Tune voided my Yukon warranty

[swathdiver]

my phones spam filter has 160+ numbers in it lol

I didn't get out tonight, will try again tomorrow morning to and from the doctor.

 

[Tiredmechanic23]

Those DI motors are expensive, maybe the tuner ran it too lean? Who knows. What I do know is that BlackBear leaves no trace behind that he was ever in there, nothing for GM to detect.

Telling a person that the #5 cylinder is locked up is about as super fluff in communication one can get, doesn't mean anything. What exactly happened is the question I would ask.

Find out what exactly happened to the motor, tell the fellas here, and they'll let you know about what it would cost to repair, or if it is even worth it.

This. Is there not legislation about warranty already? They have to prove that your changes caused the failure to deny it do they not? I asking as out of curiosity. Either way I am long out of warranty. But I do have local "tuners" including one that works at the local dealer. No thanks ill stick to someone proven.

 

[swathdiver]

This. Is there not legislation about warranty already? They have to prove that your changes caused the failure to deny it do they not?

Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act

 

[gat0r]

was just coming here to post the above


GM has to prove that what you did, caused the issue.
id fight it.

 

[gat0r]

plus see if that tuner will help out any

curious , what type of tuning software/device was your tuner using?
id make sure to not ever use that again

i have been in multiple times w/ my BBP tune at dealer.
no issues at all w/ them

 

[drakon543]

fighting a warranty refusal isnt very common as most people dont know thier rights. depending on the cost of repairs vs how much its going to cost you to have someone verifiable diagnose what actually happened. Joe shmo backyard machanic isn't going to get anywhere telling gm the failure was on thier part. so you would have to find a reputable shop willing to take on the diagnostic side for you. even at that point they would have to find irrefutable evidence it was engine failure on gms part. however if the diagnostics point back to engine failure due to a poor tune you can still go after the shop that tuned it for you. so having a shop figure out why you had engine failure still would be a good option.

 

[Danny3737]

Even if you get GM to foot half the cost, I’d still consider that a win.

 

[tsuintx]

Sucks it happened, OP, but more info related to the failure is needed. As mentioned earlier, just "cylinder #5 locked up" isn't getting us anywhere in trying to figure out anything. Need to know exactly what caused it to lock up.

Hopefully you'll get at least some relief from GM. If not, and it turns out your tuner messed something up or forgot to put it back to stock before you took it to the dealer, at least find another tuner.

And I'm in the same boat than several others that luckily I don't have to worry about any warranties and I take my risks with higher mileage stuff.

 

[hcvone]

I mod everything I buy, but I also know if something goes wrong it's on me if I caused the problem, and I have always been ok with that, I have the means to get it fixed, but now I am old and it's just a pain in the ass, so on this truck I bought a Callaway, great performance with WARRANTY, and I would buy another one with how good this one is. Got to know and trust your tuner.

 

[sealandsky]

If you aren't successful fighting for warranty coverage, I'd look at this as an opportunity. Say goodbye to your dealer and have your vehicle towed to a reputable performance shop. At that point you can buy a performance crate engine and build / tune to your liking.

 

[1BADI5]

was just coming here to post the above


GM has to prove that what you did, caused the issue.
id fight it.

That's a true statement.....but your legal fees will far exceed the cost of engine replacement.

"Cyl 5 lockup" - that alone make me laugh. That's not a legitimate diagnosis.

Now, ring land broke on cyl 5 due to lean condition (piston broke), cause sufficient damage to cyl wall and cyl head. Foreign material (metal) found in oil pan as well as metallic material observed in oil filter. At this point you could honestly tell the customer that engine replacement is required.

Was down that road not to long ago with a customer's G8. Lifter (DoD) failed and cause damage to the cam lob and lifter. Due to the amount of metallic material found in the oil filter engine replacement was the only viable option. Once that stuff gets in the the oil, there go the cam and main bearings. Custom elected for engine replacement

 

[Tonyv__]

So on a side note... how rowdy was your 6.2 after the tune?

 

[ThisIsLivin]

I have tuned my 2015 Yukon Denali before I hit 12,000 miles and I had it back to the dealer multiple times with engine and tranny issues including a major warranty issue with the torque convertor. I use HPTuner software and always restore the factory tune before going to the dealer. I've never had a problem and GM has tried to get out of covering the torque convertor issue. Post pictures of the piston and cylinder, it's easy to tell if it ran lean or had another mechanical issue. If the issue is truly due to a mechanical failure GM has to cover it. I have run into this more times than I can count with GM. I file a BBB complaint, write a letter to the state Attorney General and they have stepped up and covered the issue. What oil do you run, LSPI is a problem with DI motors? GM had to reformulate DEXOS oil because of it. Another reason to run Amsoil, their oil exceeds all standards present and future.

