Does anybody know what mods and brands I can use without voiding my waranty? Is this possible? :blink:

I want to start with:
1. Intake
2. Headers
3. Intake manifold
4. Plugs/wires
5. Mufflers
6. and when I have a small fortune saved up...SUPERCHARGED! :dribble:

Honestly, talk with your dealerships service manager on their policy. Though it is against the law for them to void the warrenty due to modifications, they can pretty much refuse to work on the car and/or claim the part is the cause of the warrenty issue. Mods also can bring up the "abuse" claim by dealerships which can pretty much void the warrenty. Abuse in any form, be it drag racing or street racing, can be detected by various methods. IE: If you plan on racing it often, you might as well start working on it yourself and hope nothing major breaks.

Originally posted by CSiJason@Oct 5 2004, 06:18 PM
Honestly, talk with your dealerships service manager on their policy. Though it is against the law for them to void the warrenty due to modifications, they can pretty much refuse to work on the car and/or claim the part is the cause of the warrenty issue. Mods also can bring up the "abuse" claim by dealerships which can pretty much void the warrenty. Abuse in any form, be it drag racing or street racing, can be detected by various methods. IE: If you plan on racing it often, you might as well start working on it yourself and hope nothing major breaks.
Thats what I was afraid of. I know how the dealerships are. :tongue:

How are the dealership service departments in Texas? Are they more forgiving of mods? (be livin there soon)

Hey dont look at me for this one, there hasn't been a warrenty on my car for 20 some odd years.

Most bolt ons will not void it from what I am told, but anyting that opens the engine will from what I remember.

Originally posted by Nocturn@Oct 6 2004, 12:13 AM
Most bolt ons will not void it from what I am told, but anyting that opens the engine will from what I remember.
All right...that's a little more encouraging.

It really depends on what mods, and what dealer. MTI in houston offers a warrenty on their engine parts, but some dealers consider any mod a violation of the warrenty.

Originally posted by 04GOATGERM@Oct 5 2004, 10:06 PM
Does anybody know what mods and brands I can use without voiding my waranty? Is this possible? :blink:

I want to start with:
1. Intake
2. Headers
3. Intake manifold
4. Plugs/wires
5. Mufflers
6. and when I have a small fortune saved up...SUPERCHARGED! :dribble:
My local dealer voided my warranty and refused to replace the tranny because I had headers on my GTP (called the car "highly modified - headers", but they are a bunch of horse-fockers. There other big hangup was that I didn't buy the car here. :bs:

Just to let you know. I had my 2500 Avalanched true dualed for exhaust 6 months after I got it. Some people say it voids the warrenty. It does no such thing. The only warrenty it voids is the warrenty on the muffler they have and tailpipe. If you keep stock cats and down pipes, everything till the new mufflers will be covered and this DOES include the o2 sensor despite what they may tell you. Check your warrenty information.

Well if you read the actual lawsuit -- It states that "Aftermarket" parts cannot void a warranty BUT a modified parts (although aftermarket) does not necessarily fall into that category. I would suspect you would have a hard time winning a case against GM arguing a “modified” part. The ruling implies that a part being aftermarket as a replacement is ok. Not a modified part. This has been argued for years now by lots of people. It is really going to fall on your dealer and how “cool” they want to be.

Rule of thumb is mod smart and mod safe and hopefully you will not run into any issues.

This is how I approached the issue when I owned a modified 95 Firehawk I had some time ago. Service managers and technicians are human like anyone else so you have your good ones and your bad ones; your easy to get along with ones and your difficult to deal with types. First thing is hopefully you live in a somewhat metropolitan area where you have a couple dealers to choose from. Call them up and see how they are on the phone; is the service manager friendly and polite or short and not all that helpful. Once you've chosen your shop, the first time you show up with your car, have a dozen donuts with you. When you pick your car up, take it home and inspect it--did they do a good job? If they did, call them up and find out what their favorite beverage is and stop back by with a 12-pack around closing time. Take some time and chat with the guys--in other words suck up a bit. I actually became friends with my service guys because of our mutual interest in cars.

Of course you don't have to do any of this; good service is supposed to be part of the original purchase. However, I'll tell you this--my Firehawk had a mod list a mile long including a bolt-in cage, harness and the works. I never had a problem getting it fixed under warranty or getting an appointment when I needed it.

Good luck,

Well I would have loved to have been able to talk to the Service Manager. The first time I argued with the service writers and asked to speak to the Service Manager they told me they don't have one! :bs:

My car has NEVER been back to that dealership since.

If you can find a dealership who has an intelligent service department and is mod friendly you are one of the lucky ones.

Just bring it to my Dealership when I start back at work again ;)

Originally posted by Tamatt27@Oct 18 2004, 06:44 PM
Just bring it to my Dealership when I start back at work again ;)
COOL! ;) What dealership and where exactly? I would actually drive a good distance in order to not get any bad documentation on my Goat (warranty wise).

