My "will it void my warranty?" bolt on rant! Opinions welcome.. :D

[Deezee]

Ok guys, I'm kinda new to "this" forum, but I'm quickly seeing that this comes up a bunch of times a day, and it kinda boggles my mind! Please understand that I'm a jet mechanic by trade, and I do all my own car work within my skill set. I'm also not afraid to go "outside my box" with a DIY or more auto skilled friend and learn ways to install parts I've never done before. I enjoy the challenges and nothing is like the feeling you did it yourself! I realize that not everyone is like that, I do. And maybe some people don't care "how" it works as long as it works! So dropping it off to a shop is ok for them. There are plenty of things I've had shops do. My cam in my vette for one! I didn't know "how" so I let them. I'm doing this one with a friend tho. Maybe I should also mention I'm kind of a "purest" in I don't even think they should make V6 muscle cars, and auto transmission is ONLY acceptable if you NEED one! Lol I know they are faster in the qtr tho!!

On top of all that and back to my main point though. Modding has "risks"! We all know that and accept that. It has always and is always gong to be the way it is! FACT!! I for one love modding cars so much that I could give a shit less about a warranty! It's not the $$$, it's the fact that it my f$@king car, and ill do whatever I want with it. And threatening me with "if you do that I won't cover it" is laughable to me! Look I get it, I put a cai in and my maf goes bad, not your problem! Got it!

But why so many posts about "I want X part, but will it void my warranty"? Or "I like these headers, but I don't want a tune" or "any headers with no CEL?" Why 1.) are people so quick to accept half ass gains, and possibly POOR performance (yes some parts suck until tuned) to narrowly escape voiding it? 2.) willing to buy a lesser product since the better one will void it? Or 3.) get upset or argue here about it?

One, this is a car modding website! So most of the guys here are ok with doing just about anything. Two, and I mean this in the nicest way, if your that worried about the warranty, just don't mod it. If I didn't want to mod a car, I'd buy one I'd be happy with unmoded. (Lol that car doesn't exist, but it's for argument sake! )

I saw a member post the other day that when he hit 50k miles he was going to mod it! Only he had like 1500mi on it now! Life is too short man!! Or maybe it's just me?

Anyways no disrespect meant to anyone here! I just want to hear what you guys think about this. I've seen it in EVERY forum I've been on over the years, but it's WAY worse here for some reason...

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by Deezee

I saw a member post the other day that when he hit 50k miles he was going to mod it! Only he had like 1500mi on it now! Life is too short man!! Or maybe it's just me?

Anyways no disrespect meant to anyone here! I just want to hear what you guys think about this. I've seen it in EVERY forum I've been on over the years, but it's WAY worse here for some reason...

There's a positive point of view to this way of thinking as well as a negative one. For example, you see the manifestation of what you are describing in middle management all the time – people having no clue what they are doing in a leadership role, so they hide behind handbooks and the policies because they can’t think outside the box or reason out a dynamic solution to save their own lives. The car guy version of this manifests as exaggerated warranty paranoia. On the other hand, there are more moderately concerned people who maybe have had cars with trouble in the past and want the warranty system to work for them so they research what they can do without losing their benefit. I’m going through this myself with my headers – my installer is swearing that my PFADT headers will cause a CEL, but really he just wants to sell me a tune, which in turn makes me worried that he’ll cause a CEL during the install to say “I told you so”. But if I tune now, my warranty is probably trashed.

You’ve got to draw a happy middle ground with what you want to do with the car, and make a well rounded decision about the money you have. For example, you have the money to buy headers, but do you have the money for a dealers BS “we have to charge to hook it up to da computer” routine. I would say that the middle ground consists of two actions – only doing mods that you have the wear-with-all to reason with the dealer that they should still fix your car (i.e., air intakes), or call GM ahead of time and let them know what you are doing and see what they have to say.

Option number 2 is something that I would only feel the need to do amidst real uncertainty, which I’m considering doing for my headers, although I’ve never done that before across 4 previously modified cars in the last 14 years.


