Do remaps void warranty?

Blackhawk47 · 4 Mar 2012 at 18:40

Just a quick question. As I have read all sorts of different things on various websites such as:

Some dealers are fine with it and some aren't
When the vehicle comes in for a service at a dealer, they wipe/reset the ecu to standard settings before working on the car
Some remap companies do a tuning box where you can switch between standard and the remap (?)
Whats the deal with insurance and how much more is likely to cost (if any more expensive)

I know there are a few members on here with remaps so I'm just putting it out there.

Kenai · 4 Mar 2012 at 18:44

Regarding insurance, it's whether you want to take the risks. Some people will say nothing and hope it never gets checked.

As for how much it would cost if you mentioned it - depends, as simple as that. Admiral for example, won't insure me at all on any remap beyond a 25% increase in power. When virtually all remaps go from 150 to 200+ for my car, that leaves me stuck

Blackhawk47 · 4 Mar 2012 at 18:48

For reference, this is what I've seen posted on A1 forums. On paper, the gains look good to me.

http://www.more-bhp.com/a2/audi-a1-14-tfsi-122-tuner-protected-remap.html

Kenai · 4 Mar 2012 at 18:54

I'd be interested to see their power curves, just looked at the Golfs out of interest and they reckon they can get 229bhp out of an engine Revo will get 210bhp from! That's pretty extreme for this engine, so i'd maybe take their figures with a pinch of salt.

Liquidfox · 4 Mar 2012 at 19:39

Some remaps are fine with warranties. Such as Mountune for the Focus ST and RS, or Thorney for Vauxhall.

rodenal · 4 Mar 2012 at 19:42

Odd that admiral wont insure you over 25bhp as that's who I'm with at the minute with a theoretical 40bhp increase. with regards to cost generally if I out in a quote without and a quote with the map there is an increase of between 40 and a few hundred quid with the mainstream companies, zero with greenlight or flux etc. With a past car admiral/elephant (can't remember which one but sane company anyway) wanted 100 to change to a map part way through so it could be wise to time it for when you're changing companies

Matt82 · 4 Mar 2012 at 20:04

I wouldn't worry yourself about it that much, bhp is just a sum

Kenai · 4 Mar 2012 at 20:10

rodenal said:
Odd that admiral wont insure you over 25bhp as that's who I'm with at the minute with a theoretical 40bhp increase. with regards to cost generally if I out in a quote without and a quote with the map there is an increase of between 40 and a few hundred quid with the mainstream companies, zero with greenlight or flux etc. With a past car admiral/elephant (can't remember which one but sane company anyway) wanted 100 to change to a map part way through so it could be wise to time it for when you're changing companies

25%, not 25bhp, it's something like a 55bhp increase in absolute terms

rodenal · 4 Mar 2012 at 20:24

Ahhh I see, misread though I'm still in theory over that. Who knows!

TripleT · 4 Mar 2012 at 20:34

Is the car second hand? It must have been there when I bought it...!

How do they prove that in the event of a crash? That you fitted it, not the previous owner.

NickXX · 4 Mar 2012 at 20:36

When I was insured with Admiral they wouldn't cover remaps either - only 'chips'. I had them explicitly telling me they didn't cover remaps due to the increased risk over chips.

Morons.

Kenai · 4 Mar 2012 at 20:36

TripleT said:
Is the car second hand? It must have been there when I bought it...!

How do they prove that in the event of a crash? That you fitted it, not the previous owner.

Not their problem, the onus is on you to know what you are insuring is it not?

TripleT · 4 Mar 2012 at 20:43

Kenai said:
Not their problem, the onus is on you to know what you are insuring is it not?

What so if my Dad buys a car such a a Golf GTI he needs to get it on the rollers to check it's not been remap'd otherwise his insurance might be invalid? I don't think he even kows what a remap is!

Kenai · 4 Mar 2012 at 20:47

TripleT said:
What so if my Dad buys a car such a a Golf GTI he needs to get it on the rollers to check it's not been remap'd otherwise his insurance might be invalid? I don't think he even kows what a remap is!

I would imagine his policy documents would say that he is responsible for knowing what he is insuring, I don't think ignorance would be a valid defence. I don't think you need to put a car on rollers to check if it's been mapped. If the software can be modified through a plug inside the car, i'm sure it's not too hard to just read/see it...

MikeHiow · 4 Mar 2012 at 21:44

Liquidfox said:
Thorney for Vauxhall.

Myth.

TMS remaps still invalidate your Vauxhall warranty.

What TMS claim though, is that they'll take up the slack. The trouble comes when Vauxhall won't pay on something and TMS claim it's nothing to do with the remap.

The amount of people left stuck with £5000 worth of melted pistons on Corsa VXRs was a testament to this.

233 · 4 Mar 2012 at 21:48

MikeHiow said:
Myth.

TMS remaps still invalidate your Vauxhall warranty.

What TMS claim though, is that they'll take up the slack. The trouble comes when Vauxhall won't pay on something and TMS claim it's nothing to do with the remap.

The amount of people left stuck with £5000 worth of melted pistons on Corsa VXRs was a testament to this.

tbh a remapped car is no less reliable than a non remapped car unless the map is guff.

oh wait..............

[TW]Fox · 4 Mar 2012 at 22:28

Generally speaking its probably not a good idea to remap a brand new car on a PCP. If they find out it will void the warranty and secondly the car doesn't actually belong to you so it isn't technically yours to modify.

I can't find the link now but there was a chap with a Seat Leon who got into a whole world of pain after taking his modified Leon FR in for a service only to have presumably the dealer itself 'report' him to Seat Financial Services who then terminated his agreement, called the car in and billed him some ridiculous amount. I'll post the link if I can dig it out.

If you want to modify and fiddle then buying a used car is safer than PCPing a new one.

Blackhawk47 · 4 Mar 2012 at 23:23

Though after I have paid everything off surely I could modify it if I so wanted?

I'm not rushing into anything and of course not doing it if illegal/void etc - just the figures they quote are tempting.

[TW]Fox · 4 Mar 2012 at 23:27

Blackhawk47 said:
Though after I have paid everything off surely I could modify it if I so wanted?

After you've settled the agreement in full and they've transferred title to you then the car is yours and you can do whatever you want with it, of course. But whilst the agreement is still active it isnt your car and tuning it up might be best left until you decide to buy it from them.

Though the warranty implications still apply.

Liquidfox · 4 Mar 2012 at 23:59

MikeHiow said:
Myth.

TMS remaps still invalidate your Vauxhall warranty.

What TMS claim though, is that they'll take up the slack. The trouble comes when Vauxhall won't pay on something and TMS claim it's nothing to do with the remap.

The amount of people left stuck with £5000 worth of melted pistons on Corsa VXRs was a testament to this.

I always thought since it was it was done at Vauxhall garages, it was covered. Oh well.

At least with Mountune it definitely was, it was even a factory fitted optional extra