S-Class (W221) 2007-2013: S 320 CDI, S 350, S 450, S 500, S 550, S 420 CDI, S 600

Water leak through grab handle, sunroof drains clear?

Old Apr 24, 2025 | 04:07 AM
  #1  
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2006 W221 S500L M273
Water leak through grab handle, sunroof drains clear?

Last night i was driving through the rain and i noticed that water was leaking through the front right grab handle, a drop a minute or so.
I assumed the sunroof drains had clogged up but no - they were clear and easily drained all the way down to behind the front wheels.

I have the normal sunroof (not the panoramic).
Anyone have an idea what's going on?
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Old Apr 24, 2025 | 06:28 AM
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sadly some moron cut a hole in the roof and its doing what they do best

if the overall seal on the glass is sad then more water can escape inwards and overload the drains

the ONLY ever reason to open is to clean the crud out and put lube on the silicon seal - without cars are lighter, faster, better, quieter, go round corners faster, look far look better and are far stronger in a crash - sunroofs are the devil
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Old Apr 24, 2025 | 06:46 AM
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did it occur to you you can bugger up the seal to the down pipe and or rip it off mechanically trying to clear by whatever means

also could the windscreen be leaking in a corner?
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Old Apr 24, 2025 | 07:35 AM
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Yeah i agree sunroofs are the devil.
I'll check the windscreen corners.
The downpipe is probably still connected since it drains nicely to behind the front wheels.
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Old Apr 24, 2025 | 08:28 AM
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'13 s212 63 p30. '06 LX470
There could also be a leak in the tray where it bolts up. When I had my E 55 I pulled the headliner to redo it and those bolts were rusty, and I was able to turn them a little bit more.Innever experienced a leak but the prior owner likely had due to a water stain near the grab handle. If the water fills up the tray because of slow drains, it could be this. Also, did you clear the rear drains?

Last edited by Baltistyle; Apr 24, 2025 at 08:30 AM.
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Old Apr 24, 2025 | 09:55 AM
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2006 W221 S500L M273
Originally Posted by Baltistyle
Also, did you clear the rear drains?
Wait, there are rear drains too?
How on earth can you access them?
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Old Apr 24, 2025 | 10:27 AM
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'13 s212 63 p30. '06 LX470
Originally Posted by Jaap
Wait, there are rear drains too?
How on earth can you access them?
Only “easy” way is up through the bottom. It could be as simple as the reed valve at the exit being clogged. Diagrams are on Google. Just be careful to never force the brush or wire or weedeater string because you might pierce the tube. Some people might use an air compressor, but that could also blow the tube off if it is clogged.

You can check the rear drains by parking on a slight incline and pouring water in the front of the sunroof and seeing if it exits the rear drains
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Old Apr 24, 2025 | 11:29 AM
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2006 W221 S500L M273
Best resource i found so far is https://www.benzworld.org/threads/ac...hoses.1960625/
But i can't seem to find where the rear drains end.
Is it in front of the rear wheels somewhere?

Last edited by Jaap; Apr 24, 2025 at 11:31 AM.
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Old Apr 25, 2025 | 08:16 AM
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'13 s212 63 p30. '06 LX470
Usually behind the wheel arch.
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Old May 25, 2025 | 08:14 AM
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2006 W221 S500L M273
(late) Update:
I pulled the front right corner of the headliner down today:
  1. Removed sun visor (2x T20 on the outside and 1x T25 on the inside of the visor)
  2. Removed grab handle (2x T25)
  3. Removed coat hanger, rear passenger side (1x T25)
  4. Pulled A-pillar trim top down (about 10cm/4") (1x 10mm nut and 1 clip halfway down)
  5. Pulled B-pillar trim top inside (about 10cm/4") (1x 10mm nut and 2 clips halfway down and 1 clip for the seatbelt plastic trim cover)
  6. Unclipped part of the sunroof mold that holds the headliner (i unclipped 3 clips on the short side and 3 or 4 on the long side)
  7. Pulled headliner down about 10cm/4"
I could see that someone before me already tried to fix a leak there because there was a zip-tie around the rubber hose that goes over the plastic front sunroof drain.
I guess it still leaked from there so i put some waterproof fabric/woven tape over the drain pipe and put the hose back with another tightly pulled zip-tie.
I hope it's water tight now.

Videos that helped me:


Last edited by Jaap; May 25, 2025 at 08:21 AM.
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