13razorbackfan

Hi guys...I have a 2005 f150 Supercab and my 3rd brake light is leaking. I have some very expensive amplifiers behind my rear seat and some expensive subwoofers under the rear seat. Anyways...a few weeks ago I went outside and was SHOCKED to see my entire back seat soaking wet. I mean soaked. So I took it to a guy that I use to fix my windshields and he put another gasket on. A week goes by and it rains again and guess what? Still leaks although not nearly as bad. So I took it back and he put in a really thick gasket and then water tested it. He said it shouldn't leak again but if it does to bring it back.

So it rained heavily this past weekend but overnight hours only so I parked it in my garage because I wouldn't be able to monitor if it was still leaking. So I was reading on this site that Recon makes a good LED 3rd brake light for these trucks. Should I just go ahead and buy that and install it? I can't afford for water to leak in and blow my amps so I really can't keep doing trial and error.

What do you guys recommend?

13razorbackfan

Also....I had them replace the gasket around the rear window also. When I took it in that is where I thought it was leaking from. That is when they told me they thought it was coming in from the 3rd brake light. Are there any other leak spots that I could be missing? The inside of the 3rd brake light had a lot of water and condensation in it.

vintageman

You haven't mentioned checking the rubber gasket under the brake light? Did you have that checked. I would try a new gasket there instead of just buying a new brake light unless the one that you have has a crack in it. Pull the brake light and see if there is any moisture on the underside of it, that may help to narrow down if it is really coming from there. Good luck

Tom

13razorbackfan

They replaced the gasket the first and the second time. I watched them the second time. It was a gasket that they rolled out off a roll. It looked about 1/4" or bigger in diameter. I watched them put it on and them screw it back down. One of the screws was really wet also and it put a little gasket washer on it also. I know between the first and the second time I took it back the leak was a lot less but then again it may not have rained as hard.

13razorbackfan

Now they are predicting 80% rain tonight. So I have it out in the driveway now and put a bunch of blankets on the rear seat, a couple of towels on top of the head rests on the rear seat and then used some masking tape to tape a tarp up to the back windshield(inside the truck) that way if it does leak tonight it will land on the tarp. I pray to God that it doesn't leak any longer. I KNEW...just KNEW when I had the amps installed they should have put them under the front seats and not behind the rear seat.

ColdinCanada

I have my amps mounted on the back wall too, I have them spaced off the wall so that are a little more insulted from vibration, I didn't think about how I was protecting myself from water!

If the gasket material is as substantial as you make it sound you should be just fine now.

13razorbackfan

I hope you are right. All we have received so far tonight is a very light sprinkle. Tomorrow I will take the water hose to it both pressurized and then just letting it run without pressure to see if it leaks. It is a very frustrating issue. I can't believe the design is so poor.

Mechanik

Sounds like you're on the right track. The condensation in the light can come from water anywhere in the cab as the light isn't sealed and is open to the headliner air space. I replaced my gasket, which did not help, then silicone-sealed the new gasket, which did not work, either. I replaced it with a Recon which worked fine.

I decided that either the water was leaking around a stripped screw, (not likely as there was a LOT of water), or that the factory light had popped a seam somewhere invisible. Some folks also point to the satellite radio antenna or sunroof, but that doesn't seem to be too common.

13razorbackfan

Yeah...if it leaks again I am ordering the Recon LED light. Also...I looked and don't see any other openings on the top of the cab and it doesn't have satellite radio from the factory. I did however install a very expensive sound system with a large HD display with built in navigation and satellite radio to go along with all my new door speakers and new subwoofers. Sounds really really good. That is what really makes me worry after spending almost $2k on all that new equipment. If I knew this were an issue before I bought the truck I would have made sure the first thing I did was to replace that 3rd brake light.

13razorbackfan

So...everything has been fine including heavy rains at times over the last 5 or 6 months and no leaks. I took it to a high pressure automatic car was and it started leaking again

So I am going to order the Recon 3rd brake light but when looking on the website in the description it doesnt mention if it comes with a new gasket or not. Did yours come with a new gasket also?