I typed this up about 6 months ago for a different forum I'm on. I apologize because as you'll see it's specifically about VW/Audi and how they do things. It's still a lot of good info that is relevant to other brands because there's not going to be drastic differences in the basic way car manufactures operate. i also felt 5th Gen forum was appropriate as they are the vehicles with warranties.
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Warranty is one of those odd things that everyone knows what it is but not many seems to really understand it. I’m going to attempt to bring some clarity to factory warranty and the things that go with it. For those of you that don't know me I'll start with a little about my background. I spent over a decade as Volkswagen technician before moving to Audi in 2014. I'm certified by Volkswagen as an Engine Performance Specialist, Transmission Specialist, Chassis Specialist, Electrical Specialist, Routan Specialist, e-Mobility (hybrid) Specialist, Expert Technician, Diagnostic Technician, and Volkswagen Master Technician. I'm certified by Audi as Engine Performance Specialist, Transmission Specialist, Chassis Specialist, Expert Technician, and Audi Master Technician. I've been an installer for APR at a dealership, I've been a Team Leader and Shop Foreman, I've have guys work under me, I've trained apprentices, and I've been given VW's Generation Best award multiple times, I've been in VW's Service Qualification Championship multiple time. Basically when it comes to cars, and more specifically VW/Audi, I know a thing or two about a thing or two.
Chapter 1 - Lets start with the basics… What is a warranty?
Dictionary.com defines a warranty as “a written guarantee given to the purchaser of a new appliance, automobile, or other item by the manufacturer or dealer, usually specifying that the manufacturer will make any repairs or replace defective parts free of charge for a stated period of time.”
Audi defines warranty as “a guarantee that the manufacturer will replace any component that fails as a result of manufacturer’s defect in material or workmanship”
The key word is underlined in both definitions is Defect/Defective. A warranty is not a get out of jail free card if you mess up your car, it’s to cover the repair expenses involved in parts that have failed prematurely through normal use.
I happen to have a Warranty and Maintenance Guide in my hands right now, while it is a Toyota one the disclaimers are pretty standard across every brand. It says:
-Maintenance - You are responsible for performance of the required maintenance indicated in the Owner’s Manual and this booklet. Toyota will not deny a warranty claim solely because you do not have records to show that you maintained your vehicle. However, any failure or noncompliance caused by the lack of maintenance in not covered by this warranty. When maintenance and repairs are paid for by you, these services may be performed by you or by any automotive service provider you choose. Toyota will not deny a warranty claim solely because you used a service provider other than a Toyota dealership for maintenance and repairs. However, any failure or noncompliance caused by improper maintenance or repairs is not covered by this warranty.*****That last part is important and we will come back to that later.*****
-What is Not Covered: This warranty does not cover damage or failures resulting directly or indirectly from any of the following: Fire, accidents, theft, abuse, negligence, misuse - for example, racing or overloading, improper repairs, alteration or tampering including installation of non-genuine Toyota Accessories, lack of or improper maintenance including the use of fluids other than those specified in the Owner’s Manual, installation of non-Genuine Toyota Parts, airborne chemicals, tree sap, road debris (including stone chips), rail dust, salt, hail, floods, windstorms, lightning, and other environmental conditions, and water contamination.
With a new car you get a few different warranties:
-New Vehicle Limited Warranty: covers manufacturer’s defects in material or workmanship. **Adjustments and items that was subject to wear are typically only covered for 12 months or 12,000 miles and NOT the length of the NVLM**
-Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perforation: covers any repair or replacement to correct a defect in manufacturer’s material and workmanship that will result in rust perforation of the vehicle body.
-Federal Emissions Warranty: Emissions Control System Defect Warranty covers emissions related parts that fail to conform to US EPA regulations due to defect in material or workmanship. Federal law mandates the coverage period is 2 years or 24,000 miles for all emission related parts and 8 years or 80,000 miles for specific control devices. Emissions Control System Performance Warranty covers emission related parts that fail to pass an approved state inspection and maintenance test. Federal law mandates the coverage period is 2 years or 24,000 miles for all emission related parts and 8 years or 80,000 miles for specific control devices.
-California Emissions Warranty: I’m not getting into it, screw California and everything about it.
Chapter 2 - Campaigns... Recalls, Service Actions, and Updates
Recalls: Recalls are conducted for safety, compliance, and emissions-related defects. These actions are reported to and monitored by government agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Environmental Protection Agency. Recall eligibility never expires. The manufacturer with cover the cost of of parts and labor to perform the recall until it has been completed. Even a totaled or salvaged title vehicle is entitled to have recalls performed. The law requires that the manufacturer sends a letter via 1st class mail to the last known owner of every vehicle that falls within the recall parameters outlining what the recall is for and how it will be addressed.
