I've got Dads 95 Dakota, 5.2- Magnam V8, 70,000 miles and in great shape. It has started leaking rain on the passenger side floor. It appears to be leaking from under the dash and seems to leak more than it rains. We're talking an inch deep puddle in a mild rain so its gathering somewhere. I've had to park it under a Pin Oak tree [small leaves] and the cowel and hood hinge holes fill with leaves. Is this the problem? Should I remove the cowel to find the leak? Oh, this happens when its parked.. not sure if it happens when driving in the rain as I don't drive it much.

I appreciate any help you guys can give me.

 

I know there is a drain on that side, if that drain i plugged up that could be the reason you are getting water on the inside

 

I had the same trouble with my 92 Dakota.The trim/gasket around the windshield was leaking. I had to apply silicone around the perimeter of the window.
Open the passenger side door and peer into the area between the fender and inner wheel well area. You might notice some screws that had a sealant applied from the factory. Try to recoat those screws with some type of sealant.

 

idk about it much but going off of the post above me, maey at night you could bring a flashlight out and see if you can see any holes around the windshield molding? idk just a thought that came to me

 

Mine leaks on the drivers side. I'm 99% sure it's the windshield. The back window leaks also. I don't think these things were sealed all the well to begin with...

 

Thanks for the reply everyone but now I'm really confused. We had a day of rain [turning to light snow] yesterday. I went out and put a tarp over the cab, covering the passenger side door and most of the cowel and windshield. There should not have been more than a drop or two that got in but it leaked an inch deep twice in 12 hours.

maybe the little of the cowel not covered leaked water to the passenger side and into the cab [the truck is sitting not quite level and slightly leaning to the passenger side]. This is really startiing to confuse me. I guess, when it warms up a bit, I'll try to get the cowel off and see if I can find anything.

 

I had a similar problem on my 89. Every time it rained, I'd get water coming out from under the dash and it would pretty much soak my feet. Use a flashlight to find out if theres water building up in the area where your wiper control arms are, just beneath the windshield.

If so, you'll want to remove the wiper arms. Theres just a little clip on the side of the arms for that. You'll then pop the hood and remove the weatherstripping from the base of the cowel. There are some screws there that, when removed, allow you to carefully lift the cowel away from the truck. You'll then lift the plastic guard and position it off to the side. Next, use a straightened coat hanger, or perhaps one of those toilet snakes, and clear out the drains on both sides of the truck. The drains are hard to see, but they're directly beneath the hood hinges. Once you've got them moderately cleared, you can reach in and remove the crud with your gloved hand. It may take a few minutes, but they'll clear out.
If the drains are plugged, water will build up to the point of entering the air ducts/heater system and it will fall directly through the floor vent of the cab.
Mine was all filled with mud and other misc debris. After I cleared it out, not another drop of water found its way in. Just in time for Oregon's winter.

Of course, it could be something entirely different, but I hope its simple, like this.

Good luck.

--DruP

 

If the water is clear, it is probably your air conditioner drain seal has worn out and the condensate is leaking back through the seal into the cab. Just install a 5/8 I.D. tube on the end of the AC drain pipe (near the firewall, passenger side, below the ac unit) and clamp the end of it. You can then run the tube down towards the ground or alongside the brake line and tie it with a cable tie. Two feet for a two wheel drive, three feet for a 4WD. Dodge didnt think to use a non-rubber seal, so they eventually dry rot. Just went through all this on my Dodge Ram today.