Cat Back and Warranty

[mojovious]

Not sure if this is the right place for this question but before jumping on a new catback for my new 09 GT I called the dealer to make sure it didn't affect the warranty. The service manager was wishy-washy and non-committal and gave me GM Pontiac's division 800#, so I called. They said they "do not recommend making such a modification" and took the position that any modification like that may void the new car warranty - WTF?

I want to do a couple of conservative mods (Corsa catback, VMS ECM/TCM tune & Pedders Track II) but also want the dealer to honor the warranty.

If the car wasn't so new (1200 miles) I wouldn't worry about it, but you really never know what might require warranty service in the first couple of years.

Do most dealers act like this? :twocents:

[-Ray-]

Some dealers are mod friendly, some are not. My dealership installed my UDP, another installed my Pedders. It's unlikely a cat back system will affect a drive train warranty.
You obviously will lose the exhaust warranty.

[SRG963]

The only warranty the cat back will void would be on the OEM cat back you remove :)

[GRRRR8]

They can not void or give you a hard time about axle/cat-back exhaust systems. All you void is the exhaust warranty as you dont have it on anymore. The cats have not been moved so all emission warranty is intact.

[CanadianEh]

Since this is about exhaust, what does warranty do if you go the next step and put long tube headers on?

[PantherGTBlack]

Since this is about exhaust, what does warranty do if you go the next step and put long tube headers on?

It depends on the dealer from what I've heard, but you might be up shit creek.

[GRRRR8]

Depends on the dealer. Technically, it voids the emissions warranty. Cats have a 8/80 warranty so there would be no reason to have them changed. There location would be moved more then 3 inches also. This is the technical side of it. The reality side of it is I have long tubes and will deal with it when the time comes, but odds are I have modified almost every aspect of the car, so my battle would be with GM, not the dealer. Cars like mine stimulate sales, so how I am the bad guy? :)

[PantherGTBlack]

Depends on the dealer. Technically, it voids the emissions warranty. Cats have a 8/80 warranty so there would be no reason to have them changed. There location would be moved more then 3 inches also. This is the technical side of it. The reality side of it is I have long tubes and will deal with it when the time comes, but odds are I have modified almost every aspect of the car, so my battle would be with GM, not the dealer. Cars like mine stimulate sales, so how I am the bad guy? :)

Grrrr8 point Charlie.

[CanadianEh]

what does the "emissions" warranty cover?

[GRRRR8]

Most emissions components are covered by a 3/36 to 8/80 warranty. I would find a dealer that is mod friendly and then start modding. A lot of dealers dont care about: CAI, Pulley, Headers, Cat-Back, and Tune. By law we are allowed to mod are cars. LTs become a issue as the cats have been moved and they are not CARB certified. I have seen highly modded Cobras taken in under warranty with no issues at all. SVT dealers have always been good about that.

[CanadianEh]

Ok that is good news, I am not worried about emissions or cats being removed an replaced by high flows. As long as my engine will still be covered under warranty im good.

Thanks for the info and sorry are hi-jacking your thread mojovious
:threadjacked:

[mojovious]

It's all good info. Thanks guys.

After about an hour of reading G8V8's mods, now I'm stoked.
I've been in touch with Corsa and really like them and the idea of no drone during AFM, so am seriously considering the Corsa cat back.

But, I keep going back and forth trying decide which first, Pedders Track II or Corsa & VMS. I have snow tires now and really don't care for the way the car handles in twisties currently, but am sure alot of it's the snow tires. I only got to drive it less than two weeks before the snow forced me to buy a winter set-up. Can't wait for sping (end of March around here ) to put my 19's back on.

So, right now I'm all stock except for Dunlop Graspic DS-2 snow tires, and I have to tell you guys, those tires are awesome in the snow. They transformed the G8 snow-sled into a car that will definately get there in the snow.

See, I hijacked my own thread!