Servicing and Mods

[d1390]

Has anyone taken their CTR for a dealer service with mods on their car, like tune, DP, CAI, IC?

If so do they say anything to you when they take notice?

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[sushi]

Has anyone taken their CTR for a dealer service with mods on their car, like tune, DP, CAI, IC?

If so do they say anything to you when they take notice?

I'm going to guess it depends on the service person you deal with and what service is being performed. I was at a dealership the other day and the asst mgr was bragging about his tune. They didn’t blink twice at my intercooler.

 

[Mick the Quick]

They aren’t going to react negatively when you bring in your car for service. However, they may very well put into the computer all the performance mods you have — I don’t know if they do this.

When you bring in your car for an expensive warranty claim later, they may say no coverage because (they claim) one of your mods caused the problem at hand. If that is in fact a colorable claim (i.e., passes a straight face test), then you aren’t protected under the Magnuson-Moss . . . . Instead, you have to engage in a pissing match with Honda America and possibly in a court.

 

[remc86007]

^ My 2 cents: I think it's really unlikely that Honda Dealers will record mods preemptively. It doesn't sound to me like it would be in their best interest. They get paid to do warranty work by corporate Honda, they don't want to find some note in a file that prevents them from making that money.

I have been taking modded Hondas to dealers for nearly a decade and I've never seen anything in a file other than: "didn't check engine air-filter - customer installed CAI"

 

[uhhhson]

They aren’t going to react negatively when you bring in your car for service. However, they may very well put into the computer all the performance mods you have — I don’t know if they do this.

When you bring in your car for an expensive warranty claim later, they may say no coverage because (they claim) one of your mods caused the problem at hand. If that is in fact a colorable claim (i.e., passes a straight face test), then you aren’t protected under the Magnuson-Moss . . . . Instead, you have to engage in a pissing match with Honda America and possibly in a court.

This happened to a friend of mine with his Mitsubishi evolution. He blew his trans and they had denied coverage because he brought it in for an oil change and they noted that he had an aftermarket intake.

 

[sushi]

This happened to a friend of mine with his Mitsubishi evolution. He blew his trans and they had denied coverage because he brought it in for an oil change and they noted that he had an aftermarket intake.

Im not a mechanic but WTF does an intake have to do with a trans?

 

[Mick the Quick]

Im not a mechanic but WTF does an intake have to do with a trans?

I think that's the point -- the car manufacturer (through its servicing dealer) would claim that somehow there is a nexus (however tenuous) between the intake and the transmission . . . you argue until your face is blue . . . . you are probably right . . . . you take it up the chain with the manufacturer after getting nowhere with the dealer . . . they do nothing unless you can convince them that there was no causal relationship between the mod and the problem. You can turn on your charm and persuasion skills, but they don't have to agree to logic and reasonableness.

That's NOT how it is supposed to work, but unless they are persuaded by you in their sole and absolute discretion, you really are at their mercy because their indecision means no repair by the dealer. . . . until you go to court.

Of course, if you exceed the jurisdictional limit of your local small claims court (say $5,000), you would incur beaucoup bucks in legal fees for something that you may or may not win. . . . . and you cannot recover your own legal fees even if you win. It sucks but c'est la vie.

 

[d1390]

I think that's the point -- the car manufacturer (through its servicing dealer) would claim that somehow there is a nexus (however tenuous) between the intake and the transmission . . . you argue until your face is blue . . . . you are probably right . . . . you take it up the chain with the manufacturer after getting nowhere with the dealer . . . they do nothing unless you can convince them that there was no causal relationship between the mod and the problem. You can turn on your charm and persuasion skills, but they don't have to agree to logic and reasonableness.

That's NOT how it is supposed to work, but unless they are persuaded by you in their sole and absolute discretion, you really are at their mercy because their indecision means no repair by the dealer. . . . until you go to court.

Of course, if you exceed the jurisdictional limit of your local small claims court (say $5,000), you would incur beaucoup bucks in legal fees for something that you may or may not win. . . . . and you cannot recover your own legal fees even if you win. It sucks but c'est la vie.

thats got to suck!

 

[lawl]

What's on paper and the spirit of the law isn't always what pans out in the end.

What I don't understand is, if the dealership gets to bill the manufacturer for work done, what incentive do they have to rat you out and deny your coverage...They lose out on the work done, and probably lose a customer for good.

Do they get money or other incentives from the manufacturer for tattling?

 

[CTRKC]

What's on paper and the spirit of the law isn't always what pans out in the end.

What I don't understand is, if the dealership gets to bill the manufacturer for work done, what incentive do they have to rat you out and deny your coverage...They lose out on the work done, and probably lose a customer for good.

Do they get money or other incentives from the manufacturer for tattling?

When I had my EVO any warranty work over $2,500 had to be approved by the Mitsubishi regional manager who would do a physical inspection of the car. My ACD/AYC Pump failed (common problem with those cars) at 38K on the clock and the dealer wouldn't touch it because of a Cobb Stage 1 tune...I traded it in for the R and couldn't be happier!

 

[d1390]

When I had my EVO any warranty work over $2,500 had to be approved by the Mitsubishi regional manager who would do a physical inspection of the car. My ACD/AYC Pump failed (common problem with those cars) at 38K on the clock and the dealer wouldn't touch it because of a Cobb Stage 1 tune...I traded it in for the R and couldn't be happier!

oh damn, that actually makes sense!

I guess that would be the same for our cars if we had to modify it! That changes everything.

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