Service Actions: Service Actions are conducted to address customer satisfaction and product technical issues that are not directly related to safety or compliance but can sometimes be emissions-related in scope. Service Actions can be completed on vehicles showing a totaled or salvaged title. The manufacturer is not required to but sends letters via 1st class mail to the last known owner of every vehicle that falls within the Service Action parameters. Service Actions may be limited to a specific time which will be clearly noted in the letter.
Updates: Updates are meant to address and prevent quality issues and are provided as part of the brands commitment to quality and reliability of their products. Updates are proactive vehicle enhancements. Updates are an investment in customer satisfaction, loyalty, and vehicle reliability. The manufacturer does NOT mail letters to the customers informing them of vehicle updates, when the vehicle is brought to the dealership for service the VIN shows an open update and is performed free of charge to vehicles that fall within the specified warranty period such as the New Vehicle Limited Warranty (NVLW), Federal Emissions Warranty (FED_EMS), or Extended Warranty (WARR_EXT). Vehicles with a totaled or salvaged title are NOT covered by updates. If a vehicles coverage for an update has expired an Update should be offered at the customer expense.
Now that you know what a recall is, can you see why despite the amount of complaining on the internet about the leaking 2.0T TSI water pumps, it's never going to become a “recall”?
Chapter 3 - TSBs.... Technical Service Bulletins
Technical Service Bulletins are NOT the same as Recalls, Service Actions, or Updates. A dealership does not perform a TSB on your vehicle just because you read about it online and asked them to do it. The manufacturer makes a ton of vehicles and they monitor the repairs made on them. When they see a pattern relating to a specific concern they will release a TSB that addresses it. That doesn't mean you can read about it and come in demanding it be performed on your vehicle, it means if your vehicle is has the concern XYZ and THE DEALERSHIP CAN DUPLICATE IT that they have seen a pattern and you should inspect/replace/lube/modify whatever is listed in the bulletin before digging into it further. It’s just saying this is a common/semi-common thing so lets start with looking at this. For example the TSI timing chain tensioner TSB people love to talk about. All the TSB says is if it’s running rough and it has cam/crank allocation fault to check the tensioner… that’s it. That doesn't mean you can come in and get a new tensioner because there's a TSB.
Chapter 4 - Bringing your vehicle to a dealership for service.
Technically when you bring a vehicle in for ANY concern (customers don’t have “complaints” they have “concerns”), no matter how new or how low the mileage is, the service adviser is supposed to have the customer authorize $X for diagnosis before a technician gets the vehicle. If the cause for the concern is covered under warranty, than the manufacturer covers the expense, they reimburse the dealership and the customer never pays a dime. BUT, if it's not something that warranty will pay for (parking sensors inop because you hit something and damaged a sensor, check engine light because a rodents chewed wiring, mass air flow sensor is burnt out from an over oiled aftermarket filter, suspension vibration from mud or ice caked to the inner barrel of the wheels, etc, etc.) then the customer is responsible for the technician’s time into the vehicle via the diagnosis they authorized from the beginning. Just because you are asked to authorize a diagnostic fee up front does not necessarily mean you will charged that fee. 9 times out of 10 you will not be charged that fee as it will be a legitimate warranty repair and not something caused by outside influence.
In the real world it's very common for service writers not to get time authorized on a "warranty" vehicle because they are assuming the problem is a going to be a warranty repair based on nothing other than the vehicle still being within the warranty period. When a vehicle has been modified or has non OEM accessories installed the probability of you being told you need to authorize time up front goes up exponentially. If your vehicle looks like a modified fanboi piece of crap don’t be surprised if you’re asked to authorize a diagnosis fee before anyone looks at the car.
Chapter 5 - TD1… "Engine ECM Modification (Tuning)"
*****These are screenshots of the Audi side of things, it is absolutely 100% identical to the Volkswagen side, ELSA is the same program for both brands*****
When an Audi/VW comes in for service one of the first things the that happens is the ELSA PRO is opened
When you enter the VIN it will show if there are any open campaigns (Recalls, Service Actions, and Updates as listed in the last section) but it will also reveal customer info, warranty info, repair history (anything done at a dealership paid by the manufacturer will show up), etc. In the case of this chipped S4 there is an exclamation point next to vehicle data.
When you click on vehicle data it shows… drum roll please… vehicle data! In this case it tells you, clear as day, that the vehicle has been chipped. As you can see to the right of the picture it even reveals the date and mileage of when it was detected that the ECM has been chipped. This is the same place it will show if it has a salvaged or totaled title.
