The dreaded rear area water leak! 2019 bighorn.

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Fnjoey

Fnjoey

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2019
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I have a 2012 RAM 3500 and always had a moist cabin after a rain. When I finally got a severe leak, it was dirt plugging the moonroof drain holes and finding iits way in the back through the headliner since I was parked on a slope. Fixing this problem only led me to noticing further leaks - a total of 5 and none of them was the3rd brake light. Both cab vents were letting in small amount of water. The rear sliding window channels were letting water in too but here is a twist: from the outside looking below the 3rd brake light, there is a horizontal rubber/plastic piece between the fixed side windows. If you see small gaps on either side, it’s likely that water drains down from the edges of the brake light, follows the vertical channels formed by the sliding and fixed windows, and accelerates on its way down to this trim part and small openings. It will overwhelm the inside drain channels And they need caulking carefully as you don’t want to glue the sliding windows. One way to find out if you have a small leak is to roll a paper towel and slide it under the rear seats all the way to the back under the rug; if it gets moist, you have a small leak.
The leak I have is likely coming from the center, I poured a 5gal bucket of water on the pass side window and there was no water, waited a few minutes and did it on the driver side and the water started trickling down on the pass side, seemingly where the top track for the window ends.. so it's somehow making its way in. I have the cracks in the usual spot, but I can see anything on the outside even when I pulled the light.. its very temping to run a small bead of black silicone along the top of the window but since it's a 40k truck, I'd rather have it done right.. if it does it again after this fix, I might just get the solid glass I stead since that seems to be the ultimate fix.. but if you look at our sliders, it's 3 piece glass.. the two sides and the one small center piece.. if they would have just made that one solid piece like Ford, I doubt we would be having this issue..
 

Dusty

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The leak I have is likely coming from the center, I poured a 5gal bucket of water on the pass side window and there was no water, waited a few minutes and did it on the driver side and the water started trickling down on the pass side, seemingly where the top track for the window ends.. so it's somehow making its way in. I have the cracks in the usual spot, but I can see anything on the outside even when I pulled the light.. its very temping to run a small bead of black silicone along the top of the window but since it's a 40k truck, I'd rather have it done right.. if it does it again after this fix, I might just get the solid glass I stead since that seems to be the ultimate fix.. but if you look at our sliders, it's 3 piece glass.. the two sides and the one small center piece.. if they would have just made that one solid piece like Ford, I doubt we would be having this issue..
I have a neighbor who has a 2020 F-150 and his is leaking, too.

In pursuing a headliner leak on my 2019, the tech. was quite convinced my rear sliding window was contributing after three CHMSL replacements. Maybe it was but there were never any cracks in the window frame.

After it was replaced I still had a leak. The tech. was convinced it was not the lamp. I removed the lamp assembly and where the window gasket drops down along the cab directly underneath the lamp I could see no evidence if window sealant. He looked at it and agreed, so the vendor who installed the window came back and installed some material resembling dumdum directly on the window seal under the lamp.

That was good for a year, but in April it started to leak again. So without removing the lamp assembly I ran a bead of silicone sealant (not adhesive) along the gap between the window and the lamp and slightly beyond by about two inches. That has fixed it...for now.

If it leaks again I'll run a bead of silicone sealant along the entire top of the window if I have to.

Regards,

Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 3 June 2018. Now at 72370 miles
 
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Fnjoey

Fnjoey

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I have a neighbor who has a 2020 F-150 and his is leaking, too.

In pursuing a headliner leak on my 2019, the tech. was quite convinced my rear sliding window was contributing after three CHMSL replacements. Maybe it was but there were never any cracks in the window frame.

After it was replaced I still had a leak. The tech. was convinced it was not the lamp. I removed the lamp assembly and where the window gasket drops down along the cab directly underneath the lamp I could see no evidence if window sealant. He looked at it and agreed, so the vendor who installed the window came back and installed some material resembling dumdum directly on the window seal under the lamp.

