Does Subaru void warranty (on engine) for TSD rally usage?

[PictureChasers]

Anyone here TSD? Does Subaru void your warranty on engine parts & workmanship?

 

We seem to be having an issue mid engine rebuild, that our dealer now says that they may not honor warranty if we use car for TSD rallying, which is what we told them it was for before rebuilding engine.

 

Anyone have similar experiences?

 

Bottom line is that we would have rebuilt it ourselves, but we wanted an engine sealed & warrantied by Subaru. Seems like a pointless effort & expense now.

 

For anyone not familiar with TSD, we drive on open public roads with street legal insured cars, don't wear hlemets, and are required NOT to break the speed limit. On logging roads we are instructed to drive about 40 MPH, depending on event & terrain.

[Qman]

They obviously do not understand TSD. It should not void warrantee. As described. Most people associate rallying with racing or WRC. Tsd is a fun way to race, or compete rather. Navigational skills and communication between driver and navigator are key to this. Not speed. Maybe take the rules overview into them so they fully understand what you are doing.

[WJM]

big warrenty voiding devices and use:

 

Autocross is ok for STi and WRX

Track days (solo type stuff that doesnt require competition license) is ok for STi....questionable for WRX.

Rallycross is ok...for the most part.

 

WRC or other type of rally use

Track racing events...as in competitive GT style events

Abuse (bouncing off the revlimiter side stepping the clutch)

 

Header+turboback is a VERY iffy subject...most of the time its a no no at most dealers.

Boost controller=Automatic drivetrain warrenty GONE

Engine management+boost....again, gone.

Intake=ok

intercooler=iffy again

clutch...aka "stage 2.5 or higher" usually voids it

big turbo=VOID

injectors and stuff=usually VOID

 

 

Most other items are ok.

[PictureChasers]

We seem to have the issue cleared up. It seems that anything will void your warranty, if it causes overheating or other failure.

 

 

Thanks for the input.

[Zefy]

i recently did a TSD rally and i inquired about such things... since i used my parents wagon...

 

 

no it doesn't void the warrenty... infact you don't need any extra insurrance things or anything to do it... in fact one of the guys who hosted the rally i went on did a rally with his brand new impreza like 2 days after he bought it... hadn't even made a payment yet!

 

its a lot of fun... but its freaking hard...

 

here are the results from mine... http://www.rallybc.com/archives/2005/Novice/2005WCRA_Novice1_Results.pdf

 

second to last baby YA! w00t!!!

 

and here are some pics!

 

http://www.rallybc.com/photos/2005/Novice1/Dennis/2005Novice1Dennis1.html

 

i was #14...

 

you should so do it! and ya... its supposed to be 10% under the speed limit... people got so freaking mad... me going 45kph in a 50 zone where people usually go 80...

[PictureChasers]

i recently did a TSD rally and i inquired about such things... second to last baby YA! w00t!!!

 

 

Hey Zefy,

 

we ran 2 TSD's in 2002, before a street racer in Oregon hit us headon in 2003 at 65MPH in a 25 MPH zone. The only reason we are still alive is that we drive a 24,000 lb highway coach (with $30,000 damage). All walked away, though still waiting for State Farm to pay for ANYTHING even though other party was charged (and found guilty) with dangerous driving, speeding, and causing an accident, and ruled 100% at fault by police! (Good neighbor? yeah right!)

 

After a couple years later we are recovered & ready to rally again. In our first rally in 2002 I think we placed same as you. We spiked a tire on cattleguard in first 30 minutes. Then cooked an alternator in second stage. Missed the night stage while we bought a CHARGED battery & left stage to rebuild an alternator on the highway in the dark. At 11PM on Raceday1, we're in the parking lot of hotel asking EVERYONE that's still out for a fan belt, cause we now need a different size for spare alternator. A youth that worked at Hyundai in Kamloops, helped us out. He worked at dealer, drove us to his house to get key, then to delership at midnight to measure belts, left cash on the counter for his boss, then drove us back to hotel. Our Cowcar was back the next day to everyone's surprise.

 

Race was around 500 miles, and no timed stages were on roads with much traffic, we mostly commuted on pavement, and rallied on gravel / snow. During non-timed stages, we had to make up for alternator & tire, so we MAY have sped to catch up with our next start time, cause I think I saw some blurred cars on my right driving backwards.Number 69 dude!

