What should I do when I bring my car to the dealership?
02-28-2007, 02:18 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location:
Posts: 21
What should I do when I bring my car to the dealership?
Hi
I currently had the C&L CAI with Predator Tune 91 octane tune installed. I have a 2006 Mustang GT with almost 12000 miles and I believe that soon I will need to take it in to the dealership to have regular maintenance done. What should I do? Should I uninstall the C&L and put the stock air intake back or should I just leave it as is and Ford will do whatever they need to do without disrupting what I already have? Please advise.
Thanks
I currently had the C&L CAI with Predator Tune 91 octane tune installed. I have a 2006 Mustang GT with almost 12000 miles and I believe that soon I will need to take it in to the dealership to have regular maintenance done. What should I do? Should I uninstall the C&L and put the stock air intake back or should I just leave it as is and Ford will do whatever they need to do without disrupting what I already have? Please advise.
Thanks
02-28-2007, 06:29 AM
#2
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: CA
Posts: 314
RE: What should I do when I bring my car to the dealership?
That all depemds on the relationship you have with your dealer and what kind of people work there. You'll get a lot of different opinons on this from different people.
I plan on leaving everything on that I mod, but most of the dealers here in the bay area are okay with mods. My old ride (96 trans am) the dealer even offered my above blue bookon atrade.
It really is a personal choice based on prior experiences. I have also read they will be able to tell that the ecm was changed and then set back to default anyways so why waist your time.. I don't think they freak over a new intake and tune anyways. Everyone has em'
[sm=guilty.gif]
I plan on leaving everything on that I mod, but most of the dealers here in the bay area are okay with mods. My old ride (96 trans am) the dealer even offered my above blue bookon atrade.
It really is a personal choice based on prior experiences. I have also read they will be able to tell that the ecm was changed and then set back to default anyways so why waist your time.. I don't think they freak over a new intake and tune anyways. Everyone has em'
[sm=guilty.gif]
02-28-2007, 03:27 PM
#3
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location:
Posts: 290
RE: What should I do when I bring my car to the dealership?
you could call you salesman and ask his opinion; or to be safe you could just put you stock airbox back on and reflash your computer back to stock. doesn't take long at all.
02-28-2007, 03:28 PM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location:
Posts: 21
RE: What should I do when I bring my car to the dealership?
I am not selling my car. I just was wondering what people are doing when they bring their cars in. Does ford do anything that would mess up the new tune if they do maintenance on the car? That's all I am wondering. Thanks.
02-28-2007, 07:10 PM
#5
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location:
Posts: 700
RE: What should I do when I bring my car to the dealership?
I had to bring it in to the dealer earlier this month for the gears. I just told them not to update the ECU without checking with me first. Otherwise, it wasn't an issue at all.
02-28-2007, 09:00 PM
#6
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location:
Posts: 760
RE: What should I do when I bring my car to the dealership?
I can't respond to your question either way due to conflict of interest. However, it truly depends on the situation. Dealer A may not care if your car is modified, try to lie for you and work around your mods. Dealer B may refuse to work on your vehicle and take it upon themselves to call Fordand request an inspection so that the mods are documented and any future warranty claims more closely scrutinized. If the dealer is neutral and doesn't care either way - you will likely be okay unless they have to call Ford for a problem. They will surely be asked if it is modified (by anyone doing their job properly). Some mods are detectable and have consequences, some are undetectable and are virtually harmless. It really is a gamble.
How I see it daily: Your car has a problem.
A) you leave the mods hoping they are not a factor in your problem. They turn out to be and you have to return it to stock to run right. No damage, no foul
B) you leave the mods. They are a factor in your problem. The dealer refuses to work on it and you get it back with a red flag on your powertrain warranty.
C) you leave the mods. They are not a factor in your problem. You get your car back with a smile (Ford wasn't notified) or you get your car back with a smile (Ford was notified and now knows about your mods).
