Hi All,

With all the discussions about the modification, which one will void the warranty and which one will not affect? I know if the parts from MINI will still under their warranty but what about others:

Intake
Exhaust
Drop in Air Filter
Plug wires
Pully
and ???


Thank you

Ultramini

 

>>Hi All,
>>
>>With all the discussions about the modification, which one will void the warranty and which one will not affect? I know if the parts from MINI will still under their warranty but what about others:
>>
>>Intake
>>Exhaust
>>Drop in Air Filter
>>Plug wires
>>Pully
>>and ???

>>Ultramini

Ultramini-
Aloha and welcome to MCO:
You have a big 4 year warranty that covers the car bumper to bumper and excludes certain things that wear out like tires and wipers and such.

If you do mods then those mods are not covered under warranty. Usually an intake is fine since it can be added and removed easily. If you dealer is not hostile to mods (just ask) then you don't have to worry about voiding the entire car's warranty over some small mod. so-
>>Intake- not generally a problem- illegal in California without the right sticker.
>>Exhaust-not generally a problem since it is bolt on and cat-back in most cases and marketed by reputable companies that specialize in aftermarket exhaust systems for MINIs. If you do some radical surgery on your stock system or come up with some extreme custom design and it blows a hole in your stock header then that might not be covered.
>>Drop in Air Filter-Not a problem. Drop all you like. Save your stock one and drop it in before the dealer sees your car for servicing.
>>Plug wires-Not generally a problem- replacement plugs void the warranty for the stock plugs-not the entire engine.
>>Pulley- This is bad- you get to void your MCS supercharger! Be careful. You decide if it is worth the risk- the results are fantastic. Just drive a MCS with the JCW kit installed and see for yourself.
>>and ???
There are tons of other performance mods that can be done for the MCS and MC.
Exhaust Headers with O2 sensors that work and sport Cat. converters
Brake upgrades-slotted/drilled rotors, racing or EBC green brake shoes, Stainless steel brake hoses, Big calipers, racing brake fluid
Suspension upgrades- springs, coil overs, swaybars, control arms, tower braces
Throttlebody- bored out larger
ECU- different for with pulley or without pulley
lightweight flywheel- a big install job and more noise with the upgrade
Limited slip differential- expensive for the part ($900+) and costly to install
Upgraded Radiator
Reworked/finished cylinder head
upgraded intercooler
Short shifter
etc. The list goes on and on. Got an extra $15,000?

I have taken my MCS to my dealer with obvious mods in plain view. Intake, stereo speakers and suspension. I had other warranty work done. No problems from the dealer. But if I had complained about a rattle in the door behind the speaker or a harsh ride on one side then they could say sorry- take it up with the people that did that mod for you.
So you have to take responsibility for your actions as you void the warranty for the part you are replacing. :smile:

 

Heres the real question.

Has anyone ever had mechanical failure that was directly attributed to any of these mods?

I mean has anyone ever melted a piston or burned up a supercharger from adding a 15% pully?

I keep reading how this stuff voids the warranty.

Has anyone ever had their warranty voided or a dealer refuse to work on the car due to mods?

 

Just remember, the burden of proof is on them. Search the Magnuson law. They will need to prove that the failure was a direct result of your modification. Of course your modified component will not be warrantied or touched by the dealer. You may be better off returning to stock any component related to the area of failure before you go to the dealer.(not to decieve them, but to allow the tech to do the work without wondering how the heck to remove/re-install/operate your modification).

 

Punisher,
Bisch really didn't answer your question, but has an exellent point. And I do agree.
However, to answer, in the short time that I've been here, I have NOT heard of anyone with a failure due to mods. If there is a particular one you are interested in you should do a search.
However I do remember someone on MCO that had there MINI in for something major and if I remember right, a hole in the SC. But I think the dealer covered it under warranty, not positive.
Woody