2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Water Leak!!!

[Cummins360]

Hi I have an extremley annoying problem that I need some help with. When ever it rains water leaks into my cab under the carpet and soaks it. Now at first I thought it was the high mount brake light so I replaced the bulbs with LED's and siliconed it permanantly into place. But no such luck it still leaks. Anyone know where it might be coming from?? It appears allong the drivers side and passenger side carpet near the bottom of the door, but it doesnt appear to be coming from under the dash. I'm guessing the back window or something but I am at somewhat of a loss. I am going to remove the smelly moldy carpet and leave it out for a wile and the next time it rains with the carpet out hopefully I can figure out where it is comming from.

-Travis

 

[Camelracer]

I had the same problem on my '96. It ended up being a leak between the rear window seal and the body. The water ran down the back wall and then toward the door. Carpet really didn't get wet until it was near the door.

I found the source by removing the back seat and pulling back the rear carpet. Then I went around the rear window with a garden hose, a small section at a time, until I saw water on the rear wall. A little silicon sealer cured the problem once I found the source.

 

[SBettencourt]

Also, the water will work its way under the weatherstripping U channel. The water collects at the top of the door and dumps out around the pinch weld. I fixed mine by removing the weatherstrip and filling up the channel with sealant. It took quite a bit to stop the leak.

Had the back window falling out of my 96. That lets in gallons of water!

 

[Missouri Mule]

Take your carpet out and run water hose over rear window as Camelracer did.

 

[Cummins360]

U channel???

Hi i was wondering where the U channel is i am having trouble understanding where it is and could you take a picture of it so i can see?

thanks, travis

 

[Cummins360]

Anyone????????????

 

[JLabossiere]

I think he is talking about the weatherstripping itself. Where it slips on to the lip around your door frame. The adhesive will let go over time or get pulled away when the weatherstripping sticks to the door and you open the door.

 

[CumminsPower98]

Mine was also the rear window because I still had a leak after siliconing the brake light. I used a real thin bead of clear silicone in the crack around the window and problem solved. The silicone is not even visible.

 

[redram]

I have the same leak - and it is NOT the third brake light or the rear window as I fixed those nagging problems with Dodge quality. It is also not hte heater or A/C drain.

Please give a better description of the 'channel' that you fixed as I think it is coming from the water that drains into the door shell that drain out of the door drains. When the doors are closed in the heavy rains that we get in Houston, that's the only time that I see it right at the door plastic interior piece.

 

[tp0d]

I also had the same problem, and I traced it to the black seal around the window. I did about the same thing as CumminsPower98 did, this:



Get some 100% silicone (clear is good) from your fav home store.



Cut the tip off very sharp for the smallest bead possible.



Lightly pry back the top edge of the window seal with your pinky, or a butter knife works well too. Do not pry so far as to seperate the joint with the glass. All you want is the first 3/8" of the seal.



Slowly, with the butter knife (dull edge against seal), inject the silicone into the deepest edge of the seal, filling any gap the seal has. You may get a little extra out of the joint, just wipe it off.



Do the rounded edges of the seal heavily, particularlly where the metal cab joint is. This is where mine was leaking. I sealed mine about 8" down past the round.



Nice thing about silicone, it isnt water-soluble, so you dont have to dry the joint.



good luck



-j

 

[SBettencourt]

Sorry, I lost track of this thread. The weatherstip seal around the door slips over the pinch weld all around the door opening. It is that plastic U channel that the weatherstrip is attatched to that I am refering to. It is a friction fit but someone put black sealant (not silicone) into the channel on my 96. I checked my 01 and there was no sealant. I used 3M 8509 glazing compund to seal the vertical runs of the channel to the pinch weld.

I found the location by running for a long time with the plastic step shield removed and the rug lifted by pieces of wood. Every time it rained, the area inside the door would be wet. It was not coming from the front or rear and when I pulled up the weatherstrip I found that the pinch weld was wet.

Hope this helps.

 

[Cummins360]

Ok I sealed up the back window and the 3rd brake light with copious amounts of silicone as well as the A/C drain, and I extended the drain hose. I went to a do it your self car wash and sprayed the entire truck with high pressure water and with the carpet removed I didnt find any leaks, HOWEVER I am still holding my breath as to weather I found all of them or not. I put new carpet padding in the truck from lowes and cleaned the carpet and re installed it. My question is where else can the truck leak from?? I have the original windshield so I dont think it should leak from there but can it leak from where it sucks in fresh cab air???? I know on some cars it can leak from there but I dont know how the baffeling is set up on these dodge trucks.

-Travis

 

[DBentley]

My 96 had a nasty leak when i got it. 1st thing i did was pull out the carpet and have my 10 yr old put the hose on every crack while i layed under the dash.

Ended up being a leak from the water flowing down the gutterless door and pouring on the hinge (washing the grease off every rain storm?andpeeing in around the driver side door hinge. 25 cents of clear silicone around hinge and it hasbeen dry for 2 years. Dothe06s still suffer from the same leaks?

 

[TMoe]

Cab water leak

I have the same problem. Mine is leaking at the back edge of the rear door. The weatherstrip doesn't go far enough and dodge relies on the internal door (pinchweld) seal to keep water out back there. Look at GM they extend the seal all the way back and down the opening a couple of feet. This make the door seal a secondary water seal like it should be. You can replace or silicone gasket. I added some foam weatherstrip seal to divert water away from inner door gasket at the back to simulate the GM design. Took about two minutes. I don't know if it worked yet but it should. The gaskets must shrink with age and allow leakage. If you look close at the gasket there is an inner seal to prevent water intrusion. I think I will also be adding some sealer in the u-channel as recommended by others. I am tired of throwing money at this truck, fuel and steering, and don't feel like spending $70 on a new gasket. The upper primary water seal should have been glued in place as the sliding seal can also leak. Poor design all around but thanks to the TDR you should be able to fix it.