After Market Part Warranty Concerns

on May 20 in Warranties tagged Accessories, Warranties by jasonl

If you’ve ever changed or modified your new vehicle, you might have been warned that these changes could effect your warranty coverage. For instance, some people believe that adding a simple performance part (like a custom exhaust or after market air intake) will somehow endanger your warranty. However, in my years of experience in the car business, I can tell you this is rarely true. In fact, federal law prohibits auto manufacturers from denying warranty claims in most cases. Adding after market parts to your new car shouldn’t effect your warranty (within reason, of course).

There are a couple basic rules of thumb when it comes to determining how an after-market part might effect your warranty. First, does the part substantially alter the function of your vehicle? Second, if the part is removed, can the vehicle be returned to the way it was before? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, than the part you’re considering will effect your warranty somehow. It’s also important to note that any after market part that’s not designed for your vehicle or improperly installed could definitely hurt your warranty. So, if you’re not sure how to install a part (or if you’re trying to rig something together), it might be wise to get some professional help.

Here’s a list of after-market parts that won’t hurt your warranty:

Most exterior “dress-up” parts: Bug shields, chrome grille guards, spoilers, or any other part that effects the appearance of your car only should NOT impact your warranty. The same goes for bed liners, tool boxes, roof racks, tonneau covers, and the like.

After market wheels: Provided they’re sized, mounted, and balanced correctly, they will not effect your warranty. Get professional help when selecting wheels and you should avoid any problems.

Custom exhaust systems: Provided the custom exhaust is “cat-back” (behind the catalytic converter), you’ve got nothing to worry about.

After market air intakes: Adding a new air intake to your car or truck will not effect your warranty, provided it is designed for your vehicle and installed properly. Stick with name brands (like K&N, aFe, AEM, AirRaid, etc.) and you’re good to go.

Consumer electronics: Adding an after market stereo, satellite radio, DVD player, radar detector, speakers, or any other normal consumer appliance to your vehicle will not effect your warranty, provided that it’s designed for vehicle use and professionally installed.

Work equipment: Adding normal work equipment to a vehicle – like installing a winch, a special tow hitch, a hydraulic lift, or snow plow will not effect your warranty provided it is designed for your particular vehicle and professionally installed.

Here’s a list of after-market parts that could hurt your warranty:

Suspension modifications: Installing new springs or spacers to drop or raise a vehicle does not substantially alter the geometry of the suspension system, so in most cases the warranty is in effect. However, dramatic changes to the suspension system – like raising or lowering a vehicle more than a couple of inches – could effect the warranty. The best advice here is to make sure whatever change you make to your suspension is reversible.

Performance computer chips and programmers: As long as your new computer chip or program is 100% removable, you’re OK. However, some older vehicles require you to crack open the vehicle’s ECU to install a new chip. If you have to open up something that should be sealed (like a computer), your warranty is probably going to be effected.

Here’s a list of after-market parts that will hurt your warranty:

Turbocharger or Supercharger: Adding an after market turbocharger or supercharger to your car is a great way to go fast, but you can kiss your factory powertrain warranty goodbye if you install one. The good news is that some manufacturers (like Ford Racing, TRD, Mopar, etc.) offer their own after-market units that come with their own warranty.

Nitrous Oxide: The movie “Fast and Furious” made nitrous oxide look cool, but the truth is it’s a great way to destroy an engine if it isn’t used properly. Unless you’re serious about drag racing, it’s probably best to stay away from this system as most manufacturers will deny warranty claims out of hand on vehicles with nitrous.

Racing Modifications: Adding a roll cage, a special racing seat or safety belt harness, and even something as innocuous as a fire extinguisher are all tell-tale signs that a vehicle is being used for something other than “normal” use. Most manufacturers will invalidate a vehicle’s warranty if they suspect it’s been raced, so stay away from these type of parts.

The bottom line is this – use a little bit of common sense when adding parts to your vehicle. If it’s not permanent, and if it doesn’t really effect the way your vehicle works, it’s probably just fine.

Should You Put An Exhaust System On Your Truck?

on Feb 16 in Accessories tagged Accessories, after market by jasonl

Most trucks are quite powerful — that’s probably why you own one. Trucks are made to haul and tow thousands of pounds, and to do so without difficulty, so they need lots of power. Yet despite their powerful engines, most manufacturers equip their new vehicles with a relatively quiet exhaust system. If you think your truck ought to sound as powerful as it is, or if you’d like to reduce some of the constrictions in your truck’s exhaust, then you’re probably considering adding or changing your factory exhaust system.

Fortunately, the factory exhaust system is efficient and doesn’t require much modification for you to improve it. The first component in your exhaust system is the exhaust manifold – a part that directs exhaust from individual cylinders into one or two main exhaust pipes. Most exhaust manifolds are pretty efficient and don’t require replacement, but if you decide you’d like to replace this part, then you’re going to look at a set of headers. A good set of headers will offer a ceramic coating as well as factory mounting points for sensors. Again, most of the time the factory exhaust manifold is just fine.

The next components the exhaust gases travel thru are the catalytic converters. There’s really no benefit to changing or modifying these, and taking them off is a bad idea. Today’s modern catalytic converter is very efficient and legally required, so it makes sense to leave it alone. You would only consider replacing the factory catalytic if you were adding an extremely powerful engine upgrade, like a turbocharger or supercharger.

After the catalytic converters, the exhaust gases cool somewhat and enter the muffler. Again, the factory exhaust system is pretty good and the standard mufflers aren’t very restrictive. Replacing them usually won’t result in a significant hp or torque gain…3-5 hp and 5-10 ft-lbs of torque on average. However, after market mufflers will make your truck sound much better. The rumble you’ll hear with after market mufflers is exciting, and well worth the cost. After leaving the mufflers, the exhaust will exit out of the tailpipe. Tailpipe tips are a popular add-on, but they’re decorative only and have no impact on your exhaust system’s performance.

Since changing the factory muffler will have the biggest effect on your exhaust system, they’re the most logical component to replace. When you’re looking at after market mufflers, here are some things to consider:

First, do you want to hear the exhaust ALL the time? In other words, when you drive down the highway, is a little exhaust drone OK? If not, make sure you choose a muffler that’s not described as being loud. Check the web and ask your local muffler shop for advice on finding a good muffler. Many muffler manufacturers are even putting sound clips on their websites now.

Second, do you want something that people can slightly hear when you drive by, or do you want something so loud that the neighbors know exactly what time you leave for work every morning? Words like “racing” or “glasspack” usually indicate exceptionally loud mufflers, so watch out for those terms unless you want a lot of attention.

Another important choice when considering a new muffler is single or dual exhaust. Remember, most factory exhaust systems are pretty good. If your truck came from the factory with a single exhaust, it will work just fine and give good performance with a single after market exhaust system. Dual exhaust systems are more money, but they look and sound and single exhaust systems. If you decide to go with a dual exhaust, make sure that your installer works around your trailer hitch and/or leaves room for one in case you want to add it on later.

Finally, what exhaust system material is best? It’s a decision that should be based on geography. If you live anywhere near the corrosive effects of saltwater, stainless steel is the smart choice. While it’s more expensive up-front, it will last much longer than galvanized or aluminized steel in these climates. People living in dry climates really don’t need to purchase stainless steel — if rust attacks their system, it will be years before anything is damaged.