I found the reason for my driver side carpets being absolutely soaked. First I thought it might have been rain getting in.

Nope. I removed the knee panels and found that the A/C drain tube on the driver side has fallen all apart.

Is this an orderable item?

If not, has anyone replaced it with something that works?

This is on the SDL. It's the tube with the steel spring inside to keep it from collapsing.

__________________
Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

Although,I'd go with something like this:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#tubing/=2r090w

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
'84 300SD sold
124.128

Used this on the W123 and it worked great. Cut to length.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=50367-712-DWC-OO&lpage=none

Dave

__________________
1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

The factory drain tubes on the SDL just cracked and fell apart. I used plain ole heater hose, think it was 5/8" - no problem at all.
I wasn't about to mess around with the foam /spring gizmo MBZ used - it's a drain tube - not a plasma conduit.

__________________
1986 300SDL 201K Daily Driver
1984 300D In Progress
1989 240GL 196K Swedish Brick
1984 300SD -- Sold 289K
------------------------------

Here is your answer - see post # 14

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=193611&highlight=drain

__________________
~shell
As of 2/2010:
2001 CLK55 0o\=*=/o0
13.6 @ 106mph
10K mi
1984 300SD
260K mi and going and going...
97 S600
46K miles
1991 Sentra SE-R (extremely dorked with)
www.se-r.net

The PO replaced the one on mine with a piece of heater hose. It actually looks like it belongs there. PITA to get to though.

__________________
AJ

1985 300D (SOLD)

Very good ideas.

Thanks guys!

__________________
Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

I used a section of foam pipe insulation with the slit left intact (not split), but facing up so the water doesn't really hit it. No problem in well over a year, and fairly easy to bend into place.

__________________

Current Mercedes
1979 maple yellow 240D 4-speed

Gone and fondly remembered:
1980 orient red 240D 4-speed

Gone and NOT fondly remembered:
1982 Chna Blue 300TD

Other car in the stable:
2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI / 6-speed MT

my solution was to use 1" heat shrink tubing that I shrunk once I had in place.

__________________
1985 300D cali 190K

http://mercedes.thatchermathias.com/mw300d.jpg

You'll be in for a surprise then, the next time you need to reroute your AC output through the EPS relays to your main deflector dish to close the subspace pothole your SDL got pulled into that week (like it does every week).

Really though, what was Mercedes thinking with the foam tubes in the climate control system?

__________________
'81 300TD Wagon 355k (Miss Diesel)
'83 300SD 180k
'84 500SEL 190k (Parting it out)

Top 1/3 of a plastic iced tea bottle turned upside down for a 123.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

kerry,

I have seen that solution, but didn't go that route b/c I was afraid it would rattle around while driving and make me go CRAZY!!!!

Does yours move/rattle much?

__________________

Current Mercedes
1979 maple yellow 240D 4-speed

Gone and fondly remembered:
1980 orient red 240D 4-speed

Gone and NOT fondly remembered:
1982 Chna Blue 300TD

Other car in the stable:
2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI / 6-speed MT

I've solved this with the plastic bottle kludge cited elsewhere in this thread. But in a special moment, I also ordered a replacement from MB. It looked remarkably replaceable by a hunk of that closed cell water pipe insulation they sell in 8 ft lengths at the big box store for a buck or so.

Yes, I'm sure I'll be screwed when the primary deflector stops working on the SDL due to a plasma coolant leak.
Seriously though , I've seen a lot of dumb a$$ things done by MBZ on the 126 cars , but this one is just abject engineering folly - a joke on the American consumer. I imagine Gerhardt speaking to Hans describing how funny it will be to read reports of wind shields leaking into drivers side wetting carpet. Yep...

__________________
1986 300SDL 201K Daily Driver
1984 300D In Progress
1989 240GL 196K Swedish Brick
1984 300SD -- Sold 289K
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I think some of you are stomping on the toes of some of the best auto engineers in the world. The purpose of the foam drain tubes is to keep road noise from coming back up the tube into the passenger compartment. Or maybe not but that is my story and I am sticking to it. ha ha
Paul

__________________
84 500 SEL (307,xxx miles)