[Kenneth]

I will be getting a Forte Sedan EX w/ fuel economy package in 3 days (can't wait!!). I'm not too heavy with modifications, but there are a few I want to do. Call me an audiophile.. I plan on replacing the stock radio with an aftermarket HU, replacing speakers, adding 2 subwoofers, and probably neon. With all of this, I want to upgrade to a HO alternator and upgrade the "Big 3" wiring as well. Would any of this void any parts of the warranty?

Also, are there any upgrades that could increase horsepower and/or torque without heavily altering the engine as well and will keep the warranty? Nothing like adding a turbocharger or anything, but just minor mods.. thanks!

-Kenneth

 

[Aidensgrand]

idw to start a crazy debate but i know the K&N filter will give a minor boost.

 

[fas93]

I'm not too sure about that also, but I really want to know what exactly voids the warranty. You know what? I'm going to ask thurs/friday! I've been bothered by this question for too long.

 

[2.4LForteSX]

I know if you dont cut any of the stock wires (will be easy if you use a harness for the head unit conversion.) I know if you replace the wiring you should be ok....But i think the fuel economy package comes with a H/O alternator and if you use a capacitor and #0 wire you should be ok without replacing any wires....But check with the dealer before I would do anything, they will tell you for sure...I know some places wont void your warranty but wont cover any aftermarket parts.

 

[Aidensgrand]

well it depends on what you do to your car. if you put a new system in your car, that could potentially void a part of your warrenty. any aftermarket parts can potentially void out a warranty. for example, the GM at my dealership was telling me about aftermarket spoilers and how it could void a paint warrenty. it differs and i would talk to your local dealer for factual answers the K&N can void the warranty if you apply too much oil. and you'd have to replace with factory filter every time you go in. its a toughy

 

[Kenny C]

Almost anything can void portions of your warranty, but no single mod can void your entire warranty. If you install a turbo...sure, your motor and tranny warranty are pretty much out the window. That mod would have an obvious detrimental effect on the entire drivetrain. Install a cold air intake (CAI) and later your A/C quits...they would have to tie the CAI to the failure of the A/C to be able to void your warranty.

My points are kind of vague, I'm sure, but check out the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act for full details.

It basically states that a manufacturer cannot void a warranty for installing aftermarket parts, unless the aftermarket part was the cause of the failure. That being said...it only pertains to the parts that failed...not every part your extensive warranty covers.

 

[Aidensgrand]

Almost anything can void portions of your warranty, but no single mod can void your entire warranty. If you install a turbo...sure, your motor and tranny warranty are pretty much out the window. That mod would have an obvious detrimental effect on the entire drivetrain. Install a cold air intake (CAI) and later your A/C quits...they would have to tie the CAI to the failure of the A/C to be able to void your warranty.

My points are kind of vague, I'm sure, but check out the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act for full details.

It basically states that a manufacturer cannot void a warranty for installing aftermarket parts, unless the aftermarket part was the cause of the failure. That being said...it only pertains to the parts that failed...not every part your extensive warranty covers.

prolly wont get a better explanation than that. that last part pretty much somes it up.

 

[D113]

I will be getting a Forte Sedan EX w/ fuel economy package in 3 days (can't wait!!). I'm not too heavy with modifications, but there are a few I want to do. Call me an audiophile.. I plan on replacing the stock radio with an aftermarket HU, replacing speakers, adding 2 subwoofers, and probably neon. With all of this, I want to upgrade to a HO alternator and upgrade the "Big 3" wiring as well. Would any of this void any parts of the warranty?

Also, are there any upgrades that could increase horsepower and/or torque without heavily altering the engine as well and will keep the warranty? Nothing like adding a turbocharger or anything, but just minor mods.. thanks!

-Kenneth

Welcome Kenneth!

I did 2 if the big 3 but ran into issues with the alt's factory connector. I've done everything but the HU however.

For the big 3, I simply added 4 awg wire and lugs to the existing ones, double up rather than replaced as you can't go wrong there. I have a positive and negative 0awg run going to my amps, best way to make sure grounding is perfect (effectively a direct connection) The negative 0awg hits a grounding lug (see my build logs) and the amps hit that same point effectively bypassing the chassis. I have a kinetik hc600 rather than a cap to prevent battery drain when parked when i travel for business. The positive hits a 4way block so that all the amps and the battery are fused at the back, and of course I have a main fuse in the front. I wouldn't worry about a HO alt if you're running in the 1500 Rms area and have a cell rather than a cap. Sure the alt runs harder when pounding but I don't pound often, and a HO wasn't available at the time, is quite expensive and can introduce a world of other issues if it's a little off and starts blowing belts.

My advice on lighting is to avoid at all costs putting neon, and rather, use LEDs. Neon is notorious for adding noise to the system with their ballasts. As an audiophiles myself in sure you can appreciate that part.

Do yourself a huge favour and deaden your vehicle prior to the install as you will end up opening your panels and doing it anyway. Contact Rick at Raamaudio.con and tell him Darryl from Toronto sent you. He's a wealth of knowledge when it comes to deadening. Buy a few rolls of bxt while they are on sale as the results are more than worth the money even when it comes to road noise and door boominess.

Feel free to ask anything you like of me and I look forward to seeing your install.

I know very little about engine performance upgrades but I can hopefuly help a ton in the audio department.

