wrxmania

Hello all,

I have read tons on here about modifications ruining your warranty etc etc. I am interested in decatting my car (centre cat only) and have heard so many mixed opinions on this issue.

As I understand warranty, service components can be replaced as long as they are replaced with parts to an equivalent quality to the original etc etc.

Has anyone ever, ACTUALLY, contacted I.M./Subaru U.K. - whoever - to ask if fitting a back box or a decat pipe (or even the downpipe) or something similar like changing front brake pads to Ferrodo or EBC etc is OK?

Does it or does it not affect the warranty if I change the back box and centre cat is removed with high quality stainless steel parts, better than OEM standard? Not talking crazy mods here and no engine work.

Please - no conjecture - has anyone ACTUALLY CONTACTED THEM AND HAD A FORMAL REPLY?

If not, how do I contact them to ask them? It is a MY03 WRX and I wan't to keep my warranty (and please don't say just keep it standard). My dealer have not bothered at all at service or repair that it has a custom back box. I am not asking about dealer - I would like to find out fact as I know dealers can vary.

Thanks,

Brian

Ajax

I would be interested in the answer to this, also is there a whoo shhhhh dump valve that’s approved

Subaru Warranty Administration,
Subaru UK
Ryder Street,
West Bromwich,
West Midlands
B70 0EJ

Ajax

greasemonkey

Silly question, but why are you interested in decatting your car?

Equivalent quality and function to the original. A centre pipe without a catalyst is not equivalent in function to the OE catted one, no matter what materials it's made with, or how well it's assembled.

Of course. You're affecting the functionality of the exhaust system by omitting the catalyst, and with it the function of the engine itself.

By removing one of the catalytic converters, you are affecting the way the engine and turbo works. QED, warranty gone.

International Motors Limited
Ryder Street
West Midlands
B70 0EJ
Tel: 0121 557 2112

What else do you want us to say? We can't in all honesty tell you to muck about with it to your heart's content, because this will undoubtedly invalidate the warranty. If you want to keep that, and get more go, the only option really open to you is the PPP, or the range of dealer fitted upgrade parts.

Indeed. About the best you can do is phone IM, ask for the warranty department and tell us exactly what the score is. I have a feeling I know what the answer will be tho.

No, in a word, unless you can see one on the WR Sport/Prodrive aftermarket parts list.

wrxmania

Thanks Greasemonkey,

Comprehensive reply there. I was only asking as there are SO MANY threads, as I am sure you have replied to most, discussing the same old story, over and over. Hence asking if anyone has actually asked. I mention decat because I have seen the power gains possible and Prodrive do not offer anything suitable.

My car is rolling roaded (on a hot day) at 245 and the same cars on the day with PPP generally never get above 255 BHP, whatever Prodrive figures are. I appreciate that these figures are under peak conditions.

Spending £1600 to gain another 10 - 15 BHP is NOT good value for money, although it may improve the car overall, but so do many other maps and tweaks etc.

Thanks for your reply,

Brian.

wrxmania

P.S. Greasemonkey - do you work for or represent I.M. / Subaru or Prodrive?

Thanks,

Brian

greasemonkey

No, I don't represent anyone/anything other than myself when I post here, there's no "party line", or however else you may describe it behind anything I say. As for what I do the rest of the time, that's a totally separate issue.

As for spending £1600 on an "extra 10-15bhp", it's not just the figures on paper that make the difference, the throttle response and overall driveability of the car are greatly improved. If you're in any doubt, you should ask your dealer to let you drive a WRX PPP and see what you think.

As you say, there are other ways of increasing the engine's power output, but only the PPP will keep the manufacturer's warranty. You pays your money, as they say.

wrxmania

LOL!!!

Just when you referred to we and us in your post.

Brian

greasemonkey

Heh, "we" and "us" in that context referred to us here on SN, nowhere else.

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

I have always found IM to be reasonable in their approach to modifications as long as you are reasonable with them.

ie don't claim for a new engine if you've fitted Dawes, full decat and EcuTek & it goes bang BUT if you have fitted those parts & the door falls off, then they generally honour it.

I had a couple of warranty claims and all my mods were listed on SN (which they read/monitor) and as my mods didn't directly affect the performance of the parts that needed repair, then the warranty was honoured.


What I would suggest is that you don't want to write to them as they will undoubtedly put it down in black & white, whereas at the moment there is a "grey" area that as long as you don't take the P, they continue to honour the warranty. Probably best to leave it that way.

They're a damn sight better than Porche and Audi anyway!

Trashman

Puff - can't comment on whether or not Subaru/IM read/monitor SN, however is there or has there been a post which clearly linked your user name to your car?

My guess is the dealer would probably be reasonable as long as Subaru/IM don't query or reject the claim - generally I guess this is a paperwork exercise in most cases, but even if failed parts are returned there is no way to know what else is fitted to the car? Especially if it is a 'known' or acknowledged problem?

Other question I have - has anyone here ever had a warranty repair refused because of a mod?