Now lets talk about how a VIN number get flagged with a TD1 code. I’ve read all sorts of stupid shit that people have imagined up on how this works, everything from the dealership flagging the VIN for any modifications, even just a filter on a stick intake, all the way to tuners reporting your VIN numbers back to VW/Audi. Please stop spreading that. How it happens is very simple and there is nothing a dealership does to intentionally throw you under the bus. The dealership does NOT have the ability to manually “flag” a vehicle that has been modified, the entire process of flagging a VIN with TD1 code is completely behind the scenes and unintentional and unannounced at the dealership level. The way warranty has worked since 2004 with Audi/VW is that you are REQUIRED by the manufacturer to submit a GFF (Guided Fault Finding) log online with any and all warranty repairs for engine, transmission, or electrical related warranty claims. If it’s a suspension problem there’s no reason to submit a GFF log but if it’s anything that throws a fault in ANY system a GFF log is required or the manufacturer will deny the warranty claim and the dealership eats the cost. If the dealer eats the cost the tech does not get paid for the work they did… the tech does not want to work for free, therefore GFF log are ALWAYS sent in to ensure payment on warranty repairs. Anytime you run a GFF log or you perform an SVM (software) update the scan tool records all sorts of hidden data and send it back to the manufacturer. That’s how a VIN gets flagged with TD1, it’s not the dealership telling on you and manually flagging it, it’s the factory scan tool detecting it is not factory software and reporting it back to the manufacturer.
Putting it in stock mode and locking the ECM…
Some people have gotten the impression that they can switch their tune “stock” mode and “lock” it and somehow that makes it undetectable… or even more absurd , that if it’s “locked” that the tune can't be overwritten/flashed back to stock by the dealer. I don’t know how people came up with that or why people think that but I’d wish they would stop saying it. It doesn't matter what mode it’s in or it’s locked it has absolutely ZERO effect on the scan tools ability to detect the tune or the dealerships ability to overwrite your aftermarket software. If your ECM has been tuned and it's locked, all that means is someone can’t change the program mode (Valet, Stock, 91 octane, 93 octane, 100 octane) without the password… and literally nothing else.
The evolution of TD1… remember when shit hit the fan when I posted this thread **link removed, not relevant on this forum**
It started off as saying TD1 - Motor SG geaendert. It then became TD1 - Engine ECM Modification (Tuning). It eventually evolved to Volkswagen (Audi has not done this **yet**) emailing every single dealership technician the link to a video that every single VW tech will have to watch in order to get/maintain their certification for the year that shows how to see if vehicle has been chipped. There is officially no more hiding it and no more ignorant employees who don't how to figure it out. You know, I know, the dealership knows, and the manufacturer knows.
Chapter 6 - We all know I’m chipped, who cares, they can’t void my warranty without proving my modifications broke the car.
Shut up. I hate to admit it but I used to be naive enough to think that was the case as well. If it makes you feel better most people (even “mod friendly” dealer techs) have no idea how the always misconstrued Magnuson-Moss Act applies in the real world.
People like to talk about the it like it's some golden ticket to modify cars. People love claiming the dealership has to "PROVE" your modifications caused the problem/failure because that's what they heard from their aunts neighbors dog walkers cousin step son who comes over to bang their mom on Tuesdays, read on the internet. That is simply not true. I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time talking with the guy who inspects vehicles and goes to court on behalf of Volkswagen in the case of buybacks, lemon law cars, “thermal events” (when shit catches fire) and things of that nature. I got to grill him on some fact vs fiction warranty stuff, no more theory, or this place does it this way, or I heard this.... this was straight from the horse mouth from the man who goes to court for the manufacture as their technical product expert. The Magnuson-Moss Act goes all the way back to the 4th paragraph of chapter 1 where I said that last part was important and we'd come back to it… we’re coming back to it. The purpose of the Magnuson-Moss Act is so the manufacturers can not void your warranty for using aftermarket parts and service without proving it was the cause of failure. The confusion seems to come from the term "aftermarket". This does not apply to modifications made to the vehicle, it applies to direct replacement and maintenance parts. If the manufacturer tries to tell you your warranty is void because you got your oil changed at Jiffy Lube instead of at a dealership, the Magnuson-Moss Act would protect you against that and they would have to prove that the aftermarket oil change caused the whatever failed to fail. It's basically a law that stops a monopoly against interdependent repair shops and parts stores. If you modify their product to perform outside of it's original operating range they have ZERO obligation to "prove" that your modifications caused of the failure. If it makes it goes all the way to court it’s as simple as "it wasn't designed for that ” and it’s an open and shut case, the manufacturer will not be held accountable for the durability of something operating outside of the range of what it was designed for. It still holds true they can't deny warranty coverage on something unrelated, if you have a chipped ECM and your radio craps out they still need to cover your radio under warranty, seeing as it’s a completely unrelated system they would, in that situation, have to prove your ECM flash killed the radio. But, when you modify the engine to add power the burden of proof is no longer on them for ANY powertrain failure because it wasn't designed to handle the higher loads and stresses than the factory stock XXXhp provides. Legally by making it operate outside of factory stock specified range and/or power levels is “proof’ enough that the manufacturer does not have to honor your warranty.
