When is a warranty not a warranty?

[coach]

I've just gotten of the phone with a dealer who tells me that changing springs to lower the car will void the warranty. He also said that 19" wheels would do the same thing but "maybe" aftermarket 18"s were ok.
If that wasn't enough he wanted to charge me $5000 for the JCW front seats only !!
Then he suggested that aftermarket seats were a better alternative ( cheaper ) and would not void warranty !!
I didn't bother to ask about the smaller pulley that is so popular on this forum.

So help me out here guys.....what mods have you done which didn't void the warranty or have you just not worried about it?

[MINIAC]

FAQ: Will fitting aftermarket parts void the warranty?

[coach]

Ooops...sorry MINIAC for not looking in the FAQ section.

Currently hitting myself firmly on head for this error !!

[MINIAC]

No worries

[SteveM3]

Quote: Originally Posted by MINIAC

FAQ: Will fitting aftermarket parts void the warranty?

Yeah the only thing with that is as it says at the end you need to check what is law on your
country. It is also more complicated than you may think. I don't see why the dealer thinks
it's the just the size of the wheels that matter. Weight and particuarly offset matters more.
I have 17" alloys with a different offset and except I may wear suspension components out
faster due to this. I think most people modifying just keep their fingers crossed that they
never need to find out.

[coach]

Hi SteveM3

I think you are right. To me it seems that enthusiasts get caught in the middle. Modifying your car is so natural on the one hand and then the manufacturer can say no to even the smallest thing. The argument that a modification causes a fault could go on forever. Who's to say that the part isn't faulty or has worn out naturally, faster than normal?
Crossed fingers seems to be the way to go.