I was over at my dealer yesterday and over heard someone who was arguing with the service manager, who was denying service to this guy because his C6 apparently had a aftermarket tune on it and the dealer didn't want to touch the car. Some of the things I over heard was warranty voided out??

Is this true, how are you covered under warranty getting around this and still having a tune on your C6?

I was over at my dealer yesterday and over heard someone who was arguing with the service manager, who was denying service to this guy because his C6 apparently had a aftermarket tune on it and the dealer didn't want to touch the car. Some of the things I over heard was warranty voided out??

Is this true, how are you covered under warranty getting around this and still having a tune on your C6?

If GM finds an aftermarket tune (and they are instructed to look, and if they look I promise you they will find it) it will void your Powertrain warranty. GM has adopted a very strict position on aftermarket tunes. If your car has anything but the factory calibrations and they find it, kiss your powertrain warranty goodbye. Real simple, you want to play, you have to be prepared to pay.

Here is an excerpt from GM's instructions to dealers on aftermarket tunes:

Here is GM's official position on aftermarket software changes.

#PIP4386: Identifying Aftermarket Engine Calibrations - 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.8 3.9 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.6 4.8 5.0 5.3 5.7 6.0 6.2 7.0 7.4 8.1 - (Apr 8, 2008)


Subject: Identifying Aftermarket Engine Calibrations


Models: 2005-2009 GM Passenger Cars and Light Duty Trucks

except Pontiac Vibe, Chevy Aveo, and All Saab Models




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.

Condition/Concern:
A dealer may have the need to verify engine calibrations. If a dealer feels an aftermarket power-up calibration has induced engine and/or drive train damage, there is now a way to verify what calibration is currently in the vehicle.

If a suspicious hard part failure is observed in the engine, transmission, transfer case, or driveline, perform the calibration verification described to determine if a non GM issued engine calibration is installed. Non GM issued engine calibrations subject driveline components to stresses different than those that these components were validated to. Repairs to transmission, transfer case and / or other driveline components where a non GM engine calibration has been verified, are not covered under the terms of the New Vehicle Warranty.

Recommendation/Instructions:
Instructions for confirming Calibration Verification Number (CVN)
• Go to TIS2WEB

• Select Calibration Information (SPS Info)

• Enter VIN

• Select "Get Cal ID"

• Select ECM Engine Control Module

• Hit "next"

• Select "Complete History"

• Print

Take Printout to Vehicle along with Tech II
• Plug in Tech II

• Go to diagnostics and build the vehicle

• Select Powertrain

• Select the engine

• Select F0 - Engine Control Module

• Select F4/F5 - I/M information System / Module ID information*

• Select F1

• Compare the calibration ID and Calibration Verification Numbers (CVN) to the Calibration Verification Numbers (CVN) on the printout.

* This step may vary by controller; use the Module ID Information in the Engine Controls.

Although the part numbers will be the same for each, it's the CVN that will determine if the calibration is GM issued.

If ALL of the CVN's are EXACTLY the same, the calibration is GM issued.

If the part numbers match and ANY calibration verification numbers (CVN's) do not match the printout, it is likely that a non GM certified calibration has been installed.

In order to document the case - a CLEAR digital picture should be taken of the TECH 2 screen showing the VIN and the CVN's that do not match the TIS2WEB printout. The picture and a PDF copy of the TIS2WEB printout should be forwarded to ***email edited***@GM.com for verification along with the VIN and the reason the vehicle is currently in for service. Please copy your GM Area Service Manager (DVM/DSM) on the e-mail. GM will verify if the CVN's are not GM issued and respond via e-mail within 48 hours.

If both the Part numbers and the CVN are different, photograph the part numbers and CVN's on the tech 2 screen as described above, assuring the VIN shows clearly in the photograph of the TECH2 screen, and check to see if the vehicle has the latest released calibration. If the latest released calibration is not installed in the vehicle, the part numbers will not match , and the CVN's won't either. E- mail the original Part Numbers and CVN's found in the vehicle on the TECH 2 to: ***email edited out ***@GM.com to check if the calibration and CVN matches a previous release. Recalibrate with the latest released cal and re-check against the part numbers and CVN's that are released.


Please follow this diagnostic or repair process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is resolved without completing every step, the remaining steps do not need to be performed.

I'm also going to go so far and anticipate the next question which would be "why would GM void my warranty if they find an aftermarket tune."

My reply is:

The power train as an example is an "engineered system". There are several related components that are designed to operate in concert with each other under a given set of specifications.

In theory, the Corvette engineer that worked on that system tested it for all conditions up to and including current power and some percentage over. These calculations are done to help them understand failure rates and how they need to apply a margin of safety for their warranty and liability. For the manufacturer and in a perfect world, mean time between failures will always fall outside of 5 years and 100,000 miles. but not more than five years and one day and 100,001 miles. Then they have engineered it "just right" without a lot of extra cost. Now, this is an exaggeration but it will serve to illustrate my point.

Operating this "system" outside of that top end power range as an example will put these limits at risk and put GM in a position of having to pay for warranty work and parts that they aren't liable for because they did fail prematurely due to design, manufacturing or workmanship issues. For example, put a supercharger on and don't make any other modifications to the stock drivetrain you are just putting those other components at greater stress and risk of fatigue and failure. Other issues regarding workmanship and frankly, safety in terms of poor workmanship, inherant reliability and catastrophic failures caused by these items leaves them wanting to take a hardline against warranties for someone elses problems.

Jim spoke to dealer friend last year who was telling him some dealerships are more strick and others not as strick.

Depends on who you know...when my car was under warrenty my guy didn't even note that I had twin turbo's..