That being said, modifications are not a clear cut, black and white voided warranty. The only way to flat out “void the warranty” is if it has a salvage or totaled title.
Chapter 7 Warranty work on a modified car.
The way warranty works is the customer brings the vehicle to the dealership for a concern. The tech diagnoses the car, repairs the car, documents everything, and returns the defective part back to the manufacturer. When the warranty claim is processed, they look over the documentation for the basics, if everything checks out then the manufacturer reimburses the dealership for the cost of the repair. If they find something they don't like... the defective part wasn't returned, the returned part wasn't bad, time card punch times don't match up with the repairs, there was an attempted repair on an issue that has a TSB before following the TSB, there's no Guided Fault Finding log uploaded, etc, then the dealership does not got paid for any of the repair, they are forced to eat the full cost of the parts and labor. If that happens the dealership will deduct the time they paid the tech for the repair from the current pay period.
The dealership can "warranty" literally anything they want, but if the manufacturer feels it's not a legit claim then they will not cover the cost of the repair. That is why some dealers are "mod friendly" and others are not, it typically comes down to management deciding how willing they are to risk absorbing the entire cost of the a repair and losing money if the manufacturer doesn't agree with the dealership. It's a risk vs reward thing, they are more likely to try to push something through for a good customer or on some more minor repairs because they want to keep customers happy. If a customer is one of those "Don't wash my car you're going to mess it up", I want this done this way, I know it all because I read about this on the internet, this that and the other thing rattle on tuesdays when its full moon and I'm cresting a hill making a slight left, and then leave a bad survey response type of customers you're a pain in the ass and the dealership is less likely to risk losing money to try to keep you happy. That customer is not worth the risk. Then there is the technician... as a tech do you want to perform a warranty repair if you're not sure if it'll go through knowing full well that if it doesn't then you did the entire job for free? That's where the mod friendliness of the management comes in, they get to make the call, if they choose wrong the tech still gets paid because they aren't at fault.
In the past, before monitoring for chipped cars, it was really just the dealerships word of mouth. No manufacturer wants to incur costs that they don't need to, monitoring for modified vehicles is a good way to potentially cut down on the amount of money they are paying out on repairs that they shouldn't be covering. They just recently sent the email (screenshot from above) out to every single Volkswagen technician in the country saying this is how you know it's flashed. It's too early to see what the end result of that will be, IMHO I think it will turn into the manufacture denying more repairs on modified vehicles. Once dealers start eating repair costs a few times that will be nipped in the butt pretty damn quick.
Lets look at the 2.0T and the potential effects of flashing it. To start with there's a good chance someone removed the ECM, pried the case open, split it in half, and intentionally shorted out a specific spot on the circuit board to ground and then (maybe) put some sealant between the 2 halves of the case and put it back together. The purpose of doing that is to get more power.
Think about on the most basic level, how does an internal combustion engine make power? It burns fuel. It's that simple, if you want more power you need to burn more fuel. Now you've increase the strain on the fuel system to supply more fuel and if you want to burn that extra fuel you supplied you need to bring in more air to keep the air to fuel ratio inline. Which now means more air flow into the engine, which in turn leads to higher cylinder pressures, and than more flow out.
Internal combustion engines are inherently inefficient, a pretty small percent of the energy released from fuel is turned into usable kinetic energy (torque), and a huge portion of the energy is converted to and wasted as heat and noise. If you're burning more fuel you're making more torque and more heat. Engine internals, motor mounts, the entire driveline were designed to reliably handle the stock levels of power long term and you're making them withstand a much higher load. The cooling system and the heat shedding ability on items such as the cylinder head, valves, turbo, etc were designed to reliably handle stock heat loads long term and now you're increasing the heat load. The plastic intake parts: boost piping, intercooler end tanks, intake manifold, and variable intake runner flaps are being forced to operate at roughly twice the amount of pounds of pressure per square inch than what they were designed to reliably handle long term. It goes on and on and on but you get the point. It's all intertwined, a chip makes just about everything powertrain related operate under loads it was designed to handled to handle reliability long term. Let's be honest, that is no longer considered a "defective" part when it fails.... which is what your warranty covers. This does not mean you will be unable to get anything fixed under warranty just because you're car is modified. The dealership and the manufacturer want to keep customers happy and coming back. If it's a common failure part, like coil packs that after 15 years they still haven't gotten right, there's a good chance it's truly a defective part and in theory you wont have much issue getting it covered, but that goes back to the dealers attitude about modifications as I covered above.
