MFGR REP May void my engine warranty?

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Here is my situation.

I had my 2003 Cummins HO TD 1st and only service done at the dealer I purchased it from.

I popped the hood last week and notice my air filter gauge was missing.
I assumed it fell off. Perhaps the mechanic bumped it while changing the oil? I don't know. All I know is that it is gone leaving a hole in the side of my air box.

I spoke to my dealer about having it replaced. He said that they weren't going to pay for it, but would check to see if Dodge would.
The rep from Dodge said if they replace it, then they will void my engine warranty because I am at 15000 miles and my last oil change was at 6300. According to them I am over by 1200 miles.....
I did a little research on the Cummins website, and now found out that , "For 2003, the oil change interval has doubled to 15,000 miles for normal use, and 7,500 for severe use. "
So, I guess they are assuming I drive under severe conditions?
Can they void my warranty over this?
Also, I paid for an extended warranty. If they were to void the engine warranty, am I entitled to a refund on my extended plan if I were to cancel the extended portion of the warranty contract?
The dealer itself finally came to his senses after Dodge denied to pay for the part.
He said as long as I agreed to bring the truck in for the next oil change they would replace the part free of charge.
(Afterall, they are the only ones that have been under the hood.)

That was all I was asking for in the first place.
All this over a $20 part for $43,000 truck, this leaves a bad feeling in my gut about what I may have to deal with later on down the road....

[CMG]

Can't answer the question but do post the name of the dealership, let guys in your area know how they treat customers.

I guess we can add Dodge to the same sh*t pile Ford's warrantee belongs.

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CMG,
I will play it out first and see what the warranty dept has to say.

The dealer is making good on the missing part.

Now I just want to know if they can actually pull my warranty on the engine. As far as i am concerned, Cummins says 15000 miles between changes. I will certainly will do it more often than that.
But who is the rep to make the determination whether I am driving under severe conditions?
As far as I am concerned I am still within range for an oil change.

[Sean H]

that is what you get for buying a dodge, chit just falls off it....

but, that being said, i would say you are still good with the warranty... the dealer tried to scare me about my warranty when i even started talking about controllers and exhaust on mine.... i reminded him he has to prove the part caused the warranty issue and that i have fought and won that one in court already once...

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Originally Posted by Sean H

that is what you get for buying a dodge, chit just falls off it....

Oh??? Did I mention there was what looked like a thumb print of oil residue next to the hole where the gauge belongs???

There is simply no way this thing fell out on it's own. Plus I detailed the truck prior to bringing it in for service. Detailed the engine compartment too, so I know there was no trace of oil anywhere to be found....

[hillbilly24]

THEY CAN NOT VOID YOUR WARRNTY I went down this road about two years ago with a motor that came apart in a 99' Ranger that I had. They didn't know it but the problem was cuased by me taking a water crossing a little too deep, like over the hood Anyway they were giving me a hard time cuase i had no proof a service wich i do myslef not always when i should but i change the oil about every 15k. When push came to shove and after some research on my part i discovered that they can not void you warranty over maintenance issues. It has been ruled in court that it is unreasonable to expect a person to maintain record of vehicle maintencnace. they key reasons are, many modern reciepts are printed on thermal paper wich goes blank in about 6 months, and alot of people including myself do their own maintencance at work using parts on our shelf therfore a receipt doesnt exist with only those items on it. i just get bills monthly for a ll my filters and my bulk oil, and also without a log book(wich would be easy to forge) there is no way to corralate dates and mileages. bottom line is if you say the oil changes were done they have to believe you.

[Chris Sunkin]

I use synthetic and change it every 10K. I change the filters every 5. I buy it all in bulk so I have plenty of receipts and I keep a record book. It's better to open with these items and show them you mean business and you're well-armed rather than waiting until they've taken a position you have to force them back off from.

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Thanks guys!

Chris,
When did you start using the Synthetic? Is there a certain mileage you have to wait for before using it?

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An update:

The truck goes in for service this week.

I detailed the truck today to get the winter's salt off the under-carriage and out of the engine compartment.

Well it appears that I was right about the air filter indicator being bumped and forced out of its position. While detailing the engine compartment I discovered the air filter indicator laying on top of the Air Conditioning Pump. It appears it has been there for some time due to the amount of marks on it from vibrating on the engine.

This is how I found it. Notice the position of the grommet....

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Other pics of the engine: