Just give me the bad news.

[mkirsch]

My Dad passed away in February 2021. Before we could get his affairs in order Mom got sick and that took priority until she passed last September.

Dad's truck, a 2015 Silverado 2500HD with just shy of 47K on the clock, must have developed a water leak in the cab. I tried to dry it out as best I could last fall and parked it inside a dry pole barn with the rest of the farm equipment.

Checked on it a few times over the winter, and it seemed okay.

Well I went to get it out today and found green mold growing in the cab. Turned the key and the truck started right up and sounds fine, but it throws a whole bunch of codes about the traction control, trailer brake, TPMS, and other systems. The trip odometers are blank. None of the gauges work.

I'm afraid the truck is junk. Water got in under the dash and I'm sure nothing short of a complete new wiring harness and who knows what else is going to fix it.

There was no insurance on the truck, not that it would have made any difference. This I'm sure would be considered "flood damage" and since flooding is not a common thing around here it wouldn't have been covered for that.

This really sucks because it was a nice low-mileage truck. I was considering buying it for myself. I really thought I had it dried out last fall and was doing a good thing by keeping it inside out of the weather.

[dodge_guy]

Well then I would get a dehumidifier and run it in their for a few days. Empty the bin often. You’ll be surprised how much water you can pull out like that!

[mkirsch]

It runs perfectly now.

There is no evidence of rodent activity, just mold and moisture in the cab.

When I went to move it water trickled out from under the dashboard on to the floor mats.

There is no insurance on the truck. The policy expired and I could neither renew nor cancel it. Only basic liability coverage on the property too. Insurance rates were bankrupting my folks, and they had everything pared down to the bare minimum and still paying $2000 a year on the property.

[Grit_dog]

Didn’t even think aboot rodents. That could be a more likely cause than water damage , unless the OP seen more evidence that has not come across in the written word…

[dodge_guy]

Could be as simple as a BCM or a fuse. maybe (and probably more likely) rodents got under the hood over the winter and chewed some wires.
You say it ran OK when you parked it?

And yes water damage would be covered. its not from a flood. and even then comprehensive would cover all that.

[Bird_Freak]

Have you had the codes cleared with a code reader?

[Grit_dog]

mkirsch wrote:
Thanks. I tried disconnecting the battery for well over an hour, and it didn't help.

The mold was mostly on the steering wheel and door. Headliner and seats are okay.

It's going to be sunny and warm for the next several days so I plan on leaving it out with the windows open during the day to air out.

Problem is I don't know anyone who can fix it.

One step at a time. Don’t freak out just yet and don’t just dump it for cheap.
First, it’s guaranteed to have thrown codes (almost guaranteed). Go read them see what they are. Clear them and see what comes back.
Feels like worst case it may have cooked the gauge cluster. Or even just a fuse(s).
Not very likely it harmed anything with the drivetrain. Like traction control etc.
I would also start driving it.
Id do some diagnosis and research myself, as whatever is wrong is worst case an expensive module. Which is cheap comparatively.
Think about it this way, even if there is a somewhat serious issue from the leak, thousands of flood damage cars are repaired and out back on the road. This is minor compared to a flooded car.
Otherwise I’ll claim my spot first in line to make you a poor offer on a good truck!

[JRscooby]

I confess I have never messed with anything that had near the number of FREDs you are dealing with.
Several vehicles that have been parked for a while, when restarted had failures in several electrical systems. In every case I found the source of problems was body grounds.

[riltri]

Your best bet to have it repaired is NOT a dealership. Check with local body shops for if you have anyone local that does conversions. There is a company next to my business that does conversions and they strip some of the vehicles and totally rebuild them. That is where I would start.

[BurbMan]

mkirsch wrote:
Problem is I don't know anyone who can fix it.

Get a quote from the local Chevy dealer.

[Krusty]

Sorry for your loss. The electrical damage to the truck may only be to one connector, it may not be as serious as you think. a lot of times just the offending connector can be replaced by cutting the connector from the harness and splicing in a new pigtail. Hope you are able to fix it up again.

[folivier]

For a 2015 I'd list it on Facebook marketplace and note the problems. It'll sell for more than you can imagine. Someone will buy it and fix the problems and flip it for twice what they paid you. That truck is in very high demand right now.
Or go to Edmunds or Carmax and have them give you a quote. Edmunds will connect to you with local dealers who will check it out and adjust the cash offer for the problems. If you disclose the problems you shouldn't have any bad feelings.

[agesilaus]

Just a data point, our 2012 F350 caught on fire and burned the front right section around the grill and battery, totaled by the insurance company. We went on a weeks long search for a used replacement. The base right now is around $40000, for a 2016 or newer, and you have to look hard to find one in that region. We ended up paying $43K. So spending $5000 to fix that truck is worth it. Even if you sell it right after it's repaired.

[mkirsch]

Thanks. I tried disconnecting the battery for well over an hour, and it didn't help.

The mold was mostly on the steering wheel and door. Headliner and seats are okay.

It's going to be sunny and warm for the next several days so I plan on leaving it out with the windows open during the day to air out.

Problem is I don't know anyone who can fix it.

[BurbMan]

Sorry to hear about the folks, mine also went close together with Dad passing 9/03 and Mom in 6/04, they lived up near Auburn.

A quick search shows that your Dad's truck with that low mileage is worth $40-50K, depending on body type and trim level.

Parking it inside was a good call because you stopped any more water from getting in. The bad news is that it wasn't completely dry, and as soon as the weather warmed up you got some mold. The mold is also indicative of very high humidity levels which may be affecting the body control module (BCM) or similar computers that control the functions that showed codes. The instrument cluster may be junk or it may just not be receiving any signals from wherever it gets signals from.

As T&P points out, it's all very fixable. It may cost you $5k for the diagnosis, repair and de-molding, but totally worth it based on the value of the truck. Even if you don't want to keep it, get it fixed and sell it.

[ACZL]

Like Turtle-n-Peeps,

My condolences with your parents. I agree w/ above statement as well. Won't be cheap to fix, but cheaper than anew truck.