Having been thru near 15 Mercedes-Benz W126 sedans I have seen some of the most common rust areas on a Mercedes. There are several areas on a Mercedes that are very prone to rust. Knowing where these areas are can help you to prevent it from happening. Some of the areas are well known, others are not. For the people whom are new to Mercedes W126 this thread can help better inform yourself prior to the purchase of your Mercedes.
I have photos of the areas and while there are many more areas such as behind the lower moldings/cladding and also up by the firewall, these areas shown are the most common.
I have identified another VERY DANGEROUS soft spot on these W126 Mercedes-Benz.
If you are buying a used Mercedes PLEASE be sure to check the area where the sway bars mount to the chassis. Recently I had a customer come in with a complaint of a hard pull to the left. At first I thought it would be a broken sway bar end, however once we got it to the shop we soon realized that it was much worse than that.
Apparently what happens is rust eats up all of the support, and then due to the stress the area is under, it seperates from the chassis.
While this is the FIRST one we have ever seen do this, there must be many others out there on the road like it.
I have found a product that works wonders on rust. Not sure if they still sell the stuff, however the product is called "Extend".
It starts off as a milky white liquid and almost smells a lot like battery acid, but boy does it work wonders!
To use this stuff you need to grind or sand down the rusted area. Once done you apply this liquid using a brush. The stuff begins to work almost immediatly attacking the rust. After it dries it turns black and appears to completly seal the effected area. It dries hard, almost like an epoxy.
I tested this product out on the underside of our 560 prior to the winter here in Michigan. All areas that were showing signs of rust formation were sanded and treated. I am happy to announce that dispite the harsh winters we have here in Michigan and the fact they use salt on the roads, the areas we treated look as good as the day we applied the treatment!
I recomend that anyone who uses a W126 Mercedes as a daily driver invest in a bottole of this magic. Spend an entire day under your vehicle and treat all your brake, and fuel lines. Treat the areas where the sun-roof drains erode the sub frame. Treat the entire rear sub frame. Treat everything that is not factory coated or starting to show signs of rust. You will thank me.
Once more the stuff is called "Extend" and is made by Loctite, a quality name in automotive chemicals.
DONT LET YOURE MERCEDES END UP LOOKING LIKE THE SALVAGE CARS ABOVE!
EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE METAL! YOU WONT BE SORRY!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Hi, i found youe website through google and need some assistance and by reading what i have seen on your website, i thought i;d try my luck !
I have a 1989 500se auto, its a RHD and based in the UK.
My 500se has become the victim of rust on a particural part, on the pictures that you have shown for the most common rust areas on these cars, Pic 2 from the left top row, well the rust has developed on the front frame next to the hose. The frame part that holds the big round rubber mount (in pic 2 of the rust areas its been circled), the part where the front water hoses run down the frame, due to rust it has broken away thus resulting the big rubber mount parting from the body. can you tell me the best way to get this fixed ! can i buy the frame part that holds the rubber mount ?
Serious rust will require serious repair. Some areas don't take well to repairs and require in-depth procedures to make the vehicle safe again. Some of the areas you speak of are critical areas that will require a vast amount of time and materials to rectify.
Should the value of the W126 start creeping up to its original MSRP I think you will find a lot of people rebuilding/restoring even the WORST of rusted W126's.
Until that time you may want to weigh the possibility of finding another clean example and using your current vehicle as a donor until such time as the value starts that creep upwards.
Of course if there is a certain amount of sentimental value to the vehicle anything is possible. Just ask 48HP.
Sounds like a serious undertaking. I'd be happy to go over it more if you.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
RUST ADVICE FROM A DUMB FUCK LIKE REX LIVING IN THE HEART OF THE RUST BELT..............YAAAAAAAAAA............ I WANT HIS ADVISE!!!!!!!!!! AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET REAL FAG!!!
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LIKE A PHOENIX RISING FROM THE ASHES.................... HERE TO SHIT ON REX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi! I'm new to the site but not new to Mercedes! I have a question. Once you treated the rust, how long before you painted the areas? I intend to have the whole car painted but after some of its minor mechanical needs are addressed. Thanks!
Though here in Oz we get the European spec'd Mercedes ( all-be-it to our Australian Design Rules bla bla bla ), I would like to inform you all that (Regretfully) there are PLENTY of W126's to be found in superb condition, many of which for as little as $ 2,000:00 Australian, - eg. 1981-85 380 SE or SEL...( We didn't get the 500, but we sure got the top spec'd 560's later on). Although you'd have to convert our vehicles from RHD to LHD ( left hand drive ), we DO NOT USE SALT on our roads, so you will find that most bodies ( and particularly the chassis ) to be in "great for age" condition. I can't tell you about shipping costs, but lots of people here import a number of differing modelled cars from the States on a week to week basis, so this can't be too expensive. At the end of the day, would you rather import an un-touched bodied running vehicle for possibly $5,000:00, or repair a rusty body for possibly more ? As an added bonus, ( and this is really good ) you'd also be getting the "Top Specification" engines !!! ( Lots more HP from the factory...) All of your interior/exterior parts including steering box etc etc will fit straight up and remain OEM specification. You only have to swap ID plates over to your new body and your perfectly legal and SAFE ! I hope this is of some help !
Cheers,
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
I noticed no rust when I purchased my w126 (1984 380SE), but when I removed the door trims to replace the electric window motors I noticed it was starting to rust inside at the bottom of the doors. I dont know if this is a common rust area, but making sure you have good window rubbers would reduce the chance of this happening.
My car had spent a great deal of time parked un-covered before I purchased it tho.
