Practical Reflash Tuning: Warranties
Warranties
01.23
00:00 | - When it comes to modifying or tuning a car, there's always an inherent risk of damaging the engine. |
00:06 | There's a widespread belief in the industry that if a car is new enough, that the factory warranty is still in place, and the tune is modified by reflashing, then the car will still be covered under warranty if an engine failure occurs. |
00:23 | There are multiple stories of exactly this sort of situation where a car was modified and the engine damaged, so the owner returned it to stock and claimed their warranty. |
00:34 | In some cases, this has even worked. |
00:36 | However, other than the obvious deceit involved, it also isn't guaranteed. |
00:43 | While there may be no external signs of modification to the car, every time the ECU is reflashed, a flash counter is incremented inside the ECU. |
00:54 | This means that the manufacturer or service agent can potentially see that the ECU is being modified, and hence void your warranty. |
01:04 | Particularly if they suspect that the vehicle may have been modified, they would have reason to check the flash counter. |
01:12 | Be aware that falsely claiming on your warranty also amounts to fraud, and this may be looked at quite seriously in some countries. |