Just so you know...

A lot of us have done some mods to our trucks, anything from simple bolt-ons to electrical accessories. I'm sure we have had some concerns about something we did affecting our warranty. I had such an issue for the past month. I have installed a couple things on my truck that fit both categories. One such mod was the addition of a Lockpick since the dealer said I could not add the BU cam to my Sport after the fact. The Lockpick has been operating flawlessly since I installed it in May. Recently, my A/C stopped remembering the last setting it was on, which totally defeats the remote start function here in hot, muggy FL. I took it into the dealer 3 weeks ago. They said it was the A/C control head and ordered a new one. A week later I take it in to have it replaced and they determine that the control head is OK and something is sending a bad signal to the CAN-BUS causing the A/C memory to malfunction. They suspect the Lockpick and refuse to diagnose further until the Lockpick is removed. Despite my protestations to the contrary, they continue to refuse to work on it. I agree to remove the Lockpick and bring it back for further diagnosis. Meanwhile, I contact Lockpick and speak to a tech who assures me that the device does not interact with the CAN-BUS in any way, only with the radio. He tells me how to disable it so that if it were the problem my A/C issue would be resolved. I do and it isn't. I take the truck back in this week with the Lockpick disconnected. After 2 hours of searching and checking they find that a wire in one of the connectors had worked its way loose and is the cause of the A/C memory problem. The service manager then informs me that he will eat the repair (charge Chrysler) this time, but that it was probably caused by the installation of the Lockpick and my pulling on the harness and damaging the wire. I tell him that if the harnesses on these trucks are that fragile then I want a refund of my lifetime warranty and I will be selling the truck ASAP as I do not feel comfortable driving around a vehicle that has such poor quality manufacture. I raise my voice a little. Ok, a lot. I can already see he is trying to set up some wiggle room to avoid honoring my warranty due to the presence of aftermarket equipment and I'm not the least bit happy about it. He sees my displeasure and agrees not to put anything on record regarding aftermarket equipment. I leave satisfied that at least my A/C problem is now fixed. I get home and immediately reconnect my Lockpick. All is well with my truck.
I tell you this story because this appears to be SOP with a lot of dealers. Magnuson-Moss notwithstanding, there's no reason to put up with it. Unless a dealer can prove conclusively that a piece of kit or mod was the actual cause of any failure, they cannot refuse to honor the warranty over it. Don't let an unscrupulous dealer tell you otherwise.

Some dealers are always looking for ways to make money, even when problems might be under warranty. Many people really don't know very much about vehicles and can easily be taken in by these places.

Always good to have reminders here about this.

By the way, wall of text hurts the eyes, paragraphs are your friend and make for an easier read.

Yep, you did exactly what you should have. Maybe start using another dealer?

Resent laws have been put in place to take back control for the people from the dealers on warranty. Making it more morally right when warranty issues come into play. You modd your truck, it doesn't kill the warranty, UNLESS, as stated... The dealer can conclude that the problem that arose was 100% the direct cause of the problem. AKA you put 4.10 gears in your truck, and the water pump goes... They can't claim that stress was added to the truck after the 4.10 instal causing the water pump to fail, even though one can argue that "they have money and good layers" doesn't mean you should bow down and let them bend you over the table.

Now of course that doesn't mean you can take advantage of them. Say by throwing a procharger on your vehicle and then toasting a transmission out of it... Which would CLEARLY be the direct cause of the Procharger.... Then trying to lay it on them to get it replaced. Those are the kind of clowns who got the strict laws that used to be in place implemented in the first place. Of course it is different everywhere, but to my knowledge most states have gone to this new law.

Well that really sucks, Here in Toronto,Ontario you can actually purchase the lockpik thru the dealer and they will have the rep for the item in the area install it before you take delivery of the Vehicle.

I recently purchased a CHR550 for my 2011 in early September of this year and it quit working last week there is absolutely no sound coming from the ipod cable. at all so i called Coastal Tech and asked for an RGA to send it back at my cost because it was under warranty Coastal absolutely refused to give me one and said i had to take my truck with the unit installed to a local radio place and pay them per hour to diagnose the problem when the goods were under warranty in the first place.

I CALL THIS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE AND EXTREMELY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE ON COASTAL'S PART. TO WHICH I CAN SEE IS NOT UNCOMMON ON THERE PART WHEN THEY ARE GOOGLED.

I have this same problem with my local dealership. 2 years ago my wifes Grand Cherokee was having some electrical issues where the car would go into limp mode on the highway and the gear selector on the dash would light up around every gear (P,R,1,2,3). The windowns would sometimes roll down on there own, and the Map lights inside would turn on and off at random as well.

Took it in, and they said that her HID headlights were causing all the problems. After explaining to them that I am not an idiot and might even be able to teach their service guys a thing or 2, they still refused to warranty the work. I then went directly to Corporate, and they forced the deal;ership to diagnose the problem. It ended up being a malfunctioning gear selector switch that was a known common issue on that year Jeep. This was 2 years and 30k miles ago, and we havent had an issue since (despite still having the HID installed on the car).

Dealerships will look for any and every reason to try to deny warranty work, but do everything you can to fight them. First try talking to the GM of the dealership, and if that doesnt work, go straight to corporate.

