This should be of interest to owners of cars still in warranty who are considering a remap or tuning box.  Remap appears easily spotted  and Tuning box can leave odd values when removed but a VCDS scan and clear may well clean them up - read the link carefully.

 

I posted this in the Freedom Talk area but think it is more relevant here. Concerns the dealers ability to ID tuned cars ...............

 

This is a link to a multi country Golf forum and a post by a US Master Tech relating to the diagnostic routines always carried out on US Golfs and other VAG motors and how a standard dealer diagnostic scan WILL always identify if a car has had an ECU update - remap.

 

The whole post makes very interesting reading and I assume the process is the same in the UK for VAG motors. Perhaps a Skoda Master Tech can confirm?

 

http://www.golfmk7.c...read.php?t=7492

 

Especially see 'Chapter 5'

 

Does it really matter,

If you are making a Warranty Claim on an Insurance Policy, which is what it is, you may and probably will be asked to sign a Declaration 

that the Engine or Engine Management is unmodified.

 

So they can analyze a ECU, and can find Updates / Enhancements and Remaps.

They do check quite often, as do Crash / Insurance investigators, 

and if a Manufacturer does think you are trying to defraud on a Warranty Insurance Policy, then you will possibly 

have declared your Mods to have valid Insurance cover.

 

Easiest if you want to modify your vehicle, to declare all mods to your insurance, 

and pay your money and do your tuning, and if it goes wrong, pay to fix it yourself.

Totally agree as my previous 2 cars were legally modified

 

But the majority of people thinking about tuning their cars while still under warranty could benefit from the knowledge that every warranty claim could end up with a fully documented ECU printout is sent to SkodaUK which identifies if the car is actually modified whether or not the claim is for a drive train related issue.  If they then have a drive train warranty issue (engine and gearbox possibly drive shafts etc) Skoda will have already flagged that the car is modified and will refuse the claim - claiming that non standard pressure/forces have been put on the drive train.

 

Assuming that SkodaUK uses the same diagnostic monitoring practice as VAG in the USA, which is likely.

 

Once out of warranty only your insurance company will be interested but could they also ask SkodaUK for details about the service record of the car?? making the need to declare any mods all the more important.

 

I believe that the more info people have to help them navigate the issues of modifying their car the better.

I asked my master tech at my local dealers about this before. He told me that when the car is plugged in to the diagnostic machine the ECU file is automatically checked with what Skoda HQ has and any differences are automatically logged against the vehicle vin number. I don't know if it's true or not but had no reason to doubt him.

Insurance Assessors & Crash Investigators in the UK often do the Same as VWG and other manufacturers do,

the ECU is removed from the car and forensically and expertly examined.

post #50 tells a tale worth reading.

http://seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=193416&page=3

Edited 20 January, 201511 yr by goneoffSKi

An interesting read.

( It was a blown fuel pump relay in the end............)

I have just read the entire thread. Just goes to prove read the small print

Sent from my Galaxy S5

post #50 tells a tale worth reading.

http://seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=193416&page=3

 

Does that imply that if you have bought a car from a (lets say) Skoda dealership on finance (PCP etc), remap it and then have a breakdown that the dealership can demand the car back as it has broken the terms of the finance contract?

 

I may be being silly and not quite understanding though!

All it means is Modifier beware unless you own the car,

and you might just need to pay for your own breakages.

I thought that might be the answer! Sorry for being thick :P

 

My car isn't modifiied I was just curious, but yes buyer beware makes sense.

Does that imply that if you have bought a car from a (lets say) Skoda dealership on finance (PCP etc), remap it and then have a breakdown that the dealership can demand the car back as it has broken the terms of the finance contract?

 

I may be being silly and not quite understanding though!

It means read the small print. You should anyway, but the majority of people don't.

 

FWIW I checked my finance agreement this morning, and nowhere does it state that modifications are forbidden and to do is is a breach of the terms of the contract, which can then be cancelled resulting in them demanding full payment of the outstanding balance. 

 

The other thing to bear in in mind is that if your car is permanently remapped, then even the most dense of vehicle technicians would spot it, you only have to drive it. Some remaps give you the option to reflash the stock profile - this is allegedly impossible to detect at dealer level, though if you have the right software you could establish if the ROM has been reflashed. You have to choose whether you want to keep it hidden or declare it (from the dealer, I'm not suggesting for one moment that you don't declare any mods to you insurance co.). Understand the risk, be able to mitigate it and there will be no surprises like the Lean owner off SCN had.