Launch Control and Warranty

[Gipper]

http://www.themotorreport.com.au/9975/nissan-refuses-to-replace-abused-gt-r-transmission/

The word coming from one disgruntled American R35 GT-R owner is that Nissan has refused to replace a damaged GT-R transmission “due to abuse”. The unhappy owner has recently relayed his dealings with an American Nissan dealership as he attempts to have his destroyed GT-R transmission covered under warranty.

Nissan however claims that the black-box computer has registered “excessive” driving with the VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) switched off, which must be done in order to use the Launch Control function, which voids the warranty as stated in the handbook

Wonder if VW has any waranty limitiations when using LC on the DSG?

[3Putt]

I just wish I could enable launch control!

Just want to give it a go, just once!

[Steve]

I just wish I could enable launch control!

Just want to give it a go, just once!

It's pretty good - definitely gives the R36 much more "go" than a regular 0-200 launch!

Gave me a bit of a shock actually, considering the rather pedestrian manners the R36 has at low speeds.

With regards to the warranty question, my guess is that abuse of the feature may cause issues if the use of launch control can be considered a cause (however partial) of the failure that's resulted in a warranty claim. That said, my memory is that the manual briefly mentions this (I can't check it now because the R36 is in Adelaide and I'm in Kota Kinabalu) on the page that details how to use launch control.

Having ordered a GT-R (not for me, but on behalf of my father), and knowing what's involved with the order process (basically a lot of reading and a lot of signing to say I understood the various warranty restrictions and service necessities) I don't have too much sympathy for the guy who's ruined his gearbox by doing exactly what Nissan have told him (and he's agreed) not to do.

However, it's not very nice of Nissan to make a car of such performance, and then to base the marketing and hype of that car around the performance, only to then make replication of that performance a liability for the owner and effectively say that performance isn't repeatable and they have no confidence in their own manufacturing process.

This and a few other things are seriously making me have second thoughts...

[3Putt]

With a standard manual gearbox, Nissan would have had the option to design the drivetrain with the clutch as the weak link (ala WRX). That way the idiots who abuse it to the point of breaking it are only up for a new clutch.

With Godzilla's 'DSG' (can't remember what their copy of VW's gem is called), replacing the clutch is a huge deal, so they had 2 options...

1. Over-engineer the clutch and electronically limit the amount of torque that gets forced through it, to the point that the clutch should never need replacing! Thats what VW have done with DSG, but not really a good idea if you are trying to get your car round the Nurburgring faster than any Porsche ever has! Or...

2. Try and educate your customer, thru the owners' handbook and warranty agreement, not to abuse the thing, being the fine piece of high tech, high performance kit that it is.

I think they have gone for option 2. Their only choice really. And, BTW, I think you R36 owners with your 350Nm or so of torque can Launch Control away to your hearts content. Just don't bore the thing out and drop a supercharger in it!