Check floor under rear seats against rear cab wall

[Trucker2]

If you have never checked under your rear seats where the floor meets the back cab wall after a rain storm then you might be missing out on finding wet spots!!! Been aware of the third brake light leaking since my 2013 ram and thought i had fixed it on my 2018 but awhile back we had a big storm and i thought i would check under my rear seat. I had not been checking as regularly since i had got the leaking stopped at the light. Well damn it that carpet pad was wet again and i was confident that the 3rd brake light was sealed. Read around on the fourm and saw that the rear exhaster vents in the rear cab wall can leak so i pulled the seats and rear wall pad and sure enough they had puddles on top of them. They were very loose and could move around easily. I removed them and cleaned them up. They are tricky to put in from the outside since you can't get your hand up between the cab and bed so i stuck them back in from inside. You have to turn them on there side to go thru then rotate and pop back in. To take up the play and make them fit tighter i wedged a strip of cardboard across the top behind the three tabs and pulled thr whole vent down and made sure it were seated at the bottom then taped it down with some aluminium a/c tape. They are now tight to the wall with no play or movement and no leaks from me hosing them down , ready for the rain!!

 

[PoMansRam]

Yeah these vents are a pain..

Problem is, they're basically like check valves and with them mounted backwards, they're not going to relieve cabin pressure and they're going to let noise, dust, debris in I'd think?

 

[joelmic]

Well gonna have to check this out for sure... so I might as well do the "backseat MOD" while I'm at it...??

 

[NETim]

There is a new, better fitting exhaust vent available.

https://www.ramforum.com/threads/cabin-water-leak-other-than-brake-light-or-window.123931/page-2

Part #
68157351AD

 

[joelmic]

There is a new, better fitting exhaust vent available.

https://www.ramforum.com/threads/cabin-water-leak-other-than-brake-light-or-window.123931/page-2

Part #
68157351AD

Newer than what year truck???

 

[NETim]

Newer than what year truck???

Judging by the thread I linked to, it appears that '16 and '17 trucks had the "old' style as well.

 

[Trucker2]

I did some searching for new vents too. I ended up buying some new ones after reading that there was a newer version. The pn# 68323649AB seemed to be the latest pn# and covered my 2018. Picked them up at FactoryChrysleyParts.com for $4.98 ea plus shipping which was $11.14, total was just under $21.00 . Ya i know shipping was high but it came out the cheapest of all the places that had em on the net. Just got thru installing them and they fit tight and no leaks. Now to put it all back together.

 

[joelmic]

I did some searching for new vents too. I ended up buying some new ones after reading that there was a newer version. The pn# 68323649AB seemed to be the latest pn# and covered my 2018. Picked them up at FactoryChrysleyParts.com for $4.98 ea plus shipping which was $11.14, total was just under $21.00 . Ya i know shipping was high but it came out the cheapest of all the places that had em on the net. Just got thru installing them and they fit tight and no leaks. Now to put it all back together. View attachment 206693 View attachment 206694 View attachment 206694

So, is there any seal or gasket? and any tricks to replacing them?

 

[sydbarringer]

Did not know these existed. Only been on the forum a few hours and learned something. Thank you.

 

[Big Terry]

If you have never checked under your rear seats where the floor meets the back cab wall after a rain storm then you might be missing out on finding wet spots!!! Been aware of the third brake light leaking since my 2013 ram and thought i had fixed it on my 2018 but awhile back we had a big storm and i thought i would check under my rear seat. I had not been checking as regularly since i had got the leaking stopped at the light. Well damn it that carpet pad was wet again and i was confident that the 3rd brake light was sealed. Read around on the fourm and saw that the rear exhaster vents in the rear cab wall can leak so i pulled the seats and rear wall pad and sure enough they had puddles on top of them. They were very loose and could move around easily. I removed them and cleaned them up. They are tricky to put in from the outside since you can't get your hand up between the cab and bed so i stuck them back in from inside. You have to turn them on there side to go thru then rotate and pop back in. To take up the play and make them fit tighter i wedged a strip of cardboard across the top behind the three tabs and pulled thr whole vent down and made sure it were seated at the bottom then taped it down with some aluminium a/c tape. They are now tight to the wall with no play or movement and no leaks from me hosing them down , ready for the rain!! View attachment 206381 View attachment 206382

Do you have any tips/ links to videos that explain the simplest way to do this? I want to pull my carpet so I can run a piece of antenna coax into the cab, but have no idea where to start with it. And after seeing your post, might as well check for leaks too.

