What could void an extended warranty?

[pastorgumby]

Hi folks, I spoke with the owner of my future Nomad, and he was suggesting that any exhaust, air intake mods can void a warranty.
Is this correct? ??? Thank you.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by PastorGumby

Hi folks, I spoke with the owner of my future Nomad, and he was suggesting that any exhaust, air intake mods can void a warranty.
Is this correct? ??? Thank you.

No, they can't. For example, if you install an aftermarket exhaust and your radiator cracks...one has absolutely nothing to do with the other. Kaw could not deny warranty coverage for the radiator. On the other hand, if you use cheap automotive antifreeze (not designed for aluminum cooling systems) in your cooling system, and it causes the water pump to fail or ruins your radiator, then warranty coverage could be denied for that.

There is a piece of federal legislation called the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which states, among other things (paraphrasing here): aftermarket parts and accessories cannot void warranty coverage UNLESS the aftermarket part or accessory caused the failure.

If it worries you, then keep your bike stock. A lot of the mods we do here probably are in the gray area of warranty coverage. It's up to each individual member to assess the risks of any mods and consider the consequences before attempting them.

[phenrichs]

Easy, two words. Dan Lund. If the warranty company ever saw some of the places he rode his nomad they would void everyone's warranty.

[pastorgumby]

Much obliged!

[AlabamaNomadRider]

How much of a warranty does the Nomad you are buying have. They do come with an unlimited mileage, two year warranty.

[pastorgumby]

Originally Posted by AlabamaNomadRider

How much of a warranty does the Nomad you are buying have. They do come with an unlimited mileage, two year warranty.

It is a kawasaki "Good Time Protection Plan" GTPP.
I've attached a copy, i'm not sure if its unlimited miles - it apparently covers the engine.

[pastorgumby]

;)

[petenomad]

You can go to the Kawasaki web site, punch in the VIN and it will show the warranty expiration date.

[dantama]

Originally Posted by OP

Easy, two words. Dan Lund. If the warranty company ever saw some of the places he rode his nomad they would void everyone's warranty.

By the time the dealer sees me, I'm just a middle aged touring rider who eases into the parking lot

Can't explain the worn down floor boards though :)

As was stated, direct cause damage from after market could be denied. For example, an air kit that made the engine too lean, and burned a hole in a piston.

If left stock, everything but "consumables" would be covered. Things meant to wear out like pads, clutches, etc. wouldn't be covered. Things that weren't supposed to be wear out, but wore out because they didn't get scheduled maintenance would likely not be covered, things such as swing arm bearings etc.

I've only had one dumb fight on warranty(I've had a Nomad for the post 11 years, 4 different bikes with different warranties). On my first one the rubber boot on the drive shaft split and the dealer said they couldn't warranty it because it had so many miles on it.

My argument was, How can you sell an unlimited miles warranty, then deny something because of too many miles? It wasn't supposed to get any service that wasn't performed, it just sits there, and became defective. They replaced it.

I've had a lot of warranty work done. My first one was a 99, so it had the engine out when the pog(plastic oil gear) went out, it was only a problem on the 99's, so don't worry about it. It had the cam plugs leak and fixed. It had a starter motor replaced, and some misc. other small repairs like O-rings etc.

On my 05, I only had the fuel pump replaced.

Every clutch component on my 06 has been replaced. Everything in the clutch, and the master cylinder on the bars. I went from getting 30,000 miles out of clutches, to only 4,000 miles for the first 8,000 miles on my 06. I complained loudly, and had a history of clutch wear that was all of a sudden different with that bike, though my riding style stayed the same. I haven't gone through a clutch since they did that, so don't know what that was all about. I've also had the engine out of the 06 to replace a lifter that "leaked down".

One thing that I've found in all of this is that the dealer has a lot of sway. Don't be a jerk to them, treat them with respect and build a good relationship with them. They call a hot line to Kawi and ask for the warranty work approval. Sometimes Kawi denies it like on my clutch issues and the drive shaft boot. If you have a good relationship, you ask the service mgr or the mechanic to call again and plead your case. They do, and Kawi capitulates and approves it. Without the good relationship, Kawi denies it and the local dealer just tells you they can't fix it under warranty, and your screwed.

I've had a few times where they've gone to bat for me after I've made a persuasive argument, and they got Kawi to change their mind and approve it.

[mercianbike]

Originally Posted by Dan Lund

One thing that I've found in all of this is that the dealer has a lot of sway. Don't be a jerk to them, treat them with respect and build a good relationship with them.

That's excellent advice. The Harley forum has two ongoing threads: Good Dealer Experiences and Bad Dealer Experiences. I think many of the Bad Dealer Experiences could have been avoided with a little diplomatic courtesy.

[pastorgumby]

Thank you! ;)

[macmac]

I had a 01 1500 and it had a defective U Joint. It was replaced under warrenty and that bike had a trailer hitch.

To void warrenty you either have to pull a brilliantly stupid move, or total the bike. I think it is engine tranny and drive line, meaning the drive shaft and rear gear box too.