Warrenty Work...

I need to bring my car in for some work soon here. Steering rack, and possibly oil-pan gasket.

I have a CAI and cat-bak exaust. I doubt i'll catch any poop from the exaust but Im concerned about the CAI. Whats everyones experiance with this? I really dont want to take it out and put the stock air-box and tubing back on.

Thanks guys.

Well they can't do anything negative unless they can prove that the CAI and exhaust directly messed something up.

[JUSTHASTO]

i would just put the stock one back on .. they will never know

[3.4 Euro Alero]

My experience is that they usually blame every little thing on mods. I would definitely recommend switching the cai back to stock just to be safe.

[Redog]

Yeah switch the CAI to stock.

I did it all the time and they broke'em about the K&N airbox filter

I would switch it back to stock too. The warranty company I had tried to say I voided my entire warranty by just putting rims on my car lol. So I argued with them for a few months and said since I voided my warranty I basically was never covered so I want a full refund of my extended warranty amount. I bought the 5 year 60,000 miles (I believe) extended warranty and I a little less than 20K before my warranty was expired anyway. They are sending me the full refund for about 2500 I think.

Call the dealer and anonymously ask if that stuff will void your warranty. Something like, "I just bought a car, and I was thinking about putting a new intake on it, will that cause any problems with my warranty?" Just make sure you tell them it's a GA or something, so they don't look too close when an Alero comes in.

[alero168]

kinda OT but is there any way to check what my warranty is? like how many miles is it or how many years, etc... i remember there was a road side assistance number like 1800 oldsmobile or something but i cant seem to get through

Call 1-800-442-OLDS with your VIN and they can tell you.

I see...... Well my warrenty is thru GM i guess, i bought the car new.

Also, i forgot to mention I have intrax springs.....and Im wondering if they will void the steering rack work cuz of that.

Basically, what I was originally wanting to know is if anyone here has brought there car in with these mods already....and have they had a problem??

apreciate the help so far!

I needed my steering rack replaced and they said my rims and lowering voided my warranty but I think they were full of poop.

Also mine was through the extended warranty people because I bought my car with 16,000 miles on it.

The guy at the dealership told me these mods would not cause my steering rack to go bad so maybe you won't have any problems.

[alero168]

Originally posted by misslindseysue@Jul 30 2004, 10:10 AM
Call 1-800-442-OLDS with your VIN and they can tell you.

thanks

Don't waste your time taking off aftermarket parts!!! Read up on the Magnuson-Moss Act. I work for an aftermarket supplier (www.k40.com) and we run up against this all the time with BMW dealerships. It's a fear tactic. The dealership has the burden of proof that the parts you installed were DIRECTLY responsible for the failure of the warrantied part.

From what you mentioned were faulty, there is no way the exhaust and CAI caused the failure. Go in and tell them right from the get go that you know about Magnuson Moss and that based on it, your mods didn't affect the failed parts. You won't get messed with. I had mine in for a week for the hard start when warm problem. No charge and they replace the fuel pressure regulator and flashed the PCM. Helped a little...but the turn the key and prime the injectors is a better fix.

Dealerships don't like warranty work. They only get 1/2 or slightly more of regular labor rate as reimbursement from manuf. That's why often it takes several trips back to the dealer to get warranty bugs worked out. They want to spend the least amount of time fixing it each time if full paying work is backing up.

Don't come off like a jerk about the info...just be knowledgeable and polite and you'll get taken care of and not waste any time. Besides, the tech like to see what these cars sound like and run like with these mods. They were pretty surprised with the torque gains on mine.

Dundee!!?? lol, thats like 25-30min from me. We shuld hook up sometime.

As for the warrenty...... Im mostly conserned about the intrax springs vrs. the rack and pinon problem... None-the-less Ive scraped the idea of bringing the car in untill next spring if anything. But thanks for the info most deffinatly.

[smokinAMD]

Spraypaint the springs black, they'll never know. It's not like they'll measure, but they'll sure as heck will notice the bright purple spring.

They'd probably try to screw you over with the springs though if they noticed them.

The Magnuson-Moss act was set up for the use of aftermarket replacement parts, not aftermarket performance up grades. It is pretty easy to prove, CIA and free flowing exhaust as causing an engine problem, as the computers while they can compensate for the change in airflow, they can only compensate so far, and once out of that region, they can be running to rich or lean depending on what airflow is doing. The springs, well, that is a little harder, but by lowing the car, all of a sudden the suspension components are always in a position that they were not designed to be in continuously, as well as the by lowering the car, you increase the chance of bottoming out, thus inducing impact loads into the vehicle. Impact loading the worst type of loading for failure.

So yeah while that Magnuson-Moss act is sweet in reguards to being able to use aftermarket direct replacement parts, it wasn't really meant to cover performance upgrade parts.

Overdrive...I disagree with your position. Not to start a flame war, but are you in the aftermarket industry? Pasted below is the document we use to explain this to our dealers. This was created based on various information sources. Check it out:

The Magnuson-Moss Act
Protecting tweakers, tuners, and other users of aftermarket equipment.
US Code - Title 15, Chapter 50, Sections 2301-2312
FANNING FEARS
You want to upgrade your vehicle with aftermarket equipment, but you’re worried about putting the vehicle’s warranty at risk. It’s no wonder. How many times have you heard someone of a dealership say that installing aftermarket equipment automatically voids the warranty? This common misconception has been repeated often enough to be widely believed – though it is completely false.
Fact: Dealers don’t like warranty work, because it pays less than normal repair work. By promoting the myth that aftermarket equipment automatically voids warranties, some dealers avoid such low-paying work. Instead, they attempt to charge customers the prime service rate for work which is rightfully done under warranty.
THE TRUTH
Most vehicle owners are not aware they are protected by federal law: the Magnuson-Moss Warranty – Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act of 1975. Under the Magnuson-Moss Act, aftermarket equipment which improves performance does not void a vehicle manufacturer’s original warranty, unless the warranty clearly and conspicuously states that aftermarket equipment voids the warranty. Most states have warranty statutes, as well. Which provide further protections for vehicle owners.
In other words, that means a dealer can’t wiggle out of his legal warranty obligation merely because you install aftermarket equipment. To find out if any aftermarket equipment automatically voids your vehicle’s warranty, check the owner’s manual. It is likely the language you are looking for appears under a heading such as “What Is Not Covered” Although the language seems negative, remember your vehicle manufacturer is simply saying he does not cover the aftermarket products themselves. He is not saying that the products would void the vehicle warranty.
VEHICLE DEALERS OBLIGATIONS
Suppose your modified vehicle needs repairs while still under warranty. Without analyzing the true cause of the problem, the dealer attempts to deny warranty coverage. He made his decision simply based on the fact that you’ve installed aftermarket equipment – a convenient way to dodge low-paying warranty work.
An example of how ridiculous this can get is the man who was denied warranty coverage by a dealer on his power door locks, because he had improved his exhaust system! Sounds nuts? It really happened – because that man did not know his rights and challenge the dealer’s decision.
Fact: A dealer must prove – not just say – that aftermarket equipment caused the need for repairs before he can deny warranty coverage on that basis.
YOUR RIGHTS
Point out to the dealer the provision of the Magnuson-Moss Act- Require that he explain to you how the aftermarket equipment caused the problem. If he can’t – or his explanation sounds questionable – it is your legal right to demand he comply with the warranty.
Fact: If you are still being unfairly denied warranty coverage, there is recourse. The Federal Trade Commission, which administers the Magnuson-Moss Act, monitors compliance with warranty issues. Direct complaints to the FTC at (202) 326-3128.
FEDERAL LAW
‘In order to improve the adequacy of information available to consumers, prevent deception, and improve competition in the marketing of consumer products, any warrantor warranting a consumer product to a consumer by means of a written warranty shall. . .fully and conspicuously disclose in simple and readily understood language the terms and conditions of such warranty. Such rules . . . require inclusion in the written warranty of any . . . exceptions and exclusions from the terms of the warranty.’ – Magnuson-Moss Warranty & Federal Trade Commission improvement Act, Section 2302(a)

No I am not in the aftermarket industry. I am inthe OEM industry, in the fact that I work direct for GM in Product Engineering.

Burden of proof on the OEM for denial of warenty is easy.

Lowering springs: Any damage to vehicle suspension and chassis, can be related to that, thus no warrenty for suspension or chassis items. Lowering springs, put the suspension and chassis components, under stresses not in the original design, this is from a change in suspension ride height.

CAI's and exhaust: another easy one to prove. The drivetrain, yes transmission is impacted by this as well, were never calibrated or tuned for the airflow that is pressent with these modifications, there for the engine is opperating outside of the fuel map. Once again pretty easy to prove.

Also as posted on many other forums, this is just an ACT not a law. No one person can afford legally force the OEM's to pay under this act. Yeah it may hold up in court, but as many others, on other car forums have found out that the OEM's have more money and they will tap you out finacial before it even gets to court. Meaning your court fees and lawyer fees will be high.

Save yourself the headache and take all the visible parts off that you can.

Otherwise, you are just creating a head ache for yourself.

[3.4 Euro Alero]

Originally posted by overdrive75@Aug 9 2004, 11:42 AM
Save yourself the headache and take all the visible parts off that you can.
Otherwise, you are just creating a head ache for yourself.

AMEN!