Had my first service appointment and had the dealer install my new taillights and asked them to do the brake light mod. They installed the taillights but didn't do the brake light mod. They said tampering with the wiring would void my warranty. Has anyone else heard the same thing? I just want the rear fog light to serve as a brake light and I know its only a 5 minute mod.

 

Dealer's interpret the warranty differently, it seems. Using a jumper at the plug and not cutting into the wiring harness itself would be stretching the "voids the warranty" statement to the very extreme, I would think.

 

If you cut the wires and change the wire harness it will void the warranty. Adding the brake light mod with a quick splice like my kit provides does not void the warranty as the mod can be removed within a couple of minutes and the wiring harness is not damaged. The splices I use are the same splices used to install trailer wiring harnesses to the brake lights of cars and trucks. I have never seen them cause a problem or void warranty when someone put in a trailer kit. After I installed my kit I show it to my dealer (lead mechanic) and he said since I did not cut the wire I would not have any problem. This is called a piggyback install and it is done all the time in cars and trucks with no problems. U-Haul installs jumpers lik this everyday, if it caused a warranty issue they would never do it.

The problem the dealer may have is cutting the wires.

Mini-Rolls.

 

I think you can ask a dealer to do the rear fog light install. If they don't know what that is then go to another dealer.
Any jumpers you add to perform the rear light brake mod is temporary and should not void the warranty if it can be removed and no sign of it's past presence can be detected. If you physically cut the wires then that would affect the wiring warranty. Your dealer needs some education.

 

>>If you cut the wires and change the wire harness it will void the warranty. Adding the brake light mod with a quick splice like my kit provides does not void the warranty as the mod can be removed within a couple of minutes and the wiring harness is not damaged. The splices I use are the same splices used to install trailer wiring harnesses to the brake lights of cars and trucks. I have never seen them cause a problem or void warranty when someone put in a trailer kit. After I installed my kit I show it to my dealer (lead mechanic) and he said since I did not cut the wire I would not have any problem. This is called a piggyback install and it is done all the time in cars and trucks with no problems. U-Haul installs jumpers lik this everyday, if it caused a warranty issue they would never do it.
>>
>>The problem the dealer may have is cutting the wires.
>>
>>Mini-Rolls.

How exactly does your splice NOT cut any wires? Surely the harness wires have to have their insulation cut at least? Would that not be interpreted as changing the harness?

 

the tap splices make a small pin-***** into the affected wire's insulation to make contact with the copper. They are easily removed and if you wanted to you could put a small bit of electrical tape over the small slice.

 

The only way that it would 'void the warranty' would be if you somehow bollixed up the mod (near impossible to do IMO) and burned something out in the braking circuit (highly unlikely as well). In that hypothetical situation, the entire vehicle warranty would not be voided, but having the damaged components replaced would not be covered. If your dealer tries to say that you toss the entire warranty into the crapper just because you made one simple, reversible mod, he's totally wrong, or trying to keep business for himself. It's no different than a stereo install, aftermarket lights, window tinting, wheels, etc. The Magnuson-Moss act protects warranty coverage in such situations.

Common sense would say that if you alter the harness, that particular subsystem is no longer covered. If you do a brake light mod and you go to the dealer with an engine problem, they cant deny you coverage on the engine because of the brake light mod. If they do, you have the law on your side.

 

>>the tap splices make a small pin-***** into the affected wire's insulation to make contact with the copper. They are easily removed and if you wanted to you could put a small bit of electrical tape over the small slice.
>>
>>
YuccaPatrol is correct the kit just goes through the insulation and does not cut the wire. If you pull the kit out you should cover the area with electrical tape but it does not cut the wire which would require a splice.


Mini-Rolls

 

The brake light modification is defininately a hack...a useful and minor hack, but a hack nonetheless. Therefore, there's no way that I'd expect an authorized service center (i.e,. the dealer) to do it for me. You're on your own here. But as others have noted, it's so simple to do yourself there's really no reason to get someone else to do it. So, just do it...and your dealer will never know unless you want to make an issue of it.

 

>>The brake light modification is defininately a hack...a useful and minor hack, but a hack nonetheless.


hacking is bad mmmkay... exploration of available hardware/software and making it custom to fit your needs is good :smile:



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Mini Cooper... you know you like it