OK,

I will agree on a few points. If I hook up my Modis and alter the injector timing on the engine, run it lean and burn a valve, Toyota will have a case to not repair it under warranty. They still have the burden of proving that in a court of law. Not as easy as you think if you can come up with an alternate solution that COULD have happened.

That is the ONLY thing they can do as far as the warranty goes however. Toyota can refuse to fix the valve problem under warranty, that’s it. They cannot "void" the warranty on the rest of the car INCLUDING the hybrid system. If you add additional capacity to the battery pack, they will have to prove that the extra capacity, running the same voltage, feeding into the system, caused harm.

For the average "Joe" in the jury box, I can wire up a 12-volt battery to a light and turn it on. It works... Add another 12-volt battery in parallel and it STILL works... Hook a meter up to both and the voltage is the same... Case closed....

The warranty is NEVER "voided" on a car. They can refuse to honor a warranty claim but the warranty itself cannot be voided.

 

All right, David;

No one is responding to this discussion other than you and me, and I don't want to get into an arguement with you.

If you can't see that in today's car where virtually everything is controlled by the BCM, ECM, PCM and an array of sensors that updated those modules several times every second, then you may actually choose to modify your car, thinking Toyota (or any other manufacturer) wouldn't void the warranty.

I just don't want anyone else to do it based upon your advice.

If anyone else is thinking of modifying any of the mechanical or electronic components of a vehicle as complex as a hybrid, please talk to a dealer or expert mechanic before you do so.

Joe

 

Joe,

I will not get into an arguement with you but check with a good lawyer. They cannot "void" the warranty on the car. By your logic, if I change something in the engine management systems, they can void the warranty on the car and refuse to fix a leaking moonroof or a bad sun visor switch.

That is incorrect. They can refuse warranty service on an item if they can prove I damaged the part. They cannot void the warranty on the entire car however. Federal law still controls (for now....) how the warranty is applied.

 

I have an 04 Sienna too. I will agree with you that it is possible to make that thing get a big improvement in a specific set of conditions. When I first got my Camry I used to work hard at getting improvements in the Sienna too with some great success on occasion. But it generally became a real pain in the rear. 95% of my driving is in and about town and that's a killer of FE for the Sienna, it just got too much work for too little gain, unlike the Camry which is a lot easier across a more broad range of situations (and a lot more fun as a result).

Also, I really don't drive the snot out of the Sienna either, so maybe that already gives me less room to improve when I do try...