^^^ The moment you replace the factory CAC with aftermarket, you VOID yer engine warranty.

Full-Race, AFE and (soon) Wagner make aftermarket CAC's. Most (not all) mount in the factory location.

MGD

 

References?
I am by no means a warranty expert, but I wouldn't think a CAC is going to void the warranty on an engine with a failed piston connecting rod bearing. And for an intake or combustion chamber failure, if your CAC passes a pressure and flow test after the engine fails, then it must have been the engine (I.E.- warranty still valid).
July 2015 clarification of Magnuson-Moss: Accordingly, these commenters request that the Commission ‘‘make clear that warranty language that creates the impression that the use of a branded product or service is required in order to maintain warranty coverage is impermissible.’’
Aftermarket CAC would be good according to MY interpretation of this... I am not a lawyer.

 

Curious, you said the truck came with a center license plate mount from the factory/dealer?
All the 3.5 eco's have the plate to the drivers side leaving the CAC open for cool air. I would think a license plate or the lights you have there now would really impede the air flow when under load or a hot day.

 

Howdy;

No expert here either - just burdened with eidetic memory.

Refer to Page 13:

http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Fo...US_09_2014.pdf

The M-M Act surely does read well on paper. But - as witnessed by more than a few folks here - tends to fail when confronted with the Legion that is Ford's legal team, if invoked for cause (e.g. costly powertrain damage - with even a coincidental presence of a programmer footprint, shiny new charge pipes, a massive non-factory CAC, CAC cooling blockage, etc, etc. ).

You needn't believe anyone on a forum - simply contact Ford yourself and corroborate. It IS, after all THEIR Warranty. Report back what you discover - we can then compare notes.

Also note that this does not appear to be deterring folks from modifying their brand-new trucks - again as witnessed on this forum.

MGD



MGD

 

The 11-14 eco had the plate off center. 15+ has it back in the center for the eco... This was done to help make the cac less efficient which then means less chance for moisture to build in it. Seems like a bandaid solution just like the prior tsb's were (block off shields).

 

Correct. My 16 3.5 EB has a center mounted plate

 

Page 13 specifies "caused by" for non-warranted damage. Causation is what my previous comment refers to. An aftermarket CAC is a replacement part because the engine already has a CAC (therefore not "tampering" or "modifying"). For example, if a rock flys through the stock CAC, Ford CANNOT (per magnuson-moss) require you to replace it with a Ford CAC.

 

Of course Ford can't REQUIRE you to do anything. They can, however, just decline to cover any damage that can be attributed to NON-Warranty-Approved parts. An aftermarket CAC is such.

A CAC is not purely a passive component - it's presence alters engine management parameters due to a cooler charge for a given ambient temperature, which usually results in an increase in available boost. Any tuning shop worth their rep will tell you that.

It does not take a shyster to recognize that a replacement CAC is clearly a performance-enhancing modification. To petition otherwise would be indefensible, in my view. And already proven empirically, which is all that really matters. Or - too costly to make it worth defending for most folks.

All good debate - until the rubber hits the road.

Let me know what Ford tells you.

MGD

ETA: To the OP - my apologies for the thread derailment. I'll stop now. Best of luck to you!

 

This conversation got the best of my curiosity, so I took your advice and called Ford (1-800-392-3673). The gentleman on the phone told me only the intercooler would no longer be covered under warranty (obviously). He said the installation of an aftermarket intercooler does not void the warranty.
I'm sure there are unmentioned caveats to his answer, many of which were mentioned here. One thing is clear, the presence of the shiny intercooler is not a "get out of jail free card" for Ford.
Thank you for helping me broaden my understanding of Magnuson-Moss and my Ford warranty. I too apologize to the OP as I was certainly central to this hijack session. The time here in Afghanistan is now 2230 and I have an early day.
All the best, JD

 

Do you have any pics on how you installed those two lights on the outside of the license plate area.
I'm wanting to do the same thing to my truck but not sure of the best way to mount the lights.

SPR