2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission HELP!!!! I've sprung a leak

[Kissfan113]

I have found water in my passenger floor, so i pulled the vinyl carpet up and found the foam insulation up front and the jute pad all the way back to the rear seat wet like wring the water out of it wet. no windows have been left down, seems like the doors are sealing good, the winshield doesn't leak to my knowledge, i am very confused about this. 1 what is wrong that it is leaking, and 2 how can i fix this mess (drying, and correcting the problem. ) I really need advice here guys and quick. The paint is already starting to bubble up in spots, and i really don't want rust in my new truck, that is the same problem that killed the floorboard in my old 78 dodge. definately don't want a new truck that the floor looks like swiss cheese.

 

[tazzen]

I had the same wet spot as you and it turned out to be my third brake lite. It come in there and runs along the chanel by the door. i removed the light and put some of that black tar rope looking stuff to seal it worked great. But some guys say they get in from the AC box . maybe somone will tell youabout that one.



ed

 

[FourBarR]

been a history of leaks in rear window and around the upper brake light. good place to start looking. hope this helps.

 

[nps]

Did you install any mods through the firewall and forget/fail to reseal the hole?



Here is a TSB for older Rams, but describe a problem that occured when the factory forgot to put a plug in.



Other thoughts - did you have the windsheild replaced?



What I would do is pull back the carpet, take a lawn sprinkler, and water your truck. Look from the inside to see where it is coming from and trace it back from there.



Good luck

 

[Kissfan113]

I will check the 3rd brake light. I have been using the A/C alot this summer, first year i have ever had a/c as my old 78 didn't have it. that is what made me think it was the a/c, the only side that is wet is the passenger side, it always shows on the passenger side carpet for some reason, i am still troubleshooting this problem, i would think if it were the 3rd brake light, the headliner would be wet and it would be wet on the drivers side not the passenger side as the wires for that go on the drivers side. I really hope this isn't a permanent problem, i really don't want a rusted out truck, should i worry about the bubbled paint/missing paint??

 

[Joe G.]

If it's the 3rd brake light you will not see any sign of water except the front carpet. The side that's wet will usually depend on which way the truck is leaning when it's parked. If the passenger side is wet it can be the 3rd brake light or the AC drain. The drain sticks out of the firewall down low on the passenger side but it's really too short. The fix for that is to install a hose on the drain pipe so it is forced to drain lower down outside the firewall.

 

[wcjp]

My leak was the rear window. A friend's was the third brake light.

 

[jandtjil]

AC drain sure sounds likely, this time of year.

I too had the rear window seal leak, rear passenger complaints told me where the leak was! A quick cleaning of the outer window seal with a flat blade screwdriver (with a papertowel wrapped around it) and alcohol, then a hearty re-application of clear silicon fixed that.

If the paint is bubbling real bad, I would consider a drill with a stripper pad or a small grind wheel get it off, treat it with an acid and primer/paint. I forget what it is called but there used to be a product that could be brushed over the prepared area, it nuetralized the rust and formed a protective moisture barrier. If I can remember the product name or find it I will post it.

JJ

 

[Island Dodge]

"it nuetralized the rust and formed a protective moisture barrier. "



Maybe "Extend"?

 

[Willys]

maybe Naval Jelly? I have a rust converter from Gemplers that seems to work ok. There are a lot of thing out there, some I'll bet don't work. I have a little bit of bubbling under my passenger seat, I have the carpet removed right now to make sure I fixed all my leaks. I'll prep and paint the spot before I put it back in. Once rust has been wire brushed, rustolem rusty metal primer tends to work pretty well. You might want to go ahead and take the carpet out to dry in the sun, so the water doesn't stay trapped in there.



Here's what happened with my truck, from another post:









Mine was leaking in 3 places:



1. The a/c duct, which I added cleaned with a piece of wire, then added about a foot of vinyl hose to the nipple on the firewall to extend it down. Apparently if this nipple isn't allowed to free flow, the water can overflow into the cab. I also suspect wind blowing into the pipe while driving can force water back into the cab. The extra foot of hose seems to direct it downward better and keep the wind from affecting it.



2. The rear brake light gasket was shot- there was about a 1/4" gap, maybe more, between the brake light housing and the cab. A LOT of water can come through that. I didn't like the idea of siliconing it, though that would be the most surefire way. So, I used a piece of foam camper shell tape and made a gasket. So far it seems to be holding.



Ok, so I thought I had everything fixed... nope, still AT LEAST one more:



3. Pop the hood, on the passenger side near the hood hinge mount, is a body seam. It runs diagonally down the area between the fender and the firewall, then runs horizontal for a few inches. This seam had a tiny crack in it, enough to let in water. There are a lot of pockets in this area for leaves and trash to collect. The water will be dammed up and can cause even more problems. Clean this area out real good, remove the trim around the windsheild wipers, and clean it out too. Its amazing how much gunk/crap/leaves/sticks can get down between the grates. I just cleaned the cracked area(actually a crack in the factory sealant) real good, and ran a bead of silicone. There is also a firewall grommet where the antenna wire comes through that that could leak, but that would take a really heavy rain. You might want to remove the trim around the windsheild wipers and make sure there is no trash to make water puddle. The area just in front of the door hinges is also a bad spot for collecting leaves/sticks and can cause water blockage and potential rust areas. Clean all these areas out.



