Last week we looked at the cost-effectiveness of extended warranties. This week we will discuss what the vehicle owner is responsible for during such a warranty.
If you elect to purchase an extended warranty on your RV, you need to protect that investment. This requires regular maintenance at the frequency rate recommended by the manufacturer. It also requires you to have the documents confirming the service was carried out. So, keep all these receipts in a safe place so you can produce them if ever needed. This maintenance file is also good to have when selling your RV down the road.
Additionally, you are expected to operate the vehicle within its specifications and take the necessary steps that may be required once a failure has occurred. For example, if on a motorized RV the oil pressure alarm sounds, you must stop the vehicle and engine immediately. Damage caused by the engine operating any duration after the failure may not be covered by the warranty. Say you saw a service station a mile down the highway and you decided to try to nurse it the extra mile. If the oil pressure is low, not just a sensor failure, the crank bearings and the cylinder walls and more may be damaged.
There are two ways the warranty shop can tell that the engine was run after the oil pressure ceased. First, by inspecting the internal parts in the motor. Secondly, the ECM (Engine Control Module) records all engine events and would probably show that the oil pressure was low and the engine temperature climbed.
Another scenario would be blowing a radiator hose. If you continue for a short period the engine will overheat. This overheating may well result in the cracking a cylinder head. The cylinder head failure would be a result of the unit not being stopped and therefore, in all likelihood would not be covered by warranty. Again, the ECM would show that the engine was operated to an extremely high temperature.
In addition to keeping a good maintenance file, record all or any failures. A photograph can be worth a thousand words. If possible take a photo of any item that fails or breaks providing the damage is visible, like a broken awning mount. Retaining these types of records can help ensure a successful warranty claim.
Just For The Record – Lug_Nut – Peter Mercer