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[bigred90gt]

I did some searching for new vents too. I ended up buying some new ones after reading that there was a newer version. The pn# 68323649AB seemed to be the latest pn# and covered my 2018. Picked them up at FactoryChrysleyParts.com for $4.98 ea plus shipping which was $11.14, total was just under $21.00 . Ya i know shipping was high but it came out the cheapest of all the places that had em on the net. Just got thru installing them and they fit tight and no leaks. Now to put it all back together. View attachment 206693 View attachment 206694 View attachment 206694

I picked up two new replacements for mine from the local Ram dealer for $13 out the door. I was planning to buy them online, but even with the slowest and cheapest shipping option, it was going to be $30. If anyone needs a replacement, check your local dealer.


When I installed my new ones, I put a bead of 3M 5200 fast cure marine sealant in the seal that seats on the outer wall of the cab, and then another bead at the seam where it meets the wall on the inside. I sure hope I never have to replace them again, as it is going to be a real pain to get them out, but they ought not leak.

 

[Mleads310]

Hey just a word of advice, I wouldn't use 3m 5200 as it's used for permanent adhesion. If you ever have to change that filter it's be a nightmare trying to remove it and the 5200. Using 4200 is definitely better for the job. Just trying to help out as I've used both for boat projects and have tried repairing items on others people's boats that had used 5200 instead 4200. Not fun and near impossible to remove.

 

[bigred90gt]

Hey just a word of advice, I wouldn't use 3m 5200 as it's used for permanent adhesion. If you ever have to change that filter it's be a nightmare trying to remove it and the 5200. Using 4200 is definitely better for the job. Just trying to help out as I've used both for boat projects and have tried repairing items on others people's boats that had used 5200 instead 4200. Not fun and near impossible to remove.

No doubt. We used 5200 offshore to stop a seawater leak, lol. That stuff is an absolute nightmare to get off once it’s cured. On a bright note, I most likely won’t have the truck long enough to need to replace it. If I do, I’ll cut it out if necessary. I just wanted to make sure it didn’t leak.

 

[PoMansRam]

Well gonna have to check this out for sure... so I might as well do the "backseat MOD" while I'm at it...??

For sure on the rear seat mod. If you're already pulling the rear seat, it takes 2 minutes to cut a half inch or so off the ends of the seat-back hooks to complete the 'seat mod'. I used a hack saw on mine and it blew right through like butta.

Having been through water leaks on my 2017 and 2019, I'm so paranoid now, I flop the rear seat-back forward to check for water after most heavy rains. Luckily it was just the 3rd BL on the 2019. Still really sad at only 15K miles. My 2017 leaked from a shoddy rear window replacement and 3rd BL.

 

[Ricks Ram]

The back exhaust port on my 14 Quad Quad cab is literally falling apart. I have found several of the little rubber flaps laying on the ground under the truck. I would say they are probably half gone by now. We don't get tons of rain here but we are moving to a different area that does so I'm going to replace it before we go. It honestly doesn't look like it's going to be much fun to replace.

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[PoMansRam]

... It honestly doesn't look like it's going to be much fun to replace.

No they sure don't.

I haven't really looked into any tutorials on it, but it looks like you have to do it all from inside the truck. If you drop it between the cab and bed, you'll need one of those grabber sticks or the likes to fish it back out.

Yours isn't the first I've heard of that was missing flaps on these vents, but it seems awful soon on a 2014. Then again, if you watch between the cab and bed, those things fling open and slap shut every time you close a door with all the windows closed. It's kind of funny really because all passenger vehicles have these vents and the only one I've ever heard of issues on is the Ram. Go figure. LOL

 

[regal81455]

Just did mine yesterday. Hardest part is seat removal. The olds just pop out and with a little help fall to the ground. The new ones I took a pc of layout string and fished it thru one of the top clips on new vent. Slid string between cab and bed. pulled vent up into position and then you can grab vent on inside and pop into place. If seats werent in the equation it would literally take 5min per side.

 

[Ricks Ram]

Lol that's a good point! I've never seen one leak on any vehicle I've ever had either. The flaps don't seem to be a regular type of rubber. It's very soft and easily tears. When I found the first one on the ground I couldn't figure out what it was for a while. It definitely isn't durable.

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[Ricks Ram]

Just did mine yesterday. Hardest part is seat removal. The olds just pop out and with a little help fall to the ground. The new ones I took a pc of layout string and fished it thru one of the top clips on new vent. Slid string between cab and bed. pulled vent up into position and then you can grab vent on inside and pop into place. If seats werent in the equation it would literally take 5min per side.

Were the little flaps falling out of yours too?

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[regal81455]

No mine were all intact but they were looking pretty beat up. I did mine preemptively. Truck is too clean to be having water damage that I can possibly avoid with a little effort.