Ok I know there are multiple forums about the warranty and ecu. I have a 08 A6 and my question is if I buy a new ecu and install it and custom tune it and also tune the tcm and say eventually have a problem with the transmission. If I flash everything back to bone stock using hp tuners then reinstall the original ecu will gm know and void my power train warranty? I know they wont know about the ecu but what about the tcm will they know about that? Also how much of a performance increase in the 1/4 mile should i expect off tuning if i ran a 12.25 with just a vararam?

 

bump

 

look at the tune and warranty post....

 

I have looked and still my question is not clearly answered.

 

The real question you should be asking is "If I blow my transmission while drag racing should I expect GM to fix it for me". The answer is no they shouldn't and no they won't if the evidence is there to prove the abuse. A qualified technician won't need a modified calibration to find signs of abuse. Spend a couple of minutes reading the terms and conditions of your warranty.

 

I don't agree. If the new tune made the tranny fail, then I agree with you, GM shouldn't cover it. But if I take my stock car with a stock tune out to the drag strip and the tranny fails, I would expect GM to cover it. The reason? At the drag strip all you do is floor it for a 1/4 mile. That's it. No biggie, the car accelerates the way it was designed to accelerate for about 12 to 13 seconds. That is not very hard on the car. It's no worse than if you were on the street and you floored it for 12 to 13 seconds.

I feel sorry for the people that buy a high performance car and then never floor it and enjoy it. I'm not saying that is you, you most likely enjoy your car to its max.

 

When you flash your tune back to bone stock with HP Tuner, it also flashes the TCM to bone stock too at the same time. Thus when you reinstall the original ecm it will still have that stock tcm tune from when you flashed it before. GM wont know about the ecm or tcm. You should pick up about .15 to .30 depending on how good your custom tune is.

 

It really doesn't matter whether someone agrees or disagrees. The fact is that when you buy the car it comes with a warranty from GM. They set the terms of their warranty. The terms and conditions of that warranty are spelled out fairly clearly and some of that language says "you go race and we no pay"...my words, not theirs but I'm too lazy this morning to go to the garage and go read the warranty. The warranty they gave you is the one you get to live with. I'm pretty sure you don't get to renegotiate those terms on the fly. If you violate the terms of that warranty you should not expect GM to pay when you break your car whether it be because you went racing or whether it is because you modified the stock factory calibration which ultimately resulted in a failed part.

I love to drive my car hard like a lot of us on this forum but the odds are that sooner or later you are going to break something if you frequent the drag strip. Beat on it enough times and and you will break parts sooner or later.

Maybe you'll get lucky trying to fool the dealership...maybe not!

 

If this is true, I wonder why they have a "competition mode" button on the console. I also wonder why GM claims the Z51 option is "Performance-oriented package for the Gymkhana/Autocross enthusiast". I suppose if someone had the time and means they could dispute this. Of course, talking about a bone stock Corvette.

 

Because those features sell cars.

If you have warranty concerns, then you can't afford to race your Vette or tune it's ECM/TCM.

GM is NOT going to cover you if you retune the car and/or break something on a drag strip (BTW, the C6 wasn't necessarily designed to be constantly drag raced). Loss of warranty is the price for modding and/or racing your Vette. Take some personal responsibility and be ready to pay for your fun instead of trying to think of ways to scam GM into financing your fun

 

Page 8 of my warranty guide... "What is not Covered...Misuse of the vehicle such as driving over curbs, overloading, racing or other competition"

Yep it's a performance car...looks like GM has a leg to stand on if you show up at the dealership with your car on a flatbed after a night at the drags though.

Be sure and get those drag radials off and the rubber picked out of the fenderwells before you get there! Also be sure to use some alcohol to get the remants of your dial-in times off the windows/windshield also.

I'm all about having fun with these cars but I think your logic is faulty if you think GM is going to finance your trips down the 1/4.

 

Those were GM's words I quoted, not mine or yours. Spare me the personal responsibility bully pulpit speech too, thanks. If I buy a C6 with the Z51 option, keep it bone stock and autocross it, I think anyone would have a good case for repair under warranty. Ditto for a trip down the drag strip. GM does post "official" 1/4 mile happy times for the C6 and Z06 too.

