Leaking Cab Over Lights

[KKELLER14K]

Hey for all of you that own a truck with cab over lights...I want to pass something on. My 02 Dodge 3500 (getting old), has an overhead console with a trip computer in it. The weather has been very wet with record rainfall and I came out to the truck with water dripping from the display area. I wipe it up but as I start it up, the whole system shorts out. The instrument panel went completely dead with error codes no one wants to see. Airbags, ABS, check engine with other errors on the overhead display. Nothing worked so I shut it down as fast as I could. I learned how to remove the overhead and dried out the trip computer. I reassembled everything and lucky for me everything works but now but I still have that check engine light. Lucky for me I have an OBD reader so that I can clear the fault codes so I did that. Now everything works so now time to track down the leak. Well here it is..they use these plastic washers under the screws that over the years have failed (broken and brittle), and water is getting in through the screws. I highly suggest that if you have an older truck that you replace these seals. It could be leaking and you might not even know your getting wet on the inside of the cab body.I went with rubber o-rings that will seal better but I will do this now on a regular basis. Hope this finds you all well...

[KKELLER14K]

Even though it could fit in my garage because I have 8'6 garage doors, it is an outsider. Its on the North side of my house so it doesn't get super sun drenched but I couldn't believe how brittle the plastic washers were... hence where it was leaking through the screws in heavy rain. Sooo dodged a bullet and that is exactly why I pass on these fails before it happens to someone else.

[SoonDockin]

Might as well add moon roofs for additional leak spots if you have one.

KKELLER14K, do you typically store that truck inside, or has it lived outside most of its life?

[deltabravo]

I haven't had any of my truck cab lights leak, but my brother has on his truck. Seems to only happen in heavy rain.

On my camper, one of the first mods I did to my camper was to replace the cheap, non sealed, leak prone marker lights with a nice sealed LED unit.

I did the same upgrade to my TT, and made a video of that project:

LED Clearance light upgrade

I used the same LED unit on my Desert Fox back in 2003.

[hornet28]

I've had 4 trucks with cab lights and only had one leak once and it was just loose screws. A simple way to fix future leaks is to remove the lights and use clear silicon on the bottom of the housings and screws

[s1214]

I've had 4 Chevy/GMC. Three had the cabover lights. All three of them leaked. Next truck won't have them.

[Ramp_Digger]

MarkTwain wrote:
My 3500 Dodge lights issue came up. My mechanic checked and Dodge had a recall on the stock lights. Mechanic ordered the new overhead cab lights from Dodge and the problem was solved, no more leaks. The seals on the original over head lights were defective.

x2 My 2005 dodge Ram had the same problem and fix. It was new only about 3 months old.

[MarkTwain]

d3500ram wrote:
Mark- on what year Dodge is yours? I believe that recall to which you allude pertains only to 3G models.

2004 3500 Dodge

[d3500ram]

Mark- on what year Dodge is yours? I believe that recall to which you allude pertains only to 3G models.

[MarkTwain]

My 3500 Dodge lights issue came up. My mechanic checked and Dodge had a recall on the stock lights. Mechanic ordered the new overhead cab lights from Dodge and the problem was solved, no more leaks. The seals on the original over head lights were defective.

[Bedlam]

Cab over lights have always been source of leaks and now the third brake light is another entry point. Leaks occur in both OEM and aftermarket light applications, so no one is immune. At least as RV'ers, we know how to deal with this better than the average truck owner.

[wnjj]

Good info guys. Be careful as this one will have to go in the “con” column in the next SRW/DRW debate. 😉

[Halmfamily]

I had to replace the middle three light set on out 08 GMC 3500. The lens cracked causing water to enter and burned out the LED's. The bottom gasket also dried out and caused water to leak into the cab dripping onto the center console, luckily into the storage bin. Quick easy fix thankfully.

[burningman]

On that same note, the aftermarket LED cab lights are generally flat on the bottom, not curved to match the roof contours like the factory lenses. They’re junk. Don’t run ‘em.