Do you ever remove your W124 plastic panels & clean behind?

[mccrackenj]

Well you should!

Thourough inspection of my new purchase (1996 E320T) has revealed 2 x knackered jacking points (the other 2 aren't great either) and a serious rusty area where the driver's side rear arch meets the sill (visible with the door open)

What seems to have happened is that the little plastic 'spat' over the rear arch has trapped muck & moisture and this has eaten away at the wheel arch and surrounding area. Significant cutting out & welding will be required. Also, as could be expected, the plastic sill trims have trapped plenty of filth as well, hence the rusty jacking points.

So - car is going to the Merc indy for ALL of the plastic trim to be removed, sill covers and all the Sacco panels, and the jacking points & other rust to be cut out & repaired. Then I'm going to clean the sills and door/wing bottoms and thoroughly treat with Dinitrol or similar, then back to the indy for all the panels to go back on again.

In fact I might just go the whole hog and get the plastic panels repainted while they're off the car.

So, just a warning chaps - do think about having a peek behind your trim panels every now and again, if you want to keep the car long term.

[iluvmercs]

I learnt to have this done when I had a 124 Saloon. I just asked one day if it could be done and much rust was revealed.
When I purchased my Coupe, it was one of the first things I had done, and then had some protective waxed squirted underneath

It is certainly sound advice.
You shuold also check in the engine bay behind the head lamps. I had two huge rust holes, which have now been properly repaired

Darren

Edited by iluvmercs on Monday 16th July 14:06

[mccrackenj]

iluvmercs said:

You shuold also check in the engine bay behind the head lamps. I had two huge rust holes, which have now been properly repaired

Darren

Edited by iluvmercs on Monday 16th July 14:06

Thankfully the car had 2 new front wings a couple of years ago. After the work I mentioned above is done the whole car will be getting a thorough going over with the appropriate Dinitrol products + compressor + 'shutz' gun + lance etc, and the front wings will get their share.

This car will be as well protected from rust as I can make it.

If past experience of doing the same to an MX5 is anything to go by, the driveway will probbaly need re-paved afterwards!

[iluvmercs]

mccrackenj said:

Thankfully the car had 2 new front wings a couple of years ago.

That is the "usual" place to check for the 124 of any bodystyle.
However, I was referring the metal in the engine bay, directly behind the headlights.
It's a water trap and can rust, as I discovered on my car.
It's the areas under the ABS unit and the airbox & screen wash resevoir.
To illustrate, here are a couple of photos I took during the repair process




Darren

[mccrackenj]

Oh right. Sorry, I misunderstood.

I'll certainly have a good look around those areas and make sure they are treated as well.

Thanks


John

[edpurnell]

I dont think I should look...LOL

[mccrackenj]

mccrackenj said:

Oh right. Sorry, I misunderstood.

I'll certainly have a good look around those areas and make sure they are treated as well.

Thanks


John

Now why did I forget about this thread when I came to leave the car in for welding of jacking points and the other rusty area? Just found rust in the very place Darren mentioned, behind passenger side headlight. Could have got it all done in the same visit to the welders.

Can someone tell me what that fluid reservoir is? The rust spot is right under it. Sorry I've no pictures.

[iluvmercs]

mccrackenj said:

Can someone tell me what that fluid reservoir is? The rust spot is right under it. Sorry I've no pictures.

The "fluid reservoir" is the large white bottle immediately behind passenger side headlight
It feeds the windscreen washer and the headlight wash/wipe, if that option was specified.

Good luck with the future repairs

I would also check the other side of the engine bay, below the ABS unit and well worth checking are all the drainage holes. I have mine checked once a year for blockages ever since I had some water ingress. Nothing to fear and easy to have checked, but well worth it IMO

HTH

Darren

[mccrackenj]

iluvmercs said:

mccrackenj said:

Can someone tell me what that fluid reservoir is? The rust spot is right under it. Sorry I've no pictures.

The "fluid reservoir" is the large white bottle immediately behind passenger side headlight
It feeds the windscreen washer and the headlight wash/wipe, if that option was specified.

Good luck with the future repairs

I would also check the other side of the engine bay, below the ABS unit and well worth checking are all the drainage holes. I have mine checked once a year for blockages ever since I had some water ingress. Nothing to fear and easy to have checked, but well worth it IMO

HTH

Darren

Brilliant, Darren, thanks a lot. I was a bit worried about tinkering because the pipework to it looked a bit 'heavy duty' but if it's only serving the wipers/washers rather than anything hydraulic then I'll remove and get the car back to the welders. I'l have a poke around the other side too.

It'll be nice to be in a position where I can drive the car in pissing rain and not give 2 figs about potential corrosion - well, that's the dream anyway.

[bolide]

Driver's side is the washer bottle. Passenger side is the self-levelling reservoir. Driver's side rusts more for obvious reasons

Nick Froome

[mccrackenj]

bolide said:

Driver's side is the washer bottle. Passenger side is the self-levelling reservoir. Driver's side rusts more for obvious reasons

Nick Froome

Ah, it'll be the self-levelling reservoir then. I'll NOT disconnect it, I'll let the mechanic do that when I take it back. Don't really want to look at the driver's side now . . .

Thanks Nick

ETA - removed the washer bottle on the other side and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . it's all fine. So that's a relief.

Edited by mccrackenj on Friday 31st August 16:03

[cptsideways]

Nick, give me a ring a colleague of mine is interested in one of your gems after I sent him to look at w124

Declan