Chipping a Car and Warranty

[mountainpete]

Hi all,

I'm brand new to the board - just found out about it today and started to look around. I have a Passat with a 1.8T and have some questions about chipping the engine.

I have never chipped an engine before, so this is new to me. From the collective experience out there, how does it impact you warranty and how does the dealership treat you?

I heard rumours of a current court case in Alberta about a chipped VW so it's making me wonder if it's a good idea. Something about a chip possibly voiding an unrelated part? Any truth to this?

Thanks,

Pete

[Canadian Turbo]

First of all welcome to the boards and enjoy, I think you are the first Passat You may want to check out our next meet to!

This is an age old issue, chipping your car will result in warranty issues, some people take the chance others do not. It really depends on you and your dealer what happens, you should not be treated poorly because of your chip, but if you have engine problmes expect the warranty to be void.

I am not chipped, have not really felt the need to and tring to keep my car stock, but there are others here who are chipped and loving it. They are fun right Peter :eek:

[seanfournier]

A warranty can be void from anything like aftermarket radios to suspension. A chip will almost always give you problems claiming a warantee on an engine related problem...

That being said, sometimes honesty is the best policy (so i've heard) I told the dealer straight out that I was chipped and although he didn't seem please I did get better than normal service. I know if I was a dealer and a car came in and the owner lied about having a chip I would be less willing to help than if he told the truth.

But all that aside, get chipped, its wicked fun.

[CalgaryB5]

Welcome in this board as a PASSAT MEMBER.

CanadianTubo, I still claim I am the first PASSAT member here, in Calgary.

My heavy mod PASSAT page

I will chip a 1.8T if I have one. If your car is still under warranty, if anything goes wrong, the dealership needs to prove the modification( in this case is the chip) have a direct cause of the problem. With the current development of chip tuning on 1.8T, possible problems were already well estimated by people.

A good question to ask yourself is that if the car now in a healthy condition? If mechanical problems had already occurred then maybe try to fix it first. Then if problems come up after chip tuning, you will have one less area to concern. I will never advertise to the service people about my chip mod.

[Canadian Turbo]

Sorry about that B5 you must have slipped under my radar, but can't wait to see some modded Passats especially wagons

[mountainpete]

Thanks for the welcomes everyone!

I think I am going to take my time with the Chip decision. This is my first new car ever so I don't want to mess with the warranty. If I do go for it, I think I would probably go with the Wett chip as it has been found reliable in the Passat B5.5. For now, I am more than happy with the car. It's still a baby - a 2002 with less than 4k.

As for other mods, I think I'll keep going with the "smaller" ones. I think next will be aspherical blue mirrors.

Thanks,

Pete

[Canadian Turbo]

You simply must make your car look like this so beautiful :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Brian Cale]

[quote]Originally posted by mountainpete:
Thanks for the welcomes everyone!

I think I am going to take my time with the Chip decision. This is my first new car ever so I don't want to mess with the warranty. If I do go for it, I think I would probably go with the Wett chip as it has been found reliable in the Passat B5.5. For now, I am more than happy with the car. It's still a baby - a 2002 with less than 4k.

As for other mods, I think I'll keep going with the "smaller" ones. I think next will be aspherical blue mirrors.

Thanks,

Pete

---

the nice thing about the Wett chip is it's socket'd so if something does go wrong you can just pop it off and put the stock chip back in (takes about 10 min) before the towtruck shows up and this thing about the stealerships, I bought my car from Southgate VW here in Edmonton and they were the ones who told me where to go and who to talk to to get my car chip'd, now my car has alot of mods and when I bring it in for warr. work they never say a thing except the occasional

[CalgaryB5]

I am not saying Wett is not good but socket chip has a possibility came loose due to vibration. Which had happened to some people before.

[Brian Cale]

hehehe, I am not saying BBS is not good but the wheel has a possibility came loose due to vibration. Which had happened to some people before.

[CalgaryB5]

[quote]Originally posted by Brian Cale:
hehehe, I am not saying BBS is not good but the wheel has a possibility came loose due to vibration. Which had happened to some people before.

---