CAI void warranty?

4motion · August 20, 2018

I am sure there answers to this questions somewhere here but I am new to this forum. MY question is if one were to install an after market intake, will it void the limited warranty? Thanks in advance.

Waterfowler41 · August 20, 2018

Magnusson Moss warranty act protects you. In short, dealer has to prove the aftermarket modification was the root cause of a failure you want warranty coverage in.

Example 1: you install CAI and all of a sudden your door locks no longer work and need to be replaced. Locks would be covered if you are still in your warranty period.

Example 2: you install CAI and go through a high pressure car wash that soaks the filter. You drive and engine goes dies. They look into issue and find water in your cylinders. You bet your butt they deny warranty coverage in your new engine.

Real life example: I have a catback, intake, and a tune on my 2014. My radiator was leaking due to excessive cycling of the t-stat. My radiator was replaced no questions asked under powertrain warranty.

All comes down to how big of d*cks a dealer want to be. My dealer is awesome but some dealers will kick back on moot stuff.

2017_whitez71 · August 20, 2018

1 hour ago, 4motion said:

I am sure there answers to this questions somewhere here but I am new to this forum. MY question is if one were to install an after market intake, will it void the limited warranty? Thanks in advance.

Highly unlikely they would void your warranty, but as @Waterfowler41 said there are some situations that could. If your worried about it GM performance does sell a CAI

4motion · August 21, 2018

The reason why I asked is that I had recently bought the truck 2015 silverado from a nissan dealer, and now with less than 2 months the engine bogs and stalled whilel i was driving (on a sunny day). it won't start anymore, turns but i can hear little rattles and no oil on the dip stick. I did however checked oil level during purchase and was good then. my truck is under 70k mi which should fall in the NEW LIMITED WARRANTY? but the truck came with the aftermarket K&N filter so I am iffy about dealer blaming it on aftermarket parts.

Has anyone ever had this issue or claim warranty before. I just want get some advice and how to go handle this headache. Thanks.

wforrest08 · August 21, 2018

GM has a TSB about the use of K&N style wet air filters I can’t find it right now but it blames the oil you use on the filter of coating the mass air sensor causing various problems. Yes there are several people on here that have had problems with stealerships blaming aftermarket air filters/CAIs for their problems and denying claims.

Also so since you bought the truck used unfortunately you don’t know the prior history. GM has and does flag vehicles in there computer system usually highly modified ones or people who try to get warranty work at a dealer after being denied from a different one. Once flagged GM won’t pay one dime for repairs. I doubt your truck falls into this category but just something to be aware of. But the truck might be known in the system as being modded already.

The Maggy Moss act is great until you have to go to battle with a manufacturer they have teams of lawyers on the payroll you don’t who cares if you win against them if they drag it out for 3 or 4 years and you’ve spent tens of thousands on your lawyer and didn’t have a truck to drive that your still paying on...

Waterfowler41 · August 21, 2018

21 minutes ago, wforrest08 said:

GM has a TSB about the use of K&N style wet air filters I can’t find it right now but it blames the oil you use on the filter of coating the mass air sensor causing various problems. Yes there are several people on here that have had problems with stealerships blaming aftermarket air filters/CAIs for their problems and denying claims.

Also so since you bought the truck used unfortunately you don’t know the prior history. GM has and does flag vehicles in there computer system usually highly modified ones or people who try to get warranty work at a dealer after being denied from a different one. Once flagged GM won’t pay one dime for repairs. I doubt your truck falls into this category but just something to be aware of. But the truck might be known in the system as being modded already.

The Maggy Moss act is great until you have to go to battle with a manufacturer they have teams of lawyers on the payroll you don’t who cares if you win against them if they drag it out for 3 or 4 years and you’ve spent tens of thousands on your lawyer and didn’t have a truck to drive that your still paying on...

K&N commented on this. Says its a myth.

https://www.knfilters.com/MAF/massair.htm

I've run oiled filters on my last 3 cars no issues. If you are concerned, use an MAF cleaner.

4motion · August 21, 2018

I don't know too much about these filters or oil filters but i think it does have a MAF cleaner on the side of tube, connecting to the engine and filter.

Waterfowler41 · August 21, 2018

I don't know too much about these filters or oil filters but i think it does have a MAF cleaner on the side of tube, connecting to the engine and filter.

That’s your MAF sensor, they make a spray cleaner to clean the thin filament on the sensor.

Steps to clean:
1. Remove MAF sensor
2. Spray MAF sensor with cleaner
3. Let dry overnight.
4. Reinstall.

Waterfowler 41’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/brittmork

4motion · August 21, 2018

so if the intake filter have a maf on it, it shouldn't void the warranty, correct?

;/

Waterfowler41 · August 21, 2018

20 minutes ago, 4motion said:

so if the intake filter have a maf on it, it shouldn't void the warranty, correct?

;/

All cars come with a mass airflow sensor (MAF sensor). This sensor sits in between your air filter and your throttle body. Its job is to measure air flow coming into the engine which the car's computer uses to control how much fuel the injectors are providing.

Oil is used in some (most K&N) aftermarket filters as a binding agent to improve filtration. There is a particular train of thought (from GM) that oil can travel from your air filter and collect on the tiny filament on you MAF causing fueling issues. This can be avoided by oiling your air filter per the instructions provided with the cleaning kit and occasional cleaning of your MAF sensor filament.