 

Its your car, do what you like. If you break something on a track or you have aftermarket tuning and you succeed in having warranty work done then consider yourself lucky. Perhaps you should read your warranty:

THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER:
• Damage due to improper installation, negligence, alteration, accident, improper use, or any use related to racing, track or competition. Proper vehicle use is discussed in the vehicle Owner’s
Manual. In addition, coverage does not apply if the odometer has been disconnected or the mileage reading has been altered.
• Damage caused by lack of proper maintenance as described in the vehicle’s original Maintenance Schedule/Owner’s Manual, failure to follow Maintenance Schedule intervals, or failure to use or
maintain proper type and levels of fluid, fuel, oil and lubricants recommended in the Maintenance Schedule/Owner’s Manual. Proof of proper maintenance is the owner’s responsibility. Keep all
receipts and be prepared to make them available if questions arise about maintenance.
• Damage as a result of overheating, contamination or lack of lubrication.
• Damage caused by a turbocharger, supercharger, nitrous oxide, or similar product, which is not an approved GM Performance Part or Accessory.
• Racing engines and / or their components.
• Use of components in excess of maximum torque specification.
• Damage as a result of modification / replacement of torque converter that is part of transmission assembly.
• Loss of time, inconvenience, loss of use, or other economic loss.

Sounds pretty cut and dry to me.

Most who race/tune their Vettes are prepared to pay for mishaps and failures out of pocket (you know, personal responsibility). Its is flat out theft to reflash to stock and attempt to obtain warranty work after you race/modify your car. If you play, be prepared to pay

 

I have a warranty card and already read it, thanks anyways. I stand by my comment about disputing it due to GM's approval and promotion of having features and options on the car clearly meant for racing use.

It may or may not be fraud to reflash your tune back to stock or replacing a ecm, but theft...it certainly is not. I certainly dont think its fraud to pop back your stock tune if you are going in for warranty powertrain work on say a oil pan gasket. I see plenty of folks here with LS2 and LS3 bone stock cars having oil pan gasket leaks. I am certainly not going to pay for a clear cut GM flaw. Breaking half shafts while using DR's could be a different story.

 

Like I said, your car. Do what you want. If your dealer service department lets you slide by and performs warranty work on modded and/or tuned Vettes, then more power to ya

My point is, GM is quite capable of detecting aftermarket tunes. Just ask this GM Service Tech:

http://corvettemechanic.com/forum/c6...detection.html

http://corvettemechanic.com/forum/c6...-pcm-tune.html

To be clear, my only issue on this subject is the total lack of ownership on display here. If you have to ask the warranty question, you probably can't afford to be without one. Conversely, if you have the coin to buy a C6, then be willing to pay as you go if you mod it.

That is all

 

 

 

I never have or never will try to fool the dealership, that's just being dishonest. If I broke my car at the strip I would tell my service advisor about it and let them decide. I think it depends on your service advisor. I asked mine if the warranty was void if I put on headers, he said no, it just makes the car run better. I have to say I was surprised at that response. But if GM got involved in the warranty claim I'm sure any drivetrain issue would be voided due to the headers.

You make an excellent point about what the warranty states. It's just that the way I drive my car at the strip is not hard on the car. If people have manuals and are speed shifting (shifting without lifting off the gas), that's hard on the tranny. But launching off of idle with a stock converter automatic is really easy on the car. No biggie, I just don't care for the people that buy a Vette and then never take the engine over 4000 rpm.

 

Sorry, but for every goofy thing I hear about GM detecting your tunes,
there are others with hard proof who never had a GM dealer being able to detect their change of tunes back to stock. Not to mention, there are other threads here (and confirmed by GM techs here and on HP Tuner forums too ) that put to rest that of bookmarks, odometers and flash counters in the C6 ecms.

 

Are you on crack?

Have you ever been to a drag strip?

First off, the staging area before the light tree is caked with rubber from previous burnouts to warm tires, secondly they sometimes flame the staging area to warm the pavement, third they sometimes spray glue. All this to help the tires hook up.

I've never ran a car on the strip, but have raced my nitrous-VROD many times.

My point is, there's a huge difference between the surface of the street and track. Yeah, those tires are gonna stick on the strip and all that torque is going to the tranny.