I hope this helps the extreme thinkers a bit as well.

[SSDan]

I say live and let live. Yes too many people ask "I'm worried about my warranty questions". Also, those of us who have with an informed and clear mind kicked our warranties to the curb can chose to ignore those posts if they really get under the skin.

[nyrfan]

Oh boy, wait till the regulars get here and see the thread

[strych9]

I think in general that it's appalling that people who are buying these cars new have no clue how warranty works. In the big scheme of things, if common sense were a real thing and most people had it, they wouldn't ask such ridiculous questions.

I agree with the OP: if you're worried about warranty, then don't mod. There is always the potential for a dealer to blame your parts for any issue that arises. Then it becomes a hassle. Then you post your sob story here.

Read your warranty guide that came with the car. Don't have it? Go to GM and download it. It tells you everything you need to know.

[blazzin1]

Originally Posted by IMJ

I’m going through this myself with my headers – my installer is swearing that my PFADT headers will cause a CEL, but really he just wants to sell me a tune, which in turn makes me worried that he’ll cause a CEL during the install to say “I told you so”. But if I tune now, my warranty is probably trashed.

Your PFADT Headers WILL cause a CEL.....eventually!!! It may not be right away, it could take days, weeks, months, or it could happen immediately, but it WILL happen. And there is nothing your installer can "do" to cause a CEL to come on while he's installing the headers. Why buy the best, and most expensive, set of headers available, and then sacrifice your performance by even considering not tuning your car??? Seems crazy to me!!! But to each their own....do what you want.

And to the OP, It's not hard to understand why some people want to keep their warranty intact. Like has been mentioned above, previous warranty experiences can have a lot to do with it. And lets face it, parts fail, modded or not!!! And I would bet most people on this forum (including myself) could not afford to repair a MAJOR failure out-of-pocket. It's a risk....it's like gambling!!! Some are not willing to take that risk, in fear that they may lose money (sometimes a significant amount) out of their own pockets. It's not hard to understand that mentality!!! It's just a "risk"....some take that risk, and some don't!!! That being said....I kept my powertrain warranty for about 2-1/2 years, and then said screw it....that's when I got my headers and TUNE!!! Not problems yet, but I'll never say it won't ever happen!!! Now, I accept the fact that if something major fails....it will be on my dime. And you're right....if you're not willing to accept that........DON'T MOD!!!

[litle88]

Screw the warranty!!!
Mine was out by ~10 weeks?! Tune, Headers, Vararam and flow master cat back!

[McBeevee]

Originally Posted by litle88

Screw the warranty!!!
Mine was out by ~10 weeks?! Tune, Headers, Vararam and flow master cat back!

You got that right!
Hell I my warranty was gone before I hit 1k miles with a set of gears and a tune.

[Deezee]

Lol video killed me! Never seen that! Haha!

Some good points made here. I can completely understand why someone would want a warranty in tact! I've been down the warranty road myself years ago when I had to have a clutch changed THREE times in 2k miles only for the dealer to tell me "we know about the problem, well call when we have a fix!" That call never came because I traded the car with 3k miles on it for a big loss just to get rid if the issues! :(

I think the biggest thing I see is nobody seems to know how the aftermarket parts affect their warranty, and for that a forum is great! Lots of great info passed here I'm sure. Then some comes down to the dealer you deal with. I had my tranny replaced due to a grinding issue under warranty by the dealer in my full bolt on 350z DRIFT CAR!!

But the part that kills me time and time again is WHY BOTHER if your not going to maximize it? Ie tune. I don't see the point in paying $1k+ for headers if your not going to fix the tune. I honestly think it's a small % of people who think this way though. Even so if your that worried about why even add headers, why not just do the exhaust or something?

I also understand the point made about the $$ behind things breaking! Been down that road too! Kinda reminds me of that old saying "don't gamble money you can't afford to loose." I wouldn't want to come out of pocket for a tranny or a motor grenading! Hell, none if us would. But knowing its a risk allows us each to make that choice. If you do suffer an engine failure I'm sure some dealers are going to try to pass the buck and make "your headers" at fault! They are not going to care if your CEL is on or not!

