Water Leaking to Inside

[JohnHaggerty]

2008 quad cab. I've had water leaking down my front pillars for years. Normally I clean out the front sunroof drains and I'm good for awhile. Now I'm seeing water in the well under the rear seat driver side. Any ideas?
Thanks,
John

 

[JohnHaggerty]

I know there are front sun roof drains. Are there rear drains?

 

[AEdelheit]

The 3rd brake light is notorious for leaking .

 

[Wiredawg]

I haven't been up on top of my wifes truck to what's what with DRAINS and SEALS. IMHO, sounds like you have a seal issue. I would step up on cab floor and inspect if something is pinched, torn, dried, cracked, etc.. Fir me if no joy, I would consider shooting clear RTV around sunroof frame and close her up one last time. Mold is a BAD thang.

I hope we dont ever get a leak... my wife insisted on getting the panaramic one... a leak waiting to happen.

Anyhoo, let us know what you figger out.

Cheers, Ron

 

[JohnHaggerty]

The 3rd brake light is notorious for leaking .

I removed and inspected the 3rd brake light. Seal was tight and no sign of ever leaking. I hope it re-seals as well as it was holding. Also, looked at GPS antenna area while I was in there. Looked good.

 

[rrowdy]

On my ‘05 My rear driver side door seal was leaking. The only way I found it was squirting water out of a nozzle at different points on the truck.
These leaks are often hard to locate. Good luck

 

[Blakers]

One of my cab marker lights was seeping through during hard rains. The water would accumulate somewhere and then drip down through the sun visor acker screw when I drove the truck. It dripped right on my knee. I put up with it for a while since it only happened when it rained hard.

I wanted to change all the marker light bulbs to LEDs so, as I was doing that, I put a very thin film of clear RTV on each marker light lens housing when I re-attached them to the roof. No more leaks.

 

[sag2]

Sun roofs are designed to leak. It's all about water management, what gets past the glass has to be directed out of the cab. The cat whisker keeps almost all the water out. What does get past it is supposed to go out the four drains. The first thing to do is confirm the drains are open. There is a metal trough all the way around the opening that catches the water and directs it to the drains. Open the roof completely and pour water (from a water bottle) slowly in the trough leading to each of the drains. Water should appear fairly quickly behind the front wheels for the front drains, and behind the cab for the rear drains. You might have to get the truck a little nose high to get the water to flow into the rear drains. If water does not go down, or starts to back up the drain is plugged. Be careful if you try and blow them out as you can blow the hose off the nipple and you then have to drop the headliner down to reinstall it. If the water drains out quickly, the sun roof is not the problem.
You then have to continue water testing using a SMALL stream of water starting at the cab vents below the rear window and working your way up to the window and then up to the CHMSL. Go SLOW, sometimes the water takes a little time to appear on the inside.

 

[JohnHaggerty]

Sun roofs are designed to leak. It's all about water management, what gets past the glass has to be directed out of the cab. The cat whisker keeps almost all the water out. What does get past it is supposed to go out the four drains. The first thing to do is confirm the drains are open. There is a metal trough all the way around the opening that catches the water and directs it to the drains. Open the roof completely and pour water (from a water bottle) slowly in the trough leading to each of the drains. Water should appear fairly quickly behind the front wheels for the front drains, and behind the cab for the rear drains. You might have to get the truck a little nose high to get the water to flow into the rear drains. If water does not go down, or starts to back up the drain is plugged. Be careful if you try and blow them out as you can blow the hose off the nipple and you then have to drop the headliner down to reinstall it. If the water drains out quickly, the sun roof is not the problem.
You then have to continue water testing using a SMALL stream of water starting at the cab vents below the rear window and working your way up to the window and then up to the CHMSL. Go SLOW, sometimes the water takes a little time to appear on the inside.

Sag,
Thanks for the response. Any tricks with the rear drains? From the outside I inserted a clothes hanger and they were dry. I can't see the holes and the hose has a long run.
Thanks,
John

 

[JohnHaggerty]

Sag,
Thanks for the response. Any tricks with the rear drains? From the outside I inserted a clothes hanger and they were dry. I can't see the holes and the hose has a long run.
Thanks,
John

Pulled both rear seats and the sound barrier material. Have good access to rear sun roof drain hoses and end fitting. Both clear. That is not the source of the leak. Yesterday I pulled the 3rd light. That was not it. Now I'm thinking the rear sliding glass window. Any comments?
Thanks,
John

 

[seafish]

Not too helpful, but IIRC Rear windows have been know to leak...

I wonder if they have a weep hole in the outside frame that has clogged up with debris ...
maybe its time to use a small wire brush and some compressed air on the bottom of the rear window frame

 

[Blakers]

Sag,
Thanks for the response. Any tricks with the rear drains? From the outside I inserted a clothes hanger and they were dry. I can't see the holes and the hose has a long run.
Thanks,
John

I've had other vehicles (Mercedes) get the sun roof drains plugged up with seeds - usually those little helicopter maple seeds that come down spinning. The obstruction is usually at the very top.