If an audi dealer does your tune do you still lose factory warranty ?

**6spdg37s** · 03-25-2015 04:28 PM

Browsing around online and see a big topic on tuning the car and getting your ECU flagged and loosing your warranty.

I searched for GIAC dealers and Jack Daniel Motors in NJ is listed as a dealer. There site lists parts , and software upgrades.

Is this similar to having a BMW dealer do a DINAN tune on your car where your warranty stays in tact ?

I know this is a widely discussed topic but I didn't see / couldn't find anything ont his exact aspect of it.

thanks-

**Chris Furman** · 03-25-2015 04:31 PM

the dealer is JUST a dealer, they are *not* Audi. You tune, you lose your warranty, Period.

**6spdg37s** · 03-25-2015 04:42 PM

How come with BMW they retain the factory warranty ?

also one of my z06s was tuned and they knew it and they did warranty work without even questioning it ?

**Black S** · 03-25-2015 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by Chris Furman

the dealer is JUST a dealer, they are *not* Audi. You tune, you lose your warranty, Period.

No no and no.

Your warranty will still be in effect, once an Audi tech locates the tune via Vag Com, you will be flagged TD1. Now if you return for warranty work on let's say your trunk latch not functioning within spec you will still be able to claim this under warranty. AOA or AOC must prove that the tune caused the broken latch in this example. How do I know? Because I'm TD1 with a stage 2 GIAC and I have claimed a stuck MMI button under warranty.

**theedge111** · 03-25-2015 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by 6spdg37s

How come with BMW they retain the factory warranty ?

also one of my z06s was tuned and they knew it and they did warranty work without even questioning it ?

Lol...awesome

**6spdg37s** · 03-25-2015 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by Black S

No no and no.

Your warranty will still be in effect, once an Audi tech locates the tune via Vag Com, you will be flagged TD1. Now if you return for warranty work on let's say your trunk latch not functioning within spec you will still be able to claim this under warranty. AOA or AOC must prove that the tune caused the broken latch in this example. How do I know? Because I'm TD1 with a stage 2 GIAC and I have claimed a stuck MMI button under warranty.

thanks. ya magnuson moss warranty act. but like lets say you have a power steering issue. its not related to the tune ?

you know what I mean ?

**Black S** · 03-25-2015 04:54 PM

What sort of numbers is BMW factory tune pushing out, turbo, and ECU upgrade? Anyone know?

**6spdg37s** · 03-25-2015 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by Black S

What sort of numbers is BMW factory tune pushing out, turbo, and ECU upgrade? Anyone know?

not sure I had a e92 m3 and I was considering the dinan tune but sold the car instead

**Sales@DriveAuto** · 03-25-2015 05:47 PM

It's not like Dinan - the dealer tuning the car has no bearing on your warranty.

**dennisA4** · 03-25-2015 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by Black S

No no and no.

Your warranty will still be in effect, once an Audi tech locates the tune via Vag Com, you will be flagged TD1. Now if you return for warranty work on let's say your trunk latch not functioning within spec you will still be able to claim this under warranty. AOA or AOC must prove that the tune caused the broken latch in this example. How do I know? Because I'm TD1 with a stage 2 GIAC and I have claimed a stuck MMI button under warranty.

When people say you lose your warranty, they are not talking about a top to bottom loss, like a stupid little button.

We are talking turbos, transmission, engine, etc. Things that a tune can actually effect. The big stuff no one wants to pay for!

As others have stated already, the dealer is independent of Audi and there are no Audi approved tunes.
The TD1 designation is not controlled by your dealer.
The car gets hooked up to diagnostic and it's automatically flagged if a tune is detected. You're done.

**Intrepid One** · 03-26-2015 04:26 AM

Originally Posted by 6spdg37s

Browsing around online and see a big topic on tuning the car and getting your ECU flagged and loosing your warranty.

I searched for GIAC dealers and Jack Daniel Motors in NJ is listed as a dealer. There site lists parts , and software upgrades.

Is this similar to having a BMW dealer do a DINAN tune on your car where your warranty stays in tact ?

