The Effect of CNG Conversions on Vehicle Warranties

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Permalink Reply by Karl Mayr on November 8, 2008 at 7:05am

Hi Dave,

As far as I know, your best consultant for CNG compatability and warranty issues would be to contact Ford Motor Company, who manufactured many CNG vehicles. The car company would expain any warranty problems. My neightbor has a 1984 Ford pickup that will run on either gasoline or CNG.

From personal experience, I have seen hundreds of water well pumps operating here in New Mexico using Natural Gas from a regular gas meter for decades, and they all are conventional ICE engines, and they do the job very well.

Karl Mayr
Pickens 100 Club

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Permalink Reply by Dave on November 8, 2008 at 8:23pm

In looking into this issue, I came across the below document at the US Department of Energy's web site:

http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/progs/view_citation.php?10175/CNG

Document:
http://www.ngvamerica.org/pdfs/FAQs_Converting_to_NGVs.pdf
Page three deals specifically with "Service and Warranty Issues."

It seems, at least from this 04/01/08 document, that saying a CNG conversion kit will void the vehicle's warranty is simply a red herring and not true.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Bouquet on November 9, 2008 at 6:30am

Dave,
I did contact Ford. They skirted the issue with a non- answer. At this time they say their vehicles are designed to run on gasoline, they really did not answer my direct question regarding warranty. CNG warehousetold me that if I have a problem to simply remove their equipment, then bring it in. I am not comfortable with this. They will warranty their components, but as far as Ford goes, I think we are on our own.
You know, I even challenged them to design a conversion kit that could sell as an option to create more revenues for them at a time when God knows they are needing them. Then I asked them to consider looking at CNG warehouses products, make necessary changes, if any are needed, and either charge a liscensing fee to approve their kit or offer to buy their design. For some reason, they seemed more interested in "blowing me off" than finding a way to make their cars more desireable. We sit here as you know, with Iran converting their vehicles, and we can't. I personally believe they do not want to change. Hard to understand unless somebody is intentionally trying to destroy American capacity to have any manufacturing capabilities.

Mark Bouquet

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Permalink Reply by Dave on November 9, 2008 at 7:20am

Mark,
The response you got from Ford, unfortunately, is not surprising. I also don't think they wanted to come right out and tell you the courts are not on their side on this issue (as the above documents indicated). Further, (and maybe a little off topic, but) your comments and call to Ford now make me wonder if our efforts aren't a little misplaced right now. As a group, an Army, should we start inundating the auto manufactures with our demands to help make CNG conversion kits more usable (for lack of better words) on their currently in production vehicles.

If as many are now suspecting, the Fed's do bail out our American auto industry, the industry's help on allowing CNG conversion kits for current vehicles should be a part of the package!

Thank you for your time in making personal contact with Ford, they obviously think you, T. Boone, and the other 1.3 million of us are all just a bunch of crack pots! What would Ford do if 1.3 million potential customers said we're not going to buy your products unless...?

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Permalink Reply by Mark Bouquet on November 9, 2008 at 12:09pm

Dave,
I actually own 7 vehicles counting my personal one, 4 of which are Fords. I told them in my e-mail it would be a shame that I would have to look at other manufacturers as it becomes time to replace our vehicles. But whoever steps to the plate 1st with a CNG/ Gasoline vehicle will be who I make my next purchase from. I am a small business owner that unfortunately am completely under the control of oil. I am a flooring dealer. Every product we sell is a petro-chemical, with the exception of Mohawk Smartstrand Carpet. It is made from, CORN. It is also overpriced! But to the folks that think they are helping the enviroment buying it, maybe, maybe not, I will say the jury is still out on how it will perform long term. I just believe we would be helping our country and our enviroment much more if we transitioned to CNG immediately and stopped wasting tax dollars on ethanol.
Also, as a side bar, the auto industry wants us to bail them out, okay,build a car and a conversion kit that we can install for a reasonable fee, or NO MONEY!!! Who actually has the control here? I would be willing to write my politicians tying a bailout to the Big Three creating affordable conversion kits and vehicles we need. This is a national security issue. It needs to approached that way.
Cheers,
Mark

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Permalink Reply by Franco Cimmino on November 13, 2008 at 4:59am

Dave,

insofar as the issue of warranty coverage is concerned, let me shed some light on it.
As you know, from reading my replies elsewhere, we are in the process of obtaining certification for a total of 18 Ford, GM and Chrysler engine families.
We have pursued these certfications for a number of reasons though the predominant reason is that, as we address the new car market, we wanted to guarantee to the consumer their ability to preserve intact the terms of their warranty with the manufacturer.
By installing a certified conversion system by a franchised new car dealership in accordance with EPA/CARB mandated emission requirements does not void the new car warranty .

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