What can you mod and still stay within the warranty

[qkslvr]

I am wanting to do Long tubes and a X pipe as well a a drop

[WiccaJew]

A lot of mods will void the warranty all together. I have had different responses from different dealers. One dealer said it will void everything once i touch the car with a mod and one said only the part i switch out. I bought an extended warranty which covers the parts even if i mod (just not the ones that i switch).

You can also just switch back to stock when you bring it back for warranty work.

[HeavyD]

Generally with LT you have to retune the engine to accept the different cats, or elimination of one set of O2 sensors. Once your engine is running with a non-GM program the entire powertrain warranty is gone. Just a catback system will void only the parts you replace. Electrical mods can cause certain issues to not be paid by GM if the mod has caused the failure, that would be on a case by case basis. There are too many variables. Some dealers are really good with mods, others don't even want to bother. Failures are few and far between as it is, and a failure with a modded car is even rarer. Not enough stories to say what is the clear cut answer. If you want your powertrain warranty I would only do a catback system. CAI would be ok, but you only gain a few HP with them, not worth it. I did my car up with CAI, shorties and Catback. My gains were not impressive enough to say it was totally worth it. Now if I have to take it in for anything I really should put the factory stuff back on just prevent any arguments. Too much of a hassle for only a few hp.

[VaderCamaro2010]

It depends on what kind of mods you add. GM will tell you that any mods will void the warranty but this is not necessarily true. For instance, a Borla cat-back won't void the warranty of the car according to laws stated on their site. Also, a CAI shouldn't void it as well depending on if it throws codes or not. Headers will probably void the warranty since you'll need a tune which will indeed void the warranty. There's a good thread on tuning and warranties on the forum.

[Number 3]

Read your warranty. It states pretty clearly that modification from stock will violate the terms and conditions.

That being said, you can add GMPP modifications as those have been validated by GM.

But many aftermarket parts will void "parts" of your warranty. For example, adding a spoiler won't void your warranty. But if your decklid rusts out from you drilling holes in it to mount the spoiler, your corrsosion warranty for the decklid would likely have been voided, but not for the rest of the car. If you put in a new stereo and speakers, and suddenly start blowing fuses, you likely wouldn't have the repairs covered under warranty.

As for the CAI, if you put one on that isn't validated by GM, how do you know if won't suck in water and damage the engine? GM can only confirm that the CAI they tested won't.

If you think about it from the OEMs standpoint, it is pretty clear and simple. Just watch out for the guys that tell you "it shouldn't", or "how could it". There is only one opinion that matters when it comes to this question and that is GM's.

So talk to your dealer if you aren't sure.

Oh, and just cuz I have to say it, putting parts back on to get warranty work done when you know you've voided the warranty is baaaaaad.

[Fishdadddy]

Check out the new high flow cats from Solo Performance. Looks like they are making some nice hp gains without throwing codes or requiring a tune. Makes the exhaust sound much better too.

[qkslvr]

Well thinking about it and LTs shouldnt through a code as long as you have the o2 extensions and cats or you can also use the o2 sims on the rear if needed not sure if there are rear o2s so no codes should get thrown

[YLWJKT]

If you want to play it safe only use GMPP for the warranty period.
Basically a cai and an exhaust.

[HeavyD]

If you are worried about warranty I would stay stock. I have done as much to my car that I would say is "warranty safe" and the gains are not impressive enough to risk losing the warranty. Mufflers or a cat back system will never void warranty, only the exhaust parts you change. Anything after that and you are in thin ice.

[qkslvr]

not looking to mod the hell out of this car... Got the TA for that camaro is just a cruiser CAI and exhaust system is all a really plan on doing except for wheels and drop

[3min3m2]

I'm amazed as to how GM is handling this whole warranty thing. My Scion was modded all to hell, and so was a bunch of other Nationwide. Unless the MOD was directly at fault(per Magnuson Moss Act) there was generally no questions. If your engine blew due to a metal shaving in the CAI you installed, your fault. If it just randomly blew due to unrelated conditions, no Questions asked.

They can't just void the WHOLE powertrain warranty due to say a CAI or something. Thats what the MMA is there for.

I'm just leveled how a Foreign company has (so far) bi%^h slapped GM warranty wise(national level).

/end rant

Anyways, I plan on a CAI and probably shorty headers. Take note of the probably.

[topgun1]

More often than not, dealers will tell you that it has to be that certain modification that caused a specific failure or repair to be necessary. If you have LT headers and you have a suspension component go out in the rear, the LT headers shouldn't void the warranty because it has nothing to do with the problem at hand. If you've got new cats and you have stock exhaust and the cats broke up and have metal inside the stock exhaust pipes, yes, that would be considered a void of warranty to have to repair that issue.

I've had cars with numerous mods (not tuned) and have had warranty work done on most of them and never had a question about the mods that were put on the car. Here's the car, here's the problem. Car is fixed, no questions.

Now when you get into tuning the car, you can open yourself up to more issues that may be related to tuning it (which I'm prepared for) and would be open to more 'dealer-interpretation' of what may be the problem.

I believe overall for bolt ons, you should be fine. But every dealer is different, like my current one telling me that GM wouldn't consider my off-color drivers side halo to be under warranty, when other dealers have fixed it under warranty for other owners.

[Stay Marine]

Another good news story on CAI mods; I have the C.A.I. CAI and took my SS in for an engine tick. Turns out the cam/rollers were pitting (only 20k miles), and they are replacing all affected parts...no concerns or worries about the CAI mod.

[calbert1999]

If you're concerned about warranty, don't mod. Depending on who your dealer is, they may or may not make excuses to fix your vehicle under warrant due to mods.
Ask whoever is doing the mods if they know a mod friendly dealer who won't make up BS if / when you have an issue that needs to be resolved.
A friend of mine, completed all the following mods and keeps busting his clutch his dealer replaces no questions asked (CAM, headers, CAI, exhaust, race springs).