Okay this is a half venting/half learning thing for me. But anyways, how many of you (this really applies only to those who've modded their Z...) have had dealerships give you sh*t for modding your Z? I mean my modding has BARELY began, and I've already gotten a taste of it I think.

To make a long story short, I thought I had lost my wheel lock key for my stock 18" wheels, and since I was trying to get my new wheels put on this afternoon I obviously needed my wheel lock key. I was in Chantilly VA which is about 30 min or so from MY nissan dealership, so that was pretty much out of the question. (considering time of day, and what time the tech was leaving etc.) There Brown's Fairfax Nissan that was closer to where I was, so I give them a call. I just begin asking if there was a way they could help me out in getting the wheel locks off, and immediately the guy says "Wait why do you need the wheel locks off..?" Not that it was any of his business, especially considering this wasn't the dealership I bought my Z from, I told him I was putting on different wheels. That must have done it...I lie to you not, the next 5 minutes was this guy SCOLDING me and saying "you're not allowed to put on different wheels, it will throw off the tire pressure sensor, abs controls, void out all types of warranties... So I'm just like well uh, yeah that's great but what about helping me get these wheel locks off? He then GOES back to telling me how bad it is I want to put wheels, then he even has the audacity to say "I dont even understand why people would want to change their wheels, the stock wheels are perfect as is..." At this point my mouth was open. I was already angry that I didnt have the wheel lock with me to begin with, then to have this guy give me crap about something I want to do to MY car and everything else he said just pushed me off the scale. I just hung up the phone then drove to the Arlington Nissan (where I got my Z from) and I talked to a guy in sales just because I was worried I might have actually lost my original wheel lock key...so he gives me this number to call in case I couldn't find it, but as we're walking out he stops and looks at my Z. He says "ohh, I see you got an aftermarket exhaust, etc.." I'm like yes, I do. "You should have gotten the Nismo, it looks better, etc... I'm like okay thanks..maybe I'll go out and do that

Anyways, sorry had to get some of that off my chest, it was just the combo of NOT having my new wheels on + that dumb bastard at the Fairfax dealership that just had me heated.

Does anyone have any insight or facts about the tire pressure system, abs stuff etc when mounting new wheels?

thanks

-drew

 

Some guys at dealerships are absolute ******. When I first read your story I initially thought that the guy at Fairfax was concerned that maybe you wanted to steal the wheels, but in the end he was just way out of line.

 

You may have seen this before Drew but check this stuff out:

http://www.enjoythedrive.com/content/?ID=8124

 

Jeez, that sucks. The dealership in Houston where I have my Z serviced is great. Sterling McCall Nissan BTW. They're actually encouraging mods, mostly Nismo aftermarket, but the service manager I talk with is always down with the mods.

 

Haha! Drew..you poor kid. I can just imagine your angry look with him. You should call back and tell him what you think... and by the looks of it - I think you'd do pretty well in scolding him! Do it.. Do it..

But yeah, don't even tell the dealer your modding your car, because they always try to void a warranty.. They're just big jackasses about it, I wonder if they get a bonus with every void?

 

They get paid more if something isn't warrantied-- everybody does-- the techs, the writers, and the managers and gm's. Basically, if you bring your car to them for all the service, they'll be more likely to warrant the work. If you just bring in your car for warranty, they'll not be as easy to work with. Perhaps not how it should be, but how teh business works. Some of these people (in service) I read about on the forums are absolute $hitheads though.

 

I find comflicting information about aftermarket wheels wherever I go. Focusing on the NISMO wheels, they are not for cars with "VDC". Some installers say they have installed them on many VDC cars with no problems. I had a friend call his local Nissan dealer who called a "supplier" in California. He was told that NISMO had so many inquiries about compatability of the wheel that they are making a new wheel which WILL be compatible with the VDC unit! No mention of why the current wheel is NOT compatible.

Is this BS or not. I have no idea. I have heard it every different way. I have never seen a post talking about failure of the VDC due to aftermarket wheels, but would it be a failure that one would notice? Would the VDC light necesarily come on? Could it be a subtle failure that might not show itself but could cause the system to perform sub-optimally? I, of course, am not sure.

I would rely on others experiences. I wish there was some way to verify the NISMO rumor though, it might give some information as to how important the wheels themselves (other than just size) are to the VDC system.

Either way, the dealer had no right to speak to you that way. It just shows the sorry attitude of some people who are supposedly in sales.