New Owner Question... or Help i Guess?

[jpf2307]

Hello everyone, i just purchased a used 19 Ram 1500 Big Horn. I have some issues that i have discovered that i want to see what type of advice i can get to solve them.

a few days after the purchase, i noticed that the windows inside the cab are sweating. the amount of moisture is beyond condensation haze, its actual water sweat on the windows, its so much that begins to bead up.
- i informed the dealer about it and they offered to replace the rear window and have said that its a common problem for the truck to have a leak there.

This solution just doesn't give me high degree of confidence that it will solve this issue. Maybe I'm wrong about it. i see posts about the window leaking, but none that cite the problem that i am having with the excessive window sweat. i live in the northern Midwest and its winter so not an excessive humidity issue either. I don't see and sign of leaks, and the interior is dry to the touch (seats, floor, carpet, headliner). i have checked the seals on all of the doors and they appear fine. the windshield also appears to be OEM. The majority of the sweat collect on the windshield as well, but its also visible on the doors and rear, just not as heavy as the windshield.

Additionally, the rear tailgate wont open. when you press the but on the tailgate for it to open you can hear the mechanism inside activate, but noting unlatches. dumb me for not checking before i bought, but i guess you figure that it operates, right? The dealer got frustrated after i mentioned that to them, as they already view the window as going above and beyond. I got them to meet me halfway on whatever the cost for the fix is... live and learn on that one i guess. So i see some posts about malfunctions, but again none that kinda describe my issue that i can find... mine doesn't have a cover on the bed. any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Also, noticed this weekend as i was wiping the water of the windshield, that one of the door speakers are blown, the previous owner had the fader tuned to the rear so it didnt appear busted until you balance the sound back out. Any advice on whether its worth it to replace the OEM speaker (do they blow often?), or to move to an aftermarket speaker (something without an amp requirement but sounds decent)? not terribly worried about an improvement to the sound, just don't want it to sound like chipmunks singing in a metal garbage can.

Any advice anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated. Overall like the truck (my first RAM) but the experience of these issues have kinda soured my satisfaction to this point.

thanks everyone!

 

[turkeybird56]

Do you have a classic or a Gen 5? Count lug nuts if not sure. These are generally decent trucks. You are just seeing all the little hiccups at one time, especially if you have a Brand new than when made 5th Gen. You listed engine size as 3.7??? Do you have a 6 cylinder Pentastar engine? That be a 3.6, lol. (count lugs, if U have 6 each wheel is 5th Gen truck).

Windshield sweat among other things is humidity. Make sure you air out truck and beware when you have on recirculate, you need sometimes to exchange the air in the truck due to humidity. ALSO, take a GOOD window cleaner and clean da chit outta all the interior windows. Dirt you cannot see will accumulate moisture. On my 2019, I also have a container of damp rid I keep in the center console and filled as needed. HEY, if he offers to have rear window replaced, oh yeah, expensive thing to do. ( you do not need to do damp rid, I put in to help because of humidity issues here, just MY preference)

Check your rear window frame and look for cracks, that is a known problem on the RAMS. There is a TSB out to replace entire rear window units, assuming you have a rear slider. Also high CHMSL (high brake light) have known issues. (My rear window backlite frame was cracked both sides)

If door speaker (s) blown, previous Owner must have thought he had a 19 speaker system, had cranked. Get a pair of Jensens and drop them in the doors. Do some research in threads in forum and see what 6 X 9's they recommend and just replace speaker. Dealer NOT gonna cover that.

AS far as rear gate latch, there is a TSB out for that also. If Dealer getting fixed, than be happy.

ADDED: I would be more concerned on status of things like: Brakes, tires, when was the last time Oil/filter changed, Coolant, things like that. If you cannot track down a recent date on oil, get the Oil/filter done. Make sure use Full Synthetic and Good full synthetic media. Plenty of threads on that also.

CAVEAT: Not gonna beat U up on checking stuff, but when U buy used you gotta be real picky before U plunk down money. Just saying.

I posted the below to help you: Whether your trucks meets either warranty issue or TSB ref backlite (rear window with slider) U have to check. Also, you can go into Mopar Owners, create an account for your vehicle, and find out about any recalls that have been done/not been done, warranty extension issues also, possibly a list of past services if dealership did and put in system. I also posted the info FYI for the IBS, so you have a reference in case you did not know.

 

[jpf2307]

@turkeybird56​

Thanks for the advice! will look into the MOPAR website and register, didnt know that existed. and great info on the warranty items and extension! i didnt know about them either!

The sweat issue is really unusual for me, I've searched all over for this problem and is the one that worries me the most. A lot of the problem i saw with tings related to this was a leaky rear vent, but it looked like that was mostly on 2018 and earlier models. I haven't seen anything really related to that on the 19 and newer. Are you familiar with any rear vent issues?

