Will Ravelco void my warranty?

[scandata]

I'm planning to get a Ravelco system installed on my Camaro, but I bought it in in the end of 2015 so it's still under warranty for a while. Does anyone know if a Ravelco theft deterrent system will void the electronic portion of my warranty?

I know that a typical anti-theft device won't be a problem, but the Ravelco system connects to a lot of engine components, which, aside from the he said/she said of whether it shorted something out, it could complicate repairing one of those components as well.

[Stewart]

I called the dealership that I bought my car from before having mine installed and they said it would not.

[JerTM]

I wouldn't void the warranty either. Just take note that I have seen aftermarket alarms and remote starts cause all manor of weird issues even after being installed for some time. The electronics you buy aftermarket are no where near the quality of testing or materials you will find in a factory part so don't get bummed if it starts freaking out.

[scandata]

Originally Posted by Stewart

I called the dealership that I bought my car from before having mine installed and they said it would not.

Very cool, thanks!

[scandata]

Originally Posted by JerTM

I wouldn't void the warranty either. Just take note that I have seen aftermarket alarms and remote starts cause all manor of weird issues even after being installed for some time. The electronics you buy aftermarket are no where near the quality of testing or materials you will find in a factory part so don't get bummed if it starts freaking out.

Thanks; I'll definitely keep that in mind.

[ron123]

Originally Posted by JerTM

... Just take note that I have seen aftermarket alarms and remote starts cause all manor of weird issues even after being installed for some time. The electronics you buy aftermarket are no where near the quality of testing or materials you will find in a factory part so don't get bummed if it starts freaking out.

There is ZERO electronics to the Revelco system. It is simply a switch spliced in series to the wires going to ignition or fuel pump, etc. (installers choice). The little plastic cap has a pinned jumper in it that connects the 2 wires together, the cap is a switch (cap on connects wire and power can flow through ... cap off wire is open).

The trick with Revelco is there are dummy connections, making for thousands of possible connection combinations via the cap. Some of the cap pins go to ground so if a thief randomly tries to jump across the connection block the cap plugs in to, they will likely not hit the right combo and not get power to flow through to whatever the installer is placing the "Ravelco Switch" to (or the thief will connect hot wire to ground and fail).

Actually, the cap can act as up to two switches, so two items can be powered off when the cap is removed, (installers chioce). And hiding the wires in to the factory wire loom is what slows down a thief from figuring out exactly what the installer is switching off.
Ron

[JerTM]

Originally Posted by ron123

There is ZERO electronics to the Revelco system. It is simply a switch spliced in series to the wires going to ignition or fuel pump, etc. (installers choice). The little plastic cap has a pinned jumper in it that connects the 2 wires together, the cap is a switch (cap on connects wire and power can flow through ... cap off wire is open).

The trick with Revelco is there are dummy connections, making for thousands of possible connection combinations via the cap. Some of the cap pins go to ground so if a thief randomly tries to jump across the connection block the cap plugs in to they will likely not hit the right combo and not get power to flow through to whatever the installer is placing the "Ravelco Switch" to.
Ron

I wasn't familiar with it, looked it up. Interesting take on anti-theft. I wouldn't void a warranty for that. But if an issue arises with any of the connections, it sounds like a pain in the rear to diagnose. I'd install one tucked nicely away in some hard to see location under the hood, no thief is going to take the time to look for it that's for sure. Or a cheaper alternative you could install an inline fuse to an ignition feed somewhere under the hood, remove the fuse when you want to park it anywhere, or even easier, just remove an ignition fuse. The Ravelco certainly give you a lot of options to disable though.

[scandata]

Originally Posted by ron123

There is ZERO electronics to the Revelco system. It is simply a switch spliced in series to the wires going to ignition or fuel pump, etc. (installers choice). The little plastic cap has a pinned jumper in it that connects the 2 wires together, the cap is a switch (cap on connects wire and power can flow through ... cap off wire is open).

The trick with Revelco is there are dummy connections, making for thousands of possible connection combinations via the cap. Some of the cap pins go to ground so if a thief randomly tries to jump across the connection block the cap plugs in to, they will likely not hit the right combo and not get power to flow through to whatever the installer is placing the "Ravelco Switch" to (or the thief will connect hot wire to ground and fail).

Actually, the cap can act as up to two switches, so two items can be powered off when the cap is removed, (installers chioce). And hiding the wires in to the factory wire loom is what slows down a thief from figuring out exactly what the installer is switching off.
Ron

Thanks for the detailed insight. They actually called today to set up an appointment, and with the testimony of the above responses about warranty security, I went for it. They're coming by tomorrow to put it in. $500.00 is a lot of money (1% of the price of the entire car!), but some of my workdays begin at 3:00 am and I leave my car in a near-empty parking lot. I'm not only buying theft protection, I'm buying peace of mind.

[ron123]

If the installer is top-notch will not be able to notice where he taps the wires in to.
Some want to hide the Ravelco where cap plugs in and some folks keep it out in the open.
The back has a metal flex conduit that runs to the engine compartment.
Each install is completely unique so if a thief knows Revelco is installed they still do not know exactly where the wires are run and what circuits are disabled.
The installer also runs some decoy wires to ground which adds complexity and adds thousands of combinations if they try and use jumpers instead of the special cap.
Here is a clip for folks that have not seen this device ...

[scandata]

Originally Posted by ron123

If the installer is top-notch will not be able to notice where he taps the wires in to.
Some want to hide the Ravelco where cap plugs in and some folks keep it out in the open.
The back has a metal flex conduit that runs to the engine compartment.
Each install is completely unique so if a thief knows Revelco is installed they still do not know exactly where the wires are run and what circuits are disabled.
The installer also runs some decoy wires to ground which adds complexity and adds thousands of combinations if they try and use jumpers instead of the special cap.
Here is a clip for folks that have not seen this device ...

Cool - that guy in the video is Atilla, the same guy that did my installation today. Took about two hours and indeed, the job is top-notch. He installed the plug to the left of the steering wheel, next to the light switch. Very pro job - if the plug wasn't gray you wouldn't even notice it among the other controls. I was surprised when he said that he doesn't do many Camaros, mostly Vettes and high-end pickup trucks.

Anyway, thanks for everyone's input on this. I'm glad you advised me that this would be the right addition to my car.

[ron123]

Noticed you were in Florida so posted his video, great he was doing the install.
Camaro is the number one stolen sports car and California and Florida are top two states for theft.
You going to put the warning stickers on or go stealth?
Ron

[scandata]

Originally Posted by ron123

Noticed you were in Florida so posted his video, great he was doing the install.
Camaro is the number one stolen sports car and California and Florida are top two states for theft.
You going to put the warning stickers on or go stealth?
Ron

I went ahead and put the stickers on. I was on the fence about it, for fear that someone would see the sticker and say, "uh oh, a Ravelco; lets come back with a tow truck." But then I figured if someone wants to hotwire it and sees the sticker, they probably don't also have access to a tow truck. If they did, they wouldn't bother wasting time trying to hotwire it to begin with. Towing would be a lot faster anyway.

Hopefully the stickers will avoid having my steering column and dash board smashed up before they notice the Ravelco cap. If not, at least it's insured.