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Resonator Delete Warranty Implications

L

Lob-Star

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
PNW
I think it's important to note that, first, I am not a lawyer. Second, VW won't immediately void any warranty. BUT. The Magnuson-Moss warranty act leaves a loophole for car companies to deny claims of parts affected by aftermarket modification that fail only after they fail as well as tactics that leave the burden of proof on the person trying to claim warranty service that their modification did not, in fact, cause the issue. Who is the court going to believe? A tuner bro with forums claiming it didn't cause the issue or an army of VW engineers and lawyers who say it could have led to decreased lifespan in whatever part/system? Not to mention going to court over a warranty claim will almost certainly be more costly than just eating the cost of any denied repair claim.

As the saying goes, it's pay to play. Be prepared to take responsibility for your own repairs if you modify your car. I don't personally agree with the legal side of this supposed consumer protection law, but it's the law we have within the system in which we operate.

Here is a pretty good video regarding this topic. There are many other good videos on the subject as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW25ZxVPqxg
 
tonipepperoni77

tonipepperoni77

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Mass
Guys stop. It's an OEM part. If you use the OEM part they will and cannot void your warranty as simple as that. End of thread.


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L

Lob-Star

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
PNW
tonipepperoni77 said:
Guys stop. It's an OEM part. If you use the OEM part they will and cannot void your warranty as simple as that. End of thread.


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It's still not original equipment offered on that model in the states. Put an IS38 on a GTI and make a warranty claim. That's an OEM part which is available on a European GTI. No US dealership is going to get approval from VWOA to make a repair. I'm sure a res delete isn't going to be a big deal to almost any dealer, but this is not a zero-risk proposition.
 
tonipepperoni77

tonipepperoni77

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Mass
Lob-Star said:
It's still not original equipment offered on that model in the states. Put an IS38 on a GTI and make a warranty claim. That's an OEM part which is available on a European GTI. No US dealership is going to get approval from VWOA to make a repair. I'm sure a res delete isn't going to be a big deal to almost any dealer, but this is not a zero-risk proposition.
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It is original equipment offered. Just not one of the options here. A turbo is different. You can't order a GTI with an is38. I've confirmed this a year ago when I called VWOA and multiple dealerships and they said yes I am fine to do it and they have had customers order Rs from the factory and have the resonator delete put on before it was shipped over here.


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The Fed

The Fed

Old Guys Rule
Location
Florida
Al_in_Philly said:
The "resonator delete" piece itself would not be covered by warranty, but VW couldn't void the warranty on anything else because of the modification. That's because to void a warranty because of a modification, the manufacturer has to claim the addition/deletion contributed to the malfunction. And since the Audi S3 and VW R are mechanically identical with regards to the powertrain, using an Audi factory part, which wouldn't affect the warranty on an S3, couldn't be claimed to affect the powertrain on your R. Besides, there is no reason why dropping the resonator would harm any engine, anyhow.

Now it is possible that you might have to go to court (or at least arbitration) to make VW pay up, should they try to claim that deleting the resonator affected some other component, but in this case, it would be really hard for them to make it stick.
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Many years ago, I worked with a guy who went up against Mitsubishi. It cost him tens of thousands of dollars in legal costs and it took a little over 2 years to resolve. Sure, he eventually won, but was it worth it?

I keep hearing people here talking big but who actually put up the money and went through the courts to fight VW? You're not going to find an attorney to take your case on contingency, which means you need to pay a retainer, often at least $5,000 then you pay as you go. Even if you win you will most likely only get a portion of your legal costs back. If the judge agrees with your motion, you only get reasonable legal costs back not what you were charged.

I'm convinced the only reason Mitsubishi finally stopped churning him was because the guy spent much of his free time standing on the dealer's sidewalk with a sign with his story on it.
 
A

ATR

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Baltimore
Car(s)
'17 Golf R 6mt
[
Lob-Star said:
It's still not original equipment offered on that model in the states. Put an IS38 on a GTI and make a warranty claim. That's an OEM part which is available on a European GTI. No US dealership is going to get approval from VWOA to make a repair. I'm sure a res delete isn't going to be a big deal to almost any dealer, but this is not a zero-risk proposition.
Click to expand...

