New (to me) 2015 A4, Have some ??'s about what will and what wont void my warranty

[stussy2870]

Hi Folks, new member/new Owner-- overwhelmed by the insane amount of information here - so much so that i think i've actually gone backwards a bit..

Anyway, as the title indicates i have a few questions about the OEM Warranty

I have a 2015 CPO A4 Sline with a Manual Trans - I like subtle simple improvements but have been reading information that seems to indicate that ANY modifications at all flag the car with some TD1 code. So heres a list of what i "wanted" to do.. Can anyone who truly knows the answers weigh in?

Springs : i would like to tastefully lower the car-- 1 to 1.5 inches
Should i expect a Warranty issue?

Wheels: i would like to go bigger - most likely 19's but maybe 20's.
Warranty issue - i have NEVER EVER seen this as an issue but Audi seems a bit on the high strung side.. Also havent found this in any threads that i've been sucked into..lol?

ARP Stage 1 :You dont have to say it.. I know it does BUT, is it detectable when flashed back to stock? Also is there no other way than visiting the ARP dealer to re-flash? I don't mind the inconvenience of re-flashing if its truly undetectable...

Thanks Guys/Gals
Paul

[adamazing]

It's pretty simple. Whatever you mod, gives the dealer and AoA grounds to reject warranty claims that are related to it.

So if you modify your suspension, you may run into issues getting warranty work done for anything suspension related or within one degree of separation (i.e. shocks, control arms, wheel bearings, etc).
You can apply the same train of thought to the powertrain when talking about tunes, HFC's, intercoolers, etc.

The Magnusson act means that you're entire warranty cannot be denied because of a modification. But if that modification is the likely cause (or even suspected cause) of a warranty issue, then the dealer and AoA have grounds to fight back on.

Make sense?

[SleeperCar]

It's pretty simple. Whatever you mod, gives the dealer and AoA grounds to reject warranty claims that are related to it.

So if you modify your suspension, you may run into issues getting warranty work done for anything suspension related or within one degree of separation (i.e. shocks, control arms, wheel bearings, etc).
You can apply the same train of thought to the powertrain when talking about tunes, HFC's, intercoolers, etc.

The Magnusson act means that you're entire warranty cannot be denied because of a modification. But if that modification is the likely cause (or even suspected cause) of a warranty issue, then the dealer and AoA have grounds to fight back on.

Make sense?

this answer ended this thread....but the challenge comes in for two distinct problems:

1. TD1 flag...some dealers are more hardcore than others....OP...please be wary of that. a tune will most certainly TD1 flag your car. There is a massive TD1 thread that will help educate you on that...i wont get into it here.
2. the 1 degree of seperation that adamazing refers to is spot on, but there are exceptions. modding your car will most certainly void something, and you need to understand the risks. Dont expect to have an easy time requesting a wheel bearing replacement if you have coils on and aftermarket wheels.

Where warranty really isnt an issue is cosmetic mods. The major factor in performance based mods is TD1, get educated on it, understand your risks, and you will be fine.

[Project Quattro]

If you're reasonable about your wheels (18s or 19s in a similar-to-OE weight and fitment) I doubt you'll run into any issues relating to that. I never did with my previous car. Adamazing pretty much hit the nail on the head otherwise, though. Dealers CAN detect a "flashed-back-to-stock" stage 1 tune, there are instances of it happening. Do they have to work to notice it? Yes. If you blow your motor, will they put in the time to do so? Almost definitely. You may get lucky and have them not catch it for small repairs. YMMV.

That said, if you have a few bucks to handle moderate repairs, do the tune. It is a great bang for your buck mod. If you don't have the budget for repairs, don't run the risk. That's my 2 cents.

[casualalfredo]

dont worry OP youre not alone im looking to get a CPO b8.5 an ive been reading so much that its making me paranoid.

think im going to have to go with S model and shell out the extra

[shonseb]

I would say if your service adviser is relatively ok with mods, then bolt on mods would be ok, however tunes are out of the dealers hands. If you visit the regional area forums, you will likely find someone who can give you input about a dealer being mod friendly or otherwise. If mod friendly, you can get away with bolt on mods. If you're really worried about tuning because of the warranty, then wait until the warranty ends before tuning. I have already installed an intake, intercooler and piping, exhaust and soon suspension and wheels. When I do decide to finally tune, I'll go strait to K04 or Stage 3 and I'll already have all the supporting mods installed.