D) you return to stock.Mods were a factor in your problem. The tech can't find anything wrong now. He may or may not be nice enough to make a repair attempt. Then you get pissed at Ford AND the dealer because "they are idiots that can't fix your shytty car"
E) you return to stock. Mods were not a factor in your problem. Hopefully they are good enough to fix it right the first time.
F) you return to stock. Mods were a factor. Dealer can tell you modded. They notify Ford and then tell you to keep it stock and return it when it's really broken.
Odds are, it will play like one of these above for you. Just keep in mind that if you play cat and mouse with the dealer and remove your mods when you have a problem, you basically set yourself up for a headache. Your odds may actually be better rolling the dice and leaving the mods. Again, don't listen to me.Conflict of interest, remember? Be smart enough not to ask the guys at the dealer about it, though. Any reasonable person will be able to pick up your motive. Hope this gives you a dealer/manufacturer perspective that is helpful
How I see it daily: Your car has a problem.
A) you leave the mods hoping they are not a factor in your problem. They turn out to be and you have to return it to stock to run right. No damage, no foul
B) you leave the mods. They are a factor in your problem. The dealer refuses to work on it and you get it back with a red flag on your powertrain warranty.
C) you leave the mods. They are not a factor in your problem. You get your car back with a smile (Ford wasn't notified) or you get your car back with a smile (Ford was notified and now knows about your mods).
D) you return to stock.Mods were a factor in your problem. The tech can't find anything wrong now. He may or may not be nice enough to make a repair attempt. Then you get pissed at Ford AND the dealer because "they are idiots that can't fix your shytty car"
E) you return to stock. Mods were not a factor in your problem. Hopefully they are good enough to fix it right the first time.
F) you return to stock. Mods were a factor. Dealer can tell you modded. They notify Ford and then tell you to keep it stock and return it when it's really broken.
Odds are, it will play like one of these above for you. Just keep in mind that if you play cat and mouse with the dealer and remove your mods when you have a problem, you basically set yourself up for a headache. Your odds may actually be better rolling the dice and leaving the mods. Again, don't listen to me.Conflict of interest, remember? Be smart enough not to ask the guys at the dealer about it, though. Any reasonable person will be able to pick up your motive. Hope this gives you a dealer/manufacturer perspective that is helpful
02-28-2007, 09:19 PM
#7
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New York
Posts: 568
RE: What should I do when I bring my car to the dealership?
ORIGINAL: kaishar
I am not selling my car. I just was wondering what people are doing when they bring their cars in. Does ford do anything that would mess up the new tune if they do maintenance on the car? That's all I am wondering. Thanks.
I am not selling my car. I just was wondering what people are doing when they bring their cars in. Does ford do anything that would mess up the new tune if they do maintenance on the car? That's all I am wondering. Thanks.
if ur bringing your car in for maintence (oil changes, filters, lubrication) there is no reason for them to go into the computer anyway, like others have said jus remove the intake n reflash to stock to be 100% safe. You also said," have12000 miles and I believe that soon I will need to take it in to the dealership to have regular maintenance done". i do regular maintenance every 3,000 miles jus sumthing to think about, itmakes everything last longer. jus my 2 cents.[sm=signs003.gif]
02-28-2007, 09:42 PM
#8
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Washington NC
Posts: 577
RE: What should I do when I bring my car to the dealership?
The techs in my Ford service dept love my car.
I had them install a lot of my modifications.
Also - some pizza and beer seem to work wonders!
Get to know them.
They'll watch your back.
Ruf -
I had them install a lot of my modifications.
Also - some pizza and beer seem to work wonders!
Get to know them.
They'll watch your back.
Ruf -
02-28-2007, 10:15 PM
#9
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: MD
Posts: 2,083
RE: What should I do when I bring my car to the dealership?
For routine maintenance, I left my mods in place. I even showed it to my Service Manager before the car was taken in. He loved it. Of course, he drive a 04 Roush. That may have helped. I think it depends on the dealer and the service personnel.
02-28-2007, 10:16 PM
#10
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location:
Posts: 268
RE: What should I do when I bring my car to the dealership?
