fordchip question
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Member
Joined: Feb 2003
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fordchip question
hey all,
i have a question that has probably been answered a million times on this site, but i am new here and not sure exactly where to look. if you install a fordchip or other type of performance chip, does it void the manufacturer's warranty? i am thinking about putting one in my 4.6L, but would like to know if this is the case. thanks for any help you can give.
i have a question that has probably been answered a million times on this site, but i am new here and not sure exactly where to look. if you install a fordchip or other type of performance chip, does it void the manufacturer's warranty? i am thinking about putting one in my 4.6L, but would like to know if this is the case. thanks for any help you can give.
Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
From: Clackamas, OR
The technical answer is No, but the issue comes up with the possibility of fighting the dealer to have something fixed under warranty. The chip has to be shown as the reason something failed. My "fix" for that whole arguement is the Microtuner from Mike Troyer. I have the best of both worlds, I can run the same program as the Superchip with the additional benefit of being able to return to stock in less than 15 minutes...all from the comfort of my drivers seat. Pull the fuel pump fuse, hook up the tuner and follow the written instructions...how much easier can it get?
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,919
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From: Western Massachusetts
Warranty claims are on a case by case basis. You would have to do something seriously bad to your truck to void the entire warranty. I can only think of a couple things that could be done, like driving off a cliff or something.
Different dealers will handle mods in different ways. Some will tell you that if you do this or that it will void the warranty. It doesn't work that way. If you have a dealer that says this you should find anothe dealer. Some dealers will do it the way it's supposed to be done, one issue at a time. If you have an issue that may be related to a mod, you have to be prepaired for the possibility that that claim may be denied. It's a risk you have to accept.
It's not only performance mods that can cause a denile. Installing an aftermarket sterio or fog lights will increase the risk of denile as well. The only way to assure that you will not have any warranty claims denied it to leave the truck alone, and follow the maintianence shedual to a T.
You pay(ed) for the truck, you should be able to do what you want with it. You can't expect the dealer to fix things that are caused by what you did.
The chances that you will have a problem with a chip are slim. Just make sure that you buy from a reputable dealer. You want to make sure that the one programing your chip knows what they are doing.
As was said earlier, the Superchips MicroTuner is a safe way to mod. You might want to check into that.
It might help to do a search in this section, as this topic comes up pretty regularly. There is a lot of good info buried in here. There is a search button near the top of your screen. The search function on this site is user friendly.
Good luck!
Different dealers will handle mods in different ways. Some will tell you that if you do this or that it will void the warranty. It doesn't work that way. If you have a dealer that says this you should find anothe dealer. Some dealers will do it the way it's supposed to be done, one issue at a time. If you have an issue that may be related to a mod, you have to be prepaired for the possibility that that claim may be denied. It's a risk you have to accept.
It's not only performance mods that can cause a denile. Installing an aftermarket sterio or fog lights will increase the risk of denile as well. The only way to assure that you will not have any warranty claims denied it to leave the truck alone, and follow the maintianence shedual to a T.
You pay(ed) for the truck, you should be able to do what you want with it. You can't expect the dealer to fix things that are caused by what you did.
The chances that you will have a problem with a chip are slim. Just make sure that you buy from a reputable dealer. You want to make sure that the one programing your chip knows what they are doing.
As was said earlier, the Superchips MicroTuner is a safe way to mod. You might want to check into that.
It might help to do a search in this section, as this topic comes up pretty regularly. There is a lot of good info buried in here. There is a search button near the top of your screen. The search function on this site is user friendly.
Good luck!
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi mile64,
No, installing a performance chip does not automatically void your warranty. That is actually illegal, and your rights in this specific regard are protected under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty as well as other provisions of the law.
The only way a warranty claim can be legally denied over the use of *any* aftermarket part is if it can be proved that the aftermarket part was the direct cause of actual *damage* to the vehicle. And if that happens, then of course it's not fair to expect Ford or any other automaker to be liable for.
As Wittom mentioned in his post, anytime you hear any dealer spouting that kind of crappola, avoid them like the plague. Unfortunately, there are a few dealers that will try these tactics, simply because Ford pays them far less to do work under warranty than what you or I have to pay for that exact same work out of pocket. Thus, some dealerships absolutely *hate* doing *any* kind of warranty work, and some will do anything they can to not do work under warranty. Dealers like that are to be avoided like the plague, obviously.
And by the way, this affects *all* aftermarket parts, not just performance parts. It affects appearance parts, replacement parts like brake pads, mufflers, etc. or performance parts, they are all covered in the same way. The only way a warranty claim can be legally denied over the use of aftermarket parts is if the aftermarket part was the direct cause of damage to the vehicle. Now unfortunately, it's not illegal for a dealership to say "oh, a chip is going to void your warranty," as that's just talk, you're not actually in that situation, so they can say what they want. Talk is one thing, actual events something altogether different, and the majority of dealerships, once you *politely* make them understand that you know your rights under the law and will do whatever it takes to enforce those rights, will do the right thing. Those few that don't, obviously care nothing about you, your vehicle or the law, and should be avoided.