[Project Quattro]

dont worry OP youre not alone im looking to get a CPO b8.5 an ive been reading so much that its making me paranoid.

think im going to have to go with S model and shell out out the extra

Unless you feel like blowing the cash, it isn't really worth stressing. The only issues (knock wood) I've had with the 2 B8s I've owned were minor electrical problems which the warranty would cover regardless. The powertrain on these cars is generally very well built if you get a 2012 or later. Same for the suspension, aside from wheel bearings which need replacement sporadically but aren't expensive.

[pszydlik]

this is the best thread i ever read about warranty in the VW side

http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7492

[b6onboost]

^ Good read and accurate.

Bottom line is you pay to play. If you want Audi to fully honor your factory or CPO warranty, you have to leave your car stock. If an A4 isn't sporty enough, you should buy an S4. Chances are with the premium you pay for CPO, plus the money to mod the A4, you are probably near S4 territory price wise.

Otherwise you simply have to accept the risk that modifying your car does put your warranty in jeopardy. Most of the time its fine and nothing bad happens to the car, but there is always the risk that your car could have a big issue (motor, tranny, etc) and Audi could tell you to pony up $5-10k to fix it.

[jorte014]

Agree with all the great answers here. OP, I would also like to add that if you're thinking of getting a tune, don't even bother spending money on the APR stock mode. It's completely detectable by the dealer and they can flag your car with the TD1 code without even telling you. Just spend the money on the performance mode and don't even think twice. I've had 2 A4's and they both were flagged (in APR stock mode) as part of a routine maintenance (both within the factory warranty). The dealer can provide a detailed printout of the entire history of any car and the code appears clear as day at the top of the printout. You can ask your service advisor and they can provide this printout to you if you think you're flagged.

If you're thinking about modding, just mod away and enjoy the car. You'll be happier because of it. The mods that are available to this platform are really high quality and they've been tested extensively, so the risk is low. Every case is different, but my first A4 went 50k miles at APR stage II with no problems. My current A4 is at 80k also at APR stage II and haven't had any issues. Satisfy your mod bug and let it flow through you

[stussy2870]

First-- Thanks a Million for all the answers.. Ill get to work on the TD1 information. I think i could "live" at least temporarily w/o the ECU tune. - Forgive my ignorance but i was wondering- would it be possible to pull out the stock ECU, set it aside and Mod/reprogram a replacement and use that? Seems simple enough BUT i would imagine thats completely insane! FWIW, im over 40, i dont race, im meticulous with my cars but i also have an affinity for "Power". A car that can get out of its own way is WAY better than one that cant.. I dont want to beat the snot out of it, break something and cry for "warranty" support.. I just want to make the car a little better and do so tastefully.

Agree with all the great answers here. OP, I would also like to add that if you're thinking of getting a tune, don't even bother spending money on the APR stock mode. It's completely detectable by the dealer and they can flag your car with the TD1 code without even telling you. Just spend the money on the performance mode and don't even think twice.

Second, Is that because the Performance mode is undetectable or b/c you might as well get all the HP you can at that level if your voiding your warranty anyway?


I really think i would be OK (for now) with a just few aesthetic modifications- Wheels/slight drop, new Grill and White Rings.. *yeah - my car is white.
:)

[casualalfredo]

Unless you feel like blowing the cash, it isn't really worth stressing. The only issues (knock wood) I've had with the 2 B8s I've owned were minor electrical problems which the warranty would cover regardless. The powertrain on these cars is generally very well built if you get a 2012 or later. Same for the suspension, aside from wheel bearings which need replacement sporadically but aren't expensive.

okay, you've helped me a lot so far on this forum, thanks

btw.........i looked up new s3s................those things were like 53k-61k lol

[casualalfredo]

^ Good read and accurate.

Bottom line is you pay to play. If you want Audi to fully honor your factory or CPO warranty, you have to leave your car stock. If an A4 isn't sporty enough, you should buy an S4. Chances are with the premium you pay for CPO, plus the money to mod the A4, you are probably near S4 territory price wise.

