This GM Quality Test Checks For Water Intrusion

[buster]

Pretty interesting. I found this on a forum where a member washed his car and then 5 mins later into his drive he got an ECU error that sent the vehicle into limp mode.

"One such quality control measure is the water intrusion test, which is meant to detect any interior leaks and address them before a vehicle is shipped out to the dealers.

The Process​

To ensure a leak-free interior, vehicles are randomly subjected to a rigorous eight-minute, “monsoon-like” water test. Once the vehicle is soaked, it is examined for any visible signs of water intrusion, and a water probe is used to evaluate the interior for any unseen moisture that could have entered the cabin. The water probe is carried out using two-foot-long pins approximately the size of knitting needles. These pins are attached to a gauge that records the presence of moisture in the vehicle. These flat, thin needles are placed in various parts of the cabin floor to generate the readings."

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/01/this-gm-quality-test-checks-for-water-intrusion/

 

[wpod]

I had a 2004 or 5 John Deere model model year tractor that wouldn't move when it was washed. The lame dealer couldn't find it One day I was in a pissy mood so, I washed the tractor and it again wouldn't move. I stripped the tractor to search for water intrusion in the [computer] area and it was bone dry. . What I found was the back of the fuse box got wet and water and dirt messed with the voltage some how. I cleaned and dried the area and used plastic sheeting to protect the area and the no travel never happened again through out my ownership of the tractor. Corners are cut every where possible .

 

[bdcardinal]

We had a customer bring in an Edge with a water leak from the sunroof. They got really upset when we had 4 people in the car in the carwash while a porter ran the hose over the top of the car. I mean we found the leak.

 

[Ws6]

My car was leak tested. About a minute in the craziest carwash looking chamber ever. I dont know if theybused sensors or just gave it a quick glance. 2011 z06 at bowling green. Watched em build it.

 

[GMBoy]

This is where I have a problem - they randomly test...let me tell you what that means....that means about 10 per day. NOT shift - but DAY. I have actually been involved with water testing and am very familiar with the process - and it is a good one - just too few vehicles get tested. Let me further explain my issues with this type of random testing...GM used to 100% water test every vehicle on the line in every plant but not every plant anymore. This allowed leaks to be detected and immediately repaired on line before any interior parts were installed...then they would know the root cause and work the line backwards to where the defect happened and fix it. The NEW process is on a fully built vehicle so the small leaks may not be found because it's behind interior trim. Sure big leaks are found by smaller ones can get by - then a fully built vehicle has to be torn down to fix the issue - now with only a few tested a day - how many more get by? We actually had a bodyshop dimensional issue one year that caused a 100% water leak at the cowl. It was found at the random water test and after root cause was found we had to issue a TSB to dealerships for roughly 3500 vehicles. Had we been testing on line 100% - it would have been discovered quicker and none would have reached customers. Listen - my first GM plant was the Baltimore plant where the Astro and Safari was made and they had 100% water test on the line. An operator would ride in every truck thru a very high pressure water test booth and they would look all over for leaks. There was NO interior at this point so water was found very easily. When a leak was found, they fixed it right there and made corrective actions to stop it. When I came to the Arlington plant I was totally blown away that they did not (and still do not) test 100% every truck for leaks. The article makes it seem like GM is using such great equipment for high quality vehicles yet they don't test but a fraction of all vehicles they build.