ZL1 mods that won't void warranty? - Page 2 - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Nickmo · 05-03-2014, 02:15 AM

This thread had some useful information regarding ECU tuning and warranty claims. Be sure to check out the GM tech bulletin.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290879

IMO, if you are willing to put several thousand $$ in mods to your engine, you'd better be willing to spend a few thousand in repairs in the event something goes wrong. The LSA is an expensive brick...

Bailys-hyperformance · 05-05-2014, 11:45 PM

We offer several packages for the zl1 that we offer a 3yr/36k warranty. We just finished our 810HP package for a customer with a 3yr/36k on his ZL1.

URBAN LEGEND · 05-06-2014, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bailys-hyperformance

We offer several packages for the zl1 that we offer a 3yr/36k warranty. We just finished our 810HP package for a customer with a 3yr/36k on his ZL1.

But the GM Power train warranty is 100,000 miles.

Bailys-hyperformance · 05-06-2014, 03:50 PM

Aspiring to keep your factory GM warranty 100% there with any third party modifications is rough. Especially with so many shops post all over the internet posting different stories.

We offer several packages that we've built, that work great, that we stand behind with our checkbook to keep your Camaro a worry-free machine that will go very, very fast. The GM warranty in part on any modified car can be toast, but you have to ask, will you actually have an issue? What if you do?

Our goal is honest, reliable horsepower, and any of our customers will vouch that our service is second to none, Wichita Falls isn't far from us, and we'd be happy to work with any shop local to you should you have any concerns.

If you're curious how warranties work with GM, or any OEM, just click some of these links.

We've had a CEL come and go once or twice, and some other small things that even new unmodified cars have, but we've also stood behind our work, and we strive to make a package that we can offer a warranty on because we know you'll never have a problem with it. On the 0.99% chance you do have a problem, we will be happy to serve you in overcoming the issue in a timely fashion that won't leave you high and dry and come up with a way that best serves you, the customer.

I know we just started posting here and being more active in this community, normally we put LSx engines in places they didn't come, and we've had a -steady influx of 5th gens lately, so we decided to join the community. Give us a call (817-232-4242) or email us with any questions (sales@bh-factory.com) or just PM us here, or even ask in the open about what we can do to enhance your car, and keep it under a warranty so you can enjoy your car with no worries. We've been doing this for almost ten years, and I'm not really sure why we didn't jump on Camaro5 sooner, but we are excited to get more involved with this community. The members we've already met have nothing but great things to say and we look forward to meeting more of you.

JamesZL1 · 05-07-2014, 10:36 AM

scdrj,

I have asked the same questions, but not on the forums. I am in the same boat as you, I want to modify, but I don't want to kill my warranty. I am adding the Roto Fab CAI to mine and that's all I am willing to do. They have to say that what ever mod you have done is what caused the engine or part to fail. You can do bolt on's like the SC pulley, but you have to put everything back to stock before you take it back to the dealer so they can't say that. Believe me, if they can point the finger at you, they will and you will be stuck paying to fix it. I have a friend that was telling me a way around the tuning issue. He uses a tuner and a map made for a car like his and it retains the stock tune so he can switch it back if anything happens. The deal is, the dealer can still see that the ECU was accessed. I don't know what all info they can pull from it, but personally I would not take the chance. A tuner is okay, but it can not give you what a custom tune will. To me its a waste of cash. So I will have to settle for stock till my warranty runs out. Good luck!

14ZL1M6 · 05-07-2014, 12:22 PM

What if you buy another ECU, which I'm sure is pricey? You could swap the computers keeping the original intact and use the other do your tuning? Could the dealer tell that the original computer wasn't present for a while when you swap it back?

JANNETTYRACING · 05-07-2014, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 14ZL1M6

What if you buy another ECU, which I'm sure is pricey? You could swap the computers keeping the original intact and use the other do your tuning? Could the dealer tell that the original computer wasn't present for a while when you swap it back?

No can do. GM thought of that years ago.

Whos_Drivin · 05-07-2014, 02:38 PM

Those that try to put their car back to stock, or swap ECUs, are the reason car companies question every little thing when it comes to warranties. Completely dishonest and immoral in my book.

Instead find a dealer that will still warranty your mods, or find a shop that will do the install with a warranty of their own. There are plenty out there if you look for them.

Bailys-hyperformance · 05-07-2014, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whos_Drivin

Those that try to put their car back to stock, or swap ECUs, are the reason car companies question every little thing when it comes to warranties. Completely dishonest and immoral in my book.

Instead find a dealer that will still warranty your mods, or find a shop that will do the install with a warranty of their own. There are plenty out there if you look for them.

Agreed. This why we offer our 3/36 warranty on our kits.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

JDP Sales · 05-07-2014, 04:56 PM

The way the warranty works is that the dealer has to prove that your modification was the direct cause of the failure. Meaning they can't void something in your suspension for an air intake because the items are not related.