Ajax

Greasemonkey: Thanks for the reply, I still want a whoosh dump valve, cant wait till the warrantee is out.

Trashman: I wonder what has been claimed for under warrantee recently, would be interested to know of any weak spots.

Ajax

greasemonkey

In which case it doesn't matter which one you get, as all "whoosh" (as you put it) dump valves will screw up the fuelling and, if sh*t hits fan, your warranty. Why so keen to have something that makes pedestrians think you're a tit and makes your engine run worse?

Ajax

Greasemonkey: Why do externally venting dump valve cause problems, is it that much of a big deal that the vent is externally.

I like the snorting bull effect, sorry but I bought a Scooby because its fun and not boring.

What proof have you that dump valves make you look like a tit anymore than big zorts and a spoiler.

Sorry but you sound a little like my father and he would never advise buying a Scooby in the first place.

I sorta know you are right but why cant we have a bit of fun.

Not getting at you personally M8, but being sensible is a right pain, isn’t it.

Ajax

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Trashman

I've never made any bones about it. PTMW! came about after JamesH competed in an SN & REVS mag published Scoobs Vs Cossies article in which my full reg was visible.

Their warranty states

"defects, malfunctions or failures resulting from misuse (e.g overloading, rallying or racing), speed trials, negligence, modification, alteration, tampering, disconnection, improper adjustments or repairs, accidents, installation of parts not equivalent in quality and design to parts supplied by Subaru (UK) Ltd, add-on parts, improper maintenance or use of fuels, oils and/or lubricants other than those recommended"

are NOT covered.

So I guess 0-60s, 1/4s and top speed are "speed trials". After that, I did not hide the fact that I replaced OE brakes with uprated items, nor that I replaced the suspension with uprated items nor that I installed PPP but not from an authorised dealer.

I have never blanked my registration either on this bbs or any other.

I have undertaken many track-days whilst within warranty period.

I have had warranty items on window mechanism and front N/S wheel bearings/hub, which could I guess be construed as mis-use on a track-day and as a result of non OE braking system.

I have hardly been "quiet" in my exploits

It is known that IM monitor SN but then again, that would be expected in that this is the biggest Subaru community bbs outside the US and where better to find out customer needs/desires.



There was an instance of IM negating a warranty when at a track-day a member was approached and he volunteered the fact that he had full de-cat, dawes device and other mods. IM informed him before a claim could be made, that his warranty would no longer be satisfied if he made one.

"Minor" engine, cosmetic and braking/suspension mods are, on the face of it, going to be accepted as long as the mod does not directly result in the warranty claim. Overdo it/take the p and expect that IM will not honour your claim. In the above instance, potentially over-stressing the engine through dawes/decat etc was obviously over the mark as a resulting engine failure is beyond what they would expect to cover and indeed why should they?

There will be risk with modifying your car, just be prepared to accept it if it goes wrong but on the whole, IM are reasonable if you are too.

greasemonkey

Yes, and, tbh, this is something you could have found out by hitting the "Search" button above.
The MAF sensor in your car measures the amount of air going into the engine. If you dump some of that measured air out, the ECU's fuelling calculations go out of whack for the period the dumpvalve is open, and just after you reapply the throttle. This is assuming the valve is adjusted correctly, which many of the aftermarket ones aren't. The short term effects can be diminished throttle response and poor idling. Longer term, you could be looking at accelerated engine wear due to bore wash and subsequent oil contamination.

I don't immediately see what having fun has to do with fitting devices that screw with the way your car works.

Lol, nothing, as in my book unnecessarily big tailpipes and Lax Power spoilers are just as bad as anything else.

Lol, I bet the thing that most annoyed you about your dad, or indeed your teacher, is that they often had a point. I just say it how it is. Whether you choose to take what's been said on board is entirely your choice after all.

As I keep saying you can do what you want, it's your car and if you want to fit one of these valves it's no skin off my nose. As for having a bit of fun, I've got no problem at all with that. I just think there's a big difference between fitting devices that actually make your car work better (i.e. more fun to drive) and those that make it work worse. Externally venting dumpvalves are firmly in the latter category, unless you're running an aftermarket ECU that fuels on MAP rather than MAF.

This is nothing to do with being "sensible", if you knew me you'd know that I take bigger risks in a car than most people you're likely to bump into, so sensible isn't exactly a word that applies.

As said above, what you do with your car is entirely up to you. From a technical point of view, these things are undesirable. If you choose to fit one anyway, at least you do so in full possession of the facts.

Trashman

Ahhh was not aware of PTMW's history

Got ya - fair point then odds are the link was made

Get a dealer back in Basingstoke and you'll get another sale (I'm sure that extra one is all you need to convince you, you nice IM people you )

So that answers the main question in this thread?

As per your previous post and above, agree they have certainly been reasonable in the past. Certainly more reasonable than other manufacturer's I could mention

CataIunya

Just do what I did and a lot of people do......just take yer mods off when you get it serviced. If they don't ask you don't lie thus no problem......