Warranty Q's for service managers

[WI88XJ]

I have an '04 Silverado (Z71) that I tow my cherokee with 5 or 6 times a year. It has the 5.3 with the 4L60E auto.

It has a factory trans cooler but I added a Summit deep trans pan. It's finned aluminum and has 3 extra quart cap.

My question is:

Will adding that aftermarket pan void my extended warranty?

I asked 3 different dealerships and I got 3 1/2 different answers.

Any service managers want to take a swing at the Q?

 

[souske]

It shouldnt. I would take a look at SEMA's web site, I seem to remember them having some kind of regulation about non-factory parts that dont change performance.

Like denying warranty claims for using non dealer filters and such.

 

[old_man]

Magnuson Moss Act (sp?)

 

[ChiXJeff]

Yes, Magnusson-Moss Act.

The gist of this Act is that the warranty provider has to be able to show that the modification caused the problem. Adding a deep transmission pan should not void warranty coverage for, say, a radio problem. It wouldn't surprise me to see warranty coverage denied for the transmission as a whole, though, after adding a deep pan, as the warranty provider really has no way of knowing what else was done when the pan was mounted. For instance, if RTV sealant was used on the pan improperly, those funny little globules could plug up internal passages in the transmission.

Having said that, good freakin' luck with it. GummintMotors has a whole fleet of lawyers who are a lot better compensated than we are to beat stuff like this.

 

[WI88XJ]

Well, crap. I never gave it a thought when I bought the pan that it would screw up my warranty. I figured it would help keep the heat down.

So should I remove it and put the stock pan back on? Or just keep the stock pan in case I do have trouble w/the tranny then put it back on before I take it in?

How about installing a larger trans cooler? Would that affect the warranty too?

 

[ChiXJeff]

Honestly, Steve, at this point, I wouldn't do anything different. Putting the original pan back on after transmission problems develop and I suspect your legal problems could get worse as it could be construed as fraud. A lot of this really does depend on the dealership's service writers and your relationship with them.

Your warranty will be affected by any aftermarket modification, even a larger trans cooler.

The cynic in me says that if you do bring it in for transmission problems that the dealership may zing you for the charges and turn around the charge as warrantied to GM, thus getting paid twice. But that's my cynical side, I've got no way to prove that point of view.

 

[WI88XJ]

I googled the Magnusson-Moss Act and just reading a couple of articles that address the subject it seems that the dealer has to PROVE that the aftermarket part was the cause. Like your reference, Jeff, to the sealer globs getting into the small passages in the valve body. That would kill the warranty but just adding the pan shouldn't.

http://autos.aol.com/article/warranty-and-aftermarket-parts/

http://www.ravelco.com/warrantyfaq.html

http://blog.blackdogspeedshop.com/2011/01/ftc-confirms-magnuson-moss-warranty-act%E2%80%A6using-aftermarket-parts-or-non-dealer-service-does-not-void-your-warranty/

 

[bjoehandley]

Unless there were things floating around in there, I couldn't imagine it causing a problem otherwise, although I've always been under the impression that the 700r4 and 4l60's not as good of a trans as the AW4's in our Jeeps either. How many miles do you have on the truck? Last couple 700r4's we had started having issues at around 160k but weren't used in tow vehicles nor did those trucks even have the power of our Jeeps for that matter.

 

[WI88XJ]

Just hit 68K. Maintained by the dealership I bought it from all it's life. I've had it a year.

All I've read that these are okay for light duty towing as long as you keep them cool.

I drove it to Winterfest with the rig on a trailer and it did just dandy. Not a torque monster but it did the job.

 

[whitexj98]

You say extended warrenty... I worked as a writer for a short time and typicaly after the factory GM warrenty expired a third party handled the extended portion, and they usually had very strict guidlines as to what was and wasnt covered... it also heavily relies on the relationship with the service manager on if they will "fight" for the coverage. It was much easier to push GM warrenty work then extended third party coverage.

 

[souske]

Had a lady come in to the dealer I worked at one time with a blown motor. The aftermarket warranty people wanted to see reciepts for every oil changed since the vehicle was new. Somehow she managed to find them. So they authorized replacement with a JY motor. When the lady found this out, she demanded to see the service history on it. Since none could be found, the warranty company had to buy her a new crate motor.

This was the only time I saw someone not get screwed by an aftermarket warranty company.

 

[WI88XJ]

WhiteXJ
You are correct. The original warranty ran out and I bought an 'extended' warranty thru the dealership but I believe it was from an outside source. 4 years or 40k.


Don't the 3rd party warranties get the Magnusson-Moss Act protection too?

 

[whitexj98]

Whenver some one would ask about coverage for extended warrenty we would direct them to the warrenty provider, because its up to them at that point. Thats who you should go to for the questions.

 

[WI88XJ]

I did.

Stark Chev. The closest I could get the service manager pinned was 'it may or may not be a problem. It depends.'