Soaking wet cabin filter

[smashweights]

Had a huge rainstorm the last two days and this morning I get in to drive and nothing is coming out the cabin air vents no matter what I set them to and all the manual vent settings were wide open. I could hear the fan running. I popped the glove box and pulled the cabin air filter and it's soaked with water. Turned the AC back on without the filter in and it blows at full strength so clearly the filter was blocking airflow. I have never had this in a vehicle before. What should I be looking to fix here? Doesn't seem like this should happen...

 

[smashweights]

I didn't feel any moisture in the fan itself so I don't think it was enough to drip through

 

[smashweights]

AC condensate drain is dripping and I put a bottle brush up it without and issue or junk. How does water in the area in front of the windshield drain? Could it have come in from the external air intake somehow?

 

[Scram1500]

Any debris or leaves around the cowl? Could also be that the recirculation door is stuck open, I believe the default position is closed

 

[smashweights]

Any debris or leaves around the cowl? Could also be that the recirculation door is stuck open, I believe the default position is closed

Pardon my ignorance, but what cowl? You referring to the plastic grid between the hood and windshield? We have lots of oak and cedar around us so it's always a mess I clean out periodically. Here's a few screen captures from using my phone to get a view inside. Looks like water spots below where the filter is and the bottom of the filter was the wetter portion.

 

[smashweights]

Now that I think about it, Thursday after the storm I recall hearing an odd sloshing sound from the front passenger side area that I thought was due to the puddles around but sounded different than water hitting the wheel well covers...

 

[smashweights]

So this happened again. Big storm this morning. As I pulled out of the driveway I heard an odd sloshing from the front passenger area just after pulling out. Backed up. Pulled the air filter and wet again. Left the AC off for a minute or two into the drive then started it back up. No more splashing sound. There has to be something causing the AC intake to allow water from outside to get sucked into the filter. I'm pretty sure I had recirc on too. Is there a drain on the outside for the windshield base that might be clogged and letting water pool?

Yet another minor problem with this truck...

 

[HemiDude]

First time I have heard of this problem. Not aware of any external drains for the cowl area, I will try to remember to look at mine after work and see if it gives me any ideas

 

[cevans6318]

usually issues like this are caused by debris that block the water drains in the engine bay. you even said before, "lots of oak and cedar around us so it's always a mess I clean out periodically". Do you have the same material backed up in the engine bay area? Look around the engine bay around the lower windshield cowling area, there are usually water drains in this area where water drains out from the top of the cowl area. see if it is blocked with debris which can cause water to rise and backfeed into the vehicle.

 

[Sascwatch]

I had noticed that the cabin filter in my 2020 was multi coloured from car wash soap before, so now I make it a habit to put the hvac controls into recirculate before the truck is washed.

The hvac system intakes air just under the hood where it meets the windshield cowling, I couldn’t find any debris blocking the drains in that area so I just assumed it wasn’t able to keep up allowing water to spill over the top into the hvac system. Maybe there is drain holes inside the intake aswell that can clog.

 

[SpeedyV]

So this happened again. Big storm this morning. As I pulled out of the driveway I heard an odd sloshing from the front passenger area just after pulling out. Backed up. Pulled the air filter and wet again. Left the AC off for a minute or two into the drive then started it back up. No more splashing sound. There has to be something causing the AC intake to allow water from outside to get sucked into the filter. I'm pretty sure I had recirc on too. Is there a drain on the outside for the windshield base that might be clogged and letting water pool?

Yet another minor problem with this truck...

Woah. Never experienced that one! Let us know if you find the culprit (e.g. blocked drain hole).

 

[HemiDude]

I don't see anything on my cowl trim that would keep water in there. The plastic trim has some clips holding it in place, but it doesn't appear tight enough to keep water in by itself.

I would suggest removing that cowl trim and cleaning that entire area, and blow it out with an airhose. If you find any debris or fine particulates under that trim, I would cut some mesh or screen material (with holes smaller than the cowl trim) and attach it to the under side of the cowl trim. Then be sure to keep the cowl trim cleaned off regularly, as it will collect more buildup than the stock setup.

 

[RamCares]

Hey there,

We see that you have received some great advice from your fellow forum members! However, if these suggestions do not address your concern and you decide to visit your dealer, our team would be happy to offer additional assistance throughout that process! We're available via private message.

Callie
Ram Cares

 

[Glock10mm]

Sounds like time for a trip to the dealer, I've always wondered if I should switch over to recirc when I drive through the car wash, I go through twice a week with the A/C blasting, with the A/C on the air doesn't stink, but If I run with it off the air blowing stinks like dirty feet. I've replaced my cabin air filter twice and it was dirty but definitely not wet.

 

[smashweights]

So looking at the layout, I'm wondering if these tiny holes are all that let's the water drain from the cowl? There was some debris in them and I wonder if water pools here then as I start to drive sloshes over into the cabin intake, which is just below here.

 

[HSKR R/T]

So looking at the layout, I'm wondering if these tiny holes are all that let's the water drain from the cowl? There was some debris in them and I wonder if water pools here then as I start to drive sloshes over into the cabin intake, which is just below here.

Those will let it drain down below the wiper cowl, but underneath that plastic panel might be more debris not allowing water to drain to ground.

 

[theblet]

That sux big time! Please keep us posted on the outcome.

 

[HSKR R/T]

I think mine got wet when I was washing my truck off from the mud bog I did because whenever I turned to air on for the next few days it smelled like the mud I was washing off the truck. Never pulled it out to look at it though

 

[Rlaf75]

So looking at the layout, I'm wondering if these tiny holes are all that let's the water drain from the cowl? There was some debris in them and I wonder if water pools here then as I start to drive sloshes over into the cabin intake, which is just below here.

Those holes are drains. If you have an air compressor try using compressed air to blow through the holes and clear out the drain. You mentioned that you do periodically have to clean debris from the cowl and it wouldn't take much to clog those holes

 

[2019REBEL]

I clean those holes out with a high tech device aka a toothpick