protecting your waranty(servicing)

just got the latest tech talk (vacc publication).all about waranty servicing.
whether routine service work on a motor vehicle not authorised by the manufacturer voids the manufactures warranty has been the subject of considerable debate and consideration over a number of years.
the matter was again considered by the vacc executive board at its meeting.
during its consideration of the issue the board noted a report from the accc.(australian compitition and consumer commision)
in 1991 the accc advised that if a warranted vehicle had routine general service carried out on it by an independant repairer,then providing that service was conducted by qualified staff,according to the manufacturers specifications and including the use of genuine or appropriate quality parts where required there would appear to be no reason why the warranty would be voided.in recent discusssions with the vacc,the accc confirmed its earlier view.
on the basis of this advice,the servicing of vehicles under waranty bols down to what is stated in the manufacturers warranty hand book or other manufacturers documentation whiich the car owner would be(or should be) aware of.
if the warranty hand book or other manufacturers documentation are silent on the issue(as they usually are)then service work by an independant repairer would not void the warranty.how ever it is open for a manufacturer(in its warranty or other documentation)to expressly prohibit service work on a warranted vehicle by an independant repairer.in this circumstance,such service work on the warranted vehicle would void the warranty.
to be absalutely certain in each case, each warranty(and other relevent documentation)would need to be checked.
where service work on a warranted vehicle by an independant repairer voided a warranty and the manufacturer refused to honor the warranty,the independant repairer may well be exposed by legal action by a disgruntled vehicle owner.
source...vacc consumer advise

a little boring reading but might be important