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stage 2, custom pulley, self install; how's mty warranty??

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Old 09-17-2008, 03:22 PM
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stage 2, custom pulley, self install; how's mty warranty??

I want to go stage 2 after the winter, when the weather warms up and i've saved up some $$. after reading the how-to's both on this site from members and from automags, i have a few questions....

I've read about the custom pulley and hubs people put on so they can swap diff size pulleys on the fly... cool!! i'm not looking to go below 2.8, then i'd have to opt for a cobra heat exchanger, higher flow intercooler, water/meth, some cooling mod etc. etc. (all doable, but those mods are like stage 2 in regards to my question of affecting the warranty)

now, to save $$ on install, plus for the sense of accomplishment (i'm going to school to be an auto tech) I want to install this myself and get the stage 2 tune from GM or, custom tune if it's feasable. However, I hear that they won't honor my warranty on my car (5yr-100k mikes on an '07, the warranty is up April something, 2012 or in 79k miles!) that's a great warranty i don't wanna mess it up. the magnuson moss act protects us from mods... i tried reading it and the legal jargon scrambles my brain a bit, any1 able to help clear that up for me in laymen's terms??

so my question is... which will kill/does kill my warranty:
1] having a diff pulley (probably does)
2] installing myself (unsure?)
3] custom tune? (unsure)
4] using GM Performance Parts vs. using custom injectors and pulley? (pretty sure it does)

and on average, how well is the dealer able to deal with custom installs/tunes/parts? i know every dealer is different, but how should i go about doing this? am I going to get an easy answer of "do it all via gm or else" like i'm afraid of? t.i.a.
Old 09-17-2008, 03:35 PM
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gmpp wont void warrenty... the first 3... deffinate void...
Old 09-17-2008, 03:57 PM
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gm can void your warranty even if the car is stock. all they need is evidence of "abuse" (racing, burnouts, etc)

alot also depends on how cool your dealership is with you. i've gotten stuff warrantied that probly shouldnt have been. (pcm, fried wires, etc. from my own tuning / mods. grenaded tranny probly from the drag strip.)
Old 09-17-2008, 04:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Bika
gm can void your warranty even if the car is stock. all they need is evidence of "abuse" (racing, burnouts, etc)

alot also depends on how cool your dealership is with you. i've gotten stuff warrantied that probly shouldnt have been. (pcm, fried wires, etc. from my own tuning / mods. grenaded tranny probly from the drag strip.)
this man speaks the unfortunate but almighty powerful truth.
Old 09-17-2008, 06:47 PM
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im going to the dealership on weds.to get my tranny fixed and im pretty modded, they said no problem as long as there is nothing major that would cause the tranny to go.


"A dealership can not void any vehicle warrenty unless they can prove that the modifaction done to your vehicle caused the malfunction of the part that is to be warrented."

or just look up MAGSON MOSS WARRENTY FOR DUMMIES
Old 09-17-2008, 06:58 PM
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the Magnuson-Moss warranty act isnt a free pass for you to do whatever you want to your car and then tell the dealership it didnt cause the problem and they have to prove it. The burden of proof is basically just reasonable suspicion. if it is reasonably possible that a modification caused a part to fail, you're screwed. you cant possibly prove otherwise Unless the part is known to be defective in other stock vehicles,

ie: if a car has an aftermarket tune and any part of the powertrain fails, there is reasonable belief that the tune could have caused a failure. stock parts are NOT warrantied beyond stock power levels. since the tune is meant to increase performance, it is a possible cause of said engine/transmission failure.

however, if your left rear strut falls apart and you have an aftermarket ecu tune, but the suspension is bone stock, you're getting a new strut under warranty
Old 09-17-2008, 07:03 PM
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Originally Posted by SprChrg4Life
I want to go stage 2 after the winter, when the weather warms up and i've saved up some $$. after reading the how-to's both on this site from members and from automags, i have a few questions....