Like I said in my first post, I'm new here. I've been spending a lot of time in the bolt on section building the car up and it just seems more of a concern here than I'm used to. Once I start spending more time I the FI section I'm sure it will tapper off. But for now I just wanted to hear the forums thoughts on it.

[Deezee]

Originally Posted by IMJ

For example, you have the money to buy headers, but do you have the money for a dealers BS “we have to charge to hook it up to da computer” routine. I would say that the middle ground consists of two actions – only doing mods that you have the wear-with-all to reason with the dealer that they should still fix your car (i.e., air intakes), or call GM ahead of time and let them know what you are doing and see what they have to say.

I want to touch on this question a little. If your installing more than one mod that would benefit from/require a tune within a reasonable time frame and you want to hold off on tuning until they are all in (as I'm doing right now) then by all means do it. My tuner is 5hrs away! And I don't want to make a bunch if trips and pay a bunch of tuning fees! So ill group them all together. But I see the tune and the fee as "part" of the mod. It's not an "option" to me. If I were only doing headers I would see it as headers $$+ tune $$ all in one. Grouping is a good way to save some coin though as long as it's "ok" to run them without a tune. I mean nobody is going to install a supercharger and drive on no tune until their meth kit gets here! Lol

[Nightmare2012]

I had things waiting on my doorstep before I even had my car so what's a warranty? Lol if I wanted a gas saving warranty machine I would've bought a smart car!

[jewel25]

Ohhh boy.

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by Deezee

Modding has "risks"!

EXACTLY. And some people are not willing to take those risks. Why is that? Well it is because as you said...

Originally Posted by Deezee

it's the fact that it my f$@king car, and ill do whatever I want with it.

And just because you personally...

Originally Posted by Deezee

could give a shit less about a warranty!

does not mean that everyone has to have the same sentiments.

Originally Posted by Deezee

One, this is a car modding website!

One, no it isn't. This is a website that focuses on the Fifth Generation Camaro. Nowhere is it implied that this site is mainly a "car modding" site. There are sections dedicated to modding, but the site is not entirely dedicated to modding.

Basically, my question to you is: Why do you care what others do with their car? If someone doesn't wanna ruin the warranty, then they have that right. And there is nothing at all wrong with asking about the mods that won't void their warranty. Just because you have X amount of knowledge or X amount of money does not mean that others have those same luxuries. I personally have nowhere to work on my car other than a parking lot. If I had a garage, then I would have done soo much more by now. But I won't do certain things because I don't want to get stuck with a blown engine as I won't be able to repair it myself. And others have similar issues whether its time constraints or whatever the case is. Or maybe someone doesn't wanna hurt the re-sale value by voiding it. So worry about you and your car. You don't care about your warranty, ok so what? Here, have a cookie. Good for you.

[Jimmy Superfly]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

EXACTLY. And some people are not willing to take those risks. Why is that? Well it is because as you said...

And just because you personally...does not mean that everyone has to have the same sentiments.


One, no it isn't. This is a website that focuses on the Fifth Generation Camaro. Nowhere is it implied that this site is mainly a "car modding" site. There are sections dedicated to modding, but the site is not entirely dedicated to modding.

Basically, my question to you is: Why do you care what others do with their car? If someone doesn't wanna ruin the warranty, then they have that right. And there is nothing at all wrong with asking about the mods that won't void their warranty. Just because you have X amount of knowledge or X amount of money does not mean that others have those same luxuries. I personally have nowhere to work on my car other than a parking lot. If I had a garage, then I would have done soo much more by now. But I won't do certain things because I don't want to get stuck with a blown engine as I won't be able to repair it myself. And others have similar issues whether its time constraints or whatever the case is. Or maybe someone doesn't wanna hurt the re-sale value by voiding it. So worry about you and your car. You don't care about your warranty, ok so what? Here, have a cookie. Good for you.

+1

Nailed it!