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Warranty is one of those odd things that everyone knows what it is but not many seems to really understand it. I’m going to attempt to bring some clarity to factory warranty and the things that go with it. For those of you that don't know me I'll start with a little about my background. I spent over a decade as Volkswagen technician before moving to Audi in 2014. I'm certified by Volkswagen as an Engine Performance Specialist, Transmission Specialist, Chassis Specialist, Electrical Specialist, Routan Specialist, e-Mobility (hybrid) Specialist, Expert Technician, Diagnostic Technician, and Volkswagen Master Technician. I'm certified by Audi as Engine Performance Specialist, Transmission Specialist, Chassis Specialist, Expert Technician, and Audi Master Technician. I've been an installer for APR at a dealership, I've been a Team Leader and Shop Foreman, I've have guys work under me, I've trained apprentices, and I've been given VW's Generation Best award multiple times, I've been in VW's Service Qualification Championship multiple time. Basically when it comes to cars, and more specifically VW/Audi, I know a thing or two about a thing or two.
Chapter 1 - Lets start with the basics… What is a warranty?
Dictionary.com defines a warranty as “a written guarantee given to the purchaser of a new appliance, automobile, or other item by the manufacturer or dealer, usually specifying that the manufacturer will make any repairs or replace defective parts free of charge for a stated period of time.”
Audi defines warranty as “a guarantee that the manufacturer will replace any component that fails as a result of manufacturer’s defect in material or workmanship”
The key word is underlined in both definitions is Defect/Defective. A warranty is not a get out of jail free card if you mess up your car, it’s to cover the repair expenses involved in parts that have failed prematurely through normal use.
I happen to have a Warranty and Maintenance Guide in my hands right now, while it is a Toyota one the disclaimers are pretty standard across every brand. It says:
-Maintenance - You are responsible for performance of the required maintenance indicated in the Owner’s Manual and this booklet. Toyota will not deny a warranty claim solely because you do not have records to show that you maintained your vehicle. However, any failure or noncompliance caused by the lack of maintenance in not covered by this warranty. When maintenance and repairs are paid for by you, these services may be performed by you or by any automotive service provider you choose. Toyota will not deny a warranty claim solely because you used a service provider other than a Toyota dealership for maintenance and repairs. However, any failure or noncompliance caused by improper maintenance or repairs is not covered by this warranty.*****That last part is important and we will come back to that later.*****
-What is Not Covered: This warranty does not cover damage or failures resulting directly or indirectly from any of the following: Fire, accidents, theft, abuse, negligence, misuse - for example, racing or overloading, improper repairs, alteration or tampering including installation of non-genuine Toyota Accessories, lack of or improper maintenance including the use of fluids other than those specified in the Owner’s Manual, installation of non-Genuine Toyota Parts, airborne chemicals, tree sap, road debris (including stone chips), rail dust, salt, hail, floods, windstorms, lightning, and other environmental conditions, and water contamination.
With a new car you get a few different warranties:
-New Vehicle Limited Warranty: covers manufacturer’s defects in material or workmanship. **Adjustments and items that was subject to wear are typically only covered for 12 months or 12,000 miles and NOT the length of the NVLM**
-Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perforation: covers any repair or replacement to correct a defect in manufacturer’s material and workmanship that will result in rust perforation of the vehicle body.
-Federal Emissions Warranty: Emissions Control System Defect Warranty covers emissions related parts that fail to conform to US EPA regulations due to defect in material or workmanship. Federal law mandates the coverage period is 2 years or 24,000 miles for all emission related parts and 8 years or 80,000 miles for specific control devices. Emissions Control System Performance Warranty covers emission related parts that fail to pass an approved state inspection and maintenance test. Federal law mandates the coverage period is 2 years or 24,000 miles for all emission related parts and 8 years or 80,000 miles for specific control devices.
-California Emissions Warranty: I’m not getting into it, screw California and everything about it.
Chapter 2 - Campaigns... Recalls, Service Actions, and Updates
Recalls: Recalls are conducted for safety, compliance, and emissions-related defects. These actions are reported to and monitored by government agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Environmental Protection Agency. Recall eligibility never expires. The manufacturer with cover the cost of of parts and labor to perform the recall until it has been completed. Even a totaled or salvaged title vehicle is entitled to have recalls performed. The law requires that the manufacturer sends a letter via 1st class mail to the last known owner of every vehicle that falls within the recall parameters outlining what the recall is for and how it will be addressed.
