I have unfortunately discovered that rain is coming through the rear window of my truck. I wondering if anyone else has had this problem and if it was a big job to fix it. The caulking appears to be rotten and I'm wondering if some goop will seal it up. I'm just not sur e how to get the trim off!! Any help would be appreciated.

 

If you search, I think you'll find that this is a fairly common problem. Not sure what year Ford squared this away, I think 2000 or 2001. My '97 leaks a little bit when I wash it, but rain usually doesn't get in. I'm pretty sure the only real fix is to replace the window. I got a quote of about $250, just haven't gotten it done yet.

 

i bought a cauling tube of black silicone. pry the trim out 1/4 inch and filled it full from one end to the other. smooth it flush with your finger and wipe off any access. i ran down each side about 6 inches . cost $5. and took 20 minutes.

 

This seems to be the only cure to fixing the leak. The origional owner of my truck replaced the entire rear window and trim back when he had it, but it still leaks when I wash the truck.

 

Pull the window out and re-seal it with rope sealant.... It will take you an afternoon to do it at best but well worth it.... clean the old stuff out. The hardest part is getting to the nuts above the window, behind the headliner on the roof.

 

you have to unbolt the window. it sealed with a tape called butyel tape. unbolt it and scrape out the old butyel than either use new butyel or urathane adhesive from a glass shop to re-install it. please dont use silicone it causes the metal to rust. most autoglass shops would do it for you for 75.00 to 100.00 but if you take it appart i bet they would do it alot cheeper.

 

what size does the tape need to be?

 

good question i think its 1/4 inch. the tape keeps the window from sinking in to much when you tighten it up. most glass shops will use the tape than back-fill it with urathane to provide a good seal. i see lots of trucks having windows replaced cause they leak. in mass we have no deductable on glass(most of us) so they end up getting replaced with new windows. but if your having a leak issuse i would just pry up the outside moulding and pump some sealent in. its messy,and chances are that your not going to get the spot thats leaking. if your going to go the cheep route seal it from the inside. you have a better chance of hitting the spot but i bet another one will turn up.

 

seal an exterior leak from the inside?---- just fill the groove full of silicone and be done with it. do the whole length and it can not leak again. i did it years ago, took 20 minutes and $5.

 

yes seal an exterior leak from the inside. it leaks into the truck right? i would hate to see what your backglass pinchwell will look like in a few years. silicone repaires end up causing more damage. silicone will rust and rot out the metal ive seen it before. but hay do whatever you want fte is here to help people not fix their cars for them.

 

My 1997 F-150 Leaks From The Rear Window When I Wash It or It Rains. Might Have To Try The Silicone Trick.

 

do it, it works. FORD has been using it for years to seal floor / joints/ firewall to keep water out and rattles down. great stuff and cheap fix.

 

guys dont use silicone it has an agent in it that will cause the metal to rust if there is any bare metal behind the mouldings. go to a glass shop and buy a tube of urathane to seal it

 

Mine rear window leaks too. I tried the silicone caulk fix and that reduced the problem, but the window still leaks a little. In my case its a very slight drip.
In my case, I think some of the water is coming in through the hole where the wire for the 3rd brake light goes through the back of the cab.
Either way, on a truck with 165,400 miles on it like mine, Im not going to worry about it. If thats the biggest problem my truck has, Im pretty happy.

 

its hard to seal a leak from the outside cause you have to deal with the think plastic moulding that has nothing to do with the seal of the glass to the body. its better to seal it from the inside if your going the easy route. if a window is leaking chances are there is already some rust and the point im trying to make is that adding a silicone based sealant will only add to the rusting creating a worse leak in the future. hey steve what do i know anyway? ive only been in the autoglass field for about 16 years of my life (shrug) :.)