 

http://www.rallybc.com/photos/2002/Tbird/betty3/car69darren.jpg

 

Our second rally, Heart of Darkness was a night rally, started just before midnight I recall. We have mixed feelings about this event. After busting our humps all week to prep, we were in no shape for an all night rally off road. If we do THAT again, it will only be if we can prep on time to get there a day early with car completed (and some Red Bull). Best part was, first 2 stages were rained out by mudslides, so 70 of us "commuted" beautiful highway 5A at night to avoid the Coquihalla toll. I had never before "cruised" on a windy highway at night, with SEVENTY other buddies, not sure what the speed limit was on THAT one. Now THAT was a rush, headlights & tailights ar far as you could see, thrashing like a giant snake through the mountains!

 

For anyone thinking of TSD, it's GREAT fun, not too competitive (at back of pack anyways), and not that hard on your car. It's more fun than stock car racing, and you can drive most any car. It's about prep, skill, teamwork, and timing accuracy. We entered in a convertible, open cars require a single hoop roll bar, and VW though to add one from factory that's a REAL roll bar.They tell you how fast & how far, what to do next, the closest time wins. Time must be calculated constantly by Navigator, my Nav is uncarsickable, so we're good to go. Our cost runs about $500/rally in Canada, mostly for 2 nights hotel & entry fee. Rest went towards fun, and doing work on car that need to be done anyways for our use. We now have an RV & a motor coach to flat tow with, so we'll have MUCH more fun, a little cheaper!

[KStretch55]

What does TSD stand for?

[Handtool]

What does TSD stand for?

 

TIME-SPEED-DISTANCE

[PictureChasers]

What does TSD stand for?

 

Sorry bout that, and you already got the definition. They have brief but well worded description at link below. Not certain who runs rallies in WA or OR, but we would be willing to attend any preferably 2 day race.

 

We run in the BC TSD Championship at http://www.rallybc.com/html/tsd_events.html

 

 

Novice rules for BC are here

http://www.rallybc.com/html/novice_rules.html

 

You get a series of instructions, with symbols & distances. He who follows the directions the closest WINS! You need a navigator that can read, talk, listen, do simple math around a complex theory (at first), and above all, NOT PUKE! Events are about 4-600 miles over 2 days, though there's 1 day events as well. The ones we have entered had primarily timed sections on logging roads, and non-timed stages on pavement. You will have to hustle here if you lost time in previous section. Cars are a minute apart, so if you even SEE another car, one of you has miscalculated. If you pass anyone, likely you will debate with yourselves whether that was right, or whther you should slow down to let them pass.

 

We survived a spectacular blowout at 50mph. Passing Steven & Michael (cause they passed us!) we had a sidewall blowout from a cattleguard about a mile back. As I was clearing them they covered me with mud, I could NOT see at 50 mph 2 cars wide. Then our tire went, on their side! I barely felt it in the greasy mud, but knew my control in deceleration could possibly be very bad. Only safe way was to finish my pass, cut them off frantically signalling right as the 2 lane section ended. Camera crew got there for half the tire change, we were howling & covered with muck. We had NO plan for what to do with a dead wheel completely covered in muck, INSIDE our Rabbit.

 

Fun tip! If you give your navigator a horn button & hi-beam control of their own, they can honk frantically and flash hi-beams to signal passing.

 

I apologized to S & M for cutting them off (couldnt see them a bit) and they said no way, it was radical driving!

 

If you want a CHALLENGE, try the winter TSD rallies of Thunderbird in spring, and Totem in Fall. We plan to compete again at Totem this fall!!!

[spanky_pete]

This issue has been hashed though again and again over at nasioc.com, technically SoA cannot "void" your warranty. But they can refuse to cover your problems under warranty should they suspect mods or racing has caused the failure.

 

ie...If I install aftermarket exhuast on my car, they cannot claim that it caused my power windows to stop working.

 

TSD should never cause your vehicle to have a significant failure that wouldn't have happen during regular driving conditions.

[PictureChasers]

ie...If I install aftermarket exhuast on my car, they cannot claim that it caused my power windows to stop working.

 

Hmm, I think that Subaru may have that glitch DOCUMENTED... ;-)