rear window leak?

[Captjeff]

I found the trays under the back seat wet this past week after we got rained on. Anything I should be checking on the back window for a leak?

 

[Prairie Dog]

Do you have roof mounted cab lights? What year is your truck?
They had a history of leaking because of a bad gasket design. If you look at the lights and can see the gasket, you have the newer kind. If they have the hidden gasket under the lamp then they're probably leaking. Strangely, it took mine 8 years to start leaking but it's very common.

 

[ENafziger]

Yup, it's the back window seal. My rear-under-seat storage compartment will get 2" of water in it on a good rain.

--Eric

 

[Captjeff]

Sounds like good info, My truck is a 06 . I have replaced the original cab lights and sealed the new ones up when I installed them... LED's. the floor is/was wet under the back seat... is this seal something that can be replaced or does the whole window have to be replaced... dealer or glass shop??

 

[RDeFayette]

Are you sure it's the window or could it (water) be coming from the 2 air vents mounted in the back of the cab?

There is no "gasket" in the rear window.

It is installed with a 2 part epoxy sealant and then set into the opening.

 

[SWithrow]

It could be the high mount stop/cargo light, it uses the same gasket material as the old 3rd gen cab lights, not a rubber gasket but more like a thick foam gasket. The water could possibly run down the rear pillars and onto the rear cargo area. Just MTC...

 

[Captjeff]

thanks again I will do some more checking to see , I had water dripping on the seat back at on point but the last time it rained it was dry , so i guess I need to check the vents and the light . .

 

[TimothyLong]

I have had the same thing happen as well. I believe mine to be the sliding rear window. Only happens when we get REALLY nasty rain.

 

[HHhuntitall]

My mother's was leaking pretty bad, and especially when she washed it. She has the electric sliding window, and when I took it to the dealer, they said it was common, and gave me an estimate on how much it would cost..... No mention of warranty. I took it to the Glass Doctors in Gainesville, Tx, and they fixed it for @ $100... ... and said they see a LOT of them, and that from what they can tell, it's bad adhesive which won't set up properly.....

 

[skipro3]

Reviving an old thread with new info;
I had this problem with my '06 sliding rear window. The cause was dirt and crud blocking a weep hole in the outer frame of the window. It's designed to take rain or wash water from the window channel and drain it out the back. If it becomes clogged, the channel will over fill and drain in to the inside, filling the well under the rear seat. Depending on which way the truck might be parked and if both sides of the rear window have blocked weep channels, one or both wells could be filled.

Keep them clear and you won't leak any more.

 

[MillerR]

Trey Miller

See quoted reply below

 

[MillerR]

Reviving an old thread with new info;
I had this problem with my '06 sliding rear window. The cause was dirt and crud blocking a weep hole in the outer frame of the window.

Keep them clear and you won't leak any more.

I'll have to check this on mine. It was always the passenger side well on my truck. I ended up running a bead of silicone between the window and cab on both sides and the top as well as sealing the slider shut, since the rubber weather stripping had torn. It hasn't leaked since. The only "drawback" is my 10 year old daughter can't open the slider anymore. I never seemed to have the need to open it myself. I will check the weep holes anyway, thank you for this info... Side note: Is the rubber weather stripping on the slider replaceable?

 

[BR3500]

On my 06 DRW, I had the same problems. My glass installer used window butyl to seal the 3rd brake light and replaced the original manual slider with a new Chrysler slider. The new slider gaskets started leaking about a year later. After more water testing my glass installer said he could fix it with new gaskets. I told him, forget......replace it with a solid panel window. Since then, not a drop one, knocking on wood.

 

[HHhuntitall]

I've seen this chronic problem on many trucks. It can be the sliding window, for certain, and cleaning the window drain channels is certainly a good tip. But often it's the window sealant. I have a competent glass man that has done close to 100 windows for me, front and back. I often negotiate group deals, having him come out and do 3-6 at a time for myself and customers, so it's a win-win for us both. The rear windows can be really tricky, it seems. I've had him install new slider windows, as well as remove them because they leak. Even when replacing with a one-piece window, I've had customer's windows leak, which he warranties, of course. But its gotten me to looking to see what I can do to prevent that. No one wants a comeback. Unfortunately, the upright nature of the window, and the fact that you're basically gluing it in the truck, leaves room for the adhesive/sealant to move. Being overly liberal in the adhesive, to the point it has to be cleaned up around the outside after installation, and applying adequate forward pressure all the way across the top of the window until the sealant has dried, has been the only viable technique we've found to work. Many installers don't want to spend extra money on the sealant, thinking they can get it sealed adequately with a smaller bead. No clean up that way, either. Sounds like a good idea, but after the slightest cab twist or even the sealant sagging just a little after install, or perhaps the window flexing outward just a touch, it will leak. I think the biggest problem is that the window is recessed under the cab contour, and it often doesn't get adequate forward pressure to stay against it's sealing lip, causing it to fall backward some, making the sealant separate and leave a gap at the top. I don't know how many I've fixed by sealing all the way around the top of the window, filling the gap between it and the cab. Not the best fix, but certainly cheaper than removing the window and starting over.

 

[bighammer]

Neoprene roofing cement comes in a caulk tube and works great for sealing this kind of stuff. My cab lights leaked and then a year or 2 later, the brake light leaked.