Service Actions: Service Actions are conducted to address customer satisfaction and product technical issues that are not directly related to safety or compliance but can sometimes be emissions-related in scope. Service Actions can be completed on vehicles showing a totaled or salvaged title. The manufacturer is not required to but sends letters via 1st class mail to the last known owner of every vehicle that falls within the Service Action parameters. Service Actions may be limited to a specific time which will be clearly noted in the letter.
Updates: Updates are meant to address and prevent quality issues and are provided as part of the brands commitment to quality and reliability of their products. Updates are proactive vehicle enhancements. Updates are an investment in customer satisfaction, loyalty, and vehicle reliability. The manufacturer does NOT mail letters to the customers informing them of vehicle updates, when the vehicle is brought to the dealership for service the VIN shows an open update and is performed free of charge to vehicles that fall within the specified warranty period such as the New Vehicle Limited Warranty (NVLW), Federal Emissions Warranty (FED_EMS), or Extended Warranty (WARR_EXT). Vehicles with a totaled or salvaged title are NOT covered by updates. If a vehicles coverage for an update has expired an Update should be offered at the customer expense.
Now that you know what a recall is, can you see why despite the amount of complaining on the internet about the leaking 2.0T TSI water pumps, it's never going to become a “recall”?
Chapter 3 - TSBs.... Technical Service Bulletins
Technical Service Bulletins are NOT the same as Recalls, Service Actions, or Updates. A dealership does not perform a TSB on your vehicle just because you read about it online and asked them to do it. The manufacturer makes a ton of vehicles and they monitor the repairs made on them. When they see a pattern relating to a specific concern they will release a TSB that addresses it. That doesn't mean you can read about it and come in demanding it be performed on your vehicle, it means if your vehicle is has the concern XYZ and THE DEALERSHIP CAN DUPLICATE IT that they have seen a pattern and you should inspect/replace/lube/modify whatever is listed in the bulletin before digging into it further. It’s just saying this is a common/semi-common thing so lets start with looking at this. For example the TSI timing chain tensioner TSB people love to talk about. All the TSB says is if it’s running rough and it has cam/crank allocation fault to check the tensioner… that’s it. That doesn't mean you can come in and get a new tensioner because there's a TSB.
Chapter 4 - Bringing your vehicle to a dealership for service.
Technically when you bring a vehicle in for ANY concern (customers don’t have “complaints” they have “concerns”), no matter how new or how low the mileage is, the service adviser is supposed to have the customer authorize $X for diagnosis before a technician gets the vehicle. If the cause for the concern is covered under warranty, than the manufacturer covers the expense, they reimburse the dealership and the customer never pays a dime. BUT, if it's not something that warranty will pay for (parking sensors inop because you hit something and damaged a sensor, check engine light because a rodents chewed wiring, mass air flow sensor is burnt out from an over oiled aftermarket filter, suspension vibration from mud or ice caked to the inner barrel of the wheels, etc, etc.) then the customer is responsible for the technician’s time into the vehicle via the diagnosis they authorized from the beginning. Just because you are asked to authorize a diagnostic fee up front does not necessarily mean you will charged that fee. 9 times out of 10 you will not be charged that fee as it will be a legitimate warranty repair and not something caused by outside influence.
In the real world it's very common for service writers not to get time authorized on a "warranty" vehicle because they are assuming the problem is a going to be a warranty repair based on nothing other than the vehicle still being within the warranty period. When a vehicle has been modified or has non OEM accessories installed the probability of you being told you need to authorize time up front goes up exponentially. If your vehicle looks like a modified fanboi piece of crap don’t be surprised if you’re asked to authorize a diagnosis fee before anyone looks at the car.
Chapter 5 - TD1… "Engine ECM Modification (Tuning)"
*****These are screenshots of the Audi side of things, it is absolutely 100% identical to the Volkswagen side, ELSA is the same program for both brands*****
When an Audi/VW comes in for service one of the first things the that happens is the ELSA PRO is opened
When you enter the VIN it will show if there are any open campaigns (Recalls, Service Actions, and Updates as listed in the last section) but it will also reveal customer info, warranty info, repair history (anything done at a dealership paid by the manufacturer will show up), etc. In the case of this chipped S4 there is an exclamation point next to vehicle data.
When you click on vehicle data it shows… drum roll please… vehicle data! In this case it tells you, clear as day, that the vehicle has been chipped. As you can see to the right of the picture it even reveals the date and mileage of when it was detected that the ECM has been chipped. This is the same place it will show if it has a salvaged or totaled title.