That was good for a year, but in April it started to leak again. So without removing the lamp assembly I ran a bead of silicone sealant (not adhesive) along the gap between the window and the lamp and slightly beyond by about two inches. That has fixed it...for now.

If it leaks again I'll run a bead of silicone sealant along the entire top of the window if I have to.

Regards,

Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 3 June 2018. Now at 72370 miles
That'll be the next thing.. I have blue painters tape on it now because it's raining and it's not leaking.. ill give the deal to the end of the week then I'll call them and see where we are at.. mine is Def not the light, but it is somewhere in that area as I've done a water test on pass side with no issue, but when I do it on the driver side there is an issue and it drips on the pass side..
 

TRK_GANG74

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Well I'm putting new life into this thread. Yesterday while I was out and about with the family running errands my daughter noticed that the headliner in the back had water stains on both sides and the middle between the roof speakers. D*M water leak. So just after 2 years of ownership(bought used 2019 Laramie Longhorn) this rears it ugly head. So I checked the 3rd brake light and the gasket was pretty much dry but compressed with very little give. Scraped it off, cleaned the surface and picked up some thicker gasket material from HD and fixed. Go back to YT and see others saying to check the shark fin antenna. Then I noticed the shark fin antenna had a tiny amount of play in it. After more YT time and lots of cussing and trying to shove my hand in through the 3rd brake light opening and failing its time to drop the rear portion of the headliner. Gave up on the first attempt on Sat and put everything back together. Now comes today Sunday and on this go round I open the rear sliding window and presto now I can access the nut holding the shark fin antenna in place. Removed the fin and applied some gasket material to bottom of the fin where the wires pass through the truck body. The existing gasket is not thick enough. Snugged everything up and then as a back up I applied a bead of black gasket material where the fin and truck today meet to ensure no water can get in from there. That gasket wasn't even making 100% contact with the truck body all the way around. Now I have to wait until the gasket material cures and do a leak test. At least I was able to remove the water stains from the headliner with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and some OXY Cleaner. Also checked the window frame and found no cracks there. Hopefully this is resolved. Sorry I didn't take more pictures but but I was more concerned with getting this done before Monday. Crap now it’s raining gotta go cover the work before it gets wet!
 

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Fnjoey

Fnjoey

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Well I'm putting new life into this thread. Yesterday while I was out and about with the family running errands my daughter noticed that the headliner in the back had water stains on both sides and the middle between the roof speakers. D*M water leak. So just after 2 years of ownership(bought used 2019 Laramie Longhorn) this rears it ugly head. So I checked the 3rd brake light and the gasket was pretty much dry but compressed with very little give. Scraped it off, cleaned the surface and picked up some thicker gasket material from HD and fixed. Go back to YT and see others saying to check the shark fin antenna. Then I noticed the shark fin antenna had a tiny amount of play in it. After more YT time and lots of cussing and trying to shove my hand in through the 3rd brake light opening and failing its time to drop the rear portion of the headliner. Gave up on the first attempt on Sat and put everything back together. Now comes today Sunday and on this go round I open the rear sliding window and presto now I can access the nut holding the shark fin antenna in place. Removed the fin and applied some gasket material to bottom of the fin where the wires pass through the truck body. The existing gasket is not thick enough. Snugged everything up and then as a back up I applied a bead of black gasket material where the fin and truck today meet to ensure no water can get in from there. That gasket wasn't even making 100% contact with the truck body all the way around. Now I have to wait until the gasket material cures and do a leak test. At least I was able to remove the water stains from the headliner with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and some OXY Cleaner. Also checked the window frame and found no cracks there. Hopefully this is resolved. Sorry I didn't take more pictures but but I was more concerned with getting this done before Monday. Crap now it’s raining gotta go cover the work before it gets wet!
Hope you got yours fixed.. I put a bigger gasket on my brake light, the shark fin seemed ok at the time (still does), but I did get a new window under warranty.
 

