I'm looking to purchase an E39 M5 with a dinan performance chip. The dealer said it would void the warranty on anything affected by the chip. The seller states that the dealer told him it was install by BMW and the warranty remains valid. Is this right?

Also, why would you install a chip that gives you an few extra hp at the expense of extra engine strain? If BMW engineers could add more hp without straining the mechanics, you would think they would for an M car. I would not think that they are dumb to develop an engine that does not perform to its max potential and not know it, expecially when up against AMG.

Thanks.

Your dealer is correct as any aftermarket part will invalidate your warranty, well at least in their eyes. There is always Magnuson Moss warranty and the onus is on the dealer to prove the aftermarket part caused the problem. However, you are lucky if the current owner has all documentation that an authorized Dinan service center installed the chip. If it was installed by an authorized dealer, the car will be coverd by Dinan's warranty.

Yes, the dealer is correct.

HOWEVER, DINAN's warranty usually picks up any issues for a period of time


also... is this a factory warranty or a CPO warranty?

If CPO... do not believe DINAN extends to the CPO world... their literature reads as factory warranty..

Thanks for the info.

It's a factory 4/50. The chip was installed during the original purchase. I just received the maintenance record. It states that the warranty applies but modification failures are not covered. The Dinan site says that it covers performance upgrades on a new purchase for the life of the factory warranty, so I should be fine. I just learned all this today. However, the factory warranty expires in 2 months, so in the end, all this is a mute point but knowledgeable experience.

someone told me that dinan performance parts don't void warrantys, he's also a VERY big bimmer guy (z3) and he knows bimmers pretty well, humph

someone told me that dinan performance parts don't void warrantys, he's also a VERY big bimmer guy (z3) and he knows bimmers pretty well, humph

well this VERY big bimmer z3 guy is wrong... :cool

Dinan DOES in fact VOID the FACTORY BMW warranty for tha parts installed.

For example:

If the DINAN suspension is added, and a bracket breaks... it is NOT covered by BMW... but by the DINAN warranty (if you READ the literature, it says that DINAN MATCHES the BMW factory warranty)


If the window regulator breaks.. then BMW would pick up that warrantied part, as that is not DIRECTLY related to the part that failed.

where this gets a bit trickey is in the electrical side of things...


if a "chip" upgrade is made tothe car (lets say the engine stage 1 and air intake) , and the MAF sensor fails... who is responsible? BMW COULD say that the CAI caused the MAF to fail... DINAN can say that BMW has an inferior part and that the CAI did not cause the failure

NEITHER will pay the claim... so you cough up 400 for the part and fix... under factory warranty

In this case.. the Window would still be covered because not DIRECTLY related to the Air intake and "chip" upgrade.