Around here, we have some pretty mod friendly dealers and you can do just about anything but tuning and still be fine. We even have some cars with aftermarket superchargers and had things go wrong and still be covered. Where they usually draw the line is in the event of a catastrophic failure, that is when they will check to see if the tune has been altered and that pretty much throws the warranty out the window.

For the most part you can get away with doing intake and exhaust mods and even the VMAX TB in most cases as it appears stock.

But as the saying goes; you have to pay to play..

Best regards,

Tyler
888-308-6007

14ZL1M6 · 05-07-2014, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JANNETTYRACING

No can do. GM thought of that years ago.

This is just me being dumb.....but how can they tell?

scdrj · 05-11-2014, 10:38 PM

Thanks for all the input! Most all the replies were enlightening, and most important to me, there is no line per say.

I also understand the pay to play thing, but I'd consider this car grossly over priced without a warranty. It is a daily driver for me. Perhaps I'll mod it once the warranty is up...if I keep the car.

Mod packages with warranty... That seems more like a roll of the dice for me. I can do all my own work except for the tune, and I know a world class tuner. Mod warranties are watered down compared to the factory warranty, and the upfront cost... I think I could put the extra coin in my pocket to cover any "potential" failure.

For anyone who can not work on their own stuff, there seems to be plenty of good options (Mod packages) out there

BTW, thanks to Bailys for the quick and friendly information.

DarthZL1 · 05-15-2014, 06:31 AM

Newbie here... heck I haven't even gotten my ZL1 yet, but I have been buying cars and modding and racing them pretty much since I was 16 (I'm 45 now). I hear horror stories and urban legends about car manufacturers sneaking around voiding warranties left and right. Doesn't happen. I personally have never known ANYONE that had a warranty "voided".

There is a lot of misinformation going on about "voiding" factory warranties. They cannot do that. As it's been mentioned, it's up to the dealer or GM to PROVE that the modification you made to the car caused the problem. A CAI and throttle body will not void the warranty if your NAV or radio goes out. Or against electrical issues. Won't happen. You blow a motor because you upped your boost, did a tune, and a cam swap... well, you're on your own for the motor. But, they'll still fix your power seats if they don't work.

Here's a resource I found quite helpful.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/conten...ty-intact.html

Anyhow, this has just been my personal experience. I'm by no means an expert on, well, anything, just sharing what I have observed and had to deal with in the past.

Keep the rubber side down!

05-07-2014, 12:22 PM	#20
14ZL1M6 Drives: 2015 ZL1 Coupe A6 & 2002 ZO6 Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 246	ECU What if you buy another ECU, which I'm sure is pricey? You could swap the computers keeping the original intact and use the other do your tuning? Could the dealer tell that the original computer wasn't present for a while when you swap it back?

05-07-2014, 02:38 PM	#22
Whos_Drivin Drives: '12 Camaro ZL1, '16 Silverado Z71 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Blaine, MN Posts: 846	Those that try to put their car back to stock, or swap ECUs, are the reason car companies question every little thing when it comes to warranties. Completely dishonest and immoral in my book. Instead find a dealer that will still warranty your mods, or find a shop that will do the install with a warranty of their own. There are plenty out there if you look for them. __________________ 2012 ZL1: M6, Rotofab CAI, ATI balancer w/8.66 overdrive, PFADT long tube headers w/cats 2016 Silverado LTZ-Z71 Midnight Edition: 6.2L, 8 speed auto, Borla exhaust

05-03-2014, 02:15 AM	#15
Nickmo Drives: 2012 ZL1 CTF#69 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada Posts: 38 View My Garage	This thread had some useful information regarding ECU tuning and warranty claims. Be sure to check out the GM tech bulletin. http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290879 IMO, if you are willing to put several thousand $$ in mods to your engine, you'd better be willing to spend a few thousand in repairs in the event something goes wrong. The LSA is an expensive brick...

05-05-2014, 11:45 PM	#16
Bailys-hyperformance Drives: Several! Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 27	We offer several packages for the zl1 that we offer a 3yr/36k warranty. We just finished our 810HP package for a customer with a 3yr/36k on his ZL1.

