[komac]

I have a 2014 Promaster with the 3.6 Pentaster engine. I bought it new and have logged only 26,000 miles on it in the last three years. We use it mostly as a camper. On at least three separate trips, including just last week, we've had issues with the engine, each time after a heavy rain storm while traveling. Last week, after a heavy rain, we pulled into a campground and the engine began missing while we parked in our site. My code reader showed a "random missfire" code, and the "check engine" light was on. I opened the engine compartment and found small puddles of water in several areas at the top of the intake manifold. I closed the compartment and let the engine dry during the night. The next morning, I cleared the code and started the engine. The "check engine" light was off, and the engine ran perfectly. I drove about 600 miles back home without incident. Now I'm wondering whether water is draining properly from the recess area below the windshield during a rain storm. If it does not drain, the water could overflow into the engine compartment. I'm also wondering whether water can enter the air filter area during a rain storm. Each time I've had a "random missfire" problem, I've been in rain shortly before the missfire problem occurred. Has anyone else had this problem? I welcome any feedback. Komac

 

[Charger7022]

you gotta make sure you keep the drains cleared and seal the cowl to the windshield. we use 2" wide vinyl to seal it.
its not the prettiest but to the untrained eye its barely noticeable and with some patients a better job could be done. we no longer have water on the engine.

we also sealed the edges with 3m window weld cause this is the area where my AC likes to drain.

 

[travelvanvan]

I was going to report this in a separate thread after I tested my proposed fix, but I'll post a note now:

I remember that I had read about water leaking from the windshield area into the engine. So I turned a hose on the front above the engine; enough to simulate a monsoon. Sure enough, there was water on the engine intake manifold when I opened the hood.

In my case, I believe water is entering from the vertical seam under the passenger windshield wiper. I can see how it drips onto a painted white (body coloured) piece and then drips on to the engine's intake manifold.

See pic:



There are some water drops on the white piece.

My solution would caulk the vertical seam. Or maybe as Charger7022 says, use some vinyl tape. I haven't tested my solution yet. Will post a thread with my findings later.

 

[Schwan man]

Also there is a service bull item on this.
I had mine done a dealership under warranty. They redirect or cover box under hood. Google

 

[keeponvaning]

I was going to report this in a separate thread after I tested my proposed fix, but I'll post a note now:

I remember that I had read about water leaking from the windshield area into the engine. So I turned a hose on the front above the engine; enough to simulate a monsoon. Sure enough, there was water on the engine intake manifold when I opened the hood.

In my case, I believe water is entering from the vertical seam under the passenger windshield wiper. I can see how it drips onto a painted white (body coloured) piece and then drips on to the engine's intake manifold.

See pic:



There are some water drops on the white piece.

My solution would caulk the vertical seam. Or maybe as Charger7022 says, use some vinyl tape. I haven't tested my solution yet. Will post a thread with my findings later.

That’s exactly what I did to mine.

 

[Charger7022]

I was going to report this in a separate thread after I tested my proposed fix, but I'll post a note now:

I remember that I had read about water leaking from the windshield area into the engine. So I turned a hose on the front above the engine; enough to simulate a monsoon. Sure enough, there was water on the engine intake manifold when I opened the hood.

In my case, I believe water is entering from the vertical seam under the passenger windshield wiper. I can see how it drips onto a painted white (body coloured) piece and then drips on to the engine's intake manifold.

See pic:



There are some water drops on the white piece.

My solution would caulk the vertical seam. Or maybe as Charger7022 says, use some vinyl tape. I haven't tested my solution yet. Will post a thread with my findings later.

I did this also I had extra 3m window weld so I sealed up that joint with that. but you do have to keep after keeping the drains unplugged. I use a small piece of metal wire to un clog the small drains on either side.

 

[Charger7022]

I would also like to source thicker vinyl the winter seems to make it crack and fail I think something thicker would be better or maybe like a rubberized electrical tape would be better. when mine cracks I just replace it.

 

[phil]

I used electrical tape for the windshield to cowl leak.
Used some left over gutter sealant for that middle seam, 95% effective.
I left some 22 ga wires in the small factory drains.
I also added extra drains on the passenger and drivers side, slightly larger and don't need the cleaning wire.

 

[Rich Maund]

After I had a windshield replaced earlier this year, I caulked up the cowl better. It helped a lot in reducing the rain that finds its way in to the engine top. And I have always kept the drain line clear. But after watching the windshield guy tear the cowl apart to remove the windshield, my gut told me it needed some help!

 

[michaelingp]

On my 2016, the drain in the middle of the windshield works fine, but the ones in the corners are way too small. We live in a wooded area, so leaves and stuff clogs those drains pretty quickly. The drains are just 1/4" tubes that open into the wheel well. I tried a lot of stuff, but what I like best is the plastic line they use in weed whackers. It's stiff enough to do the job (you may have to double or triple it up) but soft enough I don't worry about damaging the tubes (which don't look easy to replace). If I notice puddling at the base of the windshield after a rain, it's time to unspool some weed whacker line.

