2013 ford edge mods after market door sill

[Allen0511]

Anyone I install an aftermarket door sill on their edge I have found a few they only stick on the top of original and have to splice into the room wire I still have a five year extended warranty on My edge by splicing into that wire will it void the warrenty

[enigma-2]

I believe that the OEM illuminated sills actually replace the original sill (they do on my 09). As far as will it void the warranty, theres no easy or simple answer. The best answer is, "it could".

 

Any problems encountered using an aftermarket electrical device could be a problem as it's difficult to predict how the part will interact with the car's electrical system (specifically should it connect to the CAN system). There could also be a problem depending on wich electrical circuit you connect into and how you make that connection. A poorly made connection could fail and short, resulting a failed circit, failed electronics (such as a head unit) or even fire.

 

If you were to install OEM sills and follow the Ford guidelines exactly, it's unlikely you would ever have a warranty issue.

 

Ford "can" void your warranty for installing any aftermarket device, as they clearly state in the warranty. Improperly splicing into the electrical wiring will also give cause to void the warranty. (If in their belief the alteration caused they warranty claim.) Wiring splices require specific tools, specific methods and knowledge of Ford requirements. ((Can you prove in a court of law, that what you did met all of Ford's requirements?))

 

Why should the warranty underwriter pay for your unauthorized modification?

[TheWizard]

Ford "can" void your warranty for installing any aftermarket device, as they clearly state in the warranty. Improperly splicing into the electrical wiring will also give cause to void the warranty. (If in their belief the alteration caused they warranty claim.) Wiring splices require specific tools, specific methods and knowledge of Ford requirements. ((Can you prove in a court of law, that what you did met all of Ford's requirements?))

 

Why should the warranty underwriter pay for your unauthorized modification?

 

Not quite... Ford (or any manufacturer) can refuse to pay a specific claim under warranty if they believe the failure was caused by an aftermarket part or modification. They can't "void" the warranty. For example, if installing lighted door sills caused an electrical problem then a warranty claim related to that electrical problem could be denied. But they would still have to fix something like a water pump since it obviously wasn't caused by the door sills. There are a couple of exceptions - racing can be used to void the entire warranty and installing a tune can be used to void an engine warranty.

 

In practical terms, Ford or the dealer could claim a modification caused a failure even if it didn't, leaving the owner to have to take them to court to establish that the modification was not the cause. That's not so easy if the modification and failure point are related in any way because a judge or JP is probably not mechanically inclined and will likely accept the diagnosis of the manufacturer since "they know their product better than anyone else". However, that seldom happens except with some dealers who seem to think they have complete control over what people can do with their vehicles.

 

Bottom line, if you're worried about warranty, talk to your dealer first to see if they are likely to be reasonable about any problems that arise. As mentioned, they aren't going to cover problems that are clearly caused by modifications but you want to them not to use that as an excuse to deny coverage for other things. I've dealt with dealers on both sides and always avoid the ones who just seem to be looking for any excuse not to cover warranty repairs.

Edited May 12, 2017 by TheWizard

[Wolfman2228]

Any idea how to replace just the light bulbs in the factory lit door sills? Thanks.

[enigma-2]

They're LEDS art they? The illuminated door sills pry up.

[omar302]

Any idea how to replace just the light bulbs in the factory lit door sills? Thanks.

 

They are LEDs, I don't think they are replaceable, need to remove the whole sill to remove the sill plates from behind.