Tune = No Warranty
3/3/11, 04:36 PM
#1
Mach 1 Member
Thread Starter
Tune = No Warranty
I know there is a thread on this somewhere on here but i can't find it...
Anyone want to shed some light on going with a tuner such as Bama and warranty issues? I read somewhere that these 2010+ cars still show evidence that something was plugged into the OBD port. If this is true then when/if i bring my car in for work then someone could void my warranty if that product caused the problem
Anyone want to shed some light on going with a tuner such as Bama and warranty issues? I read somewhere that these 2010+ cars still show evidence that something was plugged into the OBD port. If this is true then when/if i bring my car in for work then someone could void my warranty if that product caused the problem
3/3/11, 05:12 PM
#3
GTR Member
Tune cannot void your warranty.
If..."IF" the tune causes a problem then the part of the car(engine) could be denied warranty but by law it is up to Ford to prove it and it doesn't void the whole warranty.
If you have a tune on the car and then put the stock tune back and remove the battery cable to clear the computer, they can tell that something happened but not exactly what. All you would do then is give them some sort of BS story that you removed the battery cable for some reason. But they won't be able to tell that there was a tune loaded.
If..."IF" the tune causes a problem then the part of the car(engine) could be denied warranty but by law it is up to Ford to prove it and it doesn't void the whole warranty.
If you have a tune on the car and then put the stock tune back and remove the battery cable to clear the computer, they can tell that something happened but not exactly what. All you would do then is give them some sort of BS story that you removed the battery cable for some reason. But they won't be able to tell that there was a tune loaded.
3/3/11, 05:14 PM
#4
Mach 1 Member
Join Date: May 5, 2005
Posts: 640
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is a highly debated topic. Some say the dealer can tell if a car has been tuned and then returned to stock. Others say they can't. My advice is if your worried about voiding your warranty, don't get a tune.
3/3/11, 05:26 PM
#5
Mach 1 Member
Thread Starter
Tune cannot void your warranty.
If..."IF" the tune causes a problem then the part of the car(engine) could be denied warranty but by law it is up to Ford to prove it and it doesn't void the whole warranty.
If you have a tune on the car and then put the stock tune back and remove the battery cable to clear the computer, they can tell that something happened but not exactly what. All you would do then is give them some sort of BS story that you removed the battery cable for some reason. But they won't be able to tell that there was a tune loaded.
If..."IF" the tune causes a problem then the part of the car(engine) could be denied warranty but by law it is up to Ford to prove it and it doesn't void the whole warranty.
If you have a tune on the car and then put the stock tune back and remove the battery cable to clear the computer, they can tell that something happened but not exactly what. All you would do then is give them some sort of BS story that you removed the battery cable for some reason. But they won't be able to tell that there was a tune loaded.
I know for a fact that they can tell that something was plugged into the port but i'm not sure if they can tell what exactly it was...i had a F150
3/3/11, 05:26 PM
#6
Cobra Member
Join Date: July 12, 2010
Location: Southern California
Posts: 1,310
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
3/3/11, 05:32 PM
#7
Mach 1 Member
Join Date: May 5, 2005
Posts: 640
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tune cannot void your warranty.
If..."IF" the tune causes a problem then the part of the car(engine) could be denied warranty but by law it is up to Ford to prove it and it doesn't void the whole warranty.
If you have a tune on the car and then put the stock tune back and remove the battery cable to clear the computer, they can tell that something happened but not exactly what. All you would do then is give them some sort of BS story that you removed the battery cable for some reason. But they won't be able to tell that there was a tune loaded.
If..."IF" the tune causes a problem then the part of the car(engine) could be denied warranty but by law it is up to Ford to prove it and it doesn't void the whole warranty.
If you have a tune on the car and then put the stock tune back and remove the battery cable to clear the computer, they can tell that something happened but not exactly what. All you would do then is give them some sort of BS story that you removed the battery cable for some reason. But they won't be able to tell that there was a tune loaded.
3/3/11, 05:37 PM
#8
Cobra Member
Join Date: July 12, 2010
Location: Southern California
Posts: 1,310
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by StangFreak
That used to be the case in the past but now the computers are much more advanced and supposedly keep a count of how many times the ECU has been reflashed. They can't tell what was done but if the number of reflashes doesn't match the service history they can give you a hard time.
My advice talk to your service guy at ford or even the manager get a feel. There are some ford dealers (very few) that don't give a crap what you do to it. See what they say, if they are **** about it just wait the 3 years or 36k mileage and you can do all the mods you want.
Granted u did not get any of the extended warranties.