I live in an an area where humidity really isn't prevalent, especially in the winter and the air is pretty dry right now. not sure its humidity as the principle factor. i believe its from outside air getting in the cab somehow. i was worried that this is more of a prevailing issue and not isolated to me, but it looks like it might be a unique issue to my truck.

I put a container of damp rid in it and its not wicking anything after 5 days now. so I'm at a loss really how i keep getting the excessive sweat. i had a neighbor mention it could be a heater coil issue? does that sound like something that could be the cause?

yeah i checked the oil and fluid levels, the oil appears to be fresh, but plan to do a change soon with full syn.

I felt like i did a pretty good check on it, guess i just figured the tail gate worked and didnt think to try it out, guess thats a lesson learned!!! the speaker thing is a low hanging fruit issue, just looking for any advice out there from others that have replaced it.


i really appreciate your advice and insight! thank you for posting!

 

[turkeybird56]

Rear vent issues have been reported. There is a decent priced re done rear vents OEM. I haven’t messed with them as U have to pull rear seat. I checked them when they put in my new rear window. Also a lot of dirt/oil residue builds up on especially front windshield. If U don’t keep clean I get the shower stall effect lol which is why I mentioned cleaning. There was a few reports ref front window air leaks but I have not that issue.

You may also experience road noise coming from one of the front door areas. Just how put together IMHO.

Posted pic back wall area. Keep an eye on any water intrusion as the rf hub mounted rear wall.
If u get E Tq the 48v battery behind drivers side.

 

[nlambert182]

I had the same condensation issue on my 2018 1500 and it was indeed rear cab vents. They're super easy to replace and cheap. Mine were $22 ea, MOPAR replacements. Not saying this is your issue, but I'd pop the rear seat out and check. Sometimes you can tell if you've had signs of water underneath the back seat, and sometimes you can peek between the bottom of the rear seat to the cab wall and see some faint water staining on the wall. Worth a look anyhow.

 

[Daw14]

The rear wall vents are a common area as is the third center mount brake light. Replacing the gasket with weatherstripping from a hardware store is a good way to fix the light , the factory gaskets are to thin and are useless.
When I checked my rear cab wall vents I discovered that they were from a chassis cab model , and were a much more robust option. They looked like new after I washed them . I would find these if I ever needed to replace them.

Sunroof drains clog.

As stated the rear window frames are also a source.

If you see condensation something’s leaking and definitely not right.

 

[Wild one]

Some guys have also reported issues with the seams at the cowl/firewall leaking

 

[JD Martin]

I have a 2019 also. It's been a great truck, I love it.

First thing I would do is check every inch of the floor to see if there's any moisture in the rug or backing pad. I left my windows open once in the rain and I ended up having to stick a dehumidifier in my truck (I ran an extension cord from the garage) to pull all that moisture out of there; until I did that every time I got in with the windows closed it looked like a teenage love fest in there.

I've also had water get in from the door drain when parked pointing downhill; the door seal holds pretty tight against the drain holes, and the bottom of the door filled up and then leaked out around the seal and onto the carpet.

You've also got the mentioned brake light, rear vents and rear window. And checking for a clogged AC vent. Any of those things could cause water inside the cab. I wouldn't go by Damp-rid how fast it wicks; I've used it for years in my basement and it's decent enough but I have a humidity monitor down there and the humidity is still high in the summer even with the damp rid unless I run a dehumidifier.

 

[Kayci]

I know this was lightly mentioned... But if you are driving with it set on recycled air it will get very wet and because it's cold out, be noticed as condensation. Make sure you have it set to outside air and let the fan be on. I'm no expert, but have had the issue ( I had no previous vehicle with settings available for in/out air) so due to cold weather stuck with inside air, big mistake. Your own heat and breathing fog up windows. Best of luck, I hope you figure out the issue before it becomes a problem.

 

[Wild one]

I know this was lightly mentioned... But if you are driving with it set on recycled air it will get very wet and because it's cold out, be noticed as condensation. Make sure you have it set to outside air and let the fan be on. I'm no expert, but have had the issue ( I had no previous vehicle with settings available for in/out air) so due to cold weather stuck with inside air, big mistake. Your own heat and breathing fog up windows. Best of luck, I hope you figure out the issue before it becomes a problem.

The Op made 2 posts and hasn't been back since Feb 14th,so there's a good chance we might not get an update on his issues.

 

[BadHemi2014]

Son of a gun I just read through this post without noticing the date.

 

[BadHemi2014]

I'm gonna add this anyway in case anyone is looking for a similar issue.

I noticed this

i had a neighbor mention it could be a heater coil issue?​

I'm assuming the neighbor was referring to the heater core. A leaking core dripping on the passenger carpet or blowing antifreeze through the vents can definitely cause condensation. Usually you'll notice that distinct sweetish scent and/ or a wet patch under the passenger side dash, so that probably wasn't op's problem.

 

[Kayci]

I have had that happen too. Don't breathe that antifreeze mist. Windows down in minus 20 weather, til fixed was not fun.