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Leak in Cab - one more time around


TacomaSue

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I know the topic of leaks under the dash has been discussed more than once, but I have not been able to pull it up on a search. During heavy rain last spring, I had a severe leak under the dash and water poured into the cab on both the driver and passenger side. It turned out that the front windshield had been improperly installed and was so lose it was in danger of falling out and the passenger side post was rusted out. You could not see any rust on the passenger side, until the windshield was lifted off the rig. A body shop repaired the post before the windshield was replaced and the auto glass shop swore up and down when I left that there was no way that they windshield would leak. This last week, was the first real rain since I had that work done, and I still have a leak on the passenger side. I could take this back to the auto glass shop, but I think I need to rule out some other sources of leaks. I've seen discussion about drains from the grills in front of the windshield---how do you check those drains and where do they drain? The rig was obviously in a fender bender at some point and the passenger side fender has been replaced (by a PO, likely--not on car fax report), how likely is it that the drains could have been damaged--maybe even covered over? Sue

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Like Totem said , open the door and look around , do you have somebody that can run a garden hose over the windshield / valence area and get down under the dash and see if you can see where the water is coming form.

Start out with a trickle then slowly turn the pressure up if need be , don't go in with the water turned on full blast..

Basically that is what the body shop will do after they snoop around and not see anything obvious..

And just a thought on Carfax , I wouldn't put to much trust in that .. Yeah anytime something happens over a certain dollar amount it is suppose to be reported. Just like anytime you purchase something your suppose to pay tax on it , there are always a way around it...

I've been to dealerships and looked at vehicles and while the salesman brings out a clean Carfax I'm pointing out a painted fender/ hood/roof etc...

Obvious damage, the vehicle had been in some kind of ?

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An old speedo drive cable make for a great roto rooter for a clogged cowl drain.

Just remove the wiper arms and a couple of screws on the cowl grill and remove it. Clean out all the cr*p and then clean out the drain at each end.

What happens sometimes is the cowl isn't cleaned for years and the damp stuff in there will cause the bottom to develop rust holes. If this is your problem then a bit of fiberglass and some paint will fix the problem. A clean out every 3-4 years will keep the problem at bay.

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Thanks for the encouragement to remove the cowl and clean the drains. I used a jet spray nozzle to open the drains and remove the sticks leaves and gunk that I could not shovel out. I still have a leak under the dash.

It looks like water is pooling somewhere. There is a delay between spraying water into the drain and when it starts to leak under the dash and it drips long after the spraying stops. I pulled the cab carpet back and could see water oozing down the wall from the wet sound-proofing foam and dripping off what I think is the heater motor under the dash. I marked the drip spots with chalk so I could identify the spots later. I think it is leaking around what appears to be an air scoop on the passenger side under the skirt below the cowl, but it is not accessible from the outside. How do you access this area? Do you have any other thoughts or suggestions about what to do next---- besides rolling the carpet back and carrying lots of towels when it rains?

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  • 9 years later...

I had the same problem with leak on drivers side firewall and put a high powered light in the cab and a tarp over the hood and found two leaks used silicon worked.

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