I know this is a widely discussed topic but I didn't see / couldn't find anything ont his exact aspect of it.

thanks-

Did you ask them, meaning the dealer that sells the tune..That may be the correct way to find out..Obviously different dealers respond differently to warranty when a tune is involved..Give them a call and ask what the impact of the tune has on their warranty coverage..S

**The Fat Kid** · 03-26-2015 05:10 AM

Stasis offers their own warranty but it seems like Audi might blame ALL problems on the tune, Stasis does not want to fix the car, and then the customer might be stuck holding the bag. We have a Stasis/Audi dealer in the Boston area, but I am a bit apprehensive. http://www.stasisengineering.com/sig...ies-s4-30-2013

I have read that some APR/Audi dealers will remove/re-flash the tune when your car is serviced to avoid being TD1'd. The problem, if that is actually the case, is if your car breaks down and you have to be towed to a different dealer, and then you get flagged.

It is too bad that we can't get a Burger-type plug-and-play option...

**dennisA4** · 03-26-2015 05:16 AM

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...other-vendors)

**sturte30** · 03-26-2015 05:32 AM

I had my GIAC tune done by Audi of St. Paul (AWE distributor). They said although they cannot guarantee it not getting flagged, they would have no problem flashing back to stock before hooking it up to "the computer". You just need to have a good relationship with the SA. Mine is a former modder of Audis so he gets it.

**6spdg37s** · 03-26-2015 05:59 AM

Originally Posted by Intrepid One

Did you ask them, meaning the dealer that sells the tune..That may be the correct way to find out..Obviously different dealers respond differently to warranty when a tune is involved..Give them a call and ask what the impact of the tune has on their warranty coverage..S

Not yet but I plan on sending them an email.

I was just curious if anyone on here had done similar and I didn't have to contact them

**johnstah** · 03-26-2015 06:16 AM

Originally Posted by The Fat Kid

Stasis offers their own warranty but it seems like Audi might blame ALL problems on the tune, Stasis does not want to fix the car, and then the customer might be stuck holding the bag. We have a Stasis/Audi dealer in the Boston area, but I am a bit apprehensive. http://www.stasisengineering.com/sig...ies-s4-30-2013

I have read that some APR/Audi dealers will remove/re-flash the tune when your car is serviced to avoid being TD1'd. The problem, if that is actually the case, is if your car breaks down and you have to be towed to a different dealer, and then you get flagged.

It is too bad that we can't get a Burger-type plug-and-play option...

I think Audi Norwell is no longer a Stasis dealer. I had asked them

**The Fat Kid** · 03-26-2015 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by johnstah

I think Audi Norwell is no longer a Stasis dealer. I had asked them

Interesting. It is still on their website http://www.audinorwell.com/stasis.htm, but I was concerned that they would drop Stasis and then you are left hanging in the wind.

I am surprised that we don't have any tune/Audi dealers in the Boston area.

**Habber** · 03-26-2015 06:24 AM

Get it in writing from the dealer. Relying on your service guy is dangerous since the guy could leave the dealership at any point.

**richib86** · 03-26-2015 06:32 AM

Originally Posted by 6spdg37s

Not yet but I plan on sending them an email.

I was just curious if anyone on here had done similar and I didn't have to contact them

I worked for jack daniels. they will tune the car, they make note of that on your account so that when the car comes in they dont plug it into the computer. if its an issue where they have to plug it in, they will tune the car back to stock before proceeding. the only stipulation is that you HAVE to bring it back to JD for ANY routine and service work. any other dealer will flag you instantly once they plug in the audi computers. it is a massive grey area for audi

**richib86** · 03-26-2015 06:33 AM

Originally Posted by The Fat Kid

Interesting. It is still on their website http://www.audinorwell.com/stasis.htm, but I was concerned that they would drop Stasis and then you are left hanging in the wind.

I am surprised that we don't have any tune/Audi dealers in the Boston area.

stasis has been out of business for a while now...

**johnstah** · 03-26-2015 06:36 AM

Originally Posted by Habber

Get it in writing from the dealer. Relying on your service guy is dangerous since the guy could leave the dealership at any point.

This is true. I am APR tuned and had a check engine light after service with a gas cap issued. The service advisor cleared the code and said if it comes back to contact him. Long story short, the light came back, i contacted him but the dealer said he quit. lol. It was a good thing that my new advisor helped me out and resolved the issue (i had a cylinder misfired due to an ignition coil failing).

