Water in Transmission from 4WD'ing, is this covered under manufacturer Car Warranty?

[adamjedgar]

Hi guys,
this thread is an extension of a previous one that i have posted a day or so ago where i had a transmission error code and eventually found water in the transmission.

Please note, although the dealership is named in the reveiw, i wish to avoid any public naming of the dealership in print on this forum...lets just call it the "service centre" or something like that.

My question is this, given the car obviously was driven through water whilst 4wd'ing and i regularly wash it underneath both using manufal and automatic car washes with underbody spray, can i expect factory warranty to cover the water damage given i found the transmission breather had come off the top of the transmission and could be the case of the ingress?

Prior to answering, i also wrote a google review about the dealership 4 months ago after this transmission was installed into the car under warranty and they also did some top end engine work to decarbon the cylinder heads, pistons, and valves...

see google review i wrote 4 months ago here...
Check out this review on Google Maps
https://goo.gl/maps/RcJ8G6EKPQHr7wBy8

The car is currently at another dealership about 900km's from where the previous work was done and is about to be assessed to determine what is wrong with the vehicle (given the transmission fluid is white in colour, its obviously water damage).

With my google review 4 months ago as evidence, do i have a strong enough case to ensure another replacement transmission under warranty?

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[Mr._Bill]

Sometimes you just have to play stupid and let the dealer sort it out. If the transmission has already been replaced, and there is foreign material inside from the breather tube, it is easy to blame the dealer since you should not need to get under there.

Be careful providing too much information, or trying to help the dealer do their job. They may suspect that you were messing around and caused the problem.

Unless you are climbing underneath with a pressure washer, the vehicle should be safe from water intrusion from car washing, rain, and driving through water that doesn't reach the frame.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

With my google review 4 months ago as evidence, do i have a strong enough case to ensure another replacement transmission under warranty

A google review isn't evidence of anything. It's just what you wrote, nothing more.

From your profile picture - that looks like more than 30" of water or even mud - and you say you were winched through it. Not wise. That's all these are supposed to be good for. So if that pic is accurate, you were in deeper water than Jeep says is ok.

Not sure what you mean by "another replacement transmission" - does that mean it's already been replaced?? And now you believe it needs another transmission?

Car washes don't matter - if they did, we'd all be in trouble. (or many of us, anyway)

Your post suggests you are seeking a second transmission. Your picture suggests you go through water or mud deeper than is ok.
This may be a tough he-said/he-said thing.

 

[Mr._Bill]

However, they may decide you were operating beyond acceptable parameters and not want to cover it. To get water in, the whole transmission would have to be under water. The breathing tube being disconnected would result in it, since it should have stayed dry. It just depends on the dealer and how much they are willing to blame on the other dealer and how much blame they will put on you.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

They have an out in their marketing material, owners manuals and other documentation - a 30" limit.
Over 30" - you are on your own, no excuse, they told you over and over, you brought it on by ignoring the warnings - that's my take on it.

 

[dmwphoto]

they build cars, not submarines. I suspect this will be on your dime this time.

 

[Hootbro]

I think the advice of playing dumb and keep your mouth shut may be your best strategy here and hope for the best.

At some point though, you have to pay to play if pushing the limits or beyond of the vehicle.

I do not know about Australia, but here in the states, a dealership is going to laugh at you if presented with a vehicle that had water contamination in the fluid.

When you posted your other thread recently about the park shift code, I half way figured it was going to be internal to the transmission.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

they build cars, not submarines. I suspect this will be on your dime this time.

I can't tell what he's going through in his profile picture, but whatever it is, based on his being a Rubicon, he's into it at least 34-36".

 

[AmishMike]

Was it in ‘Car Wash’ mode?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Was it in ‘Car Wash’ mode?

Is that like duck mode?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Based on some other posts - if I was the dealer and saw those, I'd say no warranty. I mean going through a bog up to the headlights, winching through instead of back out, and some other things suggest - and I COULD BE WRONG - that this one is experiencing some things borderline on abuse.

 

[AmishMike]

Is that like duck mode?

Search Cybertruck car wash. It is crazy, yet somehow not surprising.

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