ORIGINAL: shaners90lxhatch
I can't respond to your question either way due to conflict of interest. However, it truly depends on the situation. Dealer A may not care if your car is modified, try to lie for you and work around your mods. Dealer B may refuse to work on your vehicle and take it upon themselves to call Fordand request an inspection so that the mods are documented and any future warranty claims more closely scrutinized. If the dealer is neutral and doesn't care either way - you will likely be okay unless they have to call Ford for a problem. They will surely be asked if it is modified (by anyone doing their job properly). Some mods are detectable and have consequences, some are undetectable and are virtually harmless. It really is a gamble.
How I see it daily: Your car has a problem.
A) you leave the mods hoping they are not a factor in your problem. They turn out to be and you have to return it to stock to run right. No damage, no foul
B) you leave the mods. They are a factor in your problem. The dealer refuses to work on it and you get it back with a red flag on your powertrain warranty.
C) you leave the mods. They are not a factor in your problem. You get your car back with a smile (Ford wasn't notified) or you get your car back with a smile (Ford was notified and now knows about your mods).
D) you return to stock.Mods were a factor in your problem. The tech can't find anything wrong now. He may or may not be nice enough to make a repair attempt. Then you get pissed at Ford AND the dealer because "they are idiots that can't fix your shytty car"
E) you return to stock. Mods were not a factor in your problem. Hopefully they are good enough to fix it right the first time.
F) you return to stock. Mods were a factor. Dealer can tell you modded. They notify Ford and then tell you to keep it stock and return it when it's really broken.
Odds are, it will play like one of these above for you. Just keep in mind that if you play cat and mouse with the dealer and remove your mods when you have a problem, you basically set yourself up for a headache. Your odds may actually be better rolling the dice and leaving the mods. Again, don't listen to me.Conflict of interest, remember? Be smart enough not to ask the guys at the dealer about it, though. Any reasonable person will be able to pick up your motive. Hope this gives you a dealer/manufacturer perspective that is helpful
I can't respond to your question either way due to conflict of interest. However, it truly depends on the situation. Dealer A may not care if your car is modified, try to lie for you and work around your mods. Dealer B may refuse to work on your vehicle and take it upon themselves to call Fordand request an inspection so that the mods are documented and any future warranty claims more closely scrutinized. If the dealer is neutral and doesn't care either way - you will likely be okay unless they have to call Ford for a problem. They will surely be asked if it is modified (by anyone doing their job properly). Some mods are detectable and have consequences, some are undetectable and are virtually harmless. It really is a gamble.
How I see it daily: Your car has a problem.
A) you leave the mods hoping they are not a factor in your problem. They turn out to be and you have to return it to stock to run right. No damage, no foul
B) you leave the mods. They are a factor in your problem. The dealer refuses to work on it and you get it back with a red flag on your powertrain warranty.
C) you leave the mods. They are not a factor in your problem. You get your car back with a smile (Ford wasn't notified) or you get your car back with a smile (Ford was notified and now knows about your mods).
D) you return to stock.Mods were a factor in your problem. The tech can't find anything wrong now. He may or may not be nice enough to make a repair attempt. Then you get pissed at Ford AND the dealer because "they are idiots that can't fix your shytty car"
E) you return to stock. Mods were not a factor in your problem. Hopefully they are good enough to fix it right the first time.
F) you return to stock. Mods were a factor. Dealer can tell you modded. They notify Ford and then tell you to keep it stock and return it when it's really broken.
Odds are, it will play like one of these above for you. Just keep in mind that if you play cat and mouse with the dealer and remove your mods when you have a problem, you basically set yourself up for a headache. Your odds may actually be better rolling the dice and leaving the mods. Again, don't listen to me.Conflict of interest, remember? Be smart enough not to ask the guys at the dealer about it, though. Any reasonable person will be able to pick up your motive. Hope this gives you a dealer/manufacturer perspective that is helpful
My dealership is mad cool about it though......they said they don't care what i do as long as i bring it to them for regular maintance.I got the hook up..