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act was originally designed to break up the effective "monopoly" the automakers had established by telling people for years & years that if they used any aftermarket parts, be it brake pads, wiper blades, oil filters, etc. their warranty would be void. That kept the customer coming back to them for everything they needed. Until the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, that is. Today it's main applicability is still rooted in the right to use aftermarket parts.
You can read more about this on the SEMA web site, at http://www.sema.org
Just as an aside, there is only 1 performance chip that tunes each vehicle individually by it's exact PCM software revision, tunes on part-throttle as well as full-throttle, and that is also 50-state emissions certified, and that is the Superchip. No other performance chip delivers all of that. Since you have a V8 engine, we also have the Superchips Micro Tuner available, which will give you the same tuning in the traditional Superchip module in a simple to install hand-held programmer by uploading thru the OBD-II port inside the cabin in just 10 minutes. That device will also allow you to adjust your own WOT shift points for each gear change & adjust shift firmness level for each gear change (in automatics, of course). It also has a built-in OBD-II code scanner, and allows recalibration of the speedometer for changes to tire size and/or gear ratio in 1999 & newer F-150's, Expeditions, etc. And of course, the Micro Tuner also stores your factory program so you can return to stock anytime, and it leaves no tell-tale trace behind once you've returned to stock.
If you'd like to go over any of this in more detail, or find out about the Superchips tuning & what it will do for your vehicle, please feel free to give us a call at our number listed below. Or, you can take a look at our web site at http://www.TroyerPerformance.com
Best of luck with your truck and whatever you decide!
No, installing a performance chip does not automatically void your warranty. That is actually illegal, and your rights in this specific regard are protected under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty as well as other provisions of the law.
The only way a warranty claim can be legally denied over the use of *any* aftermarket part is if it can be proved that the aftermarket part was the direct cause of actual *damage* to the vehicle. And if that happens, then of course it's not fair to expect Ford or any other automaker to be liable for.
As Wittom mentioned in his post, anytime you hear any dealer spouting that kind of crappola, avoid them like the plague. Unfortunately, there are a few dealers that will try these tactics, simply because Ford pays them far less to do work under warranty than what you or I have to pay for that exact same work out of pocket. Thus, some dealerships absolutely *hate* doing *any* kind of warranty work, and some will do anything they can to not do work under warranty. Dealers like that are to be avoided like the plague, obviously.
And by the way, this affects *all* aftermarket parts, not just performance parts. It affects appearance parts, replacement parts like brake pads, mufflers, etc. or performance parts, they are all covered in the same way. The only way a warranty claim can be legally denied over the use of aftermarket parts is if the aftermarket part was the direct cause of damage to the vehicle. Now unfortunately, it's not illegal for a dealership to say "oh, a chip is going to void your warranty," as that's just talk, you're not actually in that situation, so they can say what they want. Talk is one thing, actual events something altogether different, and the majority of dealerships, once you *politely* make them understand that you know your rights under the law and will do whatever it takes to enforce those rights, will do the right thing. Those few that don't, obviously care nothing about you, your vehicle or the law, and should be avoided.
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act was originally designed to break up the effective "monopoly" the automakers had established by telling people for years & years that if they used any aftermarket parts, be it brake pads, wiper blades, oil filters, etc. their warranty would be void. That kept the customer coming back to them for everything they needed. Until the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, that is. Today it's main applicability is still rooted in the right to use aftermarket parts.
You can read more about this on the SEMA web site, at http://www.sema.org
Just as an aside, there is only 1 performance chip that tunes each vehicle individually by it's exact PCM software revision, tunes on part-throttle as well as full-throttle, and that is also 50-state emissions certified, and that is the Superchip. No other performance chip delivers all of that. Since you have a V8 engine, we also have the Superchips Micro Tuner available, which will give you the same tuning in the traditional Superchip module in a simple to install hand-held programmer by uploading thru the OBD-II port inside the cabin in just 10 minutes. That device will also allow you to adjust your own WOT shift points for each gear change & adjust shift firmness level for each gear change (in automatics, of course). It also has a built-in OBD-II code scanner, and allows recalibration of the speedometer for changes to tire size and/or gear ratio in 1999 & newer F-150's, Expeditions, etc. And of course, the Micro Tuner also stores your factory program so you can return to stock anytime, and it leaves no tell-tale trace behind once you've returned to stock.
If you'd like to go over any of this in more detail, or find out about the Superchips tuning & what it will do for your vehicle, please feel free to give us a call at our number listed below. Or, you can take a look at our web site at http://www.TroyerPerformance.com
Best of luck with your truck and whatever you decide!
Last edited by Superchips_Distributor; May 9, 2003 at 04:51 PM.