Track days vs. warranty

[Dynjo]

Originally Posted by bostonaudi

To further re-iterate, I TELL my dealer I'm going to the track for an event, that I want the car checked over, and that I want their techs to be extra diligent with it.

You are making a common mistake. You are assuming the dealer is the same entity as the manufacturer. The dealer wants to make nice with you so that buy more cars and parts, but they have very little input into corporate warranty policy. It's a good setup for "good cop - bad cop".

How many discussions have we read about dealers who will chip your ECU for you? Those same dealers will not reach into their petty cash to replace your turbo head gasket if something goes wrong. They simply do not have that type of cash or authority.

[bostonaudi]

Originally Posted by Dynjo

You are making a common mistake. You are assuming the dealer is the same entity as the manufacturer. The dealer wants to make nice with you so that buy more cars and parts, but they have very little input into corporate warranty policy. It's a good setup for "good cop - bad cop".

How many discussions have we read about dealers who will chip your ECU for you? Those same dealers will not reach into their petty cash to replace your turbo head gasket if something goes wrong. They simply do not have that type of cash or authority.

One could argue going to the dealer for anything other than what's absolutely necessary (a warranty fix) is a mistake.

I've never heard of a VW dealer doing chipping, I have run into BMW dealers that install Dinan parts, and its covered under warranty (and the Dinan parts themselves are as well), that is the way to do it.

In any case, I don't view it as a mistake per se, I suppose I could be screwed, but, as I said before, the far larger risk is a crash. As in the old adage - don't bring to the track what you aren't prepared to take home on the back of a wrecker.

[Dynjo]

Just to be clear, I merely meant to say that a dealer's encouragement or support does not mean the factory will look the other way on a warranty claim. Getting them to help prep your car is probably good, although you will never be able deny you've been to the track, which is only an issue if bold-faced lying is part of your strategy.

Hell, you can probably buy a nitrous oxide kit over the counter at some dealer. It is a common misconception to assume this means the engine would still be under warranty once you install it. Or even if the dealer installed it.

Warranty is handled by the factory and the dealer is not the factory. Just need to point that out.

Dinan/BMW is an uncommon case. Dinan may share or totally fund the warranty costs.

I went to the APR website and found 3 VW dealers within 600 miles that will reflash my ECU. Regardless, I would not assume VW would pay for a turbo or head gasket should one fail.

[VMRWheels]

Originally Posted by Dynjo

Warranty is handled by the factory and the dealer is not the factory. Just need to point that out.

Typically, a dealership will either approve or disapprove of warranty work. They can either be very specific or very vague in the paperwork, though there is of course a minimum amount of required information. If the call seems somewhat fishy, the manufacturer may send out the district inspector to determine whether or not to go through with it. I have even heard that some of them are more often involved to determine whether this will create a repeat customer, more than anything else. The only reason I know this is that in a previous car of mine, the motor blew. I was lucky enough to have a friend that worked in a tech department who told me the workings.

I have never heard of warranty work being determined strictly by the overarching company without dealer involvement, though I could just as easily be wrong; this may also differ from one manufacturer to the next.

You do bring up a good point about the manufacturer writing the rules, rather than an individual dealership. It is also good to keep in mind the customer ~ dealer relationship as well. Though a dealership may not be able to rewrite the rules, they do play a strong role in swaying a decision one way or the other. If a certain decision is the difference between keeping a customer in the VW family or going elsewhere, the dealership will try to do what it takes to keep a customer, on a case to case basis of course.

Just another $.02 to the discussion

[07DSG]

bostonaudi, how many miles does your car have? What oil do you use?

[bostonaudi]

Originally Posted by 07DSG

bostonaudi, how many miles does your car have? What oil do you use?

Just turned 40k. I'm not a fanatic over oil, only that it has enough! (we all know how these motors consume). I generally run what the dealer puts in (Castrol) or Amsoil Euro blend once in a while. In my experience Amsoil is the real deal, I've used it in many turbo motors in the past.

I've seen a lot of comments that are negative on Castrol, but I've never seen anyone post any actual evidence it isn't good. Castrol, Mobil, Amsoil are all excellent in my experience. I don't have experience with much else.

Which reminds me, my car is an 08, I've never yanked the fuel pump follower out, getting curious to see what it looks like.

[ddash97]

i agree with what bostonaudi says about his motor oil experience. since i bought my 07 in 07 i've had two free dealership oil changes, then mobile 1, then mobile 1, then castrol, then mobile 1, then motul, then lubro moly x2.
when i made the switch to motul i found bobistheoilguy.com and was quickly inundated with information. that place is crazy! i checked my cam follower just after an HPDE @ 45k and it had very little wear. maybe a good indication of proper maintenance? i've decided that what i've been doing is certainly not hurting my engine but maybe at 300k miles i could be proven wrong? at a minimum, perform the factory recommendations and above all else keep that joker topped off :)


disclaimer: i realized just before i posted this reply that it is completely off topic to the OP but i figure the information is useful nonetheless.

[jwoods986]

Man, reading all this crap just makes me think it's worth paying the extra to go to the track with someone else's car - i.e. Skip Barber schools or the like. I got my G37 last December and was planning to do some track days and/or auto-x using my own car, especially since they are so much less than a formal school. But by the time you add everything up - track day insurance, changing fluids, pads, oil, etc. (I'm not a DIY'er), it's not much more to just go to a school and not have the wear-and-tear on your car plus the worry of a part breaking and not being covered by warranty.

[bostonaudi]

Originally Posted by jwoods986

Man, reading all this crap just makes me think it's worth paying the extra to go to the track with someone else's car - i.e. Skip Barber schools or the like. I got my G37 last December and was planning to do some track days and/or auto-x using my own car, especially since they are so much less than a formal school. But by the time you add everything up - track day insurance, changing fluids, pads, oil, etc. (I'm not a DIY'er), it's not much more to just go to a school and not have the wear-and-tear on your car plus the worry of a part breaking and not being covered by warranty.

Crap? more like the facts of tracking, no, it isn't cheap or for the timid. Skip Barber looks like fun, but you want to pay that much every time you go out? Probably one of the cheapest ways to get out is pay $2k for an old beater E30 325i, put a few bucks into the suspension and roll cage, then laugh when you pass most everyone else - plus these cars hardly ever break in any serious way.

I might have chosen a 350 or 370z as a track car over the G37, unless its a coupe, which is a damn fine ride.

[Dynjo]

Originally Posted by bostonaudi

Probably one of the cheapest ways to get out is pay $2k for an old beater E30 325i, put a few bucks into the suspension and roll cage, then laugh when you pass most everyone else -

I like these cars...

[DankCIA]

Originally Posted by bostonaudi

I've never heard of a VW dealer doing chipping, I have run into BMW dealers that install Dinan parts, and its covered under warranty (and the Dinan parts themselves are as well), that is the way to do it.

There are VW dealerships who chip cars - I got my APR chip from Garnet VW and they told me that they would still honor the warranty on my car. It's really specific to the individual dealerships though. Garnet happens to sponsor the mid-atlantic forum on the vortex and in general is dub friendly dealership and they earn business off that reputation. Other dealers won't and that's fine.

As far as warranty vs tracking your car - you should never assume the warranty extends to the track. The cars were designed for the road and even though your car may be capable of performing on the track the warranty is not meant to cover those driving conditions. It sucks, but there is special insurance to cover you for track days.