The Fear of voiding your warranty with aftermmarket parts

I have occasionally read that some of you have taken off your aftermarket parts before you go to the dealership for warranty work.

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That would be me! I guess I just know how to pick the dealerships! Actually, the only aftermarket parts I've ever gotten grief over have been the intake components, and a lot of that has to do with filter that are oiled! I had an aftermarket exhaust on my F-150, and the Service Dept never said a word to me. They did mention the aftermarket Intake I had (which actually used the stock air box, just a different free flowing intake tube), they would refer to it as "that thing" I had on my intake! I also had a K&N filter on my Explorer and that service department never said a word about the filter. It's the Nissan Service Writer I have now that gave me grief about the K&N Filter I had in the stock air box! The real concern I have with this service department will be if I ever do have a problem with the MAF while it's under warranty they will probably blame the oiled filter, even though I had one in my two fords, and never had a problem with either, and the Fords seem more susceptible to the oil fouling the MAF than other vehicles! And, most of the problems I've heard about concerning the Fords was due to the owner over oiling the filter after cleaning it! I don't traverse dusty roads that often, so chances of my needing to clean my oiled filter before 50,000 miles is slim! I remove the CAI before bringing it to the service dept now mainly because I don't want to deal with the lecture i'll probably get! And, it only takes me about 5 minutes to swap one for the other, and I do my own oil changes, so it only goes to the dealership with warranty items anyway! I've owned it since June last year, and last week was my first trip to the service dept!

Sounds like they went to the same service writer school!

As I have said before, a K&N, AirAid, or any other oiled filter probably won't cause any problems as they come from the factory. The problems occur when someone cleans the filter and applies too much oil afterwards!

Personally, I don't understand why a MAF costs $500.00! $50.00 sounds more reasonable, have you looked at one, there may be $5.00 worht of materials! If I could find a source for cheap reliable MAF's I buy one and have a spare! Maybe I need to start scouring the junk yards for trashed Frontiers, Xterras and Pathfinders and see if I can buy a couple spares for cheap!

As you mentioned, I've never had an issue with an aftermarket exhaust, and if I go with the JBA I'll probably spring for the stainless steel being as it will have a lifetime warranty! I won't have to worry about Nissan warranting it then, and it will be good long after the 3/36 is gone!

Silver,

I don't disagree with you, and I have read the Magnuson-Moss Act and understand the dealership has to prove the aftermarket part cause damage or failure of another part. I just feel I have one of those dealerships that would use the aftermarket part as an excuse to try and get out of a warranty repair, or just make me feel like I've done something wrong by adding the aftermarket part. They have already demonstrated this with their comment about the K&N filter. It's easier for me to just remove the CAI (which can be done in less than 10 minutes) and bring it to them stock. It would be much tougher to claim an aftermarket part caused a problem if there is no aftermarket part present when they see the vehicle! I really don't fore see the CAI causing any problems, so that leaves the issue of the lectures, and I don't care to have to listen to them, so for me, this is my way of avoiding such conflicts! I'd love to find a service writer that said "Cool, I'd like one of those for my truck", but I didn't get that lucky!

We have at least 4 that I can think of off the top of my head, and one just opened. It's more of a convenience thing being as the one I bought the truck from is 3 minutes down the street and all the other are across town! The one that just opened is the next closest and I'm thinking of trying them. They own a dealership for just about every popular make of car, both american and japanese! A good frind of mine bought his Explorer from their Ford store and is very happy with their service department. I'll probably try them next because if I ever buy another Nissan, it will probably be from them anyway.

I may not have mentioned it previously, but the trip to the service dept last week, when they gave me crap about the K&N Filter was my first since buying the truck last June. So, I really didn't know how they would react until then. Now that I know, I'll be shoppong around!

I live in Greenwood, off Smith Valley between 31 and 135! Hubler Nissan is where I bought it, and where I took it for the trailer wiring recall. They were who gave me a ration of crap about the K&N filter! They'd probably have a cow if they saw it now!

Did you buy yours from Muncie? I wonder if they would do the same for me being as I bought somewhere else? I know Hubler doesn't do loaners, even if you bought from them!

I was thinking of trying Andy Mohr in Avon, a buddy of mine bought his Explorer from their Ford store and has had a lot of good to say about their service department. Of couse just because the Ford Service Dept is good is no guarranty the Nissan Service Dept will be too, but they seem like decent people to deal with! Their Nissan Store wasn't open when I bought my truck, or I'd have probably gone there!