| pcconrad |
Howdy, all,
There's another group buy going over at Acurazine for Dom's (of tvandnav2go.com) navi conversion unit. I'm looking hard at picking one up, but one of the folks who posted ("TurboSam") is a tech at an Acura dealer, and has voiced some warranty concerns.
Basically, while Dom contends that the install of his unit (which involves some wire cutting) will do nothing to affect the warranty, TurboSam contends that he'll only buy a plug-and-play unit, because the wire cutting WOULD, in fact, void the warranty where the nav unit/video screen is involved (the text of his post is below).
Then, today, when I went in for an oil change, I asked the tech at my dealership here what he though about it...he said any modification, plug-and-play or otherwise, will likely cause an otherwised covered item (with a closely related system, of course, not with, say, the tranny) to not be covered.
Then, finally, I started thinking, is there really any navi converter that just "plugs in"? They're all going to require some amount of wiring, right? I mean, what about power?
So now I don't know what to do. Has anyone had any experience with denied warranty claims because of such a mod? Anyone have any idea what type of problem might be caused by this mod? Was my tech here at my dealership just giving me the absolute, by-the-book, safest answer?
I lay myself at the mercy of your wisdom, X-men*.
Paul
(*this is meant to be a generic, non-gender-specific term, X-women...I'm at the mercy of your wisdom, as well)
Posted by TurboSam at acurazine.com:
anytime you can an electrical wire in a car you can set yourself up for disaster. a voltage drop of as little as .5 volts can cause a major problem in late model cars. most technicians follow a very thorough procedure when diagnosing electrical problems. resistance is checked in wiring connectors are check for corrosion and damage and so forth. and anytime warranty work is questionable, an adjuster from the warranty company (Honda/Acura, Honda Care, First Automotive, etc) will come and evaluate the sitiation for themselves. any trace of tamperment and your warranty could be voided.
my service director knows that i auto-x and he told me if he heard that i had driven my car in an event, he would void my entire warranty on the spot. needless to say i do not compete with it.
and i can also tell you for a fact that this message board is monitored by members of American Honda. i know this because i got in trouble at work for posting some information that wasn't meant to be public.
any good thourogh technician can many times tell if a component of a car has been tampered with. even my amatuer ass can spot things from a mile away. i am definately not suggesting to forget about hacking into your Navi for video, just realize the consequences you could face for it further down the road. at least spend the extra 100 bux now (like i plan to do) for the plug and play adapter. you a better off spending $100 now than running the rick of spending a lot more later down the road. |
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| Mr Zipps |
| It will effect the warranty if the Navi converter is installed. The good thing about PnP is that you can uninstall it and bring it to the dealer. They will fix the problem and then you reinstall the navi converter. |
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| pcconrad |
Wow, that seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to...I was hoping to install this thing someplace inconspicuous. Either way, I'll not likely tear the dash apart to unplug it back there before I take it in for a problem. Is that what you mean?
Thanks for the reply,
Paul |
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| dj-mdx2 |
| Technically, anything you install that alters the vehicle's usual functioning may be used to argue that the warranty has been voided. True, PnP units can be removed for a trip to the dealer while NavTV's unit cannot unless you plan on reinstalling it everytime. It depends on how much risk you want to put into it. I'm assuming you have a NAV-enabled X with backup camera. If so, then installing the converter may not be worth it. Just bring along a portable DVD player for those times when you're stuck while parked. Just my 2 cents. |
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| pcconrad |
quote:
Originally posted by dj-mdx2
Technically, anything you install that alters the vehicle's usual functioning may be used to argue that the warranty has been voided. True, PnP units can be removed for a trip to the dealer while NavTV's unit cannot unless you plan on reinstalling it everytime. It depends on how much risk you want to put into it. I'm assuming you have a NAV-enabled X with backup camera. If so, then installing the converter may not be worth it. Just bring along a portable DVD player for those times when you're stuck while parked. Just my 2 cents.
Actually, I have an 02 with nav but no backup camera or DVD player. Really, the DVD player is secondary...it'd be cool to have (because it looks like I can get one fairly cheap), but I don't expect it would get that much use.
However, my neighbor's dog is always getting out, and often walks into my yard across my driveway (which is a wicked incline...when I'm backing, all I can see out the back window is trees). After church, there are little kids swarming all over the parking lot. Downtown, angled parking--if there's another SUV parked next to you, you can't see a city bus coming until it's 6 feet away. It's the backup camera I want most. My tech guy at the dealer said there's not an Acura manufactured/acceptable option to utilize my nav screen, as configured, to add a backup camera. I might just have to take my chances...I mean, really, is anything likely to go wrong? I mean, has anyone ever heard of the nav screen burning out? How far might Acura follow the wires out from the converter before they stop denying warranty claims? The entire electrical system? Thing is, I don't know which risk is greater...having to pay for what would otherwise be a warranty repair, or running over someone's kid.
dj, do you know where one might install a PnP converter in the X that would allow a relatively easy uninstall for dealership visits? It seems like any problem with the nav system would require me to remove all evidence of an install, which would include pulling the dash. What do you think?
Thanks,
Paul |
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| dj-mdx2 |
Well, it looks like you want the NAV converter for all the right reasons...I'm not very good with stealth installs, so the other techies on this site may be able to answer your question better. As far as hiding ALL evidence of an install, I doubt that can be done, what with all the splicing involved. Even the AVelectronic unit requires some wire splicing. This search may answer some of your concerns better:
NAV conversion search
Good luck! |
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| pcconrad |
by the way, dj, i noticed you were in on the group buy earlier this year for dom's nav converter. pardon the barrage of questions, but...
have you installed it? if so, how did the install go, and how does it work?
also, is there a toggle switch to select dvd vs nav? if so, where does it mount?
thanks for your input!
paul |
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| dj-mdx2 |
| To be honest with you, I haven't installed it yet LOL. That's on my To-Do list, which includes 04 Projector + HID, 04 taillights, backup camera and in-dash DVD for my headrest monitors. The installation is in the planning stages; I'm waiting for a break in my schedule. I have done lots of research on these, and from my understanding, the toggle switch can be mounted anywhere you please. I'm thinking of putting mine on the dash just beside the steering wheel. If you search some threads on NAV conversion, you'll see some ingenious steering wheel installs that look as close to stock. You can also ask Dom at NAVTV for help. |
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