Otherwise you simply have to accept the risk that modifying your car does put your warranty in jeopardy. Most of the time its fine and nothing bad happens to the car, but there is always the risk that your car could have a big issue (motor, tranny, etc) and Audi could tell you to pony up $5-10k to fix it.

ok yea.........you convinced me

so if i do s4 CPO and just change the wheels no drop (prob don't need one s4 is lower i assume) then change my grille ill be alright.

great thread, this helped a ton

[jorte014]

First-- Thanks a Million for all the answers.. Ill get to work on the TD1 information. I think i could "live" at least temporarily w/o the ECU tune. - Forgive my ignorance but i was wondering- would it be possible to pull out the stock ECU, set it aside and Mod/reprogram a replacement and use that? Seems simple enough BUT i would imagine thats completely insane! FWIW, im over 40, i dont race, im meticulous with my cars but i also have an affinity for "Power". A car that can get out of its own way is WAY better than one that cant.. I dont want to beat the snot out of it, break something and cry for "warranty" support.. I just want to make the car a little better and do so tastefully.



Second, Is that because the Performance mode is undetectable or b/c you might as well get all the HP you can at that level if your voiding your warranty anyway?


I really think i would be OK (for now) with a just few aesthetic modifications- Wheels/slight drop, new Grill and White Rings.. *yeah - my car is white.
:)

It's because you're voiding your warranty anyway and might as well get all the power you can out of it. You also can't pull out the stock ECU without voiding the warranty. Pretty much, almost every modification is grounds for denying warranty repair, like others have said. I was in your same shoes when I got my first A4 until I came to terms with the fact that I didn't want to drive a stock car until the warranty expired. I never owned a car that had warranty before anyway so in the end it wasn't a big deal to me. If something broke, you just either drove it like that or did some hack to get it working again (thanking my VERY Hispanic Miami, FL upbringing for that). Took it to the APR dealer to get it flashed after only a few weeks of owning it. The mod bug is a strong one, best just to let it take the reigns.

[stussy2870]

Thanks man!! I agree-- Its a tough "bug" to avoid.. Ill be careful and i also just read that earlier post back on the VW forums.. Sheesh.. But completely understandable :)

Man, my wife will KILLLLLLLLL MY ASSSSSSSS if i mod this car and void the warranty..but... Not sure i can stop myself. :)

[Project Quattro]

okay, you've helped me a lot so far on this forum, thanks

btw.........i looked up new s3s................those things were like 53k-61k lol

You can easily find them around $48k.

[o1turbo30v]

Every mod you make will void your warranty.

[casualalfredo]

Every mod you make will void your warranty.

did you read?

[o1turbo30v]

did you read?

Yes I did and my answer still stands, any of the mods OP wants to do, Audi can find away to void a warranty of any and all associated parts. Lowered the car: suspension and drivetrain voided, changed wheels: Audi can deny wheel hub and suspension claims; APR tune: entire drivetrain warranty voided. Don't mod anything if you aren't prepared to deal with the risks.

[ChoyV]

Yes I did and my answer still stands, any of the mods OP wants to do, Audi can find away to void a warranty of any and all associated parts. Lowered the car: suspension and drivetrain voided, changed wheels: Audi can deny wheel hub and suspension claims; APR tune: entire drivetrain warranty voided. Don't mod anything if you aren't prepared to deal with the risks.

It is not a blanket statement that AOA will deny your warranty claim if you have a mod. Everything is on a case basis. Using a better and lighter 19" wheels that is within AOA specs (eg. 19 x 255 x 35) will not void your warranty. The same with a cat-back exhaust unless the exhaust piping were touching or messing-up with the underside panels. Using those better exhaust will negate that problem. The same with suspension as long as it is not extreme. With regards to the chip tune, it will be a hard case to defend if they really insist that it mess up the engine/turbo.

All of this will also matters if you have a great relationship or none with your dealer. Having bought multiple transport from your dealer will help your case.

On a side note, B8.5 looks like most, if not all, issues were resolved but it is still not 100% safe. So it comes down to my first paragraph downwards.

Just my $0.2 opinion.

[stussy2870]

thanks for taking the time to reply here guys - Very much appreciated. I will proceed with caution and set my expectations appropriately.

Paul

[ducati]

If you say buy the mods from the dealership and they install it I heard that most dealerships will honor the warranty,this is when I owned a BMW I knew some BMW club members got lower suspension,upgraded brakes,etc from BMW and they still had full coverage.