Does Your Own Spyder Maintenance Void BRP Warranty??

Does Your Own Spyder Maintenance Void BRP Warranty??



So what is the deal with doing your own service and maintenance on the Spyder? I like doing my own on my xt250 yamaha dual sport motorcycle using the official service manual.

I know the spyder is more completed then my xt, so I will be learning things as I go if I get a spyder. I know I can't do the firmware updates dealer only via BUDDS, and that's ok.


I want to do as much on my own as possible, but don't want void warranty and want to take good care of it if I buy one. Sometimes I don't trust dealer techs, and paying them for service they may not actually perform.


For those of you that do your own servicing...



1.) Can you list which maintenance items you do perform, and which do you leave for the dealer to do?



2.) what does brp require you to do to prove you did your due diligence and performed the services on your own within or on the manual suggested main. checks? (take pictures, document and make notes and observations and changes? This is what I do with my xt. I also keep receipts from oil, orings, filters, etc I have purchased to perform services.)



3.)How about valve checks and adjustments, for example. Can I do them myself? I've done them on my xt where they are not hard. Are the difficult on the Spyder?


4.) since there are issues that can pop up on the Spyder, I was thinking of getting the b.e.s.t extended warranty, but again want to do my own maintenance to learn (it is fun for me) and save cash but do not want to void warranty.


5.) Does doing your own maintenance (NOT MODS) by the shop manual void your warranty???


When I buy something big (a big purchase like a Spyder) I commit and stick with it for a long time. Maintenance will also be a big part for me also. I just want to know that if a shock or engine part or electronic unit or pump or belt goes, it will be covered even that if I do my own scheduled maintenance (and due diligence to perform the manual suggested items).


Thoughts / comments and suggestions are more then w e l c o m e here!!!


Difficulties and challenges with doing your own maintenance on the spyder ???

Cheers and thanks in advanced!!

I don't recall it ever being an issue with any of the bikes who's company I worked for. As you state, you service your own bike currently. I would check with the company, but would have to believe that type strategy could border on "unfair business practices" or similar law in the U.S. I've been certified/trained tech since 1969 and doubt that would be an issue for me, but I wouldn't want to suggest anything other than to check with the company. Not the dealer, who is the one that could loose the income, but the mfg. who makes the policies. As an A&P mechanic, you do have to have a license to perform general aircraft work, but if you have an ESLA pilots license you can perform your own work on your ELSA aircraft( very recent change). It would seem strange, but not impossible, that they would require a dealer to do it. I believe most of the other mfg.'s use some language in the owner's manual about "qualified", but don't actually spell out what that means. I worked as a service manager and probably did 1000s of warranty claims....I was never asked if it had been serviced at our shop. The predominant question they would ask, when it was a tranny issue,"is the back tire bald" or "what is the tread like on the back tire". So you might consider that if you have a tranny problem...make sure the rear hoop is got wear representative of the mileage. I don't recall any being denied because of that, and there were some bald ones, but it appears to be something they take into consideration. Most likely it would come into play if something happened that was unique to that vehicle.

I don't believe it is legal for the dealer to be the only acceptable service outlet.
I was a Volvo service manager for a number of years and we always processed warranty claims where the customer only came to us for the warranty repair- preferring to have routine maintenance done elsewhere. As long as the customer had acceptable records of the maintenance service everything was fine.
Records needed to be on a numbered receipt, dated, state the mileage, VIN#, owner name and address, and say what was done- with a parts list, labor time etc.- all the things necessary to make a legal document.
The problem for a DIY- home mechanic- is generating those records.
I often buy my oil and filters long before I do an oil change so it's hard to prove when I did it based on that.

I would assume- dangerous word assume- that if you were to get a receipt for the oils and filters, air filters etc. and wrote down the required information to make a legal document as I listed above, you could create a paper trail that would stand up in court if necessary.

You would wind up with something like:
Dec 22, 2009,
Can Am Spyder vin# 12345678
3020 miles
Plate # 1x3045
services performed-
LOF, check belt tension, per manual, tighten drain plug to 23 ft/lb (don't know what it it but I used to write this down)
Checked for leaks, verified oil level as full, road test, all ok.
sign it with date, address where performed, and put it on file.

One of the reasons Volvo wanted to see numbered receipts was to trip up the frauds. I once had a customer come to me claiming he had all his services done and he showed me gas station receipts for the right miles, months apart etc.- but all of the receipts were sequentially numbered- no. 2345, no 2346, no 2347, and it was fairly obvious he had his friend at the gas station write up a bunch of receipts to cover missing services. I don't know how you address that iussue as a home mechanic.

I intend to do much of my service myself so we'll see how it goes. When you get down t it there is not much in the way of service records that are needed for most warranty claims- if your DPS goes bad, or your GPS, maintenance is not the issue so records can't be required. If you have bad engine bearings, you better have good records.

