Will getting a GIAC chip void my car's warranty?
In a word, no. But let us explain in more detail. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act states that: "No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumers using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name..."(15 U.S.C. 2302). Essentially, your dealer (or warrantor) must prove that the modification led directly to the failure of the part at issue. For example, if you have a GIAC chip installed and the power window regulator fails, the car is still under warranty.
However, defending yourself against a dealer intent on voiding your warranty may require litigation. The law is on your side, but we suggest that you be fully aware of the lengths you may have to take to defend your rights.
Some dealers are not opposed to aftermarket modifications, and we suggest you take the time to discuss your modification options with your dealer so that you have no questions on where they stand.
GIAC chips provide extraordiary power - enough that the dealer will notice when they drive the car. We recommend that you switch to a stock chip configuration before you take your car in for service. (an easy to swap stock chip module is available, as are complete chipped ECU's so that you can leave your ECU stock.) You may also want to purchase Ross-Tech VAG-COM pc-based diagnostic software to read and erase codes from your ECU.
We do not suggest this in order to deceive your dealer, but as a matter of course so that the dealer may properly diagnose and repair the car which may require flash updating the latest factory software.With GIAC Flashloader technology chips, the dealer can flash update without issue regardless of what mode the chip may be in (if you opt for the Switcher option). However, if your Flashloader chip happens to be overwritten by a dealer, we will reinstall it at no cost to you.
We hope that you find this informative and useful!
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