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Cons of tunes/mods - warranty/insurance

tomholzy

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I have booked my VE in for a VCM tune, full exhaust/extractor setup and non-OTR CAI. I checked with Holden about warranty issues and have been told that if any non-standard part is the cause of any fault then it isnt covered, and logically if any GM part causes a fault then its still covered.
Firstly is this what everyone else has been told or do some mods void warranty completely? Secondly, the thought of something going wrong after such tunes/mods has been plaguing my mind so has anyone had faults caused by their tunes/mods? advice on such things would be welcome.

Also, my insurance company has told me that these tunes/mods wont void my insurance, they just want to know what Im putting in so that they can cover them too - is this a standard scenario or can certain things void insurance too?
 

Mike08

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I will be very interested to see what the guys say about this, as i have concerns also regarding some of these issues.

I think you might find a tune is pushing your luck with the Holden guys a bit.

Cheers mate.
 

Hunter SS

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you pretty much got it there..... if the mod is deemed to be the cause of the the issue that arises then your warranty is toast. A lot of places will try to blame any modification even if it isn't related to the fault..... With the tune, you would have any driveline problem or engine problem as unwarrantable, because they would blame the tune for it. Regardless of whether or not it is the cause of it. If they can find a way out of having to fix something for free, they will! I want to put a CAI on mine, but with the MAF sensor still in place, i should be ok..... but then they are likely to blame the pod filter.... who knows :whistling
 

paynie

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Just be very selective of where you get your Holden serviced or warranted repairs. Some dealerships are terrible some really good.

I got told add an exhaust cat back and Otr cai and I will forfeit my warranty at one place while the other has no issues servicing or replacing faulty parts. So far I've only had to replace power drivers seat, rear shock and rear O2 sensors and get engine light and airbag lights reset.
 

andyman

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warranty isnt completely voided, only the item thats been replaced and if the item caused a DIRECT issue with another component

you will still get the 3 years
 

danja

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I have booked my VE in for a VCM tune, full exhaust/extractor setup and non-OTR CAI. I checked with Holden about warranty issues and have been told that if any non-standard part is the cause of any fault then it isnt covered, and logically if any GM part causes a fault then its still covered.
Firstly is this what everyone else has been told or do some mods void warranty completely? Secondly, the thought of something going wrong after such tunes/mods has been plaguing my mind so has anyone had faults caused by their tunes/mods? advice on such things would be welcome.

Hunter and andyman have summed it up pretty much. Of course it depends on the exact wording of your particular warranty contract, as they may vary, but the ones I've seen usually say something to the effect of "any mod not installed by our workshop will not be warranted. If anything breaks as a result of mods you had installed without our approval, that's not covered either."

The question is how far will they push that. If you get a tune, and your diff explodes, they could well try and blame that on the tune. If that was the real cause could be another story. You just have to think carefully about what you're modding, what could potentially break and be blamed on the mod, and if you're willing to trade that coverage for whatever the mod does.

Also, my insurance company has told me that these tunes/mods wont void my insurance, they just want to know what Im putting in so that they can cover them too - is this a standard scenario or can certain things void insurance too?

That's standard. Some insurers won't cover certain types of mods, like forced induction or internal engine mods. Some won't cover any mods (esp if you are under 25), some will cover lots. It varies greatly between insurers. You just have to ask and read their PDSs. The will always want to know what mods you have, including things like aftermarket wheels or suspension, exhausts etc. If you don't tell them and you have an accident they can deny your claim if they find out you had undisclosed modifications, or they may try and make you pay an additional premium. Again, read your contract/PDS very carefully.
 

VEV8

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you pretty much got it there..... if the mod is deemed to be the cause of the the issue that arises then your warranty is toast. A lot of places will try to blame any modification even if it isn't related to the fault..... With the tune, you would have any driveline problem or engine problem as unwarrantable, because they would blame the tune for it. Regardless of whether or not it is the cause of it. If they can find a way out of having to fix something for free, they will! I want to put a CAI on mine, but with the MAF sensor still in place, i should be ok..... but then they are likely to blame the pod filter.... who knows :whistling

If I can add one more thing to your post Hunter SS.

Say in a worst case scenario of a motor throwing a rod out the side, to have the car independently checked with a report could cost a packet in itself.

As everyone knows now that a warranty isn't void unless as a direct result of mods, it's just as important they understand the owner has to prove guilt on the dealer, not the dealer proving their innocence.


Ta
 
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