discussion Motorplan Voided

[IMTELADIA]

Good day. I am fairly new to these forums and have 1-2 previous posts.
Today I was informed that my motorplan has been voided for suspected performance tuning. I can with 100% certainty say that I have never had a tune installed by myself or any other person that I am aware of. I would like to know if there is a way to fight this or have BMW prove that the car was tuned. Does the ECU not store boost pressures, what the engine has been pushing ...... The car has been driving the same for the one year that I have had it.
Please see copied email to BMW as well as chat screenshots. They prove that I was only thinking about tuning but never actually had it done. Also as a side note, they told me that all future services as well as other components will be covered except for the drivetrain. I have no warranty claims on those components at the moment but if I do have a failure in the future it really bugs me when I have not had any tuning done.

Please let me know what you guys think. Should I just forget about it as I don't have any issues?

"Hi. I asked BMW to run all checks before I bought the vehicle and no one informed me about any software being installed. The guy at BMW specifically told me that “any error or problems will be picked up immediately as BMW has sensors on everything”
I even brought the car for the latest update to the system when it was recalled so that BMW could monitor tuning.

I have thought about tuning and even messaged a few companies. Who buys an M140i and does not think about it? Please see attached conversation with the tuning company. When the chat was started and what the most recent chats looked like. I have been speaking to them for months and they can confirm and would have records if the car was ever tuned as the tune is usually VIN locked.

I have not gone through with it because of the Warranty. Recardo in parts, even though he cannot vouch for me can at least confirm that I was only thinking about it as we spoke about performance a few times. He can also confirm that I buy BMW parts even though they are much more expensive just for warranty purposes.

I am upset because I have tried everything to not have warranty issues. Our last conversation was on the 8th of January 2021. As you can see, the tuning company did not even reply to say that he has sorted out the dyno or anything."

 

[tman]

there is a hole in this plot

 

[IMTELADIA]

there is a hole in this plot

What’s the hole?

 

[IMTELADIA]

Or ask me for clarification at least

 

[momoPike]

Where is the email from BMW explaining why your motor plan was voided?

 

[IMTELADIA]

They did not send an email. They phoned me to let me know that they are still discussing whether a sensor in the steering wheel I sent the car in for will be approved by the motorplan division as the motorplan has been voided/suspended because of suspected performance tuning.
I asked the lady on the phone for her email because I emailed my local dealer so that I could forward them everything. She has not sent me her email address. She was going to speak to the managers.

I seriously would understand if they told me the suspension was a problem because of the Powerflex bushes, maybe even the lowered suspension because I bought the parts from BMW but had them installed elsewhere.

 

[IMTELADIA]

This is the only email I received from the dealer. Motorplan Division has not emailed me back so that I could forward it all to them.

 

[NBN]

Bmw can void your plan just because of the power flex bushes and the suspension that was not fitted by them, they usually not so sticky but if you read your motorplan contract, it clearly states that your plan can be voided if any non oem, aftermarket part is fitted to the car

 

[IMTELADIA]

I guess. But they specifically mentioned “performance tuning” over the phone which I have not done. I have asked so many questions, even joined this forum to get answers to questions other people might find silly or frivolous.
Whatever happens, happens. I don’t want to keep stressing. Already messed up half my day.
Hopefully I never have any engine issues and the like 🙏🏼
I was really going to wait to put the software to not void the warranty

 

[TurboLlew]

NBN is right... they would have to be very nasty to do it but within their rights TECHNICALLY. However plan is not usually voided for "suspected" performance tuning. They might suspend the plan pending a deeper search or call it in (mine was one of those that received the 'deep inspection' before if came off plan that your tuner mentions). By the time it is voided they are 100% sure there has been modding of some kind.

Tuning in their world is not just software - it is any kind of hardware change as well... as some have discovered even wheels and wheel spacers. BMW is unpredictable and inconsistent with even their own approved stuff: Your ONLY guaranteed option is to use M Performance or keep the car 100% stock. At some stage they even did an about turn on Akrapovic exhausts and Schnitzer performance chips that were approved previously: suspending plans of cars that had these (in some cases) fitted AT DEALERS as approved items.

Many of the older members might remember a time where you might have found four M5s:

one with a dealer supplied and fitted Akrapovic branded exhaust prior to a certain date that was fine,
one with the same exhaust fitted at a dealer post a certain date that was at risk of its plan being voided,
one supplied by Langston (the source of them all) that was NOT fitted at a dealer that was at risk of its plan being voided regardless of when it was done
and one with the (identical except for tips) M Performance exhaust that was fine...

Now they are back to advertising them for all cars like nothing happened.

Exhaust or downpipes, same story whether you have a tune or not your plan is voided.

