172 Tuning - Warranty Friendly....

[jetsetjimbo]

Just wondering what you can get away with modding / changing if you want to keep the Renault warranty in tact.... I guess the answer is probably very little but I was wondering all the same.

Thanks

 

[DingDong]

Probably just a replacement air filter

 

[telford_mike]

Silvervision bulbs?

 

[DingDong]

hehe, yeah and those


Most of the cosmetic stuff doesnt effect the waranty. Like lexus lights, alloys, colour coding.

Im also having mine lowered and fitting a utopia spoiler, maybe renault wont like that, but if u really wanted u could argue it with them. I doubt it would void the whole warrenty, just the dampers if i used lowered springs for example.

 

[jetsetjimbo]

I take it a back box would be totally out.... what about if I asked renault to fit it?

 

[BenR]

nope.

But if your willing enough, you can get away with internal mods as long as hey have no reason to start taking it apart.

 

[Rich-D]

Depends on the indivisual dealer really, as some will be complete @rses and not allow a thing, yet others will be more "flexible" and allow certain stuff.

One good thing about Peugeot was that they do allow some mods and wont invalidate the warranty, so when I had my 106 & 306 I was ok with the stuff Id done. My mates GTi-6 has zorst, filter, chip, cams, etc.. yet still warrantied!

Need to enquire at my local dealer and see what I can get away with...

 

[jetsetjimbo]

As far as internal mods go, wouldnt they notice anything (any difference in power...) when they hook it upto a computer when they service it or something? I really wouldnt know you see....

I guess haveing the head flowed or something like that would be pretty stealthy - what sort of power gain would that bring?

Thanks

 

[BenR]

Everybody always asks me this when i get asked to do a head for them.

Its very very hard to say it will give X amount of bhp.

What you will get is a definite increase in BHP and torque through the entire rev range. But if you want me to put a finger on it, i would say roughly 190bhp if i were to do the inlet manifold along with it, possibly a tad more.

 

[jetsetjimbo]

Would it be instantly noticable to servicing staff at a dealership if the head was flowed.

 

[Rich-D]

Quote: Originally posted by jetsetjimbo on 29 August 2003

Would it be instantly noticable to servicing staff at a dealership if the head was flowed.

Not unless they pulled the engine to bits...

 

[BenR]

nope, they wouldnt know, i doubt they would know what a std head looks like inside the port.

 

[visceral]

whats the crack with this warranty stuff anyway???

Do the dealers get a bonus for spotting warranty invalidating mods? Surely they get paid by Reno for warranty repairs, are they not cutting their own throats refusing warranty work????

 

[BenR]

nope, it just means if they can refuse a warrenty claim, then they save money. simple.

 

[KDF]

At the end of the day you cant really blame your dealer if something goes wrong and you have modified a bit close to or directly related to the faulty part and they wont fix it.

 

[visceral]

but the dealers get paid by reno for the warranty work they do???

surely its in there interest to grab as much as they can - or am I missing the point?

 

[BenR]

no, they are subsidised......and they have to prove their claims.

 

[visceral]

I am sure they could prove a claim without disclosing modifications?

so the dealers are required, in effect, to bear some of the cost of the warranty work, by working at a "cheaper" warranty work rate?

 

[BenR]

Big items like gearboxes, engines, looms etc etc you have to ask the facotry how much they will subsidise you.

THey cant just keep slapping stuff on.

Little things like sensors aint a problem, its the first thing we swap on our cars, TDC sensors are replaced almost all the time!

 

[BrynO]

A main dealer I use told me that they are not keen on doing warrenty work as sometimes what they are paid for some job does not make it worth their while (guess that means the time scheduled by the maker is not actually sufficient for the job), wasnt a Reno dealer, but probably same situation with Reno.

 

[visceral]

Think mine needs a new clutch .

intermittant fault, so that means the garage are gonna need to observe it before doing anything, then beg reno for some money!

Bummer!

 

[Rich-D]

I met another local lad with a Cup today (there goes my exclusivity) and he has 17s and an induction kit, but he asked before he got them and our local dealer aint bothered about stuff like this...