I just bought my 92 SE Auto 5,000 miles ago. It's got 102K miles. I got a 24,000 mile full warranty along with it. So, I have 19,000 mile left before it runs out. I can hear some light VTC ticking when the engine is cold sometimes. I am hoping the warranty will cover the broken VTCs. Let me tell you about the warranty company.

It's called "Auto Services Company, Inc.". They are based out of Mountain Home, Arkansas. If I have a problem with my car, I take it to any mechanic except for the dealership and the mechanic calls the warranty company and files a report. The warranty company then calls back and lets me know how much they are willing pay for the repair. Then, it's my choice to go through with it. Will this warranty cover the VTC if this is what the paper says? ...

"ENGINE Internally lubricated engine parts consisting of: Crankshaft and bearings, oil pump, pistons, piston rings, connecting rods and rod bearings, timing gears and chain or belt, camshaft and camshaft bearings, push rods, rocker arms, rocker arm shaft and hydraulic lifters, intake and exhaust valves, valve springs. Engine blocks are also covered if mechanical failure was caused by the above listed parts."

Also, the warranty covers my Auto tranny. If my transmission is going to die, I just hope it dies before the warranty is up. If my warranty starts to come to an end, is there a way I can make my tranny break down without the mechanic knowing I broke it on purpose or b/c of misuse? That is the main thing the warranty company would check out before they give the "go" on the repair. But, since they are so far away, they have to take the mechanic's "word" on the car's problem. It's a nationwide warranty. I am located in Las Vegas and I am moving to east North Carolina at the end of this year.

The paper also says, "This agreement does NOT cover: Any loss caused by normal wear and tear. For example, replacement of automatic transmission fiber and steel friction discs to correct slippage." So, in other words, the specific part of the car has to be considered "FAILED" not because of normal wear, in order for the warranty to be considered valid. But, I don't think, the Auto Tranny breaking down is considered NORMAL Wear and Tear. This is what the paper says the company will fix (having to do with the auto tranny):

"AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION Internal transmission parts consisting of: Gears, input and output shafts, bearings, front pump, planetary assemblies, sprags, governor assembly, valve body and torque converter."

So, my questions are: Will the warranty cover the VTC problem? And if my tranny decides to die, will it cover that? And if my tranny decides not to die in time before the warranty runs out, is there a way I can make it die so that the mechanic will not know it died b/c of neglect or abuse. Thank you for reading. I really appreciate any serious comments or answers. If you need more information in order to determine the answer, please ask. Thanks.

Aaron
Las Vegas, NV
1992 Maxima SE Auto w/ intake, Y, and UDP.
102,000 miles in great condition

 

I don't know about the VTC's. It could go either way. Do you happen to know any mechanics personally? If so they could help you out with the insurance guys. As far as the tranny goes it depends on what goes. A lot of the time the problem is that the clutches and bands get worn and cause other problems, this would be considered "normal wear and tear". You could cause it to die before it's time, making it look like it died on it's own would be tougher. Neutral drops, revving the car in neutral and slamming it into gear is about the worst thing you can do to the tranny. You can also kill the TC pretty easily, stand with a foot on each pedal. The engine will rev to around 2500 RPM and not move, do this for like 5 minutes straight. TC failure would soon follow. You would have to flush the fluid after that since it would be a nice shade of black.

 

Anybody else know if I will have a problem with this warranty company? Any suggestions on what I should do? If I tried to get my VTC's fixed and the warranty won't cover it b/c it's considered as normal wear (or anything else), I have to pay all costs that the mechanic charges. That could be over $1500 that I will have to fork over. So, I want to be sure before the mechanic starts to tear apart my car to try to diagnose the problem. Thanks for your help hojo and jeff.

Also, could the tick that I hear be anything else? Could my problem problem be something else besides failed VTC's? Thanks.