Bunch of yahoos. The Ford dealer just called me back and retracted everything he told me this morning. Ford has indicated that they will fight my warranty claim legally and that Superchip (or any bolt-on third-party part that alters performance) is *not* covered under Magnuson-Moss. It looks like it's time get the lawyers involved.

I asked for the immediate return of my original ECU. To add insult to injury, they are going to charge me a"core-charge" to get it returned.

Mike Troyer, assuming I ever see the ECU (and who can guarantee that is will really be my original ECU?), I will send it to you with the Superchip for testing. I am *not* going to let this die just because Ford threatens a legal defense and continues to bully consumers on warranty claims.

Rock, your baseball-bat diplomacy may be the only thing that gets their attention after all.

 

I can't stand the attitude of the large companies. Especially when they retract thier offers. Best of luck to you in your fight..

 

Screw the Dealer...the money greedy crotch grabber.Time to get the bat out.


Have you tried calling Ford customer service direct. I believe there is a 1-800 number in the back of your owners manual. Try to be calm if you call them. I thrashed a local dealer on a survey Ford mailed me (Middlekauf Ford in Plano), after I caught them trying to rip me off. Son of a Gun if I didn't get a call from Ford themselves. They took care of the ripping off part and then told me to call the 1-800 number if ever there was a problem with one of their dealers. Give it a shot, might be interesting to see what they do.

Rocks

 

so lets see you opened a sealed pcm, cleaned off the terminals (protective coating) and added an aftermarket deviece to it and you think ford should pay for it? One question WHY?

Please explain why you think you should have warrenty on something that you figured would work better if you changed it from the original design, removing a cover wich could create a path for moisture and dust, terminals wich could short (some chips dont line up with the contacts properly as the circuit board is not always perfectly equal on all pcms)(is that fords fault as it made the pcm and it wont comform to the aftermarket devices?)

Lets not even talk ford, but how many electronic devices do you know that u can either buy and take back, or modify and still have warrenty?

 

 

Never Mind.....it won't matter.

Rocks

 

-

 

Don't forget to get it in writing, not verbal.
Next step is to take the reasoning for not covering this under warr.
Next step Call Ford, and ask them why this is.
Next : Go to the DSB and have them look at what has happened.

Either before the DSB or after, you can also report them to the BBB, for playing bait and switch. This is a good reason for getting stuff in writing.

To answer the question why should Ford cover this ?
Ford themselves say putting the chip in initself does not void the warr. If they did not mean it, they should not have said it. It is that simple. The other items you mention, they say not to do this at all, it will void the warr.

 

Something just hit me...Core Charge?????? on a 3.25 circuit board. I bet you just caught him in a lie. If he'll lie about that...he'll lie about the other.

Call Ford and ask about the core charge. Better yet, call one of your local dealers and ask for the cost on the PCM...when they give it to you...ask them how much tey are giving you for the core. See if a core charge exists when they are being asked to pay you for it.

Rocks

 

Hey SSCULLY...nice answer on the warranty. You should have seen my response before I decided not to educate him...LOL


Rocks

 

Hi LRM & others,

Yes, if you can obtain that ECU, we will indeed arrrange to have it tested, we will also need that same Superchip as well to test them together.

It's a very simple issue, under THE LAW the vehicle owner has a legal right to do anything they want to their vehicle, AS LONG as what they do to it or install on the vehicle does not DAMAGE the vehicle. That is not *our* saying, that is the *law*, and Ford has lost almost every time anyone has ever stood up to them.

Those who would defend the actions of the automaker would do well to take a little time to actually become familiar with the rights of the automaker and the comsumer under the law as well as the exact long-term effects of such a modification and to remember that this J3 circuit is Ford's own design, FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE!! In the early 80's when Ford did the basic design of the EEC-IV and what is now the EEC-V, the made the internal eprom chip non-replaceable. Their design was so only way they had to load software into that ECU was to connect to the J3 circuit. Just as happens when you attach the Superchip or any other performance chip to a Ford ECU, you engage the J3 circuit and provide software to the ECU.

That is not to say that we should be able to literally do ANYTHING to our vehicles and no matter what our warranty stay intact, that isn't fair either. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is a nice set of fair play rules that protect both the consumer *and* the automaker, and when enforced, ensure that nobody unfairly loses warranty coverage, and the automakers are not forced to pay for thigns they really shouldn't. As long as you do not damage your vehicle with your modifications, then your warranty remains fully intact, by law. On the other hand, if you add nitrous oxide & hole a piston, don't even think that the automaker should be responsible for such a claim. Fair play. It's that simple. It's the *law*.

 

so basically what you are saying is that i broke it but i dont want to take responsiblity for it so its someone elses fault because they said i could not due it,

i guess thats why ford states not to use oil impregnated filters on some of their air boxes, maybe they should have done that on the pcm too as that cover and sealed tamper proof torx bolts didn't give the hint that a person should not fiddle with it.

btw - yes there is a core charge on pcm's, there is now on maf sensors aswell, and altenators and a number of other items

the port was for ford to test it, gm used the plug in proms

eec v downloads and reburns through the dlc

I do agree with the fact if the chip did not burn out the pcm then it should be covered under warrenty but ford should not have to prove that, the customer and/or the place that installed the chip should have to as they are the ones who installed it

 

This can be argued all day long but untill the PCM and Superchip are tested there is no solid ground to stand on.

I think that you will definitly want to have thier claims in writing. If they, the dealership and/or Ford really stand behind their claim they will get you their position in writing.

It is easies for them to intimedate you untill you give up. It is in your, and our best interest if you remain calm, cool and collected, to stand up for your rights in a professional, respectable way.

If they are saying that Magnason-Moss doesn't cover "third party bolt-on's" it seems as though they really don't understand why SEMA has fought so hard for the rights of the consumer. We also must not forget that Ford themselves are taking atvantage of aftermarket performance. The SVT lineup is a great example. So it's ok to have the "bolt-on's" only if they are bolted on in the factory, or sold through Ford?

Lets wait and see what the tests show, and go from there.

 

According to the law ( Magnuson Moss Warranty Act) Ford DOES have to prove it!

Is there a similar law in Canada? Eh?

 

Congress and the FTC say otherwise. In CAN it might not be the same, but here this is the way it is. SEMA made sure this does not go away either.

If putting a chip in is such a bad thing, why do the US Ford dealers sell Diablo sport chips ? To aid their customer in voiding their warrenty ?

You now have noted 2 items where it says NOT to do this. ( thread on electronic devices, and the use of oil filters on some air boxes ), this is not noted as do not do this, when it comes to installing a chip in any documentation.

"Installation of a non-genuine Ford item...does not, in and of itself, render our warranty void." - Ford Owner Relations Division.

This is a quote by Ford, on the installation of a performance chip in a Ford product.