I think this is the last leak, but I still have the carpet out to see. HOPEFULLY there are no more.



Andy

 

[Kissfan113]

OK checked the 3rd brake light, dry as a bone, no sign of water anywhere, just rained last night. floor is soaked again though. it was somewhat dry last night, but then got really wet by this morning still no sign of leakage around the doors, i am running out of ideas, i will try the hose on the a/c drain this evening to lengthen it out away from the firewall. I really hope i can find this quick, i need to get back to driving my truck. i am just wondering if it is possible for that much water to come out of the a/c system (enough to soak the floor from front of cab to front of rear seat) or whether i have a more serous problem. I am really getting frustrated by this.

 

[wcjp]

Have someone stand outside with the hose while your inside the cab. I actually found multiple leaks this way. The two biggest leaks were at the rear window. I also found a small leak on the driver's side of the windshield. Once I fixed the windshield leak I removed the rear seat. Again with the hose the rear leaks were now very easy to spot. I didn't have the third brakelight issue. Can't help there.

 

[Willys]

Well Dennis(the storm) has shown that I still have a leak. I can see 2 pinprick holes where the firewall meets the floorboard that lets water drip in, and another spot that seems to let in some too. I could seal them from the inside I suppose but I would rather know that the water is sealed out. I have used a hose to pinpoint the leaks- it helps.



Kissfan, you may want to pull the seats out and remove the carpet until you find all the leaks. It really isn't that loud if the shifter boots are screwed down tight. I just drove 1000 miles with my wife on vacation without the carpet and she didn't complain one bit.

 

[CThomsen]

I turned the heat/defrost on high and sprayed all possible leak areas with soapy water from the outside. Sealed areas that bubbled up and no more problems.

 

[Hammer]

Kissfan113. .

Its sounds to me like your A/C drain has become blocked and is allowing the water to back up in the system and drain into your cab. There are only 2 fixes for this one is a short term fix and the other is the correct fix...



short term fix...

CAREFULLY!!!!! and that is meant,carefully take a air hose with a nozzle to blow off dust and put it into the end of the A/C drain(located on the passengers side of your truck,on the firewall,below the accumulator). Insert the nozzle into the drain and gently blow air into the drain hole to try and clear out the drain passage. Once you have done that take a good strong shop vac and hold the suction end over the drain and try to remove as much debris as you can to keep the drain clear. This is only a short term fix and may give you time until you can have the A/C boz dropped and cleaned out properly.



The Proper fix. .

Take the truck to a good A/C shop and have them remove your A/C-Heater box and clean the box of all debris. While you have it out now is a good time to change out the A/C evaporator core and heater core. The A/C evap cores are well know to fail and once they get clogged its usually not long until they fail. I know this is not a cheap fix but it will eliminate your problems and keep your truck cab dry.



I had mine done recently and was shocked with what all they found inside that box. Now the A/C will freeze you out on the hottest of days and I don't have the leaves blowing around and catching in the fan to drive me nuts like they used to. While I was there I asked about the drain length and was told it was a preference thing and was not one which was needed. When I get released by the doctor and can detail my undercarriage again I probably will lengthen it so when it drips it goes to the ground and not across the detail work,LOL. Hope this helps... ... . Andy

 

[Kissfan113]

i have looked at the ac drain, it does drip water, however, the floor continues to become wet even though there is water outside from the drain, is it just not draining enough outside or what, Hammer, i will try the shop vac and air hose idea, the a/c shop is pretty much out of the question for now because i am having some financial trouble. (low wages, high costs of fuel and everything else)

 

[Kissfan113]

OK got the under matting dry, took and sprayed the truck no outside water coming in, turned the a/c all the way up and run it for about a half hour or better, no water like before, now i am confused big time, any ideas. should i be expecting a large water dump from the a/c unit or what

 

[JoshPeters]

The ammount of water comming from the A/C drain will vary depending on the humidity of the air.



Josh

 

[Kissfan113]

it has been 70% and up as far as humidity goes around here. I am worried about a leak like before, more so did i get it fixed. i will keep y'all posted

thanks for the help so far guys, it has been appreciated

Kevin

 

[Willys]

Any update Kevin?



seems I have a leak coming from somewhere in the door I opened the p-side door to the truck immediately after a heavy storm and could see where water was still streaming down the door behind the plastic trim. This makes leak 4... or is that 5? :crying:



I'm thinking about throwing away the carpet now(its been out of the truck for a few months), and replacing it with a vinyl mat or roll in bed liner(durabak) if I can figure out how to get all the insulation out.



Andy