Come on man, that's not a good comparison.

One does nothing more than delete a resonator thereby making the car a bit louder. The other increases performance well beyond how volkswagen originally intended.

I've been told by a couple of friends that have both worked at a Volkswagen dealership (15 years each) that anything behind the cat/downpipe (catback included) that the warranty will not be affected. If you put a tune on the car or even a downpipe without a tune chances are very good that you'd loose the warranty.
 
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tonipepperoni77

tonipepperoni77

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Mass
ATR said:
Come on man, that's not a good comparison.



One does nothing more than delete a resonator thereby making the car a bit louder. The other increases performance well beyond how volkswagen originally intended.



I've been told by a couple of friends that have both worked at a Volkswagen dealership (15 years each) that anything behind the cat/downpipe (catback included) that the warranty will not be affected. If you put a tune on the car or even a downpipe without a tune chances are very good that you'd loose the warranty.
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I wasn't making the comparison lol. It was the other guy. I was responding saying the is38 one was a horrible comparison


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toledospeed

toledospeed

Go Kart Champion
Location
3rd rock
ATR said:
Come on man, that's not a good comparison.

One does nothing more than delete a resonator thereby making the car a bit louder. The other increases performance well beyond how volkswagen originally intended.

I've been told by a couple of friends that have both worked at a Volkswagen dealership (15 years each) that anything behind the cat/downpipe (catback included) that the warranty will not be affected. If you put a tune on the car or even a downpipe without a tune chances are very good that you'd loose the warranty.
Click to expand...

tonipepperoni77 said:
I wasn't making the comparison lol. It was the other guy. I was responding saying the is38 one was a horrible comparison
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That comparison made me LOL. This guy probably uses service manager approved $15/gallon windshield solvent just to make sure VW won't void his warranty.
 
ImolaR

ImolaR

Ready to race!
Location
Florida
Removed the resonator today, very happy! Definitely a difference, but not extreme or obnoxious by any means. It added more soul, it's louder both inside and outside. Just sounds like it should, honestly. Absolutely no drone at all, you really only hear the difference once the muffler valves open up under a lot of throttle (engine in race mode). Reinforces my initial thoughts on the fact that the car should come like this from Germany.


In terms of installation it was very simple. I backed my car up onto ramps and I had enough room to scoot around. Followed the instructions, which were clear. Making the one cut was much easier than I had originally thought it would be. Trickiest part was actually getting the resonator off the hanger bushing lol. Other than the cutter, you just need a 13mm socket wrench and you are good to go.

Enjoy.

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sixspeedz

sixspeedz

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
New Jersey
ImolaR said:
Removed the resonator today, very happy! Definitely a difference, but not extreme or obnoxious by any means. It added more soul, it's louder both inside and outside. Just sounds like it should, honestly. Absolutely no drone at all, you really only hear the difference once the muffler valves open up under a lot of throttle (engine in race mode). Reinforces my initial thoughts on the fact that the car should come like this from Germany.
Click to expand...


I'm very interested in this... would love to hear one in person.

Did you disable the soundaktor after?
 
ImolaR

ImolaR

Ready to race!
Location
Florida
sixspeedz said:
I'm very interested in this... would love to hear one in person.

Did you disable the soundaktor after?
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I disabled that about a week after I bought the car because I didn't really care for it.

I really really recommend you give the pipe a shot. I had my brother run some drivebys while I stood on the sidewalk. It really sounds good, from far away too you can actually HEAR the car. Stock honestly all you hear on the outside is induction noise. This pipe just sounds right on for the car, it isn't loud or ricey..it doesn't even sound as if somebody messed with the car and chopped anything off. It really just sounds like it should sound stock. Just now I was driving with the windows down, through an urban area with narrow streets and buildings on both sides, there was reverberation and you could clearly hear it! It was awesome..I noticed a few guys turned their heads haha..
 
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