What really annoys me are people who tune leased cars, then revert to a stock tune and return it at the end of the lease hoping nobody notices. Then if anything goes wrong, the next owner end up holding the bag.

You can't undo the tune on F-type. Any tune will create permanent detectable codes in multiple systems. Such car is permanently ineligbile for any kind of engine warranty, this includes manufacturer's warranty, CPO warranty, and any third-party extended warranty.

If you tune your car, the only ethical approach is to take full responsibility for your actions and fully declare it when selling or returning the car. Hiding a tune is not unlike hiding flood damage or major accident.

 

I fully agree with the leased car statement. It's not your car, you are renting it.

 

Agree there are a lot of people that otherwise seem ethical that, when selling a car, cover up the known problems in the hope of getting more money and screwing the person who buys the car. Sadly I did this myself in my youth but fortunately grew out of it. Now there are folks that would buy, and likely even pay more, for a car with a tune on it so, if you are selling the car, I'd promote not hide it. But doing this to a lease car is really dangerous and trading a car in with a tune, even if you disclose it to the dealer (who will often auction it out) will likely end up with someone downstream getting screwed particularly if you pulled the tune off (but still voided any remaining warranty). I don't think many of us think about this and it is worth considering.

On Track cars; last week i had a chance to drive a race prepped Ferrari (which I nearly wrecked thanks to some idiot driving slowly moving the exact opposite direction he, or she, was told to move) and rode in an open wheel track day car. The track day car was a ton easier to drive fast because I could actually see the wheel and better point to the apex. More important just blowing the engine on one of the Ferrari's is something like a $100K + event, wrecking the entire car on the track day car is a far more modest $75K or less if I bought a used one. I think I just became a believer in track day cars...

On pounding on VAP, any of us can have a bad experience with any vendor. Certainly it is good to bring it up once as a warning to others, forums are good for that, but if most folks had a good experience, as was the case here, just consider that the problem might have been you, an unique dynamic (everyone has a bad day, and sometimes two people just don't like each other), or it was a misunderstanding that could still get cleared up. Just pounding on the vendor over and over again will likely result in one of the moderators stepping in (which, to be clear, I'm not doing here since I'm not really assigned to this section).

 

In the US there are Federal laws concerning new car warranties. Chiefly, the Magnusson Act. Warranty claims can only be denied if the reason of the failure can be attributed to the modification.

If you change the ECU in any way, you may cause a problem in your drivetrain due to what will be interpreted as added stress. As Lizzardo pointed out as well as Unhinged, when you make that decision (to tune) you better understand that you are going to have to fight each and every warranty claim. I posted earlier, it's a pay to play game, while the tune is $700+, the consequences can be much more substantial.

My bottom line, if you start modding, go big or go home, either way your warranty becomes questionable. If you blow up an engine ($35K minimum), and JLR will likely decline the warranty. Even if you think that it wasn't due to the tune, you will need to sue JLR. If you win... you will still be $30K + into it in legal bills. That is not to say that JLR will decline a claim if they see that an oil pump totally failed...

 

Agree, it surprises me how many people think they can do mods and not take a hit on the trade in or warranty. I do them (mods) but I accept the risk (though I haven't done them on a car under warranty since I dropped a screw from an aftermarket injection system into my engine on my new Honda Civic requiring a new top end and voided the warranty).

 

I didn't even mention the used value. You are 100% correct. Personally I never buy anything modified, usually it tells me that the former owner was hard on the car and then I don't know who did the work and how.

I just picked a 2016 V8R AWD from an insurance company as an additional project car for the team. I didn't care much for the body work needed nut I did check right away (and prior to purchase) for a tune and pulley swap. I did buy it after it was a virgin car.

 

FYI everybody, we are not 'concealing' tunes. There are a myriad of reasons that we recommend flashing back to stock before a dealer visit, but making it undetectable is not one of them. It doesn't accomplish this.

 

I am done contributing to >> this thread << as am in receipt of a Cease and desist letter claiming that highlighting unlikely and unreasonable risks of tuning is hurting their client's business... (copy of this thread was attached up to message #85)

 

It's not from us. So who sent it to you?

 

Wow. Just wow.

 

Well it can't be you guys, because all this posting has been in like the last 24hr? Am quite sure it takes a bit longer to get a legal letter written, approved by management and then posted and received by the recipient, so its not even possible to be you guys!

 

Well, who was it?????

 

You got a letter around 2 hrs after post #85 was made?

Why not post a copy?

 

Funny. I had a very nice 1970 Firebird and dropped the wing nut from the air cleaner cover right into the carburetor. With the engine running. Never again. Mistakes are only boneheaded and stupid if you repeat them.

 

Screenshot or didn't happen.

 

Which is why I stuff paper towels in openings when dismantling/rebuilding engine parts.

However having said that one must remember to remove said paper towels on reassembly.

I did not with my rebuilt supercharger because one rolled up paper towel went in too far and I did not see it on reassembly and it was sucked into the SC and immediately jammed it solid.

Had to take off the SC, and dismantle it, in order to get that really compressed piece of paper out.

Lesson learned.

 

In other news, Apple hit 1 trillion today despite nay-sayers saying iPhone sales are slowing (20% growth) and the Apple Watch is a dud.

 

Bought it at 92.

 

It looks like another thread bites the dust.