I've read about the custom pulley and hubs people put on so they can swap diff size pulleys on the fly... cool!! i'm not looking to go below 2.8, then i'd have to opt for a cobra heat exchanger, higher flow intercooler, water/meth, some cooling mod etc. etc. (all doable, but those mods are like stage 2 in regards to my question of affecting the warranty)

now, to save $$ on install, plus for the sense of accomplishment (i'm going to school to be an auto tech) I want to install this myself and get the stage 2 tune from GM or, custom tune if it's feasable. However, I hear that they won't honor my warranty on my car (5yr-100k mikes on an '07, the warranty is up April something, 2012 or in 79k miles!) that's a great warranty i don't wanna mess it up. the magnuson moss act protects us from mods... i tried reading it and the legal jargon scrambles my brain a bit, any1 able to help clear that up for me in laymen's terms??

so my question is... which will kill/does kill my warranty:
1] having a diff pulley (probably does)
2] installing myself (unsure?)
3] custom tune? (unsure)
4] using GM Performance Parts vs. using custom injectors and pulley? (pretty sure it does)

and on average, how well is the dealer able to deal with custom installs/tunes/parts? i know every dealer is different, but how should i go about doing this? am I going to get an easy answer of "do it all via gm or else" like i'm afraid of? t.i.a.
Just to be clear, you cannot just go buy the tune from GM. You need to buy it as part of the Stage 1 or Stage 2 kit. You can get just the tune from someone with HP Tuners though (but you still pay to register your car).
Old 09-17-2008, 07:05 PM
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Originally Posted by chevysssc
im going to the dealership on weds.to get my tranny fixed and im pretty modded, they said no problem as long as there is nothing major that would cause the tranny to go.


"A dealership can not void any vehicle warrenty unless they can prove that the modifaction done to your vehicle caused the malfunction of the part that is to be warrented."

or just look up MAGSON MOSS WARRENTY FOR DUMMIES
they can tell you to shove that MAGNUSON MOSS WARRENTY ACT up your ass. They claim abuse on a BONE stock car and you're done. What do you think they will say about a modded car?

Originally Posted by Bika
the Magnuson-Moss warranty act isnt a free pass for you to do whatever you want to your car and then tell the dealership it didnt cause the problem and they have to prove it. The burden of proof is basically just reasonable suspicion. if it is reasonably possible that a modification caused a part to fail, you're screwed. you cant possibly prove otherwise Unless the part is known to be defective in other stock vehicles,

ie: if a car has an aftermarket tune and any part of the powertrain fails, there is reasonable belief that the tune could have caused a failure. stock parts are NOT warrantied beyond stock power levels. since the tune is meant to increase performance, it is a possible cause of said engine/transmission failure.

however, if your left rear strut falls apart and you have an aftermarket ecu tune, but the suspension is bone stock, you're getting a new strut under warranty
damn, someone should pay this man for being so right.

Last edited by ralliartist; 09-17-2008 at 07:05 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Old 09-17-2008, 07:25 PM
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If you want the warranty, stick with the stage 2, and swap your pullies back the morning before you take it in. I'm in the same boat, I've got 5 years and/or 90k before my warranty is up, but i want 2.7/meth/tune etc but I'm gonna go with a stage 2 until i get closer to my warranty end.

ALso, if you go with s2, don't go below a 2.9. The 42lbers are at like 119% IDC's with a 2.9 alone, anything less and your car won't be around to have a warranty.
Old 09-17-2008, 07:33 PM
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warrantys... the good and the bad

thanks for the heads up every1. i'd understand why people mod their cars 05-06 cuz of the warranty being shorter at 3yr-36k miles, but i have an 07 with, as most but not every1 knows, the 5yr-100k mile warranty on my powertrain. i guess i should utilize it.

if i may ask, what would most of you believe to be the best warranty-abiding mods i can do? aka, the ones i don't have to worry about since they aren't dangerous, and are removable/replaceable?? and if i did stage 2 through gm, what other mods could i do within the realm of the stage 2 flash? i guess i could do a cai (via airbox mod) smaller pulley and high flow exhaust, since i won't be maxxing out the stock injectors on the stock pcm. (i hear some people get a lean code after installing a cai due to higher airflow and being unable to keep up with the flowrate!)

my problem with the stage 2 tune is that if i wanted a smaller pully i would have to do that after i get gm to install theirs. i am capable of doing so, and i could always put the stock pulley back i guess. any/all suggestions would be helpful. seriously considering water/meth injection after stage 2 as well...
Old 09-17-2008, 07:55 PM
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they WILL void your warranty no matter what bullshit you have. Even if you have all GMPP stuff, all they got to do is say abuse.

