Will self-service void warranty? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Will self-service void warranty?

kurtrules

kurtrules

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I had a question; new territory for me - Considering the high service charges in this part of the world, will servicing my V-Strom on my own void it's warranty (oil & filter change)? It's a new purchase with 4.5 years of warranty pending.

What would act as a proof of service, in case the vehicle needs repairs under warranty down the line?

Thank you!
 
To make good on a warranty you are going to need to prove you bought a defect in materials or workmanship. Totally depends what broke and why.
 
Trials said:
To make good on a warranty you are going to need to prove you bought a defect in materials or workmanship. Totally depends what broke and why.
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Not quite true. The onus is on them to investigate and prove otherwise.
 
kurtrules said:
I had a question; new territory for me - Considering the high service charges in this part of the world, will servicing my V-Strom on my own void it's warranty (oil & filter change)? It's a new purchase with 4.5 years of warranty pending.

What would act as a proof of service, in case the vehicle needs repairs under warranty down the line?

Thank you!
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Keep records and receipts. Make sure to note the kms of all service and exactly what you did.

I doubt you have much to worrry on with that motor. Maybe electrical stuff down the road, make sure you’re greasing to the requirements!
 
A picture of the oil, filter and odometer is not a terrible idea to back up the written log. That captures details like brand, grade and type of oil that may not get written down (or get written down wrong).
 
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Evoex said:
Not quite true. The onus is on them to investigate and prove otherwise.
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Seen the service tab picked up on 2 major claims and they were not even warrantable motorcycles, they were competition motorcycles where no warranty was expressed. The distributor had the whole engine sent to them, determined the problem was the result of incorrect assembly and picked up the costs, ymmv.

My own experience, I claimed a 7$ speedometer cable in 1974 and had to argue over it for hours to get it. ymmv
 
Maybe. Maybe not. It depends. Keep records.

One of the things you may have to do, is buy the oil and filter specifically for that oil change so that you have a purchase record on file (as opposed to my usual method - of having a big jug and a stack of filters in my own inventory and just taking what I need at the time that I need it).

The red-flag in your post is "... 4.5 years of warranty pending". That tells me, "aftermarket / non-factory warranty". Aftermarket warranties are notorious for denying claims for the flimsiest of excuses. That's what they do, that's how those warranty companies make money. Personally, I don't think an aftermarket warranty should be counted on for being worth any more than the piece of paper it's printed on.

The good thing is that the bike you're discussing has an extremely good reliability record. IIRC V-Tom (on this forum) has gone past 200,000 km on more than one of those.

Personally, if this is a bike that you are purchasing, I'd skip the extended warranty - just don't buy it.
 
Brian P said:
Maybe. Maybe not. It depends. Keep records.

One of the things you may have to do, is buy the oil and filter specifically for that oil change so that you have a purchase record on file (as opposed to my usual method - of having a big jug and a stack of filters in my own inventory and just taking what I need at the time that I need it).

The red-flag in your post is "... 4.5 years of warranty pending". That tells me, "aftermarket / non-factory warranty". Aftermarket warranties are notorious for denying claims for the flimsiest of excuses. That's what they do, that's how those warranty companies make money. Personally, I don't think an aftermarket warranty should be counted on for being worth any more than the piece of paper it's printed on.

The good thing is that the bike you're discussing has an extremely good reliability record. IIRC V-Tom (on this forum) has gone past 200,000 km on more than one of those.

Personally, if this is a bike that you are purchasing, I'd skip the extended warranty - just don't buy it.
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Nah I’m pretty sure it’s the claimed 5 year warranty from Suzuki. I think I read about applying for the full amount after purchase though.
 
Trials said:
Seen the service tab picked up on 2 major claims and they were not even warrantable motorcycles, they were competition motorcycles where no warranty was expressed. The distributor had the whole engine sent to them, determined the problem was the result of incorrect assembly and picked up the costs, ymmv.

My own experience, I claimed a 7$ speedometer cable in 1974 and had to argue over it for hours to get it. ymmv
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If my bike doesn’t start when I get home it’s going to BMW. Do you think they will stand there and tell me I have to prove a thing?

I’ll bet my life savings they won’t.
 
Evoex said:
If my bike doesn’t start when I get home it’s going to BMW. Do you think they will stand there and tell me I have to prove a thing?

