He answered the question about the warranty as well on that forum. Basically, the additional coolers will not void the warranty, either. The only GM Performance Parts that won't be covered for a Z51 car are Z06 brakes and a suspension kit because those are for "track use only."
AliZ51 asked:
GM performance part group is finally on the move and we are hearing one announcement after another with regards to the release of new components. This is great until we read the disclaimer and that all these parts would/ will void the powertrain warranty. How can GM justify voiding a powertrain warranty even for a carbon fiber cover? Please clarify. Thank you.
Tadge answered:
Great question from the forum. Although I am not directly responsible for performance parts, this question caused detailed conversation about the relationship between that business activity and our factory warranty. That is why this answer took longer to provide. As we continue to develop more and better performance parts we will strive for better clarity on impact to warranty, if any.
We assume that this question originated from the new SEMA offerings of Performance Parts for Corvette (cooling kits, aero kits, carbon fiber braces, brake kits, T1 suspension kit, and driveline kits) and the publishing of these parts in the 2016 Performance Parts catalog. The warranty disclaimer statement that is published in the catalog (see statement below*) was originally written for crate engines and engine parts, and had not been changed to reflect the differences between Powertrain Parts and our Vehicle Performance Parts offerings. We are in process of re-writing this statement and will publish the update in the catalog and online at the next printing.
Our intent is not to altogether void the New Vehicle Limited Warranty nor the Powertrain Warranty on our Vehicle Performance Parts, and most of the Performance Parts available for Corvette do not restrict these warranties at all. We will, however, need to restrict some aspects of these warranties, as noted below, given that installation of some Performance Parts will alter the intended uses of the production vehicles. There are also instances where Performance Parts take the vehicle out of compliance for public road use. These restrictions will be disclosed to Performance Parts consumers so that they can knowledgeably choose whether or not to install such parts. .
In the first printing of the catalog, the following parts were called out with the standard warranty disclaimer. We are now more clearly defining the specific restrictions and will publish these in the next catalog update:
Secondary Radiator and 600w fan — this was a misprint in the catalog — there are no warranty restrictions on these parts. These will not void the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Carbon fiber braces — these parts are intended for off-road use only. Our long term, 10 year corrosion testing is not complete and therefore warranty claims for corrosion at the attachments of the brace to body will be restricted. The remainder of the factory warranty is intact.
Z51 brakes for Stingray — in this kit, the mass dampers were removed from the stock Z51 pads in order to fit inside of the base Stingray wheels. Mass dampers are used to tune the system for brake noise, and therefore this kit is not warranted for noise performance. The remainder of the factory warranty is intact.
Z06 brakes for Z51 — this application is for off-road use only because the stock Z51 wheels do not fit over the Z06 brakes. We cannot test or certify to all of the potential solutions. Any failures occurring as a result of the non-production wheels selected by the customer would not be covered. The remainder of the factory warranty is intact.
T1 suspension kit — this suspension kit is designed for off-road, racing use only. Generally speaking we expect vehicles equipped with the T1 content would also be outfitted with track slicks and raced, both of which do void the general vehicle warranty.
Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. You have made us realize that a generic disclaimer does not clearly communicate the reasoning and intent behind each of the Performance Part restrictions. We are pushing to continue to bring new, exciting parts to market, and we’d love to hear your feedback.
*Current Catalog statement (for reference only):
The use of this engine or component in a new Chevrolet vehicle voids the vehicle powertrain warranty and may result in adversely affecting vehicle performance. In some cases, use of certain Chevrolet Performance components may result in the failure of other components or systems, thus voiding the warranty of the failed component or system. Chevrolet Performance components installed in new vehicles do retain their regular warranty coverage unless otherwise noted.
These engines and components have not been tested or validated by GM Engineering for use in these vehicles. Installation of components or engines in non-original applications may require fabrication or modifications that affect other vehicle systems. Certain engines may require modifications to the vehicle for fit and operation.
The installation and operation of these components or replacement engines in new vehicles is intended for off-road operation only.