**richib86** · 03-26-2015 06:40 AM

JD has nothing to do with the service adviser. they run a "Motorsport" division that's independent to the the service team. Contact Wayne Holland at Jack Daniels Upper Saddle River and say that Rich sent you if you have any questions. personally, if you live in the NJ/NY area i would just go to Eurotech in Mahwah for a better experience.

**bhvrdr** · 03-26-2015 06:50 AM

Originally Posted by Intrepid One

Did you ask them, meaning the dealer that sells the tune..That may be the correct way to find out..Obviously different dealers respond differently to warranty when a tune is involved..Give them a call and ask what the impact of the tune has on their warranty coverage..S

I would not ask the dealership if you lose your warranty. This is not up to the individual dealership. If the dealership tells you "no" that means either they are lying to you or they are willing to write you up a new warranty attached directly to the dealership and not related to AoA (which does not happen). If the dealership says they are "cool" with mods/tunes, etc, they are lying. Again, it is not up to them. You plug the car in with a tune, you get flagged, you deal with hassles.

And Stasis. Stasis is out of business. Stasis used to try and offer a warranty like Dinan did but they went under and nobody gets said warranty anymore. I'm not sure anyone really did get the warranty in the first place but that's another story.

Mike

**b6onboost** · 03-26-2015 06:50 AM

Stasis is out of business. Basically AoA blamed any failure on tuned cars on Stasis...even without any proof. The BMW / Dinan relationship is over too. Same reason. Anytime a drivetrain component failed BMW blamed Dinan, even if tons of non-tuned BMWs had the same problem.

Dealers still sell tunes because it makes them money. They can work with you to help avoid being flagged TD1. However its AoA, not the dealer, who ultimately approves/denies major warranty claims. Rest assured if you have a motor or tranny problem the car will be scanned for diagnosis and if flagged, AoA won't authorized the fix under warranty.

Tune = Jeopardized Warranty.

**6spdg37s** · 03-26-2015 06:51 AM

Originally Posted by richib86

I worked for jack daniels. they will tune the car, they make note of that on your account so that when the car comes in they dont plug it into the computer. if its an issue where they have to plug it in, they will tune the car back to stock before proceeding. the only stipulation is that you HAVE to bring it back to JD for ANY routine and service work. any other dealer will flag you instantly once they plug in the audi computers. it is a massive grey area for audi

That's a hike for me after the 5k maitenence ends I am going to do the maint my self at my boys shop

I would only be concerned about warranty work

Originally Posted by richib86

JD has nothing to do with the service adviser. they run a "Motorsport" division that's independent to the the service team. Contact Wayne Holland at Jack Daniels Upper Saddle River and say that Rich sent you if you have any questions. personally, if you live in the NJ/NY area i would just go to Eurotech in Mahwah for a better experience.

I will check them out ... I live in central NJ so there both a hike for me

**AudBoost** · 03-26-2015 06:55 AM

From what I have seen dealers that sell aftermarket upgrades have a "separate" division that may share the same name as the dealer but is essentially a completely separate business. The dealer supposedly doesn't know what cars the upgrade division flash (most definitely not the case). The upgrade division will probably allow you flash back to stock with minimal or no fee before bringing the car in for work. But if you get flagged because of a tune dealer can claim they had no knowledge of it and you now have a voided warranty.

**richib86** · 03-26-2015 06:56 AM

Originally Posted by 6spdg37s

That's a hike for me after the 5k maitenence ends I am going to do the maint my self at my boys shop

I would only be concerned about warranty work

I will check them out ... I live in central NJ so there both a hike for me

there's a further stipulation, JD has to do ALL other aftermarket work for you otherwise they will flag you, they pigeon hold you into having to use there service department

**richib86** · 03-26-2015 06:56 AM

Originally Posted by AudBoost

From what I have seen dealers that sell aftermarket upgrades have a "separate" division that may share the same name as the dealer but is essentially a completely separate business. The dealer supposedly doesn't know what cars the upgrade division flash (most definitely not the case). The upgrade division will probably allow you flash back to stock with minimal or no fee before bringing the car in for work. But if you get flagged because of a tune dealer can claim they had no knowledge of it and you now have a voided warranty.

not the case with Jack Daniels. its a literal extension of the service department

**AudBoost** · 03-26-2015 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by richib86

not the case with Jack Daniels. its a literal extension of the service department

I take that back then. That's very surprising. So if you get flagged because of a tune they sold you they still honor the warranty?