Your description of the issue above sounds beyond anything an intake can cause. Did you check your coolant for signs of oil? If the oil isn't on the ground under you truck it had to go somewhere. Is your tailpipe covered in build up like your burning oil?

4motion · August 21, 2018

16 minutes ago, Waterfowler41 said:

All cars come with a mass airflow sensor (MAF sensor). This sensor sits in between your air filter and your throttle body. Its job is to measure air flow coming into the engine which the car's computer uses to control how much fuel the injectors are providing.

Oil is used in some (most K&N) aftermarket filters as a binding agent to improve filtration. There is a particular train of thought (from GM) that oil can travel from your air filter and collect on the tiny filament on you MAF causing fueling issues. This can be avoided by oiling your air filter per the instructions provided with the cleaning kit and occasional cleaning of your MAF sensor filament.

Your description of the issue above sounds beyond anything an intake can cause. Did you check your coolant for signs of oil? If the oil isn't on the ground under you truck it had to go somewhere. Is your tailpipe covered in build up like your burning oil?

No, i haven't checked the coolant. the tailpipe does have some build up and at the end of the muffler there is an area of some black buildup around it.

wforrest08 · August 22, 2018

17 hours ago, Waterfowler41 said:

K&N commented on this. Says its a myth.

https://www.knfilters.com/MAF/massair.htm

I've run oiled filters on my last 3 cars no issues. If you are concerned, use an MAF cleaner.

Yeah I agree with you on this IMO a guy would have to basically soak the filter in oil and then stick it back in to get it to suck up the tube. But the dealer can and might blame it on that depending on what his problem is. Of course anybody that makes a wet filter is going to disagree with this saying as long as you follow the instructions. But we don’t know if the previous owner(s) did? I’ve ran plenty of K&Ns in the past on all kinds of GMs don’t anymore cause I live on gravel now.

Wish I could find that TSB. Anyway read page 2 of the link below 2. and 3. under correction

#2 take photos so we can blame it on that (IMO)

#3 will tell them if there has ever been a tune in the truck

https://gm.oemdtc.com/6866/16-na-241-engine-misfire-tickingknocking-noise-no-compression-due-to-piston-damage-malfunction-indicator-lamp-mil-illuminated-2007-2017-buick-cadillac-chevrolet-gmc-hummer

If it were my truck I’d get on Craigslist or hit up the local salvage yards and find a stock box, filter, and tube to stick on it and wipe out the intake before I drag it to the dealer if the CAI is the only mod. Then I would play dumber than dumb “I don’t know what’s been done before? I just bought it.”

Other problem is the only factory warranty left is the powertrain 100k 5year which doesn’t IMO actually cover all the powertrain anyway so he might be SOL since there is no way of knowing if the oil problem is currently related to the no start problem. Homeboy at Nissan might not of put enuff quarts in it, the wrong oil filter on it, ect. but it was losing power and now won’t start because maybe it’s not getting fuel? Who knows till it’s diagnosed. Rattling might be the vacuum pump. Who knows? I would hope the oil light would have came on before it did internal damage or the check engine light if the mass air or another sensor is sh!t.

4motion · August 22, 2018

14 minutes ago, wforrest08 said:

Yeah I agree with you on this IMO a guy would have to basically soak the filter in oil and then stick it back in to get it to suck up the tube. But the dealer can and might blame it on that depending on what his problem is. Of course anybody that makes a wet filter is going to disagree with this saying as long as you follow the instructions. But we don’t know if the previous owner(s) did? I’ve ran plenty of K&Ns in the past on all kinds of GMs don’t anymore cause I live on gravel now.

Wish I could find that TSB. Anyway read page 2 of the link below 2. and 3. under correction

#2 take photos so we can blame it on that (IMO)

#3 will tell them if there has ever been a tune in the truck

https://gm.oemdtc.com/6866/16-na-241-engine-misfire-tickingknocking-noise-no-compression-due-to-piston-damage-malfunction-indicator-lamp-mil-illuminated-2007-2017-buick-cadillac-chevrolet-gmc-hummer

If it were my truck I’d get on Craigslist or hit up the local salvage yards and find a stock box, filter, and tube to stick on it and wipe out the intake before I drag it to the dealer if the CAI is the only mod. Then I would play dumber than dumb “I don’t know what’s been done before? I just bought it.”

Other problem is the only factory warranty left is the powertrain 100k 5year which doesn’t IMO actually cover all the powertrain anyway so he might be SOL since there is no way of knowing if the oil problem is currently related to the no start problem. Homeboy at Nissan might not of put enuff quarts in it, the wrong oil filter on it, ect. but it was losing power and now won’t start because maybe it’s not getting fuel? Who knows till it’s diagnosed. Rattling might be the vacuum pump. Who knows? I would hope the oil light would have came on before it did internal damage or the check engine light if the mass air or another sensor is sh!t.

There werent any oil light warning. But when the truck bogs n power went down, the Check engine and traction control light came on.

Donstar · August 22, 2018

Where is your truck now? I'd have phoned the place of purchase once the problem occurred. If you've already done this, what was their response?

4motion · August 22, 2018

I did called the dealer where i bought it from and told them the situation and they said its an engine problem which the 100k warranty should cover and for me to take it to local chevy dealer. They said let them know what the problem is and theyll help what they can. So its at a local dealer now getting checked.