Ask This Important Question Before Buying a Used GM Truck with a Trailer Hitch

Not All Moisture Intrusions are the Result of Flood Damage

In previous articles we’ve learned that buying a vehicle that has been in a flood can become a problem vehicle that does not show itself as such until months afterward. As stated earlier:

In an ideal world, used car buyers should not have to worry about hidden flood damage in a used car that they are considering buying. In some states there are protection laws requiring “salvage titles” that inform a potential buyer that a vehicle has been previously totaled due to a flood.

However, we also learned that in the real world, the practice of “title washing” occurs due to lax state regulations where cars that have been totaled (such as from a flood) can get clean new titles which prevents the potential used car shopper from knowing a vehicle’s true history.

In fact, depending on the state where the flood damage occurred, not all flood damaged vehicles qualify as “totaled” nor are they always reported as having been flood damaged during any vehicle disclosure before buying.

And equally as bad, is the complication that not all moisture intrusions that can cause the same level of damage as flood water are addressed or recognized as a “flood damaged” vehicle by the seller or the law.

The Disintegrating Air Bag Module

A good illustration of this complication was recently revealed in a Wrenching with Kenny YouTube channel episode where a truck with some error codes related to the ABS system and a lit airbag dash warning light led the host to try to determine where the problem(s) lay (lie) with a 2004 Chevy Tahoe.

Upon initial inspection, the host suspected some possible flood-related damage that may have corroded electrical connectors in the ABS system. However, there was no mention of any other signs and symptoms that the truck was involved in a flood sometime in its history.

Digging a little deeper into the problem, Kenny removes the flooring cover and sound-absorbing padding to inspect the airbag module only to discover that it was totally degraded into a mass of corroded material of which the airbag module had essentially disintegrated into a nearly unidentifiable mess.

Follow along with Kenny as he does a show and tell of what he found, and then move on to the next section for a little discussion of why this is a good reason why you would want to know a used truck’s tow hitch history.

Mind Blown!! Never Seen Anything Like This Before!! Obvious Flood Damage!!

It Might Technically Not Have Been Flood Damaged

Either knowingly or unknowingly, the seller of a used truck might not report the possibility that the truck could have some electrical issues based on water damage. Call it semantics if you will, but not everyone will agree that water intrusion from normal use technically qualifies as having been in an actual flood. Po-tay-toe/ Po-tah-toe and all that.

From the amount of damage to the airbag module, another likely possibility is that the disintegration is a saltwater exposure event from someone owning a boat and having backed their vehicle too far back into the water allowing water to seep in through the door and onto the cab flooring.

Couple that with the salty moisture absorption of the sound-absorbing padding and the dissimilar metals in the floor and the module, a metal-disintegrating electrolysis event could have been created which would explain the extent of the damage seen in the airbag module.

Furthermore, in an earlier article, we learned that trucks used to tow and back boats into an unloading area sometimes get water damage resulting in premature heavy corrosion of the rear brakes.

Another possibility is that tracking snow with road salt into the cab of your truck has been attributed to airbag module damage and failure in some models of GM trucks due to the location of the module typically located on the floor under the driver’s or passenger’s seat and that the sound absorbing pad essentially that becomes a sponge when wet.

Watch the video below to learn more about this vehicle model alert.

2009 GM Truck Air Bag Module Replacement and Other Repairs

Hence, a casual questioning of the used truck owner about the use of their trailer hitch could alert the smart used truck shopper to a potential problem that can be avoided with a little additional investigation before making a final buying decision.

And finally…

For additional articles related to hidden damage to cars, here are a few for your consideration:

     Used Car Seller Tricks to Resurrect a Flood Damaged Car

          If Your Car Is Damaged in a Storm, Do This Not That When It Comes to Floods

     Check That Used Car for Flood Damage with These Quick and Easy Tips

Timothy Boyer is a Torque News automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily new and used vehicle news.

Image Source: Pixabay