wazzugreg

Hey Guys—

I’m looking at adding some mods on my C8 in a few weeks: Corsa exhaust and headers AFe CAI, and Lingenfelter ported intake manifold. I went to my local GM dealer to ask two questions-1) will these mods throw a code, and 2) will these mods void the warranty? The GM guy said the warranty issue was a gray area but, if there was any tuning required (and there is with the increase in air, plus it is scheduled for dyno) then there would be a voided warranty. He wasn’t too concerned with just the exhaust but still did not provide a credible clear answer. This is a concern with the tranny issues and other things I’ve been seeing on here. Also, I was informed by Corsa and Lingenfelter that neither would void the warranty.

So…is my dealer full of crap or simply providing an out if they don’t want to do any expensive warranty work? Should I check with other dealers? Any of you had an experience with similar mods?

BTW-never got an answer to throwing a code. Corsa and Lingenfelter said it wouldn’t.

Thoughts.

—Greg

Kevin A Jones

Might be a gray area now, but bet it's won't be if you come in with an engine problem expecting warranty having installed headers AFe CAI, and Lingenfelter ported intake manifold.

ZipZap

Will this increase the HP and/or torque from how the vehicle was delivered? Will it alter fuel/air ratio from how the vehicle was delivered? If so, it's not gray at all. Delivered vehicle is designed to operate at delivered specs. Anything done to alter those specs will be an easy target for GM to refuse warranty support.

The exhaust probably does not alter spec, as it operates likely at the same spec, other than noise level, as the NPP. The headers and intake are a pretty clear change to the spec of much of the drive train.

BIG Dave

I think the dealer person is being careful with his words, in case you have an engine issue and GM decides to deny warranty coverage. Don’t forget, it’s GM that has the final word, not the dealer on when something is covered or not covered by the warranty. The dealer person doesn’t want to be put in the middle and be accused of saying GM will cover it when potentially GM may not cover it.

449er

Don't do it if you are at all concerned about needing your warranty down the road

bhvrdr

Its in you manual. Performance parts and any system impacted by them will not be covered.

Vetteman Jack

It’s great to improve the performance of the car, but go into it with the realization that GM may deny any warranty repairs that are drivetrain related.

Kracka

Here's my current engine mod list:

• aFe intake
• Soler Performance ported throttle body
• SoCal Porting ported intake manifold
• aFe Twisted Steel headers
• Corsa high-flow cats

Zero CELs and no tuning required (not that tuning is even available for the C8). My dealership has not given me any grief regarding the mods when in for service or minor warranty work, but if something major were to break only GM knows the answer to that and it's likely determined on a case-by-case basis. My C7 had similar mods + tuning and again, the dealerships I took it in to never gave me any hassle regarding them. Sticking with emissions-compliant mods won't hurt your case, but it's not a guarantee either. I've posted plenty on this forum regarding which C8 headers are 50-state legal (aFe & ARH) and which high-flow cats are 49-state compliant (brands that use GESi G-Sport GEN2 400-cell cores).

If warranty is absolutely of the upmost importance to you, get yourself a drop-in air filter and the Chevy Accessories Borla exhaust system and call it done.

Bruiser2012

Always been my understanding that cat back systems are ok but the actual cats or anything between them and the engine (like headers) will void the warranty. On the intake side a filter or cold air kit is ok but nothing from the throttle body onward. Oh, and no tunes due the cold air kit and exhaust system. This is generic to pretty much all vehicles.

Sometimes the manufacturers have mods that are outside these general guidelines that do not void warranties like Ford has a blower kit for Coyote motors that will not void the warranty.

I'd be careful what the dealer says because word of mouth won't stand up in court if you know what I mean. If they are not willing to put something on paper, there's a reason

-Bob.

orca1946

Maybe for now just leave it alone till you see what happens to others.

DHDCF

Save the money, PPF it instead, if you haven't already.

Red Mist Rulz

I think you're right that, in general, a cat back or a filter won't affect the warranty. But if the dealer or GM have reason to believe the exhaust or the intake is what led to the failure, then boom, warranty block. If the cold air intake allows water into the intake for example. Of the AFM valves on the catback fail closed, and cause excessive heat build up.

Absolutely agree that verbal assurances from a dealer mean nothing. In the event of a major warranty claim, like an engine, GM will evaluate and make the decision, not the dealer. And they'll likely examine the ECU before approving a warranty repair if there's the slightest reason to suspect a mod was involved.

Farva0066

100% what I came here to say: CAI, cat-back is about all you can do. Headers/Cats/Throttle Bodies have been reported to void drivetrain warranty by forum members. And tunes have always, on all cars, voided. There were more than a handful of gt350 owners who thought they could just "reflash" after blowing their engine... yea, Ford knew.

As far as these mods on your Corvette though - they don't require a tune. You will see performance increases with 0 tune. The C8 has wideband sensors and can simply adjust fuel levels to a pretty high degree. you're also probably aware that you will need to have an approved tuner remove your ECU and have it sent out to HP to be unlocked, at a not insignificant cost, just for the option of tuning anything. Def not worth it unless you are going FI.

Finally, if.you look at the results others have gotten by doing alllll the Bolt-ons... you're probably looking at 30hp. That's pretty darn expensive for 30hp and voiding your warranty.

I'd go with the 14hp @ $800 CAI, call it a day, and then just drive the car... It's a pretty impressive car


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