - you name it, and all from automatic car washes, so i am not surprised that one could push the car past its design constraints.

The damn things should be banned as far as I am concerned.

Thanks for your comment...
There is a reason why my '63 230SL, '68 280SE, '84 240GD, and '78 300D are still seating in my garage... because they all can go thru the same car wash with the A/C or Heater on... and no water gets inside... Even using the canvas top on my '63.... This should give you a pretty good idea of what I think of the MB Brand. Like you, I dont think is junk,... but the cars above were built in eras and by people that actually stood behind their product. Long gone are those days.

Nowadays.. if the computer tells you there is nothing wrong... then you are out of luck... everyone thinks first of what is the word you used... "Litigation". Lawyers, Lawsuits, etc, are not the answer for me. All I am asking is for something I believe is fair.. fix it (which MB had 4 goes at it already) or give me my moeny back. But, people believe in lawyers first, rather than focusing on doing things right from the get go and getting a good product down the line. Funny how MBUSA in Montvale agrees with me (in writing and voice) on how the issue/flaw should not exist on their C-Class; specially after proving to them that it happens to other C-Class in the lot. But I guess the dealer down here has more decision power than the Headquarters... I'll keep you posted it.

Some of us have different levels of tolerance on what we will compromise. I for once, dont see it right to pay $43K for a vehicle (The most engineered vehicle in the world according to their commercials) that has this design flaw. Do this happens on KIAs, Toyotas, Hundays, Smarts, Dodge, etc... I think you will find it doesnt. Are you telling me that the plain jack local Mr Car Wash I use is a far better way to test for leaks than the Water testing facilities at Stuttgart or Tuscaloosa (which I have seen in person)?

So much for Geprüfte Qualität Mercedes!

That's ridiculous. I've taken my 08 C through a few automatic car washes and have not noticed any water leaking in.

I'm sorry to hear about your problems , everyone has different expectations on this forum and I for one completely agree with you.

Good luck to you and I hope all works out in your favor !


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Bosnia1992:
Trust me!, I miss my '08 C350 these days!... Should have kept it.
Thanks

For what it is worth, have you tried another dealer?

You have proven that the issue exists on another car in the lot - perhaps another dealer would be more willing to tear into your car and see where the issue truly lies. Many TSBs and service campaigns begin this way.

I agree with you that it is not right. I'd also like to see what HVAC changes were made between 2008 and now with the w204 chassis.

As far as a local carwash being better than the water testing facilities at any of the plants, I'd be more apt to say poorly calibrated would be more like it. Like I said of the damage I have seen those things cause - a factory test is pushing more volume of water at less pressure.

I do wish you the best of luck with it, and my main reason for pointing straight to litigation (I am not a litigious person myself) is that like any other corporation these days - I think if you want your money back it is going to be your only route.

Smytw this is BS!!!! Keep calling and complaining to MBUSA cause this crap shouldn't be happening. MY 09 c300 goes through automatic carwash with the AC on in the summer cause im sitting inside and is hot and no water goes in AT ALL!!! I've also driving my car in the summer with torrential rain storms, A/C on in the summer and no water goes in. Make your voice be heard and dont give up, Good luck

Just whats it worth in the manual it tell you to leave your AC on ALL the time to help with humidity. SO what your dealer and MB are saying everytime it rains you should switch off your AC. I would bring that up to them commen sense eludes MB and Dealer when problems a rise

I have had some very bad experiences with MB North Hounton :wwf:. Good luck.

Can you see the water dripping from the driver seat? I've take my car to the car wash a couple of times and haven't noticed anything but it's not like I was looking for it. I'm actually going to take it today, since it snowed Monday, and I'll check to see if anything is dripping. I always keep my A/C on.