Depends on what you are trying to warranty:
If it's engine related it is possible they will deny warranty. Dealership dependant.

If it's non-powertrain warranty, I think they would have a hard time denying warranty on your A/C system if you had a CAI on the car.

All depends on whether you are trying to "slip one by" them or whether you will be up-front and honest from the get-go.

There are a LOT of threads about this but GM is taking a harder line on the aftermarket than they have previously. I can only assume it is because of the economic state of GM itself. Anything they can legitimately do to deny warranty claims will save them $$.

I'd go to another dealer

A lot of big repairs have to be authorized by GM, not the dealer. The dealer can let you fly but probably wouldn't get reimbursed by GM or be in trouble if they said an aftermarket tune wasnt' installed when they knew it was.

Unfortunately a dealer won't put it in writing that he will still cover the warranty on a modded car. When it comes down to him or you paying, you'll be stuck with the bill and a statement saying he never told you they would cover it.

Depends on who you know...when my car was under warrenty my guy didn't even note that I had twin turbo's..

:rofl: How did they not notice that? :eek2:

Good info here guys, thanks for sharing....

[QUOTE=talon90;164122]I'm also going to go so far and anticipate the next question which would be "why would GM void my warranty if they find an aftermarket tune."

My reply is:

The power train as an example is an "engineered system". There are several related components that are designed to operate in concert with each other under a given set of specifications.....[/ Partial QUOTE]

While I agree with talon90, it is more because of GM's financial condition than that all mods put the powertrain beyond its limits. After all this is supposed to be a performance car and a tune will add 25 or 30 hp at most. Although not sanctioned by Ford, Mustangs routinely have 700 to 800 hp mods to the 5 liter but GM tuners think they are really doing something when they get 550 hp from a 6 liter. I love my Vette but something is wrong with this.

I saw an article in the April 2009 Corvette Fever that stated the Anteros, a car built by N2A Motors based on the 2009 Corvette, can have a 630 hp Lingenfelter engine with the Chevrolet 100,000-mile powertrain warranty completely intact. Seems like 630 hp would be just a little outside the design parameters of the powertrain. How can this be done if an additional30 hp is a strain?

:rofl: How did they not notice that? :eek2:

They did..my point was every dealer and your relationship has a lot to do with what you can get away with....my dealer is super cool and I am friends with the Corvette Mechanic.

They did..my point was every dealer and your relationship has a lot to do with what you can get away with....my dealer is super cool and I am friends with the Corvette Mechanic.

Thats what you need to do is get in good with your dealer and then you can get away with some modding and still get warranteed.

The age old question. If you are worried about this I just tell people "don't mod"

The age old question. If you are worried about this I just tell people "don't mod"

:iagree: If you are concerned about losing your warranty, then you probably can't afford to be without one.

My advice is if you want to mod, save your cash and take your car to Lingenfelter, Katech or Callaway and have the mods installed professionally (and with a warranty on the work to boot:thumbsup: ).

I guess all this is, well, saddening. The Corvette out of the box is a great car, but it is hardly perfect. Doing a "tune" is often little more than optimizing performance for this car. If you have mods like headers, CAI, or cat backs, basically you are improving the efficiency of your motor - with a resultant improvement in performance. I can see some justification in the stance Talon 90 quotes for those circumstances where blowers are added, cams, heads, etc. But things like headers, exhaust, and CAI's hardly are more than efficiency issues. Interestingly, I understand there are GM heads and intakes (I believe they are off a Cadilac) that increase an LS2's HP and torque (kind of like a FAST but for lots less money), and it sounds like that, too, is not allowed, yet it is a standard GM part. ?Are our cars really that fragile - I rather doubt it. :yoda:

I guess all this is, well, saddening. The Corvette out of the box is a great car, but it is hardly perfect. Doing a "tune" is often little more than optimizing performance for this car. If you have mods like headers, CAI, or cat backs, basically you are improving the efficiency of your motor - with a resultant improvement in performance. I can see some justification in the stance Talon 90 quotes for those circumstances where blowers are added, cams, heads, etc. But things like headers, exhaust, and CAI's hardly are more than efficiency issues. Interestingly, I understand there are GM heads and intakes (I believe they are off a Cadilac) that increase an LS2's HP and torque (kind of like a FAST but for lots less money), and it sounds like that, too, is not allowed, yet it is a standard GM part. ?Are our cars really that fragile - I rather doubt it. :yoda:

Listening to you (and most any other enthusiast) you would think a C6 Corvette is slow and underpowered. Of course that all depends on how you use your Vette.

That said, Vettes don't roll out of Bowling Green with CAIs, headers and loud exhausts (save the NPP) because gov't restrictions, piece cost, marketing, safety, etc. prevent GM from building them that way. Most of us wouldn't be able to afford a Vette if they came out of the factory with the equipment you would want to see the built with (can you say ZR1?)

Most Vette owners want the car just the way it is built.

Additionally, a C6 is far from a fragile car. For every tuner that knows what they are doing and can tune your car as well as the engineers that developed the original tune there are 100 that will totally scramble a $15,000 engine. GM is making it tougher to tune these cars because they are hemorraging money over warranty claims that can be traced directly to aftermarket tuning. Mind you, its mostly the Duramax crowd grenading engines, but I am sure there are a few LSx motors being ruined by a bad tune:doh:

IMHO, GM didn't leave THAT much HP on the table. I'd venture to say that most who desire to increase HP don't do it for the right reasons. "The right reasons" are relative of course:smilielol5:

A high performance driving school would show most enthusiats/owners just how much 400-638 HP really is when used right.

The first mod should always be the driver :thumbsup3: