Iv4n

Hello guys,

I recently purchased a 2009 CL500 that has one little problem with the driver side windows - namely, when washing the car, I can see a very small amount of water penetrating the seal between the front and rear windows (that little black strip). This doesn't occur on the passenger side - no matter how much water I sprayed towards that seal, nothing gets past the seal (as it should be).

I also notice that there is a 1/8" step between the front and rear window, where they meet - but the service manual says that the front and rear windows should be flush with one another. It could be that the manual is referring to vehicles with the standard windows, and mine has those double pane, laminated, heat insulating, noise insulating, cancer curing windows all round.

There is also a very faint sound of air when driving at highway speeds that seems to be coming from the back of the driver side door, which could be a result of some misalignment between the two windows and their immersion into the roof sealing rail.

Does anyone who owns (or owned) one of these models (W216 2006-2009) know whether this is how the windows should be adjusted or is there something wrong here?

Here's a picture of what I'm referring to:

shadenfroh

Since there's water going in, there definitely is an alignment problem. It could be the door, or it could be the front window or the rear.

I would only trust a dealer with this job. Too much variables for a good DIY unless someone posts the factory instructions. Your car is not that old, there's bound to be a mechanic in the dealership who's worked personally on a W216, so I wouldn't worry.

Iv4n

Thanks for the reply
Yeah, I definitely would only let the dealer deal with this, after all - the trim needs to be taken off the door and the back seat, and I wouldn't trust many mechanics to work with that.

Problem with the dealer is that they like to REPLACE PARTS! A lot!
I asked them about it and their response is to replace that rubber seal - I ordered both the left and the right, and I'll happily pay the replacement but only IF that fixes the issue - I don't want to just throw money at a problem if it's not gonna do anything.

I do have access to the factory instructions, they are detailed but also vague. For instance, it says the window should be flush - but not whether it's the same for double pane windows as it is with the single ones.

It also says the immersion depth should be 9mm, but not whether that's from the topmost edge of the window or the 'outside' edge which is a little lower when you have the laminated heat insulating glass. The window in that case looks like it has a smaller pane glued onto a larger pane, so the 'edge' is a two-step curve.

shadenfroh

Well, you do have your passenger side for reference, right? You can make some measurements and fool around with the adjustment on the driver's side. And if you remember to note your changes - you'll be able to at least get back to where you were.

Iv4n

The passenger side also isn't flush, but the difference between the front and rear windows on the passenger side is less.

Since I only purchased this vehicle recently, I have no knowledge of what maintenance work was done prior, so it could be that both of them are misaligned in that regard (they are not identical, implying an intentional presence of that step).

The rear window can be adjusted that way (manual calls it the tension) - it can be pushed outward or pulled inward, and the manual says that the front and rear windows should be flush - but that would mean that my passenger window needs to be pushed out about 1/8th of an inch and the driver window a little more than 1/8, but less than 1/4

On the other hand, it could be that the flush windows are intended for standard glass, and the double-pane glass indeed should be 1/8" above, in which case I could be screwing with other parameters of the window and making things worse

shadenfroh

If it's even slightly misaligned you'll quickly get water leaks and wind noise. You said you have both on the driver side and neither on the passenger side.

Does the passenger door close lightly with a solid click-thunk and no other noises? Does the window protrude the same on both the top and the bottom? A slight misalignment will be more visible at the top.

If all this checks out I'd assume the passenger side is correctly aligned and do my best to translate the adjustment to the driver side. Oh, also there's a CLK and a CL in my neighbourhood. I checked them out for you last night and now there's a nice old lady who thinks I'm one of the best dressed car thieves she's seen lately. Both have the exact same "condition" as yours

PP: Even though I said "I would", it's actually "I did". I replaced my door last month and aligned the window using the passenger side as reference. All is good.

Iv4n

The passenger side is actually all fine - there are no symptoms, as far as I could tell. The water doesn't get in, and the passenger I asked said they couldn't hear any wind noise.

Now, bear in mind that the CL is a car that's at least one or two classes above what most people are used to, so it's a good chance he did not pay attention to the less audible wind noise.

Both doors close without showing off any symptoms of anything being wrong - there's no click, though - it's more of a thud since the door is big and heavy. Moving up from a CLS, that was one big difference in the feeling and the sound when you close the door. It's nothing wrong, since I observed it on all 4 CL500s I checked out, including one with less than 50.000 miles on it.

Oh, and thank you very much for going out of your way and checking that, that's really appreciated! Can't believe you did that haha. The manual must be referring to the single windows when calling for the two to be flush - that's the only explanation I can think of. They are off-flush by just about the thickness of that second pane that sits on top of the first one.

shadenfroh

Hey mate,

have you had the problem sorted out?

Iv4n

Hello
I left the car at the dealers' to sort out a few things and replace both B-pillar seals, which was their recommendation to fix the water leak. The water leak was only on the driver side, but considering their relative cheap price ($50) I had them order both and replace them just in case.

Now I have water coming in on both sides. Luckily, it's only when the car is pressure-washed, not rain or stuff like that, but I am not happy about the outcome one bit.

I have an appointment with them on Monday to sort it out, they'll adjust all windows according to the manual and we'll see what happens then.

shadenfroh

Oh, how full of crap they are... There's a very specific 5-minute step-by-step procedure for adjusting the doors + windows on all B-pillar-less MB coupes. This design has been around since the SEVENTIES. I can't believe this, it's just not acceptable!

Your issue does not lie with the seals! There are plenty of cars around sitting in the sun for 15+ years and they have zero issues with window seals. Will they refund you the 100 $ + labour for replacing the seals? Not only have they not fixed the issue, but they made it worse.

If they refuse to own up to their crap, I would start talking really loud and doing a very controlled hands-in-the-air-eyes-wide-open dance. Don't let them get away with this.

Iv4n

The old seals were a little "chewed up looking", so I agreed to replace them, and they only suggested I replace the driver side, it was my decision to replace both. A $100 investment on a $30.000 car isn't something I'd get too fussed about.

They didn't charge anything for labor, as far as I can see on the bill (also remanufactured the torque converter and did a transmission flush at the same time and the bill reflected what the price for that alone should be, nothing extra for the window seals).

I really wish someone with a W216 CL class would chime in with how their windows are positioned, just so I can press it with the dealers to adjust it all properly. I've read through the WIS for the procedure to adjust it, there's a number of steps and they all involve taking off the trim on both the front and rear.

I have taken the trim off my doors on the CLS a half dozen times, and it's pretty straightforward, but I don't want to "harass" the trim on this one, since every time you take it off and put it back on again you're wearing out and distressing the plastic clips, making the interior more and more prone to rattles and squeaks.

Benztech777

I have an 07 CL 550 and I adjusted my glass on the passenger side as it was out of adjustment. The adjustment procedure can be tricky and you really need to be careful due to the way the glass closes. The front glass has every adjustment possible such as height, tilt angle, etc. And the rear too. In most cases a simple adjustment of the front glass will fix things. If you have access to the WIS you can get the adjustment procedure there. Getting it all perfect takes time and patience. But more important is understanding the way the final closure works and getting it all adjusted to spec. Persistence and patience always pay off in the end. Find an older seasoned technician, most dealerships employ young guy in their 20's and keep a couple old farts like me around to baby sit when they get in trouble. Sadly today's world is all about profits. Good luck with it. Try to find an experienced Mercedes Tech that can take care of your needs at your home or his. It will save you thousands in the long run.

Iv4n

Thanks for the reply, mate.
I tried adjusting them on the drivers side of the car, it took a helluva long time and it's not perfect yet, but I think I've taken a step in the right direction.

WIS gives you the steps, but not really all the details you need, which is why I needed input from actual owners that have this particular car.

nath_h

I'm activating this ancient thread, hoping someone might post a close up photo of the front/rear windows at the transition point for reference. I've had a bad time installing new (used) rear windows and seals, and just can't get them to seal correctly. I spent 12 billable hours of labor time at a local Mercedes specialty shop, and they sent me home no better off than I was when I started--actually worse. WIS is of no help. They are sitting too far forward, and too low, but I've adjusted the windows to the limits of where they will sit on the window lifter, so they cannot move any higher or rearward. I'm just baffled, because how on earth did the previous identical window sit on the lifter fine, but these won't. If anyone has any additional insights, they would be most welcome.