tmirisola

I called up regarding an ad pertaining to a 1999 C5 with low mileage for sale. The first thing I did was request a Carfax report. The dealer got back to me and told me the Carfax was not available and this vehicle was a flood vehicle originally from Texas. The dealer told me his mechanics when through the whole vehicle and there is no signs of ever having water damage :-o.

I stayed on the phone with the dealer and told him how to retrieve the DCM codes. He was shocked this was available to the average owner. The dealer had more BS stories than you can shake a stick at.

While he is writing down all the H & C codes my question to the forum is: If a C5 vehicle is water damaged is it worth buying or is it a car to stay away from. Tell me why not to purchase this car.

Thanks

Pounder

take a look though this forum and find all the nightmares with the C 5 concerning water !!!!!!!!:a ck:

4XLR8N

Run away...

Jeff T.

There's too many good ones out there to even consider a flood damaged car.

coia96vette

Run away as fast as you can. C5's and water do not play well together.

blackmachdown

The c5 by itself has a tendency to suffer electrical problems on its own, don't complicate it by adding a water damaged car into the mix. I'd run far and fast from it.

Phanni

A 99 with water damage should be very cheap.

the first thing I'd look at is,, when the damage occurred and how many miles have been put on the car since the damage occurred. The salvage parts are worth around 5 grand ($5000), assuming the engine runs, the body is intact and there is no 'smell' inside the car.

If the car has accumulated a considerable amount of miles since the incident, it might be an ok buy, at the right money. The Car fax will remain with the car forever, thus the decreased value will remain forever.

I have a C-5 that I bought salvage from a fresh water flood several years ago. I have had zero problems with the car. I did replace the carpets and the BCM when I bought it. It was a low mileage 2001, 6 speed supercharged, with around 15,000 miles on the clock. Keep in mind, I bought the car to keep, and have no intention of selling it, until it has well into the 100,000 miles on it. I use it as a 'DD', to and from the country club etc. I'm retired, so mileage does not accumulate rapidly. (it's currently around 35,000 miles)

lewislgZ06

You posted enough red flags yourself OP, which are way more than enough to stay away from that car.

2FAS4UU

... Water and electronics don't mix !!!!!!!!!!.....Does the the dealer offer any warranty, and is this a salvage title car ?? This is a major red flag car, usually a insurance company would tag a water damage car a total depending upon the degree of water damage. Was it a submarine or puddle jumper ?? Based on the small amount of info given it's probably best to stay away unless one wants to make a race car !!...

Radicaltimes

In the early 80,s I worked for a place that sold water damaged Cadillacs. What a nightmare. And once you got everything working a few days later another window motor or something else would fail. On a car like the C5 with all the BCMs and ECMs there is so much to fail I would only buy it as a parts car.

JR-01

Run Forest, RUN!

Vetteman Jack

Water and the electronics in the car just do not play well together. Personally I would not consider a flood damaged car regardless of price - the potential for an electrical/mechanical nightmare is just not worth it to me.

Black 02

I would move on to a better car. Flood water does a lot more damage than you can see with the naked eye and it's not worth saving a few bucks over.

NVTHIS

I deal a good bit with salvage vettes and personally I would not touch a car that has been deemed salvage due to a salt water flood. I would not worry so much on fresh water flood. Do keep in mind though that all electrical connections will need going through, if there is evidence of a flood in that area of the car. I have seen cars salvaged from just a small amount of water and then there are those that have been submerged. Price would determine all.

Black 02

Would you want one of these?

dadaroo

FInally a good well thought out recommendation.


Mr. Sam


PS: OP, why didn't you post the DTCs he pulled up???????????

IMXCITD

I would pass. Many times flood/water cars look ok...but there are electrical gremlins that you can't ever fix. Looks into something that has taken a light hit....you will have better luck.

Pounder

I worked at a Cadillac Dealer for many years,I was the diesel tech,I got a Seville with the engine knocking,found all 8 rods bent,thought how in the world do you bend all 8 ? Next thing I know it's a used car,and they brought it to me and said the power seats don't work,full of rust,then the windows didn't work,pulled the door panel off and found a mud line up past the arm rests. I thought that's how you bend 8 rods you drive it though standing water !!!!!!!

tmirisola

I will post the codes as soon as I get them. I've called the dealer twice today with no return call yet. Seems like he is running from me as fast as I would before buying this car.

tmirisola

Ha made two more calls to the dealer and they're not talking about the car at all. I even asked the secretary if the car was still for sale and she put me on hold for almost 10 min. Came back and told me the salesperson in charge of that vehicle must have left and went home. What a bunch of BS.

Here's the Vin off the ad 1G1YY32G1X5117695 can anybody on forum look up the carfax and get some info about this vehicle.