More money in retail work then they get for warranty. 8 out of 10 people probably wouldn't put up such a stink = money in the bank.

the more posts i read like this, the more i like my dealer.

I was in the repair business 30 years. I was in those same situations many many times.
It hadn't a thing to do with who paid more warranty or customers. It had to do with pain in the ass hard to figure problems that you never saw on 'other' vehicles but the ones with the aftermarket crap added. If that harness was touched,moved,unplugged in any way when installing that 'lock-pick' then it was to coincidental that the 'connector' was just loose on its own. I would conquer with the service manager that had something to do with the issue. Loose connectors just don't hagppen. Some of 'you all' ought to work as a tech or service manager for a while or even just hang with one for a normal week of repaiing vehicles. Your attitude and thoughts might just change.

X2, who's to say you didn't loosen up a connector?

i, for one, modify the shit outa my vehicles... and agree with some aftermarket parts causing problems with stock parts...BUT those service techs out there should just do your job...you are getting paid one way or another (sometimes I wont pay for a unwarranteed part and just do it myself) SO whats the difference??? I hate taking my car to the stealership for this EXACT reason!

Every industry in the US is growing and you have to learn with it...parts and cars change things arent the same as they were in the 70s...mechanics need to adapt and learn in this constantly changing field as doctors/nurses have to continue life long learning to treat patients...patients and customers cars are the same...new diseases and conditions arise as part of evolution and peoples behavior choices just as vehicles evolve and people choose to put parts on their cars! customer satisfaction should be the number one priority.!!!

Originally Posted by Chick Nasty

BUT those service techs out there should just do your job.

so service techs are supposed to be up on how every aftermarket part affects a vehicle including what may happen if the vehicle owner screws up an installation?

if some industries consider that the gold standard then why not all? life long learning is something that every industry should commit to to promote excellence. and for $80-100/hr in labor....i think the consumer is owed something. America is a service industry nation so it is our duty to be at our best. I know it seems like I am asking too much of people....BUT as a RN I am required to stay up with the most current evidence based practice in order to save lifes. Is it to much to ask for other professions to follow? (And yes I do consider automotive techinicians/engineers a profession).

Originally Posted by Sillygoose

so service techs are supposed to be up on how every aftermarket part affects a vehicle including what may happen if the vehicle owner screws up an installation?

yes, i would consider this practical knowledge. People make mistakes with installs...and odds are a particular mistake is made often enough for it to be learned and incorporated into a mechanics knowledge base. One could also search online or call manufacturers to trouble shoot.

Average Joe comes to the dealership mechanic because they expect you to be the expert!

Hey. They are as good as it gets. It might not be great but its the best there is. The issue got fixed didn't it. Maybe not as quick or timely as you would have liked but its fixed and they shouldered the burden of proof and ran it under warranty. Now who else out there could or would have done this. Techs are far and few. Many change professions. Many.

Agreed and I'm glad that it got resolved for miami_son ... Just not of fan of how dealerships handle warranty work...

Back to the issue at hand, a loose connector MAY have been caused by moving the wiring, BUT I can see a connector coming loose with the roads I run on a day to day basis. Day to day driving and vibrations caused by rough roads can work those things loose too.
Hell, in the CAT 3616 engines, connectors come loose all the time with NO aftermarket parts.

Dont want to start a fight or anything but a feel like i have a little insight on the dealer side of this. Im a tech for another car manufacturer but do run into this situation. I can't speak for all techs but can tell you i do always go the extra mile to help out customers. But we also dont like to get taken advantage of. We dont "get paid either way" I have been burned by cars that come in for a problem that are caused by aftermarket parts. If thats the case we dont get paid. The manufacturer nor the dealer are required to pay us. The manufacturer will only pay you to fix something that was a manufacturing defect. So I have to say it was ok for the tech to want to cover his ass. By the dealer saying that they would eat the repair they probably meant that they either paid the tech a little themselves or the tech just decided not to charge anything, but either I can almost guarante you Chrysler was not charged and the tech lost time he could have been on another car tryin to make money. Were just trying to put food on the table just like everyone else.

Originally Posted by hounddogg

I was in the repair business 30 years. I was in those same situations many many times.
It hadn't a thing to do with who paid more warranty or customers. It had to do with pain in the ass hard to figure problems that you never saw on 'other' vehicles but the ones with the aftermarket crap added. If that harness was touched,moved,unplugged in any way when installing that 'lock-pick' then it was to coincidental that the 'connector' was just loose on its own. I would conquer with the service manager that had something to do with the issue. Loose connectors just don't hagppen. Some of 'you all' ought to work as a tech or service manager for a while or even just hang with one for a normal week of repaiing vehicles. Your attitude and thoughts might just change.

GM had an entire recall on the Chevy Malibu when it came out in 07/08 for a loose connector that required a clam shell style cover with hose clamps to keep it from coming loose again. It was then redesigned. I've had multiple vehicles from chrysler come in with the mini connectors having broken pins in them just simply because of the size. So I disagree, connectors can just come loose on their own, I've seen it on many different manufacturers cars.

As for my comment regarding the pay- the techs don't make different amounts, the dealership does. I do agree with the techs in this thread though,if they are paid flat rate then they want your vehicle in and out as fast as possible, only downside to that is sometimes the real problem is overlooked.