Bastrop, about 20 miles south east of Austin. Anyone traveling from Austin to Houston will know it because it has 3 stop lights on HW 71.

Originally posted by Nocturn@Oct 18 2004, 08:50 PM
Bastrop, about 20 miles south east of Austin. Anyone traveling from Austin to Houston will know it because it has 3 stop lights on HW 71.
LOL..Exactly. Covert Chevrolet..I don't get 'tech' status until i graduate in May..when I hope the '05 will be my Graduation present to myself!

Wow so you are saying that Supercharging it wont void the warranty b/c you arent modifying the parts.... interesting :)

a blower may be pushing the envelope
lol but you can try

Originally posted by JSU@Nov 14 2004, 03:47 AM
Wow so you are saying that Supercharging it wont void the warranty b/c you arent modifying the parts.... interesting :)
You will modify the engine though. Any modification to the stock engine is grounds for void. And yes an add on part is a modification. The only part that you could really really argue would be a aftermarket part that is a direct replacement for the stock part, thus the aftermarket part being exactly the same and not modified..

Now me personally - I think is is a load of bologna but GM has a lot of $ and I am sure a pretty good team of attorneys. :type:

Although I am pretty sure if you push the issue they would have to prove the part caused the failure...

I.e. you change the stock spoiler to an aftermarket one (different shape/size etc..), your engine blows up, I am pretty sure they could not say the spoiler caused the problem and win, but lets say your trunk will no longer stay open, they can say that the spoiler caused the failure - and you will be s.o.l.

I have heard dealers going to extremes to not want to do warrenty work. All the way down to trying to void for Oil Filters that where not "stock".

I would do like they said above...find a MOD friendly dealer. Or at least feel out the service department before buying the car.

I will begin my search as soon as I get to Texas.

I bought my Goat from Covert in Bastrop and I wasnt impressed with the sales service, but I have a few scratches in the paint and I will see how well the Service Manager treats me when I go to get them fixed, if they fix it, I also have a A/C vent on the driver side door that is fading and I will see if they fix that cause I only have 4600 miles on the car.

I'v wondered if they were any good as I pass by them looking for GTO's but never see any because they carry what has to be every single chevy truck sold ever in front of the show room.

I wish they would just keep the warranty. Ill check with my dealer to see what they say, Maybe they will keep it or I can buy something extra. I know the supercharger come with a warranty. if I have the warranty on the s/c maybe that means they would let the warranty for the car itself stay.

Originally posted by 04GOATGERM@Oct 5 2004, 05:06 PM
Does anybody know what mods and brands I can use without voiding my waranty? Is this possible? :blink:

I want to start with:
1. Intake
2. Headers
3. Intake manifold
4. Plugs/wires
5. Mufflers
6. and when I have a small fortune saved up...SUPERCHARGED! :dribble:
Of this list, the only items I can see voiding your warranty would be headers and supercharger. The headers change the location of the stock cats, which has the potential to affect emissions, unless you go with shorties that provide little gain, if any. The supercharger will place more stress on engine internals, and will most definitely void your warranty. I believe Magnuson offers a warranty for your engine at an additional cost with their sc kit.

Originally posted by TEK GTO@Nov 24 2004, 05:41 PM
The headers change the location of the stock cats, which has the potential to affect emissions, unless you go with shorties that provide little gain, if any.
Soooo...long tube headers are better? :blink:

Yup, longtubes or nothing. From testing on many LS1/6s, it's been found that the stock manifolds don't flow that bad, and shorties have shown practically no gain whatsoever. The Stainless Works setup has been getting pretty good reviews, but I'm waiting to see the offerings from Kook's which should be ready soon.

Nocturn
You have to go up to main building to look at the GTO's they have several in the back and one on the showroom floor. But I dont plan to go back to buy other car from them I only plan to get my Warranty work done. I am 20 years old and I think they screwed up big time when they sold me my Goat.

Originally posted by ram09@Nov 30 2004, 01:20 PM
I am 20 years old and I think they screwed up big time when they sold me my Goat.
What do ya mean? :blink:

I mean that they (The SALES PEOPLE) jacked me around on the price. That and it took over a week to get all the paper work ready. The only reason I bought that exact GTO is because it was the only one I could find within 100 miles that was a standard. That and I fell in love with the Red Leather. I know I should have negotiated better but I wanted that car. But there mistake not mine

i was 18 when i bought my gto. my salesman started to say drive safe and i laughed at him. im a little older and a little wiser now, freshly 19. after i shred off 2 sets of rear tires, i learned my lesson. I drive it nice now, first to fourth just like it tells me to. after my 36000 miles are up, its time to supercharge. i got it in febuary 05 and im at 13500 now. ill get some pics of the best sound system any goat has seen yet when i come back home from germany.
laterguys