Warranty Question
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Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 293
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From: Portsmouth, Va.
Warranty Question
I just received my new tuner (the 1715) a couple of days ago and am about to do some tuning. I just have a general question. Would using this product void my factory warranty if ford was to somehow find out it has been used on my truck? I know that I should and will restore my computer back to the default before I take it in for any service. It will not stop me from using it I was just curious.
Thanks,
MELMAN
Thanks,
MELMAN
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi melman,
A P-town dude, eh? I'm from the Tidewater area myself originally & we call Portsmouth "P-town."
This is a very common question, and for all the "basics," meaning all of the same questions that get asked here again every time another new person joins us, we refer you to the search feature so you can retrieve all the info already posted here about this, and others can avoid typing out the same thing many times...............
The search feature (the icon is in the upper right area of your screen here) is excellent, you'll love it, & it's your best way to get any and all information as just about anything you could think to ask has already been asked & answered literally hundreds, if not thousands of times before here. Get familiar with the search feature, retrieve the info you want with it's search filters & happy reading.
Just to get you some quick immediate info...........
By law, no manufacturer can deny a warranty claim over the use of aftermarket parts unless they can either prove that the aftermarket part in question was the actual cause of *damage* to the vehicle, or if they are providing factory replacement parts free of charge (which almost never happens).
Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, you have the right to use any aftermarket parts you want to on your vehicle, and as long as your modifications have not actually caused *damage* to the vehicle, then your warranty remains intact, by law.
The reality is individual Ford dealerships can sometimes vary in how they look at this - some look after both Ford and their customers *properly*, and don't attempt to deny warranty claims over mods they know didn't damage the vehicle.
And then there are other dealers who will give you all kinds of grief over something as trivial as using a different wiper blade or brake pads, and everything in between.
This whole issue of warranty work is, IMHO, more than anything a matter of dealers getting paid less for their labor under warranty as compared to what they get paid when you & I have to pay for that exact same work out of our pocket. There's a big difference in how much they get paid for labor when the automaker is footing the bill, thus there are some unscrupulous dealerships who will try to get out of any warranty work they can. Those very same dealerships will also usually turn right around and be *happy* to do that exact same work if *you* pay out of pocket. Run, don't walk, from any such dealership!
There are some types of modifications that you can just about guarantee causing warranty problems - such as nitrous oxide, a supercharger, doing major mods like porting cylinder heads, camshaft changes, etc. - these are rather obvious things that can potentially cause problems in this regard, whereas the more innocuous mods, like the Micro Tuner, a good intake kit, a cat-back exhaust, electric fans, underdrive pulleys, a larger throttle body, etc., are generally regarded as pretty safe to do. This is no hard & fast guideline by the way, just some general discussion.
You can also read up on your rights in this regard over at the SEMA web site, at www.sema.org - there you'll find lots of specific info on this that I'm sure you'll enjoy reading.
Good luck!
A P-town dude, eh? I'm from the Tidewater area myself originally & we call Portsmouth "P-town."
This is a very common question, and for all the "basics," meaning all of the same questions that get asked here again every time another new person joins us, we refer you to the search feature so you can retrieve all the info already posted here about this, and others can avoid typing out the same thing many times...............
The search feature (the icon is in the upper right area of your screen here) is excellent, you'll love it, & it's your best way to get any and all information as just about anything you could think to ask has already been asked & answered literally hundreds, if not thousands of times before here. Get familiar with the search feature, retrieve the info you want with it's search filters & happy reading.
Just to get you some quick immediate info...........
By law, no manufacturer can deny a warranty claim over the use of aftermarket parts unless they can either prove that the aftermarket part in question was the actual cause of *damage* to the vehicle, or if they are providing factory replacement parts free of charge (which almost never happens).
Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, you have the right to use any aftermarket parts you want to on your vehicle, and as long as your modifications have not actually caused *damage* to the vehicle, then your warranty remains intact, by law.
The reality is individual Ford dealerships can sometimes vary in how they look at this - some look after both Ford and their customers *properly*, and don't attempt to deny warranty claims over mods they know didn't damage the vehicle.
And then there are other dealers who will give you all kinds of grief over something as trivial as using a different wiper blade or brake pads, and everything in between.
This whole issue of warranty work is, IMHO, more than anything a matter of dealers getting paid less for their labor under warranty as compared to what they get paid when you & I have to pay for that exact same work out of our pocket. There's a big difference in how much they get paid for labor when the automaker is footing the bill, thus there are some unscrupulous dealerships who will try to get out of any warranty work they can. Those very same dealerships will also usually turn right around and be *happy* to do that exact same work if *you* pay out of pocket. Run, don't walk, from any such dealership!
There are some types of modifications that you can just about guarantee causing warranty problems - such as nitrous oxide, a supercharger, doing major mods like porting cylinder heads, camshaft changes, etc. - these are rather obvious things that can potentially cause problems in this regard, whereas the more innocuous mods, like the Micro Tuner, a good intake kit, a cat-back exhaust, electric fans, underdrive pulleys, a larger throttle body, etc., are generally regarded as pretty safe to do. This is no hard & fast guideline by the way, just some general discussion.
You can also read up on your rights in this regard over at the SEMA web site, at www.sema.org - there you'll find lots of specific info on this that I'm sure you'll enjoy reading.
Good luck!
Last edited by Superchips_Distributor; Aug 21, 2003 at 05:16 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,919
Likes: 0
From: Western Massachusetts
I agree that the search feature, especially on this particular subject, is a great resource. As Mike said, this question does come up frequently. I've asked it, and so haven't a whole bunch of other Superchip users. It's not that the question has already been asked, it's that each time it's been asked there has been (in most cases) an informative conversation that follows. There are lot's of opinions, expriances and directions to info. I think it's worth the effort of reading for a bit.
Warranty is still a concern for me today. I still have a pretty large portion of my ESP left. At this point I realize that there are many potential issues that I could be found financially responsible for. I don't have a lot of money but I feel the risk I take is worth the payoff. Hopefully my truck will stay together and run good for as long as I own it. It runs great and is real fun to drive now.
Have fun!
Warranty is still a concern for me today. I still have a pretty large portion of my ESP left. At this point I realize that there are many potential issues that I could be found financially responsible for. I don't have a lot of money but I feel the risk I take is worth the payoff. Hopefully my truck will stay together and run good for as long as I own it. It runs great and is real fun to drive now.
Have fun!