Now lets talk about how a VIN number get flagged with a TD1 code. I’ve read all sorts of stupid shit that people have imagined up on how this works, everything from the dealership flagging the VIN for any modifications, even just a filter on a stick intake, all the way to tuners reporting your VIN numbers back to VW/Audi. Please stop spreading that. How it happens is very simple and there is nothing a dealership does to intentionally throw you under the bus. The dealership does NOT have the ability to manually “flag” a vehicle that has been modified, the entire process of flagging a VIN with TD1 code is completely behind the scenes and unintentional and unannounced at the dealership level. The way warranty has worked since 2004 with Audi/VW is that you are REQUIRED by the manufacturer to submit a GFF (Guided Fault Finding) log online with any and all warranty repairs for engine, transmission, or electrical related warranty claims. If it’s a suspension problem there’s no reason to submit a GFF log but if it’s anything that throws a fault in ANY system a GFF log is required or the manufacturer will deny the warranty claim and the dealership eats the cost. If the dealer eats the cost the tech does not get paid for the work they did… the tech does not want to work for free, therefore GFF log are ALWAYS sent in to ensure payment on warranty repairs. Anytime you run a GFF log or you perform an SVM (software) update the scan tool records all sorts of hidden data and send it back to the manufacturer. That’s how a VIN gets flagged with TD1, it’s not the dealership telling on you and manually flagging it, it’s the factory scan tool detecting it is not factory software and reporting it back to the manufacturer.
Putting it in stock mode and locking the ECM…
Some people have gotten the impression that they can switch their tune “stock” mode and “lock” it and somehow that makes it undetectable… or even more absurd , that if it’s “locked” that the tune can't be overwritten/flashed back to stock by the dealer. I don’t know how people came up with that or why people think that but I’d wish they would stop saying it. It doesn't matter what mode it’s in or it’s locked it has absolutely ZERO effect on the scan tools ability to detect the tune or the dealerships ability to overwrite your aftermarket software. If your ECM has been tuned and it's locked, all that means is someone can’t change the program mode (Valet, Stock, 91 octane, 93 octane, 100 octane) without the password… and literally nothing else.
The evolution of TD1… remember when shit hit the fan when I posted this thread **link removed, not relevant on this forum**
It started off as saying TD1 - Motor SG geaendert. It then became TD1 - Engine ECM Modification (Tuning). It eventually evolved to Volkswagen (Audi has not done this **yet**) emailing every single dealership technician the link to a video that every single VW tech will have to watch in order to get/maintain their certification for the year that shows how to see if vehicle has been chipped. There is officially no more hiding it and no more ignorant employees who don't how to figure it out. You know, I know, the dealership knows, and the manufacturer knows.
Chapter 6 - We all know I’m chipped, who cares, they can’t void my warranty without proving my modifications broke the car.
Shut up. I hate to admit it but I used to be naive enough to think that was the case as well. If it makes you feel better most people (even “mod friendly” dealer techs) have no idea how the always misconstrued Magnuson-Moss Act applies in the real world.
People like to talk about the it like it's some golden ticket to modify cars. People love claiming the dealership has to "PROVE" your modifications caused the problem/failure because that's what they heard from their aunts neighbors dog walkers cousin step son who comes over to bang their mom on Tuesdays, read on the internet. That is simply not true. I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time talking with the guy who inspects vehicles and goes to court on behalf of Volkswagen in the case of buybacks, lemon law cars, “thermal events” (when shit catches fire) and things of that nature. I got to grill him on some fact vs fiction warranty stuff, no more theory, or this place does it this way, or I heard this.... this was straight from the horse mouth from the man who goes to court for the manufacture as their technical product expert. The Magnuson-Moss Act goes all the way back to the 4th paragraph of chapter 1 where I said that last part was important and we'd come back to it… we’re coming back to it. The purpose of the Magnuson-Moss Act is so the manufacturers can not void your warranty for using aftermarket parts and service without proving it was the cause of failure. The confusion seems to come from the term "aftermarket". This does not apply to modifications made to the vehicle, it applies to direct replacement and maintenance parts. If the manufacturer tries to tell you your warranty is void because you got your oil changed at Jiffy Lube instead of at a dealership, the Magnuson-Moss Act would protect you against that and they would have to prove that the aftermarket oil change caused the whatever failed to fail. It's basically a law that stops a monopoly against interdependent repair shops and parts stores. If you modify their product to perform outside of it's original operating range they have ZERO obligation to "prove" that your modifications caused of the failure. If it makes it goes all the way to court it’s as simple as "it wasn't designed for that ” and it’s an open and shut case, the manufacturer will not be held accountable for the durability of something operating outside of the range of what it was designed for. It still holds true they can't deny warranty coverage on something unrelated, if you have a chipped ECM and your radio craps out they still need to cover your radio under warranty, seeing as it’s a completely unrelated system they would, in that situation, have to prove your ECM flash killed the radio. But, when you modify the engine to add power the burden of proof is no longer on them for ANY powertrain failure because it wasn't designed to handle the higher loads and stresses than the factory stock XXXhp provides. Legally by making it operate outside of factory stock specified range and/or power levels is “proof’ enough that the manufacturer does not have to honor your warranty.
