I thought I posted about this but I can't find it now. Anyway, it was about my purchase of a set of bypass pipes from a certan aftermarket company that makes the most beautiful muffler bypass pipes I've ever seen. They cost me $350+ and the aftermarket manufacturer claims in their online advertisement that it will NOT void warranty. I love these things....and I want to put them on even if they are loud. I started thiniking about who they asked to find out if it would void warranty so they could make that claim. So, I called my dealer and the service manager said it was like flipping a coin. Half the time, they're fine.....but LOUD! The other half the t ime, they come in with a very lean fuel mixture that causes engine damage. He told me if I brought it in with any kind of engine problem, and it had the bypass pipes on it, they would most likely void the warranty. He told me the car was designed to be tuned for a certain amount of backpressure. Letting that go changes all kinds of other things and if not tuned to the pipes could damage the engine. So, that does it for me. The pipes are going back. I'll do a m ore subtle bypass of my own on the stock mufflers so they are louder but still have back pressure. If it says it won't void your warranty.....no matter what y ou're buying for your car, check it out with your dealer first. It might save a lot of headaches down the road.

Have fun!

Buzz

 

I would think any home made bypass on your OEM muffler would also void the warranty, and also lower the back pressure too. Anyway, I would avoid the dealer when using the bypass/track pipes.
The manufacturer, not the dealer, must prove that the aftermarket part caused the failure. that said, your relationship with the dealer carries a lot of weight for or against your cause. A lot of porsche dealers sell and install aftermarket mufflers, parts (even chips) etc...

 

It seems that every dealer has something different to say about the 997 warranty. I went to a dealer today to ask about intake and flash and they told me that the intake is okay but the flash / chip would kill the warranty.....ouch!

 

Regarding any OK from the dealer about a modification not voiding the warranty, I would get it in writing. Otherwise you may end up calling some lawyer like me to sue the dealer and Porsche for not honoring the warranty, and I would have to tell you that you're probably out of luck without any proof.

 

I'll do a m ore subtle bypass of my own on the stock mufflers so they are louder but still have back pressure. If it says it won't void your warranty.....no matter what y ou're buying for your car, check it out with your dealer first. It might save a lot of headaches down the road.

Keep in mind that it's Porsche and not the Dealer that decides whether or not to honor the warranty. Of course the Dealer is in a good position to know what's likely to be accepted or rejected by Porsche. Also, keep in mind that if Porsche refuses to honor the warranty and you contest the issue, Porsche must prove that the modification caused the part failure. Unless the owner does something egrigious, like adding FI, it's not easy for a manufacturer to prove that any mod caused a part to fail. Nevetheless, I believe it's prudent to be cautious with mods while the car is under warranty.

 

While I may agree that Porsche at least theoretically must prove that the modification caused the part failure, when it says "No" to covering the repair, the customer must move the case forward from there. If Porsche chooses to take that stand, then it probably will be time consuming and expensive for the customer to proceed forward, whether to mediation, arbitration, or court. In the meantime, the car sits there unrepaired unless the customer forks over the big $$ to have the repair done pending the resolution of the dispute.

I doubt that the aftermarket modification supplier will help you in your dispute with Porsche, but I could be wrong. I've just never heard of that assistance being provided.

Its not that the gain in horsepower from an aftermarket intake or exhaust system is not desirable, as its always fun to have more horsepower, the issue is whether that horsepower gain is worth a possible warranty dispute. Personally, I would rather not be in that position. IMHO

 

Good info, guys. To answer the question about modifying the stock mufflers, it will have backpressure, etc. according to which "chamber" in the muffler you run the pipe out of. It won't be anywhere near as loud as NO mufflers, and I don't think it will be noticed. After looking at the cutaway view of a 997 muffler, I don't see how the car runs. It is severely restricted in all 3 chambers of the muffler. I contacted the manufacturer of the bypass pipes and here's what they quoted....."No woriies……..if you have not installed them we can do a refund net of shipping charges. Also it is 100% ILLEGAL for any car delaer including Porsche to state that warranty is voided or would be voided by changing out the exhaust system. The Magnuson Moss act 100% protects you in this regard." So, they are saying..."No, it won't void warranty" and the dealer is saying "It might void warranty". Sorry, I'm going with the dealer. I don't need any hassles with this car.

Anyone know about the Manuson Moss Act?

 

Read the review in Excellence - look at ALL the work Porsche put in the the X-51 engine package to get those extra horsies out of the 3.8 liter engine. If it were as simple as these aftermarket folks claim - don't you think Porsche would have found this out in their engineering departments vice the extra work and cost they are applying to a great 3.8 liter motor turning it into an even better X-51 3.8 liter motor?

 

The best explanation of the Magnuson-Moss Act that addresses modifying your vehicle and is in understandable form may be found at http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...e/id-2669.html.

I think the "dummies" set forth a fair statement of the practical effect of this particular law. But, keep in mind, before you jump in with both feet, that it is very difficult for a layman to argue the law with the giant law firms that PCNA hires to handle such claims. They don't receive the huge retainers for getting pushed around.

I had PCNA buy back a 928S once on a design defect issue, and it was a pretty grueling process with lots and lots of sabre rattling.

 

Thanks, lawjdc! I get free legal representation, but I doubt this group would take on PCNA. I'm not going to put the pipes on anyway. I really am afraid they will be too loud. Someone should make a bolt on small muffler to replace the stock one. Just the muffler, not an entire header set.

 

hi buzz... there are plenty of choices for a "muffler" that's not super loud out there. The bypass pipes are fun but honestly too loud for a daily D...

 

Thanks, Sharkster. I guess I'll look around some more. I was talking with my long time mechanic and he drew out a really cool way to leave the stock mufflers on the car and weld a pipe across the muffler "up" and "down" pipes (inlet and outlet). That would bypass the muffler completely, but then he drew in a manual cutout valve that would allow me to make the car as loud or quiet as I wanted by just opening and closing the cutouts. Sounds simple enough! I may try it.

 

Can you PM me with the 928 story? I'm very interested in that info. Thanks

 

OK Buzz911S...You got good Technical advice and great legal advice, what about becoming a paid member

 

That sounds like the original (3.4) PSE, Eisenmann used a 5/8" tube welded between the inlet and outlet tubes controlled by a vacum operated valve. A good idea,that sounded good too but the workmanship left a lot to be desired IMO. As a practical matter the valve actuators are pressed together like old time carb linkage making them prone to vibrating loose and rattling. I think the idea of a bypass between the inlet and outlet sans valves is the way to go, it's the same thing Porsche did with the old motorsound 993 mufflers, except the bypass was internal.