TRK_GANG74

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Pretty confident on the 3rd brake light fix since that new gasket is bigger and thicker. As for the shark fin I’ll find out in a day or so while it cures. Hell it’s raining lightly right now but I have it covered until it stops raining.
 

danielmid

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Rear cab vents are a good place to check for leaks also, but they would be lower and not showing up on the headliner.
 

rfells

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From reading so many posts concerning leaks and moisture inside the cabin, it's apparent that there are issues here and that Ram knows about this. Many of the posts state issues with leaks in around the third light, sliding glass window, or side windows or possibly the sunroof. Ram needs to determine the exact reason or reason for this and issue recalls to correct this problem. I just got my 2021 Ram 1500 Bighorn crew cab with sliding glass window back from the dealership for replacement of the BCM which was fried due to water leaking in through either the window(s), third light or sunroof. Not sure which, but after a heavy rain, I found water in the rear cabin compartment and the the truck was completely dead. No start, no Crank, no nothing. Had to manual unlock the vehicle to enter it and the alarm did work and would shut off. Had to remove the fuse to stop it. Also, prior to getting it towed to the dealership, could not place the vehicle in neutral and the manual release didn't work due to absolutely no electronics/power. The vehicle had to be sold onto tow trailer using sliders. This issue with leaking is a known problem and as for as this being a safety issue, it is. I read posts where this causes vehicles to stall will traveling at high rates of speed. Image this happening and losing the ability to steer your vehicle safely. Also, being stranded in the wrong place is definitely a safety issue. Some of you have expressed some hope that Rm Care will or may some day address this. This is has been occurring for a long time and nothing has been done. Perhaps, logging a safety issue request with the NHTSC might help. If the NHTSC gets enough of these as a safety issue and determines that this is indeed a serious safety concern, it will force Ram to address this.
 

jackal98

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From reading so many posts concerning leaks and moisture inside the cabin, it's apparent that there are issues here and that Ram knows about this. Many of the posts state issues with leaks in around the third light, sliding glass window, or side windows or possibly the sunroof. Ram needs to determine the exact reason or reason for this and issue recalls to correct this problem. I just got my 2021 Ram 1500 Bighorn crew cab with sliding glass window back from the dealership for replacement of the BCM which was fried due to water leaking in through either the window(s), third light or sunroof. Not sure which, but after a heavy rain, I found water in the rear cabin compartment and the the truck was completely dead. No start, no Crank, no nothing. Had to manual unlock the vehicle to enter it and the alarm did work and would shut off. Had to remove the fuse to stop it. Also, prior to getting it towed to the dealership, could not place the vehicle in neutral and the manual release didn't work due to absolutely no electronics/power. The vehicle had to be sold onto tow trailer using sliders. This issue with leaking is a known problem and as for as this being a safety issue, it is. I read posts where this causes vehicles to stall will traveling at high rates of speed. Image this happening and losing the ability to steer your vehicle safely. Also, being stranded in the wrong place is definitely a safety issue. Some of you have expressed some hope that Rm Care will or may some day address this. This is has been occurring for a long time and nothing has been done. Perhaps, logging a safety issue request with the NHTSC might help. If the NHTSC gets enough of these as a safety issue and determines that this is indeed a serious safety concern, it will force Ram to address this.

For the 5th generation of trucks, Ram issued a repair bulletin for owners to have their leaks repaired by dealerships.
Use your VIN number on Ram's website to determine if your truck has a bulletin you can use (as well as check for any factory recalls).

Yes Ram knows the windows, 3rd brake light, & roof seals have a tendency to leak...so myself & others with previous year models are screwed.
I replaced my 3rd brake light to eliminate my leak.

Ram corrected the MDS issue/Hemi knock issue in 2016...once again, myself & previous year models were screwed.
GM has had issues with their cylinder (MDS) deactivation as well...

The NHTSC knows about issues with many vehicles & they will only research an issue if a certain percentage of buyers complain, there are multiple serious/deadly accidents, the manufacturer reports an issue, etc....
 
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