3/3/11, 05:40 PM
#9
Mach 1 Member
Thread Starter
I'm going to call my service dealer tomorrow and ask them what's the deal. I really want a tuner to make the most of my two mods but not at the cost of a warranty. I'll let you guys know what they say if anything.
3/3/11, 06:15 PM
#11
Mach 1 Member
Join Date: September 22, 2009
Posts: 527
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's always good to have a quality relationship with your service advisor. You'd be surprised how many of them will work with you if they know what you've got under the hood.
My last 08 was tuned and the couple times I took it in I made sure to actually mention that so they didn't screw with it. They know me, I know them and it works.
A tune for an intake and exhaust isn't going to do any damage unless it's just horribly out of whack, but then the car probably wouldn't run right to begin with and getting the tune off the car would probably be part of that diagnosis. Now if you're running a blower and the engine pops from detonation etc, don't expect ford to cover that.
My last 08 was tuned and the couple times I took it in I made sure to actually mention that so they didn't screw with it. They know me, I know them and it works.
A tune for an intake and exhaust isn't going to do any damage unless it's just horribly out of whack, but then the car probably wouldn't run right to begin with and getting the tune off the car would probably be part of that diagnosis. Now if you're running a blower and the engine pops from detonation etc, don't expect ford to cover that.
3/3/11, 07:14 PM
#12
Member
Join Date: February 12, 2004
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If your (for instance) Steeda tuned engine blows up and you ask Steeda to replace your engine, they will politely tell you 'no' and then laugh after you leave.
If you have a tune on the car and then put the stock tune back and remove the battery cable to clear the computer, they can tell that something happened but not exactly what. All you would do then is give them some sort of BS story that you removed the battery cable for some reason. But they won't be able to tell that there was a tune loaded.
Last edited by alrox; 3/3/11 at 07:24 PM.
3/3/11, 07:51 PM
#13
Mach 1 Member
Join Date: August 2, 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 501
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fraud? Come on man. The thing that stinks is that yes the tune prob voids our warranty. But I can almost guarantee the tune will never be the cause of the engine prob. Just an easy out for ford. That is just as much fraud as trying to hide it from them.
3/3/11, 08:03 PM
#14
Member
Join Date: February 12, 2004
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
1. You buy the car with a limited warranty that explicitly states changing the computer code will void your powertrain warranty.
2. You change your computer code and have a catastrophic engine failure that will cost thousands of dollars to repair properly.
3. You change or attempt to change the computer code to previous settings that were not present when the engine failed.
4. You make a warranty claim and lie about changing the computer code in the hopes of obtaining the thousands of dollars of repair work for free under false pretenses.
This is fraud.
This is why every single car maker checks your computer code and will void your powertrain warranty upon a powertrain warranty claim if the computer code is not what it should be.
Ford will not diagnose someone else's work for free, especially computer programming. Depending on how much the computer code has changed, they may not even be able to diagnose the failure cause because of the vast changes.
3/3/11, 08:47 PM
#16
Mach 1 Member
Join Date: August 2, 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 501
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Look I don't have a prob if my tune or whatever causes an engine problem. I'm a reasonable man. I would understand them not covering it. What I have a problem with is if ford doesn't sack up to the real reason why an engine has a problem. Were talking about a tune. Not a supercharger, not nitrous, etc. And really don't think for one second ford doesn't try to get over on us. What about all the people with tranny problems, ticking problems, etc. Ford doesn't really wanna fix all these cars, they wanna come up with an excuse not to. Were all poor compared to ford motor company, so please don't feel bad for them if a few people wanna commit "fraud" lol. Just saying.
3/3/11, 09:06 PM
#17
Bullitt Member
Join Date: October 20, 2010
Location: West palm beach
Posts: 250
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think it's up the the dealer you go to. I went to get my clutched checked and i have the Steeda CAI and BBR tune. Dealer manager said i see no problems with the mods you have he even said to me "listen i know you don't baby that car so I recommend you use lucas octane boost every now and then, We have crappy gas with the ethanol in it" They found no problems with my clutch and said at least it is now documented so later on if you have any problems we can do something about it.
3/3/11, 09:11 PM
#18
Join Date: February 11, 2011
Location: Marietta, GA
Posts: 444
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey the Dealership Installed my CAI and Tune.... and i did initallly have a tune problem cause by not clearing out the vin of my old car and ford didn't eve say a peep about warranty they just re flashed my old car since they had it cleard it out and flashed my new one... and hey i was there the other day and said since its here for the day can you update it to the 93 steeda tune..... no words about warranty...
3/3/11, 10:03 PM
#19
Let's clear some things up...
