im at my wits end on this issue. life long california truck so no actual rust issues. my 2003 crew cab last year all of the sudden started getting water in the cab, front left. doing google searches EVERYONE says windshield. so i have it done by a local small shop ive used for years. they said whoever did the last windshield didnt do a great job. telling them im having issues with water getting in they clean everything up really well and put it in. rains were light after that and didnt notice anything for awhile. now we have been getting plastered with rain and its doing the same thing again.

last year before the windshield i did new oem cab lights and new third brake light. this time im really mad and scared because ive now lost my ESOF 4wd. from the inside i taped up the rear vents and pressurized the cab using the HVAC fan on cold vent setting. spraying soapy water all over got me basically nothing. i removed the wipers and cowl and checked all over there. a few tiny leaks along the bottom side window scrapers and one on the upper back drivers corner of the cab which i dont know how it would get there but i am going to reseal that.

i removed the A pillar cover and side vent to get these pictures. the dash support is rusty! but i dont see any other marks of water getting to that. any help would be appreciated.

 

Cab clearance lights or seam channel caulk. I know you said you installed new cab lights, but I've learned with mine to run a bead of caulk around where the light bulb comes up through the hole to keep water out.

 

when I did them I used some high end 3m silicone for cars. I put silicone around the two holes going into the cab.

so doing the vent and soapy water test showed nothing there. should it show something?

also I have no idea how the water gets to the pictures I'm showing. is it coming through the a-pillar?

 

If it's coming through the a-pillar you should find some water on the floor board. Pull the a-pillar trim and run a hose over the front of the cab or wait until the next time it rains. I would also look at the fuse box area because that's where the water will go before it hits the floor board...and that is not going to end well...

 

I wrote that in my post. it's already got into my gem. I lost 4wd. I don't know how it gets to where it's hitting through the a pillar. how would it get between the layers of the a-pillar

 

Layers of what? Water seeks a lower point of gravity, so if you pull the plastic trim you will find water if it's leaking there. This is also why it goes there...lowest part of truck given the rear end is typically higher.

 

the a pillar has a inner and outer layer. plus the things getting water on them are inboard of the a pillar. I'm finding water on top of my gas pedal too. I can see the water getting in but going all the way over there doesn't make sense.

the pictures I posted show I removed the a pillar trim.

 

Have you checked the caulk in the seam channels on the roof of the cab? There's also those small 90* elbow trim pieces that have 2 bolts going through the cab roof and secured with nuts on the inside...

 

when I did my positive pressure test I saw one tiny bubble come up on one of those corners. I think it was the drivers. I'm trying to get my headliner down now. didn't see anything on the seams but they are cracked. just bought some seam sealer at the local paint shop. going to sand them and apply this stuff. I have some of that black butyl stuff in a tube I got from the glass shop. when I take off those corner caps should I use the seam sealer or that butyl stuff?