rodH

was talking to a mechanic buddy of mine (non-Porsche, just shop talk) and we were talking about the IMS situation. Of course he knew nothing about it (not being involved with Porsche) but as I was talking to him about my options, I also happened to mention that I have a 3rd party warranty that still lasts until the end of 2019. He all of the sudden got real serious and said that I may want to be careful before doing any aftermarket parts to the engine, because if something did happen to it, a non-OEM part would just give the warranty company a reason to deny the claim. Then later I was thinking that even using the LN engineering oil filter thread-on adapter and a different type of oil filter could potentially be a reason to deny, and maybe even magnetic oil pan nut?

I guess now I need to rethink having the IMS solution installed until maybe just before the warranty is expired, and even wonder if even using some good preventative measures may be an “issue”. Come to think of it, the Joe Gibbs Racing oil DT40 is not a Porsche Approved product, so that may not be happening for a while now either.

Anyone familiar with this type of situation? It would really stink to have an extended warranty and while trying to prevent future problems, void my warranty and then have it bite me in the butt later.

user 72902

You will have to read your policy. If it says any modification voids the warranty then you have your answer. Don't think there is an issue with any brand of oil.

alexb76

Jeez! What the heck is your worry? If you have a warranty, then why worry till 2019? It doesn't make any sense at all. Now, AFTER you're done with your warranty in 2019 and IF you're still worried you could then go with the aftermarket upgrades.

PS. I am not sure about your warranty, but if it's just a straight up insurance, the adjusters WILL look for ANYTHING to deny a claim, they're paid to do that! An aftermarket engine part would definitely be a red flag! Oil shouldn't be a major issue, but I'd still stick to a Porsche approved, 5W40 like Motul.

gpjli2

Yes Rethink it.

rodH

Actually this is the first post I have made regarding risk of using an aftermarket product on a car with a warranty, which is the main point of the thread.

Yes, I have made other posts about the IMS issue, but not about whether it would void a warranty. After reading a lot of Internet post I had concluded that I would go through with the part sooner rather than later but now I probably need to hold off given the circumstances.

Thank you for the rest of your insight

alexb76

Stop reading forums, it's overly skewed towards the horror stories, 2005 is a problem, so it's very wise to have warranty, even though failure rate of 2005 overall is still below 5% or so of all cars sold. So, it's all relative!

Enjoy the car, ensure oil change and other maintenance is all up-to-date and if you're still planning to keep the car post warranty, think of the IMS upgrade then as part of a regular maintenance at that stage.

mickfluff

Rod it's a very valid question buddy.... Ask away. It's a bit of a crap shoot... If u ever had an ims issue a warranty company can still try and slither out by blaming something else or some fine print in the contract vs fixing the "potential issue" before there could or could not be an issue.... Mitigating the highest risk of engine failure with a fix that may leave u you a bad spot if for any reason your engine fails by another way beyond the IMS leaving u with no warranty help if warranty chooses not to pay due to the IMS solution being used....
Not one answer is right.

vern1

Call the damn insurance company and get their answer in writing. How can anyone answer your question without knowing the specifics of the policy??

rodH

Ok, May have found the answer, but I may follow up with a phone call to get clarification. Here is part of the contract...

"1. The failure of a covered part due to faulty workmanship or materials supplied by the ORIGINAL VEHICLE MANUFACTURER or distributor"

If this is indeed the case, it looks like the best case to prevent or reduce probability of IMS issues is to use the very best oil possible (JGR DT40-non porsche approved or Motul 8100 Xcess-Porsche approved) and change it every 3,000. I am really starting to think I can't even use an aftermarket oil nut magnet or a filter adaptor for a spin on filter. Seems like any of these "could" give the warranty company an excuse to not cover. (I happen to be a medical provider and we are seeing this as a tactic more and more with health companies, finding any possible way to not cover a certain procedure and maybe thats why I am a little paranoid).

Bruce In Philly

Do you blame them? I mean really. While we tend to look at insurance companies as a necessary evil trying to squirm out of everything, they do have a legitimate issue regarding modifications. I would not temp the fates and play it straight.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

rodH

ABSOLUTELY NOT!! probably 99% of the "modifications" out there are of inferior quality or put an engine at more risk than an OEM part. I don't blame them at all, the IMS Solution is just a unique situation where the opposite is true, but I wouldnt expect them to know or understand that.

user 72902

Warranty companies turn into lawyers as soon as they have your money. They look for ways to mitigate their losses which means denying your claim - especially something as expensive as a blown motor. These policies typically say something like the warranty will not be in force due to any modification. It's as vague as that and that's all that they will need to keep your premiums and leave you with a 300lb paper weight. I would not give them the wiggle room in the event you needed the coverage.

rodH

Ya, I had a "Members choice" warranty thru my credit union on my M3. paid for the best coverage. Covered a $6000 vanos repair and a $1000 alternator repair without any hassle or argument. Was surprised how easy it was, but there was NOTHING on the M3 motor that wasn't 100% stock. I would imagine the second the adjuster sees a CAI or something on one of these cars its an immediate disqualification.

Petza914

I see why your torn, and it's because you could prevent the beginning of damage to your engine today but it might void your warranty. The issue is that if the damage being done isn't bad enough to cause a failure of some sort until after the warranty expires, that will suck.

At least go to the Motul from the Mobil 1 and a 3,000 mile change interval. I just received another UOA done on my wife's '05 C2S yesterday with the Motul and even at a 4,000 mile change interval I'm seeing a reduction in the Zinc in the additive package, so I'm going to have to reduce the change interval even further, down to 3,000.

If it were mine, I'd do anything that's easily reversible before taking it in to the dealer after it blew up, which would be the spin on filter, the drain plug, and the DT40 (how are they going to know the dirty oil in your blown engine isn't Mobil 1 or Motul - you think they'll analyze it?), so everything but the IMS Solution, even though that might be the most important thing, but that's also the one with the greatest chancevof getting your class denied.

Starting from scratch, I would've taken the warranty money and put itvyoward the IMS solution, and not worried about the rest of it, but realize you're beyond that option at this point.

At the end of the day you need to do what you're comfortable with - it's your car.

rodH

thanks. Good points, so would you run Motul or DT40?