Cheers
D

 

[Kenny C]

well it depends on what you do to your car. if you put a new system in your car, that could potentially void a part of your warrenty. any aftermarket parts can potentially void out a warranty. for example, the GM at my dealership was telling me about aftermarket spoilers and how it could void a paint warrenty. it differs and i would talk to your local dealer for factual answers the K&N can void the warranty if you apply too much oil. and you'd have to replace with factory filter every time you go in. its a toughy

Keep in mind that your local dealer doesn't offer the warranty. Kia Motor Company does. The locally owned franchise dealers cannot tell you that you've voided your entire paint warranty for installing a spoiler. Kia Motors might agree that you jacked up the paint on your trunk if there was an issue there related to the install, but defects on the rest of the car should still be covered.

Over oiling a K&N filter is a bad idea no matter what, but our cars don't have a mass air flow sensor (to the best of my knowledge) that could be damaged by the oil. If you're worried about that, check out AEM for dry high flow filters.

 

[Kenny C]

Welcome Kenneth!

I did 2 if the big 3 but ran into issues with the alt's factory connector. I'vedine everything but the HU however.

For the big 3, I simply added wire and lugs to the existing ones, double up rather than replaced as you can't go wrong there. I have a positive and negative 0awg run going to my amps, best way to make sure grounding I'd perfect. The negative 0awg hits a grounding lug (see my build logs) and the amps hit that same point effectively bypassing the chassis. I have a kinetik hc600 rather than a cap to prevent battery drain when parked when i travel for business. The positive hits a 4way block so that all the amps and the battery are fused at the back, and of course I have a main fuse in the front. I wouldn't worry about a HO alt if you're running in the 1500 Rms area and have a cell rather than a cap. Sure the alt runs harder when pounding but I don't pound often, and a HO wasn't available at the time, is quite expensive and can introduce a world of other issues if it's a little off and starts blowing belts.

Well said...this guy knows his stuff when it comes to audio!

 

[D113]

Thanks! More added via an edit

 

[[email protected]]

I will be getting a Forte Sedan EX w/ fuel economy package in 3 days (can't wait!!). I'm not too heavy with modifications, but there are a few I want to do. Call me an audiophile.. I plan on replacing the stock radio with an aftermarket HU, replacing speakers, adding 2 subwoofers, and probably neon. With all of this, I want to upgrade to a HO alternator and upgrade the "Big 3" wiring as well. Would any of this void any parts of the warranty?

When you change anything in a new car you are giving the automobile company all the reasons in the world to void your warranty. My buddy has a new 2010 Honda Civic - he swapped out the speakers and put in a subwoofer - no big deal right? He then started to hear a funny rattle in the car. It was a hard to find sound - somewhere in the roof or near the B pillar. He brought it to the dealer to have it looked at. Immediatly they saw that he modified the car and simply said 'it might be something you did'. How can we help you if you modified it from factory spec? Hence they gave him the brush off. Sure he can write the BBB and complain to Honda - but meanwhile it is documented that he altered the vehicle and they did not lift a finger to help him. It finally turned out to be that it was a loose component in the sunroof mechanism. He had to fix it himself [it was actually an easy fix]. But the moral of the story is - he gave Honda a reason to tell him to get lost. You can scream and rant and rave all you want...but if you give them a reason to deny the warranty they will take it.

 

[crock89]

bump!

 

[KiaTech]

K, the 'final word' on K&N oiled filters is:

A> they are proven to increase power in Fortes.

B> Fortes do NOT have MAFs... they have MAPs... MAPs are not in any way affected by oil as they are downstream of the PVC intake and get a constant source of recycled oil in the intake stream.

C> Having an aftermarket filter will NOT void your warranty, as long as that filter does it's job, and keeps the engine clean. Improper installation, fit, or design WILL void your warranty, so buying a reputable brand and following the use and care directions are important.

I hope this clears the air... yes, the pun was intended.

 

[xSilverX9x]

(US) From what KIA has told me, they are not against installing aftermarket parts on your vehicle. The only time KIA will void the warranty is if they can, beyond reasonable doubt, identify the aftermarket part as the reason for the component(s) failure. In the US, your vehicle has many warranties.

· Basic 5 year/60,000 mile warranty
· 10 year/ 100,000 mile Power Train warranty (first owner only). Covers: Engine, Transaxle, Axles, Transmission, Differentials, Driver Shafts and Universal Joints.
· 1 year / 12,000 mile Service Adjustment: Covers the minor problems with your car: wheel balance/alignment, free play or tension adjustments of cables, belts, levers/pedals, and engine adjustments (idle speed, ect.) Body parts and fittings.
· 1 year warranty on the your Battery, followed by a 2 year pro-rated warranty (meaning that you only pay a percentage of the cost, KIA pays 90% at the start of the pro-rated warranty, and then only 10% by the end ofwarranty.)
· 3 year warranty on your Paint; only manufacturer’s defects
· 3 year warranty on your Radio.
Tires are warranted by the manufacturer, not KIA, but you can still go to your dealer and they will file the claim for you. You also have:
· 5 year/ 60,000 mile Roadside Assistance: meaning that you don’t need to call your insurance company or AAA if your KIA vehicle breaks down, they will tow your vehicle to the nearest KIA dealership.
# to remember: 1-800-333-4KIA

 

[Farte Hammer]

I'm fairly certain that you can't remove the headunit without losing the functionality of everything ported through the stereo... ie bluetooth, satellite... If you are dissatisfied with your KIA before you even take delivery then hold on brother.... you are in for a really dissatisfying experience. As for the K&N filter, make sure you are ready the first time you drive the car after the install... You might want to get a roll cage installed first... it's going to be at least 1.00005% faster than a stock one, and at least 1.00006% better MPGs!