That being said, modifications are not a clear cut, black and white voided warranty. The only way to flat out “void the warranty” is if it has a salvage or totaled title.
Chapter 7 Warranty work on a modified car.
The way warranty works is the customer brings the vehicle to the dealership for a concern. The tech diagnoses the car, repairs the car, documents everything, and returns the defective part back to the manufacturer. When the warranty claim is processed, they look over the documentation for the basics, if everything checks out then the manufacturer reimburses the dealership for the cost of the repair. If they find something they don't like... the defective part wasn't returned, the returned part wasn't bad, time card punch times don't match up with the repairs, there was an attempted repair on an issue that has a TSB before following the TSB, there's no Guided Fault Finding log uploaded, etc, then the dealership does not got paid for any of the repair, they are forced to eat the full cost of the parts and labor. If that happens the dealership will deduct the time they paid the tech for the repair from the current pay period.
The dealership can "warranty" literally anything they want, but if the manufacturer feels it's not a legit claim then they will not cover the cost of the repair. That is why some dealers are "mod friendly" and others are not, it typically comes down to management deciding how willing they are to risk absorbing the entire cost of the a repair and losing money if the manufacturer doesn't agree with the dealership. It's a risk vs reward thing, they are more likely to try to push something through for a good customer or on some more minor repairs because they want to keep customers happy. If a customer is one of those "Don't wash my car you're going to mess it up", I want this done this way, I know it all because I read about this on the internet, this that and the other thing rattle on tuesdays when its full moon and I'm cresting a hill making a slight left, and then leave a bad survey response type of customers you're a pain in the ass and the dealership is less likely to risk losing money to try to keep you happy. That customer is not worth the risk. Then there is the technician... as a tech do you want to perform a warranty repair if you're not sure if it'll go through knowing full well that if it doesn't then you did the entire job for free? That's where the mod friendliness of the management comes in, they get to make the call, if they choose wrong the tech still gets paid because they aren't at fault.
In the past, before monitoring for chipped cars, it was really just the dealerships word of mouth. No manufacturer wants to incur costs that they don't need to, monitoring for modified vehicles is a good way to potentially cut down on the amount of money they are paying out on repairs that they shouldn't be covering. They just recently sent the email (screenshot from above) out to every single Volkswagen technician in the country saying this is how you know it's flashed. It's too early to see what the end result of that will be, IMHO I think it will turn into the manufacture denying more repairs on modified vehicles. Once dealers start eating repair costs a few times that will be nipped in the butt pretty damn quick.
Lets look at the 2.0T and the potential effects of flashing it. To start with there's a good chance someone removed the ECM, pried the case open, split it in half, and intentionally shorted out a specific spot on the circuit board to ground and then (maybe) put some sealant between the 2 halves of the case and put it back together. The purpose of doing that is to get more power.
Think about on the most basic level, how does an internal combustion engine make power? It burns fuel. It's that simple, if you want more power you need to burn more fuel. Now you've increase the strain on the fuel system to supply more fuel and if you want to burn that extra fuel you supplied you need to bring in more air to keep the air to fuel ratio inline. Which now means more air flow into the engine, which in turn leads to higher cylinder pressures, and than more flow out.
Internal combustion engines are inherently inefficient, a pretty small percent of the energy released from fuel is turned into usable kinetic energy (torque), and a huge portion of the energy is converted to and wasted as heat and noise. If you're burning more fuel you're making more torque and more heat. Engine internals, motor mounts, the entire driveline were designed to reliably handle the stock levels of power long term and you're making them withstand a much higher load. The cooling system and the heat shedding ability on items such as the cylinder head, valves, turbo, etc were designed to reliably handle stock heat loads long term and now you're increasing the heat load. The plastic intake parts: boost piping, intercooler end tanks, intake manifold, and variable intake runner flaps are being forced to operate at roughly twice the amount of pounds of pressure per square inch than what they were designed to reliably handle long term. It goes on and on and on but you get the point. It's all intertwined, a chip makes just about everything powertrain related operate under loads it was designed to handled to handle reliability long term. Let's be honest, that is no longer considered a "defective" part when it fails.... which is what your warranty covers. This does not mean you will be unable to get anything fixed under warranty just because you're car is modified. The dealership and the manufacturer want to keep customers happy and coming back. If it's a common failure part, like coil packs that after 15 years they still haven't gotten right, there's a good chance it's truly a defective part and in theory you wont have much issue getting it covered, but that goes back to the dealers attitude about modifications as I covered above.