 

[komac]

Thanks for all your replies. I tried to find a factory recall about this problem, but was not successful. The tiny drains on the left and right side under the windshield are way too small to keep a hard rain from entering the engine compartment. Both of mine are open, but won't rapidly drain the small amount I sprayed from a hose to test them. the large center drain is also not sufficient. I washed the camper today and then looked in the engine compartment. Sure enough, there was water in most of the indentations on the intake manifold. There also was water in the bottom of the air filter housing. Water was dripping on the rear of the intake maniflold from under the center of the collection point under the windshield. Water was also overflowing on to the main fuse connection area near the battery jump-start connections. I now know that this drainage issue has been the source of my engine problems on at least three occasions during our camping experiences. Two of those occasions required us to be towed to a nearest promaster service center, both times paid for by Dodge as a warranty issue, but still a serious inconvenience to us since we were hundreds of miles from home. I have to believe that the problem is not unique to us, given the thousands of Ram promasters on the road. My van has had excellent care and stays under cover except when we are camping. There is no sun damage, no seals cracking, etc. Surely, Dodge or Fiat has heard of the problem and has devised some fix for it. I'll try calling Dodge technical assistance in the next few days, but if anyone can quickly point me to where I may get the information, I would very much appreciate that help. Komac

 

[travelvanvan]

Komac, did you try taping or caulking that central seam? That was what I will be doing.

Regarding tape, I'll be using a cloth tape called "gaffer tape" that is hard to find and is expensive but it's better than duct tape (waterproof, flexible).

 

[komac]

Thank you travelvanvan. I will try the tape if I can't find a solution that Dodge Ram provides. I might also make the side drain holes larger. They are in what appears to be rubber plugs with holes probably less than an eighth of an inch in diameter, way too small to quickly drain even a small amount of water. In addition to that, those drains are higher than the mid section of the recess under the wiper blades. That means the water collecting in the area which the small drains are supposed to drain, overflows into the mid-section which then leaks into the engine compartment. It's a design flaw which certainly should have been noticed by many others. Komac

 

[Schwan man]

https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2014-ram-promaster-recalled-for-possible-corrosion-problem.html

 

[Charger7022]

I used electrical tape for the windshield to cowl leak.
Used some left over gutter sealant for that middle seam, 95% effective.
I left some 22 ga wires in the small factory drains.
I also added extra drains on the passenger and drivers side, slightly larger and don't need the cleaning wire.

do you have any pictures of the extra drains you added?

 

[phil]

do you have any pictures of the extra drains you added?

What you are looking at is (if I remember correctly) is a pex 3/4 to 1/2 coupling, with the 3/4 cut off so the wide flange and 1/2 is available, bedded with left over gutter sealant. A word of caution, make sure the underside has clearance for the hose + fitting. Passenger side is easy, driver's side has some metal that is just in the way. A different fitting and a softer more flexible hose would help.

[url=https://postimages.org/][/URL]

[url=https://postimages.org/][/URL]

 

[afox]

Since we got some rain last nite I just took a look at my van (2017) and the situation is terrible. The small holes were clogged, the engine compartment had water everywhere, all over the electrical components/connectors on the drivers side of the engine bay. I called my dealer since van is under warranty, they said no TSB or recall for 2017s for this. Did they really change anything from 2014 to 2017?

I cleaned out the small holes on each end, by first removing the crud from the tray with a wet vac shop vac, then used the string trimmer cord as mentioned in this thread, then ran water thru them to make sure they were clean. Then I cleaned up the area where the windshield meets the plastic tray with rags/alcohol and applied electrical tape (nice 3m very thin/flexible tape) over the area where windshield meets plastic. Used a hair dryer to get the tape to adhere well and bend to the surfaces. Taped the seam in the middle too, although tape isnt great there since the plastic isn't smooth and hard to adhere where there is a "lip" where the two pieces meet. I think this is a situation where something is better than nothing. The electrical tape will have to do while I find the perfect tape and/or improve the drainage and dry things completely before I caulk the seam in the middle.

Also, I found that the screw that holds the plastic tray to its "mounts" on either end were leaking badly, the screw is in a divet which just sits with water, on the drivers side it is directly above a bunch of electrical connectors and drips water right onto them. I filled the divet with caulk, will make removing the plastic tray to replace windsheild harder but not sure what else to do and Id much rather have to deal with that than electrical issues. Also, noticed that water had filled the top of the strut cups on the drivers side and had just filled the cups and was just sitting there. JFC, what were they thinking!!!

Also, looking at the front of my high top PM Im thinking of adding some J moulding in an arc above the windsheild to direct water to the sides of the van instead of down the windsheild since the large sloped area of the roof above the windsheild is sending a lot of water down the windsheild.

J moulding:

 

[SteveSS]

Also, I found that the screw that holds the plastic tray to its "mounts" on either end were leaking badly, the screw is in a divet which just sits with water

Same goes for the screws holding down the clearance lights. I had one with water inside. I put nylon washers under the screws and that stopped the leakage. Now I'll check the cowling mounts, too. Thanks.

I plan on applying some good electrical tape (3M Super 33+) across the windshield lip just as soon as it dries out this week. Not sure about the short vertical seam yet. I'd rather not do anything more permanent that could mess up the cowling during windshield replacement.

 

[michaelingp]

JFC, what were they thinking!!!

It is pretty much the worst drainage design I have ever seen. I'm assuming the engineers live in a place where there are no trees, no leaves, no birds, and no dirt. I must have caught it early because I didn't have the issue of water flooding the engine compartment. Something about the smell of rotting vegetation got my attention before that happened.

 

[KNDLKSTMS]

The drivers side drain hose was kinked on mine . There was a piece of masking tape on the hose to show the factory Umpa Lumpa where to clamp into the fixture , then on down to the wheel well . The tape location made an S trap . I pulled the hose downward a bit , shoved some wire into the hose and viola , drainage ! Then it clogged up with dirt anyway .
Thanks phil for the best way to override the factory engineering .
And there's no trees, leaves, birds or dirt in a cubicle .