Either way you have to be supplied with official notification and details of exactly what they found given that you might have a claim against the selling dealer if it is indeed software that they are claiming has been done

 

[IMTELADIA]

Thanks for taking the time to message back. They specifically mentioned that they will not cover any drivetrain issues. I will definitely have to get them to email me all the details.
Worse case scenario is that the motorplan is suspended 1 year early.
They were going to get the manager to contact me and hopefully he has some good news.

Again, thanks for all the replies. I know my post was long

 

[babyboss]

U saying "Suspect Tuning" With no Evidence of performace Tuning i can't see them voidin m/plan ..
This stupid dealer must have reported suspension mods u did & that cuda raised issue..

I had issue with my 5 ..
Service manager seen "Evo 2" stickers
& immediatly asked tech to put on lift to check for mods !!

 

[IMTELADIA]

I really don’t want to blame the dealer. Spoke to the manager today and he said that as soon as they plugged the car in, it through a flag on BMW SA’s side. They will try and help me as best as possible.
They sent me an email today to say that they found evidence of engine tuning. They will still honor the warranty regarding all other parts except for drivetrain issues.
I messaged them back to tell them again that I am 100% certain that I did not have any tuning done.
I am by no means a professional but I am not an idiot. The car has been driving the same for the last year that I have owned it. Nobody in their right mind would tune a car to be exactly the same just to void their warranty. Also, if the tune was done recently it could be taken as me trying to hide my tracks but if it was done a long time ago then what the hell was the tune for? Because I definitely had no power gains. I have asked them to send me the date when the tuning was supposedly done as well as whether the car was/is pushing more power, has the timing been changed .....
I am not completely certain but BMW usually keeps records of how fast a car has been going, boost pressures and the like.

Also, using my timeline of events, I bought the car last year March, started looking into everything from tuning and suspension to exhaust systems, spoilers and rims. Around October I still did nothing and then messaged on the Forums in November to ask whether anyone would cover my car if I do go ahead with the performance upgrades. Everyone who messaged basically told me to forget about it. That leaves December, January and February. The problem from my side is that how do I prove that I did not go elsewhere 😅

I sent the car in for a silly error message that kept on appearing regarding the cruise control failing (Always worked even with the error), that was a faulty sensor in the steering as well as the rain sensor not working properly (Apparently they can just reconfigure it). Both will probably be covered by BMW.

 

[TurboLlew]

Hopefully they can give you a date and that date is prior to you taking ownership of the car! There is information stored in the FASTA data that cannot be cleared by normal tools and which is read and automatically forwarded by ISTA when you plug the car in, but surely this isn't the first time they are plugging the car in and they already (before you bought the car last year in March) started checking the M and M Lite cars before trade in and selling them on.

Please do continue sharing your findings on this as it will be of benefit for the community to understand how this can happen (eg if your car was modded, returned to stock and not detected by BMW when they sold it to you but now they have new ways of finding this).

 

[Rayzor]

Based on the information provided, I highly doubt that they will cancel the plan. They will probably review and reinstate MP.

 

[individj]

sorry OP getting on the ass end of this, so it is a used car and where did you buy it? Certainly it could of been tuned before you had it, If it wasn't bought from BMW i reckon its a problem....i hope i didn't miss a whole post with all this info

 

[Taran Rodrigues]

This actually happened to a friend of mine, they cancelled hes plan because they suspected a tuning chip, nothing was confirmed,

and after a bit fighting with fouche where he bought the car from. they actually sorted it out and he now has he's plan back.

who did you buy the car from?

 

[IMTELADIA]

The car was bought second hand from the Kia dealership in Goldreef. It had all the paperwork to say that everything was fine, the only issue that was not listed and I was upset about was that a “fake” windscreen was installed. This is where the problem with the rain sensor I presume originated.

The manager of the dealership informed me that they have absolutely no information that they can see from their side and I am still waiting for Motorplan division to reply to my emails. According to the latest email that I received yesterday, the dealer is the one that inspected the car and found that engine tuning has been done.

They have told me that it was not done by the previous owner. I have taken the car to BMW several times in the past. For recalls and other minor issues like my phone not connecting .....

When these previous visits were mentioned, they told me that because this is the first time that we are trying to claim from Motorplan, that is why the flag has only come up now.

I have attached their email to me as well as a screenshot of my reply.

Thanks to TurboLlew for the FASTA info. Did some research on that and it definitely seems like information on what the car is doing is stored.

 

[IMTELADIA]

Don’t think I can win this. It went from engine tuning to modifications in the latest email.

 

[Kyle]

When you car is "tuned", a flag on the ECU is set... Which remains even if it's flashed back to stock, I would certainly say it's possible that the car was tuned at some point and then taken back to stock before being sold...