My MINI is finally broken in and I have been thinking of going to an autocorss soon here. Im new to MINIs and havent read anything about this, but should I be concerned about having any warenty problems down the road if I autocross it. Ive heard rumors before where manufactures actually look online to see if owners had been autocrossing their cars. I was wondering if anyone had heard of MINI doing this. Really autocross isnt much tougher than spirited everyday driving on a car, but i was concerned that if something happened to the car MINI could try to blame it on autocross.

 

I don't see why dealers should have a problem with auto-X. MINI of Towson recently hosted an auto-X for it's customers.

 

not a single worry, just dont miss a gear and over rev it.

 

You might want to check your insurance policy. Some may drop you for racing in competive or timed events.

 

Read this thread Magnussen-Moss Act Lawsuit

I would not presume that just because a dealer or a car maker endorses an event, that means your covered. If you really want to know, ask MINIUSA. After all, its MINIUSA that is paying the bill, not the dealer.

 

Well ive been doing it in a different car for a little over a year now and they havent figured that one out. I always assumed they wouldnt cover any damages at a competitive event, but auto cross is pretty safe. If other people havent experencied their warenties being taken away for auto crossing then mini probably isnt actively searching to see who has been doing it. Im experienced enough that i wont do something stupid to damage the car, i was just worried about the warrenty not covering problems that would have happened anyways.

 

The warranty documentation that comes with the car states that cars used in competitive events are not covered by the warranty.

Problem is, the language used is vague, and would probably have to be sorted out in court if push came to shove. After all, a car show could be considered a "competitive event" in some cases. Also, it doesn't state if the exemption only applies to things that break *during* the "competitive event", or if competing in such an event voids the warranty permanently and bars you from getting coverage for *anything* in the future.

And reading the M-M act, it's interesting to note that MINI could (if they wanted to), require that you have your oil changed at the dealership, by their techs, as a condition of continued warranty coverage.

 

Well, I know Waylen brought one of his "race" MINIs to a dealership for warranty work and they covered with a little prodding form Waylen.

 

Thats good. At some point if they just try and screw people all the time they wont end up with very many customers coming back. Considering MINIs current almost nothing advertising budget it would probably be unwise to treat us bad, but that doesnt mean they are smart enough to realize that.

 

as for mods or abuse if the item has to do with why the engine failed or ithere is evidence of abuse then yes, its getting voided. And believe me, the dealer isn't stupid and can find out EXACTLY what happened.... reguardless of how good you cover your tracks...

 

At my last event, I just taped over my plates just for that reason. I'm also thankful that the organizers only put my middle and last name on the results page on their site

 

A roll of "Painters tape" may save you many headaches later!

 

It's no wonder that Mini challenges warranty claims when they suspect damage caused by auto xing. Such cavalier deception as mentioned above (aka fraud/ theft) steals from the rest of the Mini community that don't abuse their Minis and respects the system .

 

And exactly what aspect of autocrossing constitutes "abuse", in your opinion?

While it's true that there are unscrupulous owners, there are also unscrupulous dealers that would love to use the fact that you attended an autocross session two years ago as a reason to deny a warranty claim today. My dealer isn't like that, but I can understand some peoples' reluctance to leave their VIN / license plates uncovered while at an event.

 

The service manager at my dealership also autocrosses, and he's watched me at an event. No issues as far as he's concerned.

 

I'm going to guess you've never autocrossed.

My car gets more abuse on my daily commute than at an autocross. Plus most autocrossers typically take good care of their cars.

 

No I haven't, but I have watched many events. I think it's a great pastime and I enjoy watching. But I do listen to the autoxers' comments about brake,tire, clutch and suspension wear sustained during their many runs. They do love their cars and true they take great care of them---but at a cost that is logically more than the average nonautoxing owner experiences. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to notice that autoxing may put just a tad bit more stress on systems than the average Mini experiences on an average commute. So if your going to auto cross--and hide your identity so you can make warranty claims based on normal usage--then bemoan the fact that a dealership questions the claim--go for it. Those actions only appear to be to a nonautoxing owner slightly unethical if not dishonest--which in the long run costs everyone money. Oh by the way-- I can only guess that if your daily commute is more abusive than autoxing then it must be between Bahgdad and Basra.

 

The average autox run, is maybe 50-70 seconds. Times that by four runs.

The average Mini Club run on some twisties might be an hour or so.

Guess what places more wear and tear on the car?
(Hint: It's not autocrossing.)

 

I'll add:

Suspension:
On the autocross course, there are no potholes, road debris, railroad tracks, etc. Otherwise, over that TOTAL of four minutes per event you are on course, how is the suspension being 'worn'?

Brakes:
That autocross run might have, at most, three really hard brake zones. Over four runs, that is 12 really hard braking zones per event, and most people do one event month during the summer. But one good drive in the twisties, and you are going to have a few really hard braking points. Heck, some people have to brake hard that many times a month during their commute!

Tires:
yeah, those get worn faster than the guy going back and forth to work. But again, if you like to go out and hit the twisties once in a while, you are going to eat up your tires. Plus, tires aren't warranty items.

I will maintain that cars that are autocrossed are a LESSER liability to a dealership in terms of warranty repair for several factors:
A.) Most autocrossers take better care of their cars.
B.) Many autocrossers modify thier cars, and don't expect warranty coverage on the replaced parts (of course)
C.) Are better drivers that keep their car out of trouble on the street.

 

When a local dealership replaced my engine under warranty it was towed from the track to the dealership with slicks on it, numbers on the side and harnesses in it. I'm pretty sure they know what i was doing.

 

I hope you didn't have masking tape over your plates just in case they said no? Fair wear and tear on Minis despite usage can be argued til the dish runs away with the spoon--I don't give a rats. But the fact that the mentality to hide ones identity during an auto cross "just in case" might be an embarrassment to the sport. PS you have a great dealer!

 

I do not cover up my tag. i do however have a "loaner" tag holder just for fun.

I just realized that this is an auto X forum. I haven't really done a real auto X. I'm a road course guy and what we do is hard on the cars. One of the service advisors from that dealership is now a regular at VIR.

www.virclub.com

 

Hey look I admire the sport and those who participate. Good on ya. My question is: When I observe an autocross along with my son and he asks me why this individual is putting tape over his license plate, do I tell him that it's James Bond's Mini and Specter may be in the area or do I tell him the truth and open the arena for a plethora of questions? Any thoughts?

 

No, you tell him that some manufacturers actively seek out those who are involved in sanctioned motorsports and void their warranties (check out the Subaru crowd and read what they're going through). Either that or come up with something. You're the parent, so it's your responsibility.

Honestly though I don't see how any MINI dealer can complain. RIGHT ON THE MINIUSA WEBSITE they give Driving / Racing tips...talking about acceleration, braking, heel-toe downshifting - all while using a graphic that clearly shows a helmet on the driver.

 

Thanks for reminding what my parental responsibilities are. I will tell him that the tape is used to hide the truth,and that's always up for discussion. I take it your not a parent.