tubi

My Audi dealer carries Stasis products. The salesman was trying to talk me into chipping the new 2012 A5 2.0T I was checking out. He said it won't affect the factory warranty. Can anyone verify this because it sounds too good to be true? Can I remove and sell the chip when I'm done with the car at lease end or it's soldered permanently on to the engine management system? Thanks!

g8tor20

Since nobody else has chimed in, I will do my best.

I think the Stasis "chip" is actually a software flash or update. So, there's nothing actually soldered. No physical chip or anything. Your dealer will take out the ECU and send it to Stasis for it to be reprogrammed, Then you put it back in and presto!

As for it not affecting the warranty...not as cut and dry. Audi does not endorse any 3rd party aftermarket products. So, it's not like Stasis rides the coattails of the Audi warranty. What they do instead is give you a warranty that will ride along the original Audi warranty. You would think that because it is a dealer doing the upgrade, then you can be almost assured of either Audi or Stasis taking care of the problem. But its no guarantee. Just gotta hope there isn't a finger pointing situation down the road (haven't heard of any but doesn't mean it hasn't happened).

I don't know everything about tuning but I think that is what Stasis reflashing entails.

Hope that helps a little...

S4ME

If your audi runs a gff on your car for any services of concerns it will get flagged as being an alterted viechel. no drivetrain warranty , period. even if you go and remove the software or replace the ecm it is still done.
period. no factory warranty. period


signed, a Audi service manager

tgdA4

I believe legally you cannot just void the entire warranty because you find something that is altered. You would have to prove that the tune caused the problem the customer is requesting to be fixed.

And if it did cause the problem, Stasis offers it's own 4 year warranty.

Still, you are taking a risk anytime you modify your car.

g8tor20

You are correct.

Its called the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act and applies to consumer products.

IIRC, A manufacturer cannot deny a warranty claim just because the consumer used an aftermarket product. I believe the burden of proving that the
aftermarket product caused the relevant warranty issue is upon the manufacturer.

With that said, I would think Audi could easily make a legal argument that an ECU upgrade which puts additional stress on the drivetrain components could cause a failure on such components. Not far fetched....

incrementalg

2nd the Magnuson-Moss act and not being cut and dry.

There is always risk with chipping. Some dealers offer a Stasis tune and suspension package as an add on to new car purchases. They would be hard pressed legally if the modifications sold as an extra at the time of purchase if they don't provide a clear disclosure of changes to warranty if purchased. I'd be hesitant to sell this as a dealer option if I was the dealer. it could cost them a lot of money in litigation if a newly purchased ride with a $5,400 Stasis package blows up on the owner...lol

TT C6

My dealer said Audi will automatically be informed by the ECU that it has been tuned and all warranty will be denied.
Whether true or not, they even told me Stasis was no longer in business.
Don't shoot the messenger, just repeating what I was told when I brought up BMW honoring warranty on BMW dealer installed Dinan tuning.

dieselrules

You will hear a lot of BS on this, even from some Audi dealers But VW & Audi don't just allow aftermarket, they encourage it. In fact, they sell aftermarket parts at the dealers
I have owned several VW's and Audi's over the past 1/4 century. I have mechanic friends who worked for VW dealerships. I have friends in VW HQ. My brother was a VW service manager.
Unlike most Japanese car makers who will practically void the warranty if you change the hub-caps on your Corolla, because their cars are built to barely hold together for 200,000 KMS or 125,000 miles, VW's are over-built.

So, for every 90/100 HP 1.9 TDI owner chipping to get to 120 HP, there's a 150 HP TDI from the factory with a bigger turbo and the same internals.
Same for the 200 HP 2.0TFSI engine. Owners are adding a cold-air-box/chip or FLASH upgrade/exhaust to get 250 HP, while the Type-R Golf puts 270 HP out with a bigger turbo and SW change, and again, the engine internals are likely identical.

EXAMPLE: I bought a 2008 GTI Hi-Line 6-spd from Clarkdale VW in Vancouver that was lowered, cat-back exhaust, chipped, in-dash DVD player/Nav, after market amps/speakers, etc. It was CPO with a full VW bumper-to-bumper warranty on everything, including mods, except for the Stereo, which they offered to replace with a stock unit so I'd have warranty on that if I wanted (at no charge). And it came, from the dealer, with a Neuspeed CD of data files for the revised engine mappings. During my ownership a coil-pack failed, and I had them replace all coils ... Under warranty.

Don't worry about your VW or Audi warranty. They support performance.
However, this does not translate as well to American cars, and the Japanese will usually do anything to get out of warranty claims, even if you didn't mod your car. (Ask any Subaru WRX owner)

And if a VW/Audi dealer tells you otherwise then just ignore them and deal with HQ. The dealer doesn't pay a cent for warranty. Its actually gravy for them, as the service dept. Bills 100% max rate on all labor back to HQ, and HQ doesn't dicker on price. Smart service managers LOVE warranty claims.

And, of course, if you crank the boost up till you blow the head off your 2.0t, don't expect coverage for that. Common sense will prevail.

Rob B DJ

"Unlike most Japanese car makers who will practically void the warranty if you change the hub-caps on your Corolla, because their cars are built to barely hold together for 200,000 KMS or 125,000 miles, VW's are over-built." Wow that is a comment not shared by most mechanics, especially regarding Toyota.