The reality of mods and warranties

[Al_in_Philly]

Well, they snagged the Humble Mechanics Golf R:

 

[jimlloyd40]

Well, they snagged the Humble Mechanics Golf R:

Not entirely true. My car was never flagged TD1 and I had 3 different warranty claims and they fixed them. None of the items I had warrantied were powertrain related but my car was still not flagged.

 

[mmdb]

I got flagged real quick. Not the end of the world. Best advice, find a competent VW mechanic if you do!

 

[jimlloyd40]

Sure seems as though it's dealer related. My dealer doesn't run a scan unless it's a powertrain related item. The guy in the videos dealer got him flagged when he had an update to the radio, a window problem and the bumper. None of those are powertrain problems so his dealer just sucks.

 

[DiscusInferno]

You have to thank the people before you who modded their cars, broke their cars, and had VW (And Audi) repair their under a warranty claim.

The old saying goes: "When you mod, you are your own warranty".

Have you wondered why APR Plus costs more than a regular APR Stage 1 tune? APR knows you're going to get TD1'd, so the APR Plus includes a 3rd party warranty that is administered by APR.

 

[Golfs everyday]

Gotta pay to play.

I'm perfectly fine paying for repairs if my warranty was voided. First off, I hate letting dealers touch my cars after taking ownership.
If it's a recall, then I would take the car back to the dealer if it's something I cannot fix on my own.

 

[sterkrazzy]

At first I was considering putting off a tune for a couple years so I could enjoy the full warranty. I thought about it though and figured what's the point in waiting for something I probably won't use. I don't even like my local dealer and would take it to one of the 2 indie shops I trust well before I went to the dealer. Even if it was free at the dealer I'd rather pay an indie shop.

I kinda want to take the R badge off and replace it with TD1. I'll wear it like a badge of honor.

 

[Gimpster]

I admit that I am getting old. I am so lazy I don't even want to change my oil anymore at this stage in life. Losing the power train warranty on my $40k+ German automobile ... just isn't going to happen this time around. Especially if its some sort of pattern failure / systemic issue ... Would hate to throw away a DSG or turbo I'm due under warranty over a few HP. Especially since most of us sit in bumper to bumper anyway (or did before this situation!). APR Plus doesn't even interest me, especially with all of their caveats in their warranty.

The GTI I modded big time, mostly because it felt like anything but a "hot hatch". The R has been very adequate power to me in a city driven car. From the dig this car surprises me all of the time.

 

[Gimpster]

Also I like his videos, but click bait there. I heavily modded my R (including an ECU flash) and now I'm TD1.

Least surprising news of 2020.

 

[jimlloyd40]

At first I was considering putting off a tune for a couple years so I could enjoy the full warranty. I thought about it though and figured what's the point in waiting for something I probably won't use. I don't even like my local dealer and would take it to one of the 2 indie shops I trust well before I went to the dealer. Even if it was free at the dealer I'd rather pay an indie shop.

I kinda want to take the R badge off and replace it with TD1. I'll wear it like a badge of honor.

I waited two weeks to start modding mine and it was difficult to wait that long.

 

[sterkrazzy]

I waited two weeks to start modding mine and it was difficult to wait that long.

Actually what really changed my mind was getting launched in someones stage 2 R. Then it was like wtf am I waiting for...lol

Warranty be damned, that shit is too much fun. I don't launch though, but will definitely floor it.

 

[docwyte]

I'm torn, as I'd love to go stage 2. It makes a certain amount of sense to do it right away, then you get to enjoy it the most amount of time. However, since I have a '19 I have a 6 year warranty and I don't really want to jeopardize that. I'm not overly concerned about a flat out powertrain failure like a blown motor/turbo/transmission. I am concerned about the thermostat/water pump tho.

Right now I have the basic OEM+ stuff like the homelink mirror etc. One of my local dealers is very mod friendly, they're an APR dealer too. I've been assured that they don't TD1 a car unless they absolutely have to but its still a risk I'm not sure I'm willing to do.

My plan has been to wait until I need a clutch, then go stage 2 as the stock clutch won't hold Stage 2 anyways...

 

[vj123]

Gotta pay to play.

+1

Many people realise that late in the game.

Also i prefer getting used to the stock vehicle for a while before thinking about mods. I have seen many people planning their mods even before buying their first GTI / R just based on what they read.

 

[HalfGerman]

I'm thinking of eventually going Stage 1+, I have emissions testing here in NH (OBD2 scan) and want to make sure I pass. I've had a car in the past I had to undo or reinstall stuff to pass. Don't want to go through that again.

Emissions wise, is anything disabled or bypassed or set to not ready for Stage 2 tunes?

Next year half the warranty is gone anyways, so decisions, decisions. I plan on keeping it for 10 yrs and it is my daily driver.

 

[Gimpster]

Having gone this route on the GTI, I really push people to try a JB1/4 first before flashing the ECM. Especially if you buy one used, there is basically no financial downside to it. It also saved my ass when my GTI decided to eat a couple IS20's that, IMO, was not caused by adding 4-5PSI of boost. Especially in these times, do you really want an invoice for $2500+ if you are incapable/unable to perform a repair? If you are in a longer loan with no equity, how would it feel to mechanically total the car in 4 years ... but still be on the hook?

Let your brand new car shake out for a while, break/wear in. As stated earlier, learn how to drive the car stock.... do more than stop light stomps if you have time/care to.

I mean being honest, does it compared to a hardcore reflash + adding hard parts to the car? NO. At least in the case of the GTI, the JB1 made the car feel like it should have from the factory. It gives you a good basis of comparison

Take my ranting/rambling for what it is: ranting/rambling