Just because "someone said it voids your warranty" is a bunch of BS. You need to understand what happens when you flash a vehicle. The ECU is given a file and has to re-learn it's short term fuel trims as a result. Your driving habits play into this. A dealer can connect with their tool and see that the car is still in learn mode (typically visible by the CEL light flashing on start up or key in "ON" position). This typically is set up for so many miles or key cycles. There's nothing out there that says "something was plugged into OBD2!!!" at the dealer that's going to get you in trouble. Today, there are tons of OBD2 gauges and diagnostic devices that DO NOT alter the stock ECU that are perfectly legal to own and operate as an owner.
There is NOT some line of code or bit in the ECU that says "car is not stock, car has been re-tuned, etc." That needs to be made clear. What the dealer will see is simply the point that something caused the ECU to be reset. As ltngdrvr mentioned, it could be something as simple as pulling the negative terminal on your battery.
Now, if you want to pursue this further, I suggest doing a few things. First, read up on the Magnusson-Moss act. While it may not do anything for you now, you'll understand your rights as an owner/consumer, and know what the dealer can & can't do. Second, as others have mentioned, feel your dealer out for mods and see what their stance is on it. You might be able to get away with the FRPP stuff and have no issues, where others might give you free reign with parts. Granted, you having it towed back with a blown motor (should that happen) is another story. If, for some reason, you did blow your motor, and had mods on it, like a tune, CAI, etc., you should probably think about having it brought back to your place and removing said items. Some might call this fraud, but look at it like this - there's the off chance that something else let go that wasn't tied to the parts installed. Don't give your dealer a scapegoat if you have an issue like this.
Last, if you get into a situation where a dealer is questioning something regarding a mod, you have to understand your rights. This goes back to my first point. If your radio quits working, and your car has a CAI on it (no tune), the dealer can't blame the radio failure on the CAI and refuse service. If so, you'd need to involve the service manager, or even a Ford rep. to get the situation straightened out. I've seen people with TOTALLY unrelated mods get denied service, when their rights as a consumer were violated. It may take you going to a lawyer and having them prepare a statement, but if it gets the desired result and your rights are upheld, that's the important part.
Just because "someone said it voids your warranty" is a bunch of BS. You need to understand what happens when you flash a vehicle. The ECU is given a file and has to re-learn it's short term fuel trims as a result. Your driving habits play into this. A dealer can connect with their tool and see that the car is still in learn mode (typically visible by the CEL light flashing on start up or key in "ON" position). This typically is set up for so many miles or key cycles. There's nothing out there that says "something was plugged into OBD2!!!" at the dealer that's going to get you in trouble. Today, there are tons of OBD2 gauges and diagnostic devices that DO NOT alter the stock ECU that are perfectly legal to own and operate as an owner.
There is NOT some line of code or bit in the ECU that says "car is not stock, car has been re-tuned, etc." That needs to be made clear. What the dealer will see is simply the point that something caused the ECU to be reset. As ltngdrvr mentioned, it could be something as simple as pulling the negative terminal on your battery.
Now, if you want to pursue this further, I suggest doing a few things. First, read up on the Magnusson-Moss act. While it may not do anything for you now, you'll understand your rights as an owner/consumer, and know what the dealer can & can't do. Second, as others have mentioned, feel your dealer out for mods and see what their stance is on it. You might be able to get away with the FRPP stuff and have no issues, where others might give you free reign with parts. Granted, you having it towed back with a blown motor (should that happen) is another story. If, for some reason, you did blow your motor, and had mods on it, like a tune, CAI, etc., you should probably think about having it brought back to your place and removing said items. Some might call this fraud, but look at it like this - there's the off chance that something else let go that wasn't tied to the parts installed. Don't give your dealer a scapegoat if you have an issue like this.
Last, if you get into a situation where a dealer is questioning something regarding a mod, you have to understand your rights. This goes back to my first point. If your radio quits working, and your car has a CAI on it (no tune), the dealer can't blame the radio failure on the CAI and refuse service. If so, you'd need to involve the service manager, or even a Ford rep. to get the situation straightened out. I've seen people with TOTALLY unrelated mods get denied service, when their rights as a consumer were violated. It may take you going to a lawyer and having them prepare a statement, but if it gets the desired result and your rights are upheld, that's the important part.
Last edited by Overboost; 3/3/11 at 10:04 PM.
3/3/11, 10:32 PM
#20
GT Member
Join Date: May 27, 2010
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Magnusson-Moss act... yada yada....
you mess with the engine and you can scream until you die. All they have to do is not fix your car, YOU are the one who will have to take them to court.
Good luck with that.
you mess with the engine and you can scream until you die. All they have to do is not fix your car, YOU are the one who will have to take them to court.
Good luck with that.