Mod Squad
Ford put its dealers on alert to look out for warranty-voiding modifications
By Steve Turner
There has always been a delicate dance between Ford as a manufacturer selling vehicles with comprehensive warranties and the company that promotes the fun of performance vehicles. At the SEMA Show the spectacle is all about how cool it is to use these vehicles as a blank canvas for modifications. However, as cool as that is, you could be jeopardizing your warranty if you take part in the fun.
As most of us know, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act allows consumers to install aftermarket products on their vehicles without voiding the manufacturer warranty. However, if those modifications can be attributed as the cause for a failure, things change. It would seem that Ford is getting more serious about limiting its warranty liability from such modifications, as it recently issued a General Service Bulletin to its dealers titled Gas Engine Performance Modifications.
“This bulletin is intended to be used by technicians when servicing vehicles that have suspected aftermarket modifications. If an aftermarket modification can be associated with the need for a repair, that repair may not be warrantable. To make this determination, the technician should refer to the aftermarket modifications flowchart (Chart 1),” says the bulletin. “The following pages supplement the flowchart through pictures and descriptions of common aftermarket modifications and possible associated failures. This document is not exclusive and aftermarket modifications may exist that are not covered here.”
The bulletin includes a flow chart to help dealer tech determine if a part failure can be attributed to a modification. Moreover, it goes on to detail the kinds of parts to be on the lookout for from simple bolt-on parts like turbo blow-off valves and cold-air induction systems to performance calibrations and aftermarket superchargers. It even includes photos of popular mods like the JLT cold air and the VMP TVS supercharger.
Of course one of the most popular mods for any car isn’t visible by looking under the hood, and the bulletin offers an extensive primer on how to determine if the factory PCM has been flashed with an aftermarket performance calibration.
“Aftermarket calibrations are used to increase engine performance by altering calibratable parameters such as rev limit, spark advance and air/fuel ratio,” says the bulletin. “Most aftermarket tuners advise the customer to reflash the PCM back to the stock calibration when bringing the car in for any warranty work.”
While enthusiasts have long known they were walking a tight rope when modifying their new, under-warranty vehicles, you can expect even more scrutiny when you bring your car in for warranty work.
For more on what the dealers are looking for, you can download the 29-page bulletin here, and if you are concerned you might run into trouble with your car, the Special Vehicle Market Association has advice for you right here.
The bulletin lists several hardware modifications and details how they might cause issues. It even goes so far as to include photos of popular modifications like cold air intakes and supercharger upgrades.
In a General Service Bulletin distributed to Ford dealers late last year details how dealer techs should determine whether a failure is attributable to an aftermarket performance modification like a calibration. This flow chart shows the basics of the process.
A big section of the bulletin is dedicated to determining if there is an aftermarket calibration present, though it does note that Ford Performance, Mountune and Ford Racing calibrations carry their own warranties.