For those of you that do your own servicing...

1.) Can you list which maintenance items you do perform, and which do you leave for the dealer to do?

I do the oil and filter changes, spark plugs, coolant flush/re-fil, easy stuff like that. I leave the valve clearance check/adjustment, brake fluid service, and anything to do with the rear wheel or drive belt to the dealer.

2.) what does brp require you to do to prove you did your due diligence and performed the services on your own within or on the manual suggested main. checks? (take pictures, document and make notes and observations and changes? This is what I do with my xt. I also keep receipts from oil, orings, filters, etc I have purchased to perform services.)

I don't think there is any specific requirement. If you keep doing what you are doing with your other bike then I don't think you'll have any problems. I've got a service log with dates, mileage, list of service performed, details on the parts or materials used, and most receipts.

3.)How about valve checks and adjustments, for example. Can I do them myself? I've done them on my xt where they are not hard. Are the difficult on the Spyder?

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the Spyder has an interference motor with two timing belts. Now I went to school to learn how to work on engines with timing belts and I don't trust myself to do this. If you have done it before on an engine with an interference motor with no issues and you're comfortable with it I say go ahead. I was quoted $325 just to have mine inspected. :yikes:

4.) since there are issues that can pop up on the Spyder, I was thinking of getting the b.e.s.t extended warranty, but again want to do my own maintenance to learn (it is fun for me) and save cash but do not want to void warranty.

I have heard many good things about the B.E.S.T warranty. I can't speak about it personally though. I do not have that.

5.) Does doing your own maintenance (NOT MODS) by the shop manual void your warranty???

I can't see how unless they can prove that something you did specifically led to the failure which you are trying to have repaired under the warranty.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jgwoods

One of the reasons Volvo wanted to see numbered receipts was to trip up the frauds.

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The bike companies seemed to have a sliding scale, they never asked for service records and depending on the model, and what they envisioned as it's lifespan, they would jump through hoops or ...not.
I rebuilt a VT500 the very first year they were produced,under warranty, it had rod bearings spun. It had never been in for it's 500 mile service, which was pretty standard at the time, and the bike had less than a teaspoon of very cruddy oil in it. He even road it in to the shop, I wonder why it was knocking?? Honda still warranteed it without any hesitation. I didn't quite understand how a bald rear tire was more abuse than running without oil. That was the early 80s and now V twins are everywhere.....I guess they wanted to make sure they didn't get a bad rap for their V twins.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SpyderGirl

For those of you that do your own servicing...

1.) Can you list which maintenance items you do perform, and which do you leave for the dealer to do?

I do the oil and filter changes, spark plugs, coolant flush/re-fil, easy stuff like that. I leave the valve clearance check/adjustment, brake fluid service, and anything to do with the rear wheel or drive belt to the dealer.

2.) what does brp require you to do to prove you did your due diligence and performed the services on your own within or on the manual suggested main. checks? (take pictures, document and make notes and observations and changes? This is what I do with my xt. I also keep receipts from oil, orings, filters, etc I have purchased to perform services.)

I don't think there is any specific requirement. If you keep doing what you are doing with your other bike then I don't think you'll have any problems. I've got a service log with dates, mileage, list of service performed, details on the parts or materials used, and most receipts.

3.)How about valve checks and adjustments, for example. Can I do them myself? I've done them on my xt where they are not hard. Are the difficult on the Spyder?

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the Spyder has an interference motor with two timing belts. Now I went to school to learn how to work on engines with timing belts and I don't trust myself to do this. If you have done it before on an engine with an interference motor with no issues and you're comfortable with it I say go ahead. I was quoted $325 just to have mine inspected. :yikes:

4.) since there are issues that can pop up on the Spyder, I was thinking of getting the b.e.s.t extended warranty, but again want to do my own maintenance to learn (it is fun for me) and save cash but do not want to void warranty.

I have heard many good things about the B.E.S.T warranty. I can't speak about it personally though. I do not have that.

5.) Does doing your own maintenance (NOT MODS) by the shop manual void your warranty???

I can't see how unless they can prove that something you did specifically led to the failure which you are trying to have repaired under the warranty.

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:agree:

Your warranty can not be voided if you are competent to perform the service yourself and have documentation that it was in fact done. Here is a link to the check off sheet that I put together for those that do their own maintenance. http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...ntenance+sheet There are links in the thread to a one page version and an email address to get the necessary part numbers. There are some things that require the dealer only BUDS software system, but nothing on the required maintenance schedule up to 12K miles. http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=15748 I keep my check off sheets, which are initialed and dated. I keep my receipts for parts, fluids etc., and so far, I have even kept my replaced parts except for oil filters. I also write results of checks of such things as valve clearance, tread depth etc. on the check off sheet.