Force Fed Gorilla

Just to clear up my post a little, I knew the car was a salvage title but the seller's description of the car said he had gone through it thoroughly and replaced all the components that needed to be replaced. During the pre-sale conversations, the seller said over and over again how well it ran and that he never had any problems with it (other than the few he mentioned in the sale ad). The seller owns three automotive shops so it sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

The Chevy dealership where I had the car looked at gave the car a clean bill of health. The only things they had marked were the Service Active Handling Light, the Service Ride Control light, the Service Vehicle Soon code, and the belt squeaked. Having perused the forum a little it looked like some of those issues were rather common so I didn't worry about it much.

The car is an '05 M6. I tried resetting the battery overnight and after setting the ignition switch to engine (green) and letting the computer run through it's checks, I still only get clicking from behind the vent area. Clutch pedal is all the way to the floor. Security lock light is off. I've tried locking and then unlocking the doors. Tried putting the FOB in the glove compartment slot while starting. Nothing seems to work.

To top it off, two days ago the car randomly honked once and then started beeping like the door was open. Locks wouldn't work, FOB didn't do anything, brake lights were lit up, and so I had to unhook the battery. Even after sitting for a few hours if I reconnect the battery it starts beeping again and the brake lights come on.

The seller is a race driver and he had a big race out of state the last few days so I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt regarding his lack of communication. If I don't hear from him in the next couple days, I'll probably have to get a lawyer as some of you have suggested. Hopefully the seller will step up and do what's right.

Any idea what it would cost to rewire the car?

JERGENSEN LS3

Why would you buy this car.

Was it that great of a deal ?

I seriously hope it works out, but looks like it is gonna cost some $$$$.

Force Fed Gorilla

Lol. Good question. Has a forged 408, twin turbos, wide booty, widened Z06 rims with Mickey Thompson DRs, and some other aftermarket goodies. It was a killer deal..or so I thought. I knew I would have to do a little work to the car. I've got experience rebuilding engines and doing basic electrical work so I figured it would be a fun project. I'm just really disappointed that the car doesn't even start. Haven't even heard it running yet.

ReosLS2

This just got a little more interesting..give us a ballpark of what you paid for it?Nevermind...

From your description of the seller..I wouldn't panic just yet, give him time to respond...

Force Fed Gorilla

It's not a big secret for someone savvy enough to search the forum a bit. I paid $23k for it.

I'm really hoping the seller has just been super busy. Every time I need to head through the garage for something I see my new Vette sitting there and get a little more anxious to get this resolved. I sold my last fun car ('65 Nova) to buy a house three years ago. I've been making due with a '93 Mercury Topaz since then and I REALLY need a shot of testosterone. Especially being the only guy in a household of five.

JCtx

Right about now a brand new Honda Civic SI with full warranty suddenly makes a lot more sense, right? Sorry to hear you learned your lesson the hard way. We all make mistakes, but man, this one falls in the category of 'What the hell were you thinking?'.
Anyway, you should know by now you can't rely on that car, and that nobody will touch it without signing a waiver, meaning you could pay thousands of dollars of troubleshooting for nothing. The smart thing to do IMO would be to get rid of the car with the least amount of losses now. I don't even think you'd have a legal case against the seller without a written guarantee, or something pretty incriminating, especially across state lines, so make sure you wouldn't be adding to your losses in the form of lawyer's fees. I'd try to cut a deal with the seller, and move on with your life. Good luck man, and sorry for being hard on you, but as long as you don't ever do it again, that's what's called 'experience' .

zx1216

I suppose it would be a good winter project, lol. You would have to basically strip the car down to the bare frame to accomplish this task. If you really knew what you were doing i would think you could get it figured out in a month or two.

Now to pay someone to do it? You're better off parting the thing out.

Force Fed Gorilla

Funny, that is the exact car I was trying to avoid buying.

For sure it was a bit more risky than a car with a clean title but there are a lot of salvaged cars out there that drive great after being repaired. It's not like a bought a car from a Nigerian prince or something. Hopefully the seller will come through and it will drive as nice as he claimed.

cthusker

First off it's not a bit risky it's extremely risky! Chance of getting a refund IMO is about ZERO! It's a salvaged car and unless you have his claims in writing you have little a court will even consider. It's simply he said, she said, he said.. blah blah blah! Legal fee's could very easy exceed what you already paid so I do not think a lawyer is a wise investment here.

Bottom line buying out of state salvage car is a major big time roll of the dice. There's a reason he sold it which I suspect you about to find out. He's got this money and DOES NOT want to deal with you anymore!

What type of water damage? Fresh or salt water? How deep and how long was the car submerged? All a dealer can do is check for codes and eye ball things.... they have no clue what type of electrical nightmares might be involved in a 6 year old wate damaged car.

If you own repair shop and have excellent mechanical skills it's not as big of risk but if you are relying on professional mechanics it could get VERY expensive real fast. Only way to diagnose many electrical problems is item by item. Labor intensive and very expensive! The problem is everything is suspect in a water damaged car... it can be something as simple as a bad ground which can take many hours to check even by someone that knows what they are doing. What's that going to cost at a 100 bucks an hour? You have the potential to spend lots of money with no guarantee it will ever be made right!