**richib86** · 03-26-2015 07:00 AM

Originally Posted by AudBoost

I take that back then. That's very surprising. So if you get flagged because of a tune they sold you they still honor the warranty?

no. you HAVE to bring it back to JD so they can flash back to stock before proceeding with anything. for example, our airbag recalls... if you dont flash the car back to stock first you WILL be flagged

**The Fat Kid** · 03-26-2015 07:03 AM

Thanks for the info on Stasis. I read a bunch of stuff indicating that they went tits up, but Audi Norwell still listed them and their website is working, so I wasn't sure if they just did a reorg.

**Arctic Audi** · 03-26-2015 07:09 AM

On my recently sold B7 2.0 A4, my Audi service manager is the one who recommended a stage 1 GIAC tune to me. He said he had it done on his A4 and it really opened it up. He said he would take care of me and that I had to sign a waiver that any damage as a result of the tune was not their problem. It did not void my warranty. I ponied up and had it done...

Flash forward 4 years later with 85K on the clock and my cam follower went bazerk and sent metal shavings throughout the engine. My dealership replaced my whole engine for FREE. AoA said it was due to a faulty cam follower that was known for having issues in the B7 and covered the work. Never once was my tune mentioned by the dealer. They did 11K worth of work and I only paid for a new timing belt, water pump, and motor mount...which were all due to be replaced.

It totally depends on the dealer.

Flash forward again to this week. I purchased an S4. Send an email off to the same service rep at Audi...this is his response:

"We do not perform any performance tunes due to the issues it can cause with warranty."

Looks like things can change, even within the same Audi shop. Maybe it was because of all the work they had to do on my last Audi...who knows?

**essfour** · 03-26-2015 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by richib86

no. you HAVE to bring it back to JD so they can flash back to stock before proceeding with anything. for example, our airbag recalls... if you dont flash the car back to stock first you WILL be flagged

But what about the flash counter on the ECU doesnt the computer pick up on that and flag you TD-1 regardless of being flashed back to stock?

**bhvrdr** · 03-26-2015 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by essfour

But what about the flash counter on the ECU doesnt the computer pick up on that and flag you TD-1 regardless of being flashed back to stock?

APR claims to reset the flash counter to (-1) each time they flash so it should always be the same as when OEM. Not sure about other tuners but a very good question. Even then, there is no telling what AoA has up their sleeve for future detection. It seems AoA is more than willing to play this cat and mouse game and win at it. As tuners develop countermeasures, AoA is stepping up their game with detection. I'm thinking about a piggy back. We'll see.

Mike

**drevil2k2** · 03-26-2015 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by Black S

What sort of numbers is BMW factory tune pushing out, turbo, and ECU upgrade? Anyone know?

I had the BMW dealership install an ECU tune (Performance Power Kit). The software was directly from BMW, the software unlock code had to be sent from Germany. Did not affect my factory warranty at all and could purchase the extended warranty.

Gains - minimal - 300/300 to 320/332. Had the E90 335 x-drive with the N55 engine.

Although I wanted more gains, didn't go with Dinan due to potential warranty issues aka Stasis.

**richib86** · 03-26-2015 09:27 AM

isnt this package just the limiter removal?

**OnEaNgRyBuNnY** · 03-26-2015 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by drevil2k2

I had the BMW dealership install an ECU tune (Performance Power Kit). The software was directly from BMW, the software unlock code had to be sent from Germany. Did not affect my factory warranty at all and could purchase the extended warranty.

Gains - minimal - 300/300 to 320/332. Had the E90 335 x-drive with the N55 engine.

Although I wanted more gains, didn't go with Dinan due to potential warranty issues aka Stasis.

What you're talking about is basically the "sport" tune from an "is" or the performance package. Its the only major difference between the two motors' output. How much did that run you by itself, if you don't mind me asking?

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