Your best bet is to mod your car the way you want and not beat the ******* **** out of it. That way if you have to take it in for some MINOR warranty work, then it's covered. But if you ever have to take it in for something serious, and you have been beating on your car (stock or modded) then you are pretty much screwed. The warranty isn't there for you to race your car. The warranty if for defective parts.
Old 09-17-2008, 07:57 PM
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ahh, i missed a few posts i see. yea, smaller than 2.9 is probably crazy for my application, which is just street use, aka vtec roasting heh heh. i guess i can't shoot for the stars if i've never reached the moon yet, considering i'm pretty happy with my car right now anyways (i can finally launch without wheelhop, horray to custom-filled mounts!) though, it'd be nice to get a bit more power.

ralliartist, i was inspired to mod my car from your post i read a while back! i appreciate your feedback, you took the approach to modding your car that makes sense to me. every1 wants huge turbos, high flow exhaust... but what about keeping the air charge cool?? or keeping the tires on the ground??

i will be looking forward to the spring when my bond is able to be tapped ill have a few bucks to play with looks like stage 2 ftw. i can then go from there... thanks every1

p.s. i don't beat my car, i just drive spirited. no 4k launchs or uber downshifting, just fun
Old 09-17-2008, 08:05 PM
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Originally Posted by SprChrg4Life
ahh, i missed a few posts i see. yea, smaller than 2.9 is probably crazy for my application, which is just street use, aka vtec roasting heh heh. i guess i can't shoot for the stars if i've never reached the moon yet, considering i'm pretty happy with my car right now anyways (i can finally launch without wheelhop, horray to custom-filled mounts!) though, it'd be nice to get a bit more power.

ralliartist, i was inspired to mod my car from your post i read a while back! i appreciate your feedback, you took the approach to modding your car that makes sense to me. every1 wants huge turbos, high flow exhaust... but what about keeping the air charge cool?? or keeping the tires on the ground??

i will be looking forward to the spring when my bond is able to be tapped ill have a few bucks to play with looks like stage 2 ftw. i can then go from there... thanks every1

p.s. i don't beat my car, i just drive spirited. no 4k launchs or uber downshifting, just fun
I think you'll be just fine then.
Old 09-17-2008, 08:13 PM
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Old 09-17-2008, 10:48 PM
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Originally Posted by SprChrg4Life
thanks for the heads up every1. i'd understand why people mod their cars 05-06 cuz of the warranty being shorter at 3yr-36k miles, but i have an 07 with, as most but not every1 knows, the 5yr-100k mile warranty on my powertrain. i guess i should utilize it.
05 -06's have a 5/60k mile powertrain warranty , most people don't realize this.
Old 09-17-2008, 10:57 PM
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Originally Posted by ShortStack
gmpp wont void warrenty... the first 3... deffinate void...
Installing it yourself will not void anything. Who cares if they do anyways, then you can do what you want.
Old 09-17-2008, 11:05 PM
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yeaaaa but, i spent a lot of money (to me, anyways; im a full time college student waiting tables) to get this car. having a warranty is a great thing, i'd hate to do the work myself just to save $$ on labor (about $300) and void out anything regarding to my supercharger and/or engine block. just was curious if i could do it and keep my warranty.
Old 09-17-2008, 11:08 PM
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I did my stage two myself, custom tuned. the damn pulley said ZZPerformance right on it, and it was polished. My warranty was expired, yet they STILL put my parts under warranty.

you should be golden if not, go back to stock. I did the whole stage two for $500.
Old 09-17-2008, 11:49 PM
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hahahah ^^^^ that's excellent. ya see though i have an 07 and if my **** breaks @ 90k, and i love this car i see myself with it til then, im still under warranty and i don't want any bullshit. im sure it won't blow up, but if it does im covered.

