car starters void your warranty?

[Missay]

my mother told me today that my uncle told her that installing a car starter voids a car's warranty.

my uncle is some kinda manager at a dealer that owns a couple different branches like kia, maybe toyota, chevy..soemthing like that. he said that any car starter voids the warranty..that's why dealers don't offer it as an option. they offer lojack, but lojack takes responsibility for it, so it's under warranty w/ them. anything besides that voids the warranty i guess cause you've altered the car.

i hope that's not true!! then i gotta debate between 5yr/60k or warm piglets!

i wish it came from a bad source, then i'd feel better! but it's not

[Flipside909]

my mother told me today that my uncle told her that installing a car starter voids a car's warranty.

That's true because you are tapping into factoring wiring.

[krook]

well, as far as i know, tapping into wires shouldn't void the warranty. if that's the case, then every aftermarket alarm voids your warranty.

i think your uncle may be confused with starter kill, which does void the warranty; the only car alarm option in where the installer must cut a wire, the starter wire.

[Yanks0114]

So i'm guessing the same is true for an S-AFC controller. Also it just voids the electrical warranty if you have an electrical failure, but if your tranny goes, then its still covered

[Missay]

i'm just talking about a general car starter..nothing alarm related, just a simple one that starts the car w/ a remote. i guess he said that anything you do to alter the car voids the warranty....so even if your tranny goes after it's not covered.

let's say that is true, you instal a starter, and then the tranny goes. if you brought it to the dealer would they notice the starter? and if they did, would they say anything?

[krook]

not to be mean, or anything, but from my experience, the mechanics at car dealerships are shady. especially when you have an alarm and something is wrong with the car. they immediately blame it on the alarm, regardless. or whatever is in the vehicle that is not part of factory.

they'll tell ya something alright, they'll tell you to take back to where you got your things installed. they'll immediately place themselves as far away from the blame as possible.

sorry, miss. i thought you were talkin' about an alarm and a car starter. in any case, even if you install the car starter, you don't have to cut any wires. in fact, they shouldn't be cut.

[Gunman]

it DOES not void it, if that was the case then why do so many dealers sub contract remote starts out?

[Missay]

not to be mean, or anything, but from my experience, the mechanics at car dealerships are shady.

they'll immediately place themselves as far away from the blame as possible.

nah, yur not being mean, i deal w/ dealers a lot in work and there are very few honest ones..it all boils down to $$.

since my uncle works at a big dealer and he's saying that it voids the warranty i tend to believe him just b/c dealers are shady. if it's coming from him, and he works there and says it happens then it probably does. there's just so many things that the dealer doesn't address when they sell you the car and don't mention till something happens. there are so many things that you would think are covered by warranty but then the dealer finds some exuse why it's not.

so if they don't cut the wires it should be covered still??

[krook]

yep. i mean, gunman's right. if it does void it, then why do so many dealers sub contract them?

like i said, this is from my personal experiences. but basically, as long as nothing is physically cut, then the warranty should still apply. anything that is tapped onto factory wires won't necessarily cause an entire electrical short in your vehicle, so it shouldn't void the warranty.

but, if your uncle says so, it may be different for your situation. i think some dealers, by choice, void the warranty if any aftermarket alarm/remote start/keyless entry system is installed. that may be the case for the dealership he's at.

[ChiroCop]

I got an alarm with auto-starter installed by the dealer when I bought the car. Not only did it not void the warranty, but the alarm and remote starter were also under the same warranty. It may be a dealer specific issue, but I got it all as a package. The alarm + remote start was more money than if I had done it outside, but because it preserved the warranty, I went for it.

[Missay]

either way..i'm gonna install one but i figured it would be nice to know. i should jsut call the srv dept at the dealer i bought the car and ask a tech the question. if he says it voids it then i'll keep that in mind, so god forbid anything drastic happens to the car, it's a lot cheaper to have the starter uninstalled than pay for a new transmission or something

hummm..i don't know any dealrs that offer starters..only lojack, but if you get that then it's warrantied thru them after..that's supposedly why it doesn't void the warranty.

[krook]

either way..i'm gonna install one but i figured it would be nice to know.

aww, miss. you shoulda said that in the first place. hell, girl just get it! but go with a reputable company. whichever system you get, the remote start unit should duplicate exactly what the key does. so i'm sure, if installed properly, it won't ever damage anything.

i know i brought it up before, but this is the system i installed, and it works just fine http://autopageusa.com/autopageusars750.htm



hmm...then again i did do the install. . .

guess it all depends on the installer too.

right, gunner?

[Flipside909]

So i'm guessing the same is true for an S-AFC controller. Also it just voids the electrical warranty if you have an electrical failure, but if your tranny goes, then its still covered

Yes. Since the SAFC modifies your ECU and emission controls...putting one on definitely voids it.

[Flipside909]

yep. i mean, gunman's right. if it does void it, then why do so many dealers sub contract them?

It's called dealer installed options (DIO) aka big sucker profit for the dealer. If you were to say take it to another Toyota dealer for service and they see the aftermarket part...they have every right to refuse your car service.

[Missay]

damn..so my uncle is right?