How easy could a dealer detect a reflash?

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Jan 3, 2004 | 08:23 AM

#16

Spo172

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Joined: May 2003

Posts: 23

From: From A Subie Dealer Near You

Car Info: The Dealer Specialist

Quote:

Originally posted by wrex04
In Subaru of Dallas they do Cobb tuning reflashes and it doesn't void the warranty. I just bought my rex there today and the sales person told me i could even get discounts from doing my upgrades there. They install lots of Cobb performance parts and anything done there is still under warranty. So hopefully there's a dealership near you w/ a similar setup.

I can be sure to bet and assure you that the warranty on those modifications is via the dealership and not SOA.

I have not seen any literature from SOA come through my desk stating that Cobb modifications are covered by factory warranty.

Jan 3, 2004 | 08:45 AM

#17

silver_rex_4eat

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you play u pay?

Depending on how mod friendly and the like ur dealership is, if you get into altering the car they may void the warranty depending what it is. Its always good to know the risks but if a turbo fails and they found out there has been a reflash then ur out of luck. I wanna get a reflash too. If you get the accessport from cobb will there be a way to go back to default and reflash back to stock? But like previous post if the screws look like they been un screwed they may know

chris

Jan 3, 2004 | 02:39 PM

#18

KmanRuffian

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Joined: Sep 2003

Posts: 313

From: Atlanta/Cayman Islands

Car Info: 2002 White WRX Wagon (WWW)

Actually with accessport it sounds like you can reflash through the diagnostic port so you don't even have to remove the ECU!

Jan 3, 2004 | 03:08 PM

#19

silver_rex_4eat

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that is good to hear

I wana get a reflash by cobb. How long till the access port is ready? That way you dont have to mail out your ecu to them every time u wanna get another reflash. I may just pay the little bit extra and get the accessport. Hopefully it wont be too much longer till it is available.

chris

Jan 5, 2004 | 11:20 PM

#20

RacerZ22

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Quote:

Originally posted by Spo172
I can be sure to bet and assure you that the warranty on those modifications is via the dealership and not SOA.

I have not seen any literature from SOA come through my desk stating that Cobb modifications are covered by factory warranty.

That could be true but i still find it hard to believe that the dealer would warranty that being done to a car. I dought that they would want to be responsible for paying for the fixes for a car if anything would happen to go wrong.

Jan 6, 2004 | 05:02 AM

#21

DrD

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Joined: Nov 2002

Posts: 149

From: Albuquerque, NM

Car Info: 2012 Legacy 2.5GT-L

Quote:

Originally posted by RacerZ22
That could be true but i still find it hard to believe that the dealer would warranty that being done to a car. I dought that they would want to be responsible for paying for the fixes for a car if anything would happen to go wrong.

Well - it's a gamble - they are betting that the increase in business which they see by offering reflashes, etc. will offset any costs which they might incur due to increased warranty claims which SOA wouldn't refund them for (not sure how that works - sort of curious if they could get away with just putting in the paperwork as if the car were stock... it's not like SOA is going to be able to check after the vehicle is repaired...

Jan 6, 2004 | 09:23 AM

#22

bemani

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iTrader: (5)

Joined: Dec 2002

Posts: 1,839

From: Folsom, CA

Car Info: 02 WRX/05 Legacy

Re: HA!

Quote:

Originally posted by Spo172
People...people....
do you guys think that the dealer personnel, i.e. techs, service advisors, etc are that naive? The first thing I always do with WRXs when they come in for warranty issues, especially trans and engine related is lift the carpet and check to see if the ECM has been removed. Its easy to tell just by looking at the screws and bolts that hold it in place.

After a few times of removing the ECM if you are not careful the top nut gets stripped...and whatever you do, don't lose that plastic cover...

When I had Vishnu do the ecutek, it was done with the odb2 port, you don't need to lift the carpet ...

Jan 6, 2004 | 02:48 PM

#23

Kevin M

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Joined: Nov 2002

Posts: 18,369

From: Reno, NV

Car Info: 1993/2000/2001 GF4 mostly red

That's the easy way, but when you buy a mail order reflash it has to be removed and replaced.

Jan 6, 2004 | 04:54 PM

#24

blingbling

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I'm starting to think I'm never gonna mod this car.

Who's had a Vishnu or Cobb (or who-ever) reflash for some years now? How many miles do you have? Any issues?
How radical is the reflash, really? I put a mopar computer in my neon for years and had no problems. Why am I so worried about the reliability?

Jan 6, 2004 | 07:47 PM

#25

RacerZ22

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Posts: n/a

Quote:

Originally posted by DrD
Well - it's a gamble - they are betting that the increase in business which they see by offering reflashes, etc. will offset any costs which they might incur due to increased warranty claims which SOA wouldn't refund them for (not sure how that works - sort of curious if they could get away with just putting in the paperwork as if the car were stock... it's not like SOA is going to be able to check after the vehicle is repaired...

This is also true. they could be making a gamble that it would increase bussiness, but i still wouldnt trust them if i had to take my car back to them if i ever had a problem. I would still be very easy for SOA to deniy the warranty because of anything they changed. I would not be suprized if the dealer wouldnt do the same thing and deniy a warranty also by blaming it on driver abuse if anything would happen to go wrong, So you still might end up having to pay for any fixes anyway.
As for the dealers putting in paperwork as if the cars were stock. I dont know about subaru but other manufactures have warranty reps that go to the dealers and check on any repairs that are being done and aprove or dissaprove repairs due to abuse by the drivers. If they found out about warrenty abuse by the dealerships the dealers could face some pretty big penalties.

Quote:

Originally posted by blingbling

I'm starting to think I'm never gonna mod this car.

Who's had a Vishnu or Cobb (or who-ever) reflash for some years now? How many miles do you have? Any issues?
How radical is the reflash, really? I put a mopar computer in my neon for years and had no problems. Why am I so worried about the reliability?

Quote:

If you were to go with a reflash I would go with Vishnu. I have acouple friend that have had that one on their cars for almost two years, and havent had any problems with it. Think one of there cars has about 40k miles on it. When I do get a reflash for my car(after the warranty expires probibly) im going to go Vinshu rather than anything else.

Oct 27, 2004 | 04:54 PM

#26

KevinWannaBfast

Registered User

Joined: Nov 2003

Posts: 48

From: Saratoga

Car Info: 2004 WR Blue WRX

You guys are all talking about years down the road, Well I have an 04 WRX with 20k on it, I will be lucky if my car is under warranty before the year is out!!

Oct 27, 2004 | 08:12 PM

#27

Kevin M

Registered User

iTrader: (12)

Joined: Nov 2002

Posts: 18,369

From: Reno, NV

Car Info: 1993/2000/2001 GF4 mostly red

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinWannaBfast

You guys are all talking about years down the road, Well I have an 04 WRX with 20k on it, I will be lucky if my car is under warranty before the year is out!!

So what mods are you doing?

Oct 28, 2004 | 11:07 AM

#28

EvoHunter

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just say f*ck it and get a stand alone ecu, and dont worry about the warrenty. my wrx was out of warrenty 2 weeks after i picked it up. not very smart if ur tryin to save money but other wise do wat ever mods u want. (so far ive payed subaru about $8,000 in parts including a new trans)

but the fredom of doin wat ever i feel like to my car is worth it.