Cowl scuppers missing aka Plenum DRAIN FLAP, PLUG

Flashback to my 2003 with the road draft crankcase vent tube. These parts missing was part of the new oil odor. Now I find out my 2018 is also missing them due to frequent clogging up of the cabin air filter.

I believe the missing parts are Part Number: 55276332AC but how do you install them?

It started out as a blower motor sequel. The dealer told me it was because the grille above the filter was clogged. Paid to have it cleaned up, new battery blankets, and a new cabin air filter. I checked the cabin air filter again and looks like they missed some of the nest.

First sign of "trouble".

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Then dealer cleaned up cabin air filter.

Now I pull the cabin filter and see this:

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Improvised a tool to pull the wiper arms...
Looking through the passenger fender top I see where the battery blankets went.

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Not sure why FCA installed this "plug".

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No nest in the cowl plenum itself. Drain flaps missing.

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Driver side missing as well.

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Clean up (and some in front of the passenger side door in the bottom of the fender):

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Used battery blanket anyone? Some assembly required.

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This seal is done as well. Need to find a part number for it generic or otherwise.

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Temporary fix of aluminum tape.

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What a mess Not sure why my 2022 has battery blankets. Etc. sure seems like it makes it very hard to change battery’s or use jumper cable. I have given thought to removing all that crap

 

The battery blankets help protect the battery from engine heat. Probably not needed in Alaska but absolutely required in the south.

 

I don't recall ever seeing them on any of my cars, Ford / Chevy / or Ram. Usually the cowl drain holes are large to allow airflow to enter, (old chevys footwell vents) as well as water to drain. I do know they typically install them on the A, B pillars and the cab bulkhead wall to keep water from entering the cabin. Mice will still chew through the thin rubber if they want in. Not saying the OEM never leaves things out, I had a Civic once that I found that Honda never installed the rubber seal around the sunroof magazine and that was why it leaked in heavy rains..

 

Well heat does kill battery’s pretty fast. Cold not so much. It does get pretty warm under the hood sometimes but very rare we get above 70 f all summer in Alaska

 

First time I change the battery’s I suspect all that battery cover stuff will go in the trash

 

The top is gone on mine but the sides remain.

 

My one (gasser) is like post one.

One day after we got back from lunch there was little pinky baby mice on the ground. Here the damn thing had babies and they were falling out of the truck. I've had 2 dead ones in the truck cab, and that momma in the airbox, never caught her.

What a pain.

 

@sag2 You mentioned modifications to this part. Does it still apply today? Do they stick closed or something?

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/cab-fumes-dealer-solution-proposal.95085/

IMO they have another purpose: mouse bait. They visually indicate you have a problem that needs an immediate cure. In your case they have heated blankets that may be more useful.

 

I wouldn't do that, they are there for the cold too. First they do not cool off that fast and second and more important, the charging current has a chance to heat internal the battery's and therefor raises the capacity to take the charge.
You know that a dead cold battery lacks capacity, battery's die in winter in most parts of the world.
The blanket help them to life longer, both in cold and hot Environment.

 

My truck sleeps in a heated garage never outside unless it’s being driven or I’m at the local bar having a Cadillac and halibut ceviche or a summer road-trip

 

We tried battery blankets and battery heaters etc in the bush years ago. New good battery every couple years. Plugged in all night and our ford diesels would always start pretty good . At 40 below we would go outside and start them and let them run a couple hours before bed . We had no auotstars back then. When a pickup froze up not plugged in we would pull it into the power company shop and the heat from the big electric generators would thaw them out. The good old days in very rural Alaska