would it be a good idea to ask my dealship what i can/can't do? or does that put up a red flag and let them know i'm a modding young adult who fits the 'most likely to blow their **** up' category?

as for going back to stock, if i 1) self install and 2) custom tune, that'll make it hard to go back to stock without getting custom retuned back to stock which is then more $$$$.

i just found out today there is a chevy dealership nearby me that specializes in gmpp installs and parts, RAMP Chevy in medford, NY on LI. (not sure if any of you are from LI) so i'll give them a holler and see what's doable. cool thing, kinda, is they're a bunch of jackasses over there and i normally would never service my car there. they're rude on the phone, and not very personable when i was car hunting when i went there. but a lot of chevy guys with old camaros and such that i know from school along with my father's friends (he has a c6 vette and a few friends do) love the dealership. i dunno, i'll do some research.

i was thinking, i'll call their bluff and tell em i already installed it and need the tune and ask how it affects my warranty. if they say screw you, you no longer have a warranty then i know i can't do it myself. i'd then go back there when i want to do it and it won't matter i lied, i'll just say it was a friend's car, or ill ask genuinely about the stage 2 self-install at my regular dealership... great guys there, i had my engine power reduced problem taken care of there, and they let me in the shop to show me what they did and how my old TB was f'ed up.

i'd go to the RAMP gmpp specialist dealership first because i don't know of any dealerships willing to do stage 2 on my car, i looked into it at a few other dealerships they don't even want to warranty it! they HAVE to, GM does, perhaps they just don't like to, who knows... is that fucked up or what? to tell me they don't want to do it and that my warranty is gone?! at my place, i just don't think they do much, if any gmpp work because i inquired about stage 2 once b4 to the same tech who has worked on my car that time, said they don't really 'do that kind of stuff here'... i'll ask again sometime when im serious.

what's the best way to find gmpp specialist dealerships??

Last edited by SprChrg4Life; 09-17-2008 at 11:54 PM. Reason: some of my sentences didn't make any sense lol.
Old 09-18-2008, 08:16 AM
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sorry, I can't help you on anything gmpp warranty related as I don't know much about, hopefully someone else will chime in.
Old 09-18-2008, 12:52 PM
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i kinda wish i only had a 3yr-36k warranty. then when it was up it wouldn't matter and i could mod away. i'll be conservative til it's up, then if it's shot i can rebore and get new pistons if i'm skeptical. thanks every1 for ur help
Old 09-18-2008, 02:45 PM
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it's funny, I have the 5 yr 100K mile warranty and mine is an 06. Anyone wanna guess how?
Old 09-20-2008, 01:42 AM
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how do you pull ^^^ off????
Old 09-22-2008, 03:43 PM
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Originally Posted by ralliartist
they can tell you to shove that MAGNUSON MOSS WARRENTY ACT up your ass. They claim abuse on a BONE stock car and you're done. What do you think they will say about a modded car?

"Originally Posted by Bika
the Magnuson-Moss warranty act isnt a free pass for you to do whatever you want to your car and then tell the dealership it didnt cause the problem and they have to prove it. The burden of proof is basically just reasonable suspicion. if it is reasonably possible that a modification caused a part to fail, you're screwed. you cant possibly prove otherwise Unless the part is known to be defective in other stock vehicles,

ie: if a car has an aftermarket tune and any part of the powertrain fails, there is reasonable belief that the tune could have caused a failure. stock parts are NOT warrantied beyond stock power levels. since the tune is meant to increase performance, it is a possible cause of said engine/transmission failure.

however, if your left rear strut falls apart and you have an aftermarket ecu tune, but the suspension is bone stock, you're getting a new strut under warranty"

damn, someone should pay this man for being so right.

I accept paypal, money orders, and cold hard cash
Old 09-22-2008, 04:54 PM
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Originally Posted by SprChrg4Life
how do you pull ^^^ off????
Brand new still on the lot in March of '07. So I picked it up for 19,000 brand new and they went ahead and gave me the 5yr/100,000mile warranty to boot. They just wanted to get it off the lot, they already had a bunch of '07s.

Had I got an 07, it would have been around 22-24K. So I definitely saved money.


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