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Hello, this is the the third thread for the same reason. I have replaced the top third brakelight 3 times using different solutions.
I still have water leaking back on the left rear headliner (about 3 feet showing dampness) I assumed it was the thid tail light assembly.
I have removed the tailight assembly. I removed and sealed with duct tape and still have a leak.
Water seems to pool.
Is there anyone who has seen this problem before. Is it a large rear window seal on the side, has anyone seen that?
Really struggling with this leaking for the third time.
Test it with a hose in the driveway. Start low like at the window. If it doesn't leak there work your way up. My large side window leaked in my club wagon. I removed it, resealed it. I suggest removing the plastic trim to you can see the leak quickly.
The gutter or roof lip can also leak. It will eventually rust under the sealant. Visually you will see streaks on the side of the van that basically points to the worst spots. This can also be resealed.
OP seems fixated with the CMHSL or "third brake light" housing and clearly this leaking is NOT a result of that assembly. As long as he stays focused on that area alone the leaks won't stop.
With about 99% certainty this is the window itself leaking, the attaching bolts have loosen perhaps leading to the butyl seal pulling away from the body. T-Wood's advice is spot on. In all honestly though after 30 years in the auto/truck glass business I've almost never seen gutters or roof lips leak---I cannot recall a time such a thing was confirmed.
So now you are going to peel all the body sealer out of the drip rail like I said 3 posts ago?
Once you do you will find the rusted crack where the water is coming in
Triton2010 if you want to confirm the window is leaking at the top you can half-*** a solution using Gorilla tape. When the van's exterior is completely dry use about an 8" to 12" strip of Gorilla tape up each vertical side of the glass/body interface, running the upper edge of the tape just above the horizontal glass/body interface. Next run a piece of the same tape horizontally across the top so it covers the vertical pieces.
This will work to show whether the very common failed butyl window seal has failed due age and lack of maintenance where the attaching nuts aren't checked and re-tightened periodically.
Thank you for all the comments and instructions. I isolated the rear drivers side large sde window and check with a hose. It leaks inside on the headliner.
Something must have failled. My question is if I fix this one should I have all (4) gaskets replaced? Is this just the first one to fail.
Does it ake sense to have a glass shop do it or is it pretty straight forward?
OK, I looked and I have the windows that have screws holding on the (4) large windws on the rear side panels of the van. One is on a sliding door.
Most of the nuts are loose and I could spin some with my fingers. Might as well check all of those windows. I can tighten them up but was wondering if there is a toque spec to follow.
Can't seem to find anything on it, assumin too tight is not good.
Thank you, found the leak. Those windows on my van have nuts holding on the glass. I checked and some were finger tight only.
Where it leaked...
Plan to tighten nuts but was wondering if you have ever seem a toque spec for those window nuts.
Regards,
Tony
Well at long last! Being in the auto/truck glass business I always chuckle when this same thing happens and instantly a flood of outside gutter sealant needs to be replaced, there is no other way to stop the leaks the inexperienced claim. And yet we see here that's just not the case most times.
There is no torque specification per se, its more a matter of "feel".
For the first attempt to stopping the leaks use nothing more than a small wrench to slowly tighten each attaching nut, no more than 1/4 turn in a circular pattern. When they are snug don't continue tightening them as you'll break the glass.
When I do this whether as regular maintenance or replacing the entire unit or renewing the butyl tape seal I'll use a nut driver as it gives a better feel for how much torque you're applying. If the interior trim remains in place the shortest wrench you can find works almost as well.
Do the nuts shake loose on their own or the butyl contracts with age?
Kinda both but as the butyl ages and degrades its shrinkage causes the nuts to become loose.
I replace the butyl with a clear or black exterior grade silicone sealant/adhesive which doesn't shrink, age or degrade over time. I have a bit of a process that essentially creates a nearly cured gasket between the window and body, letting the sealant almost cure before installing it to the body and gently securing the mounting nuts. After a day or so I'll continue tightening the nuts to an acceptable clamping force. So far that's worked out quite well over a number of E-Series vans.
I had 2 bolts come out, sound system caused it, the glass is glued in, if it leaks it ain't the bolts fault unless it is coming in the bolt hole, you need the glass pulled and resealed, nothing else will correct it.
Arrgh, I had no idea they used bolts on these windows, just assumed they were adhesived on like a front windshield.
I had the exact same issue on my '98 Clubwagon. I thought it might be the gutter so I cleaned with solvent and laid down some self leveling Sikaflex. Applied it (helped it here and there) and it finished itself off to perfection.
Later I realized the leak was coming in from the top of window seal so again I sealed it from the outside using a polyurethane sealant (non-sag version). I taped off the top edge of exterior of window and down about 4" on each side, then taped off the exterior paint as deep into recess as I could. Then injected/tooled in the poly, smoothed with solvent, pulled off tape, smoothed again with solvent dip paint brush and leak has never returned. But I now wish I had know about the bolts. Going out now to find and snug them.
I took off the rear large window interior trim and witness it leaking at top part of glass. My year 2013 also has the threaded studs. I felt and some of the nuts were only finger tight.
I have a person who helps me. I asked him to check all the large windows and he found all the nuts were loose.
It is a E350 so it is quite stiff, I don't carry really any weight in it. Maybe the vibration is more from a stiffer suspension.
Anyway, it is fixed now, thank you so much for the heads up.
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