I'd try a few basic things but I suspect this might be a very expensive and frustrating journey. Hope I'm wrong but I would NEVER EVER touch a water damaged vehicle that is so electrical and computer based like a C6 vette...

Kenny94945

Well, your first step is this no start.
Everything "lights up" press start button and your hear a click.
Sounds like a dead battery/ bad cable connection.

Second if started, check every electric function. Windows, horn, light check, ABS function (be careful there it might not work) cigarette lighter. Also inspect both fuse boxes for cleanliness and quality.

Salt or fresh water makes a big difference.

As above, I'd agree, get it running (pay dealer if necessary - tech 2 may be required in your case) and sell to cut your losses. At the very least purchase the $100 factory service manual.

Many know that fire or water damaged cars are risky to purchase and perhaps best totaled.

I can't advise about a refund, sounds like a you were not fooled. Yes car started on July
4th, yet, with water intrusion over time, car did not start on July 5th.

IMHO you are dependent on the seller for a rebate. What do they say "catch more flies with honey than vinegar".

I don't think court will award you anything if contract says "as is". Although you do have an over state line sale issue. Attorney at $300 an hour for "x" hours might be better money spent on the Vette to get it sold.

If you do decide to keep this Vette, just start at the front and inspect every bolt, panel and wire connector for water and damage. Will increase your mechanic skills very quickly. Could be fun. Set a budget. Did you every want a race track only car as an option? I'd personally still sell and get a different one.

Good luck in your decision.

boraxman

Good luck on this one OP

mcandrew67

Have you checked the starter and the alternator? Hit the starter with a stick, see if you can get it going. If everything lights up, I would start there. The vehicle transporter guy said they did get it going to get on the truck. Try to find out what they did to get it going.

cb98coupe

Sorry to hear about this but you kind of knew what you were getting into . You should have flown to see the vehicle before buying something like this . I don't know how much of a case you have but with a salvage title I really don't see you getting too far . I would sell the car , disclose the problems and take a loss at the early stages . You might recoup most of your funds with not such a substantial loss . You can then save for a good car that you can buy from a forum dealer . I would get out now !!!!

slolane

Just a guess here but it was a flood damaged car so the first thing I would check is all the ground points. It could be as simple as corrosion build up on the ground points. Just a place to start and its free. Good luck at let us know when you find out

jaki30

The fact that you had some strange electrical anomalies and now the no start with a new battery, I would start checking ground connections on the battery and starter. You need a service manual to start looking up the different systems to find their mounting locations and connectors. Also, start pulling some of the connectors apart to check the pins for corrosion. Spray the pins with silicone or WD-40 when you put them back together.
This could be a long and tedious process. However, with 4 females in the house, you could use this as a stress relief Good luck.

ITSGRAND

Go for the low hanging fruit...the starter. Pull the starter down and use a test light to see that it gets a full 12+ volts at the connection from the battery. Next check the other wires and when the "start" button is hit it should also get a 12+ volt feed then to one of the skinnier wires to activate the solenoid.

If the starter isn't getting it's dose of juice, go back up the chain to the positive cable going to the battery and then to ignition, ecm, and bcm relays and see if power is being delivered there. A simple 12 volt test light and or multimeter will diagnose this.

oh, and just for fun put fresh batteries in your key fobs to know that you are good to go there.

Back to old school guys. Grounds are usually under tight nuts on welded body studs. Yes they can loosen over time but this is a flood car and to get enough corrosion to not work at all would be quite significant.

Force Fed Gorilla

Thanks for all the advice guys. If the seller doesn't come through, I'll just have to start at some of the simpler fixes as you've suggested. If that doesn't work, I'll probably end up pulling it all down and trying to rewire as much as I can. I'll try and find out from the seller what they did to get the car started. I suspect they just used a screwdriver on the starter as that would get the car up and going the easiest if the ignition switch wasn't working.

This will definitely be the last car I buy site unseen.

JoesC5

Hate to tell you, but you now own the car. Even if you did sue the guy, and won, collecting on a judgement, especially from an out of state seller is near impossible.

Not a lawyer, but I bought a car out of state that was misrepresented; talked to my lawyer, had all the paperwork with all the sellers lies, etc. My lawyer said it was all fluff on the seller's part, and not to waste my time and money trying to get my money back, etc.

Kevin_NYC

Sounds like a starter relay...ESP clicking sound

Pull every relay related to ignition: starter, ignition, alternator , etc


Bad relays make a car seem worthless ...,but after $1 new one perfect


I bet u got a good deal....skip all this legal stuff till u pull every one

Brunotheboxer

I can tell you're phucked due to one simple thing.

Why do you think they dropped the car off at walmart and not at your house????

Do you live in baghdad or something?

I dont mean to be an ******* but you kind of asked for this. Why buy a used car without having driven it first or having your own expert check it out first?

All I can say is good luck and learn from this. Trust no one with when it comes to your money.