05-06-2014, 03:50 PM	#18
Bailys-hyperformance Drives: Several! Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 27	Aspiring to keep your factory GM warranty 100% there with any third party modifications is rough. Especially with so many shops post all over the internet posting different stories. We offer several packages that we've built, that work great, that we stand behind with our checkbook to keep your Camaro a worry-free machine that will go very, very fast. The GM warranty in part on any modified car can be toast, but you have to ask, will you actually have an issue? What if you do? Our goal is honest, reliable horsepower, and any of our customers will vouch that our service is second to none, Wichita Falls isn't far from us, and we'd be happy to work with any shop local to you should you have any concerns. If you're curious how warranties work with GM, or any OEM, just click some of these links. We've had a CEL come and go once or twice, and some other small things that even new unmodified cars have, but we've also stood behind our work, and we strive to make a package that we can offer a warranty on because we know you'll never have a problem with it. On the 0.99% chance you do have a problem, we will be happy to serve you in overcoming the issue in a timely fashion that won't leave you high and dry and come up with a way that best serves you, the customer. I know we just started posting here and being more active in this community, normally we put LSx engines in places they didn't come, and we've had a -steady influx of 5th gens lately, so we decided to join the community. Give us a call (817-232-4242) or email us with any questions (sales@bh-factory.com) or just PM us here, or even ask in the open about what we can do to enhance your car, and keep it under a warranty so you can enjoy your car with no worries. We've been doing this for almost ten years, and I'm not really sure why we didn't jump on Camaro5 sooner, but we are excited to get more involved with this community. The members we've already met have nothing but great things to say and we look forward to meeting more of you.

05-07-2014, 10:36 AM	#19
JamesZL1 Drives: 2013 ZL1 A6 Camaro, 2015 C7 A6 Z51 Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 396	scdrj, I have asked the same questions, but not on the forums. I am in the same boat as you, I want to modify, but I don't want to kill my warranty. I am adding the Roto Fab CAI to mine and that's all I am willing to do. They have to say that what ever mod you have done is what caused the engine or part to fail. You can do bolt on's like the SC pulley, but you have to put everything back to stock before you take it back to the dealer so they can't say that. Believe me, if they can point the finger at you, they will and you will be stuck paying to fix it. I have a friend that was telling me a way around the tuning issue. He uses a tuner and a map made for a car like his and it retains the stock tune so he can switch it back if anything happens. The deal is, the dealer can still see that the ECU was accessed. I don't know what all info they can pull from it, but personally I would not take the chance. A tuner is okay, but it can not give you what a custom tune will. To me its a waste of cash. So I will have to settle for stock till my warranty runs out. Good luck!

05-07-2014, 04:56 PM	#24
JDP Sales Drives: Chevys at the limit Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: SLC, UT Posts: 9,621	The way the warranty works is that the dealer has to prove that your modification was the direct cause of the failure. Meaning they can't void something in your suspension for an air intake because the items are not related. Around here, we have some pretty mod friendly dealers and you can do just about anything but tuning and still be fine. We even have some cars with aftermarket superchargers and had things go wrong and still be covered. Where they usually draw the line is in the event of a catastrophic failure, that is when they will check to see if the tune has been altered and that pretty much throws the warranty out the window. For the most part you can get away with doing intake and exhaust mods and even the VMAX TB in most cases as it appears stock. But as the saying goes; you have to pay to play.. Best regards, Tyler 888-308-6007

05-11-2014, 10:38 PM	#26
scdrj Drives: 2014 ZL-1 Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: In front of a computer. Posts: 211	Thanks for all the input! Most all the replies were enlightening, and most important to me, there is no line per say. I also understand the pay to play thing, but I'd consider this car grossly over priced without a warranty. It is a daily driver for me. Perhaps I'll mod it once the warranty is up...if I keep the car. Mod packages with warranty... That seems more like a roll of the dice for me. I can do all my own work except for the tune, and I know a world class tuner. Mod warranties are watered down compared to the factory warranty, and the upfront cost... I think I could put the extra coin in my pocket to cover any "potential" failure. For anyone who can not work on their own stuff, there seems to be plenty of good options (Mod packages) out there BTW, thanks to Bailys for the quick and friendly information.

05-15-2014, 06:31 AM	#27
DarthZL1 Drives: 2014 ZL1 M6 Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 331 View My Garage	Newbie here... heck I haven't even gotten my ZL1 yet, but I have been buying cars and modding and racing them pretty much since I was 16 (I'm 45 now). I hear horror stories and urban legends about car manufacturers sneaking around voiding warranties left and right. Doesn't happen. I personally have never known ANYONE that had a warranty "voided". There is a lot of misinformation going on about "voiding" factory warranties. They cannot do that. As it's been mentioned, it's up to the dealer or GM to PROVE that the modification you made to the car caused the problem. A CAI and throttle body will not void the warranty if your NAV or radio goes out. Or against electrical issues. Won't happen. You blow a motor because you upped your boost, did a tune, and a cam swap... well, you're on your own for the motor. But, they'll still fix your power seats if they don't work. Here's a resource I found quite helpful. http://www.dummies.com/how-to/conten...ty-intact.html Anyhow, this has just been my personal experience. I'm by no means an expert on, well, anything, just sharing what I have observed and had to deal with in the past. Keep the rubber side down!