I’ll bet my life savings they won’t.
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It depends. On my car, from the factory, there was an assembly hiccup (something not tight) and it coated the engine in oil. I took it to the dealership for it's first service and it took them hours to clean up that mess. If I had touched it myself or had another shop touch it, I strongly suspect they would have told me it wasn't their problem and I could deal with it myself. Remember, there can be a huge difference between what the courts would eventually decide and their initial position. Most people don't have the time or money for a protracted battle.
 
GreyGhost said:
It depends. On my car, from the factory, there was an assembly hiccup (something not tight) and it coated the engine in oil. I took it to the dealership for it's first service and it took them hours to clean up that mess. If I had touched it myself or had another shop touch it, I strongly suspect they would have told me it wasn't their problem and I could deal with it myself. Remember, there can be a huge difference between what the courts would eventually decide and their initial position. Most people don't have the time or money for a protracted battle.
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I can’t say I agree in the slightest. Based on my experience I show up, tell the tech there’s an issue and they investigate.

maybe it’s not covered, maybe it is, maybe he finds nothing. My point is they do the investigation, I’m not required to say anything other then there’s a problem.

The liability is not the first step.
 
Brian P said:
Perhaps. Still ... for that bike ... if you have to pay anything extra to get that extra warranty, I'd skip it.
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Agreed.
 
I agree with Brian. Most aftermarket warranties aren't worth squat.i bought a modern ignition for my 76 Yamaha to replace the points. It died after a couple of rides. Manufacturer said it was the detergent and pressure washer that killed it. Cost me $400 for a new one.
 
Having said that, i have always done all my own service on my Ducati's and when i needed a service lite reset, they did it no charge.
 
Wingboy said:
Having said that, i have always done all my own service on my Ducati's and when i needed a service lite reset, they did it no charge.
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Relationship with a dealership means a lot. At one point I worked for a heavy equipment company in the warrantee department. There were things that clearly should be covered, things that clearly shouldn't be covered and a surprising number of goodwill claims that shouldn't be covered but the dealer was advocating for the customer so the bill got paid from above. Don't be the dick complaining at the stealership about how they are trying to rip you off at every turn or option three disappears. Throw the dealership a bone or two to help maintain the relationship and your odds improve. It's not guaranteed to work, but the odds are a lot higher than zero.
 
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Brian P said:
Maybe. Maybe not. It depends. Keep records.

One of the things you may have to do, is buy the oil and filter specifically for that oil change so that you have a purchase record on file (as opposed to my usual method - of having a big jug and a stack of filters in my own inventory and just taking what I need at the time that I need it).

The red-flag in your post is "... 4.5 years of warranty pending". That tells me, "aftermarket / non-factory warranty". Aftermarket warranties are notorious for denying claims for the flimsiest of excuses. That's what they do, that's how those warranty companies make money. Personally, I don't think an aftermarket warranty should be counted on for being worth any more than the piece of paper it's printed on.

The good thing is that the bike you're discussing has an extremely good reliability record. IIRC V-Tom (on this forum) has gone past 200,000 km on more than one of those.

Personally, if this is a bike that you are purchasing, I'd skip the extended warranty - just don't buy it.
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I didn't purchase additional warranty. It's from Suzuki as they were offering an extended 1+4 years on the old 2019 stock.

Thanks for the pointers.
 
Some time ago I was doing some digging and I recall reading that an OEM manufacturer could not void a warranty if you did your own service. I even seem to recall that included any modifications you may have made. I don't recall where I read this but it wasn't on a forum and I am just too lazy to dig it up.

With respect to aftermarket warranty, I had one for my absolutepieceofshite Nissan Pathfinder and I am glad that I bought it. The warrantor, Lubrico, required that services (limited to oil changes) where performed on schedule by a qualified service centre and had to be documented. I was diligent with this and when it came time to make a claim it was processed immediately. When I called the guy was surprised that I entered all the records and said so many people just don't do it. I asked if that was a problem and he said it wasn't as long as people could come up with the documentation. Point is, read the aftermarket warranty fine print.

In this case the OP has an OEM warranty. What does the manual say about doing your own service?

FWIW, not all warranties are created equal and vary from country to country.
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