 

[DRC]

Whether my vehicle is under warranty or not, I'm going to do what I want including tuning but it'd always be mild tuning.
I tuned and deleted my 07.5 GMC Dmax at 12,000 miles 1 1/2 years after new.
I had EFI engine and trans tuning on my Yukon, I didn't like the engine tuning the tuner tried several different variations I was still not impressed so I ended up with stock engine tuning but left the trans tuning which was just correcting the crappy 2-3 shifting.

If possible, never take your vehicle to a dealer with aftermarket tuning always return to stock, OR at least give the service department a heads up in advance that you have tuning.
If you have any engine and/or power train issues the manufacture will always put the blame on the tuning, hence voiding your power train warranty.
Legally they can't void the complete car warranty only the power train, but you'll might have to fight this.

Sorry this happed to the OP.

 

[Javie]

So I had a tune done by a local guy here in town. He's done over a hundred yukons, escalades, vetts, etc.

I have a '16 Denali XL and it had been doing great for the 2 weeks after the tune, then boom, get in the truck and start it up and it sounds brutal. Sputtered along for 10 seconds then froze up. The guy that tuned it came back out and tuned it back to stock as it sat dead in my garage. I had it hauled into the dealer and the #5 cylinder is totally locked up. Best bet is to swap out a new motor, $9k later. He said no worries because I still had a couple thousand left on my powertrain warranty.

Fast forward to the next morning, and I guess they forwarded the software to GM and it was flagged for having non-GM software edits made. Warranty void, I'm on the hook for the whole thing. '

I feel like I've read on here that Black Bear's tunes don't void the warranty? Other than maybe using the wrong guy, what is different here?

That really sucks you're going through this bro. I feel your pain ! Question i have is why the hell did your tune guy forward the tune /software to the dealership? Only thing your tune guy should have done was flash your ECU with the original factory program. I live in Cali where smog police are everywhere make a long story short I got flagged by the Natzi smog generals and had to take my old 02 tahoe in to a Ca. State certified smog center for a thorough inspection . Everything from the good old sniff test to downloading all vehicle calibration files off my PCM/VCM to crawling underneath my truck with inspection mirrors was used. Crazy ! I felt violated to the fullest . No lube either! Everything passed except for one thing, I had used a flashpack superchips tuner to load a mild stock tune with options installed years ago on my vehicle after upgrading to 4:10 gears and i had completely forgotten. The state officials didn't know what was wrong other then something in my tahoes files had been tampered with and now needed to get correction directly from a certified chevy dealer which meant a factory( re-flash $160) Did it and passed ,this nightmare is behind me now!

 

[jwth]

There is a counter in the pcm that increments everytime the calibration is adjusted no matter who does it.

 

[jasonb100272]

So I had a tune done by a local guy here in town. He's done over a hundred yukons, escalades, vetts, etc.

I have a '16 Denali XL and it had been doing great for the 2 weeks after the tune, then boom, get in the truck and start it up and it sounds brutal. Sputtered along for 10 seconds then froze up. The guy that tuned it came back out and tuned it back to stock as it sat dead in my garage. I had it hauled into the dealer and the #5 cylinder is totally locked up. Best bet is to swap out a new motor, $9k later. He said no worries because I still had a couple thousand left on my powertrain warranty.

Fast forward to the next morning, and I guess they forwarded the software to GM and it was flagged for having non-GM software edits made. Warranty void, I'm on the hook for the whole thing. '

I feel like I've read on here that Black Bear's tunes don't void the warranty? Other than maybe using the wrong guy, what is different here?

 

[jasonb100272]

Is it a 5.3 or 6.2 ? Check out car-part.com this website links salvage yards i would find a motor and swap it out. Return to factory settings. Unfortunately sometimes you pay to play. The person who turned it will they help you in any way? Good luck

 

[Doubeleive]

That really sucks you're going through this bro. I feel your pain ! Question i have is why the hell did your tune guy forward the tune /software to the dealership? Only thing your tune guy should have done was flash your ECU with the original factory program. I live in Cali where smog police are everywhere make a long story short I got flagged by the Natzi smog generals and had to take my old 02 tahoe in to a Ca. State certified smog center for a thorough inspection . Everything from the good old sniff test to downloading all vehicle calibration files off my PCM/VCM to crawling underneath my truck with inspection mirrors was used. Crazy ! I felt violated to the fullest . No lube either! Everything passed except for one thing, I had used a flashpack superchips tuner to load a mild stock tune with options installed years ago on my vehicle after upgrading to 4:10 gears and i had completely forgotten. The state officials didn't know what was wrong other then something in my tahoes files had been tampered with and now needed to get correction directly from a certified chevy dealer which meant a factory( re-flash $160) Did it and passed ,this nightmare is behind me now!

what did you get flagged for? had to be something obviously illegal and something the cop saw while having you stopped that required you to go for a inspection. there are car meets 2 block's from me all the time I see them pulling guys over and looking for obvious violations. i.e. no cat's, no 02 sensors, etc.

 

[rjdjbd]

I’d start with my owner’s manual and see what GM stayed about any and all modifications and unapproved modifications. Without looking at mine, I’m guessing I already know the answer.