Will self-service void warranty?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,141
Likes: 11,210
From: San Diego, CA
Thanks, yes I have the service manual and I'm fairly competent in the garage 
Don't want to flame anyone at the dealership but I will say - it's getting more and more obvious that HD does NOT want us working on our own bikes! My 2020 service manual has noticeably less info than the same service manual from 2014
Don't want to flame anyone at the dealership but I will say - it's getting more and more obvious that HD does NOT want us working on our own bikes! My 2020 service manual has noticeably less info than the same service manual from 2014
Your dealer won't answer the question, because they are torn between truth and marketing... they don't want to lie, but want to make you feel there is a need, or a benefit, to having it done by the dealership....
As several have stated, you can do it yourself, without voiding the warranty. The key points are;
Whenever NOT using an HD part, make sure whatever you use conforms to any required certifications... ie: They can require a certain oil API rating, but NOT a brand name... any oil with that API rating will be acceptable for warranty purposes...
Follow the service guideline for your make/model bike. Document that you checked all the items they allege the Dealer will check.. I always include the check list, with notes, in my service documentation.
Save all receipts for oil, filters, and anything that you use during the service.
I keep a book, with service entries, and all receipts... I do that for all vehicles I own, even after warranty to help me track when I need/last performed a service, repair, or modification..
With good records that show you duplicate what the MoCo lists as "required" services.... they can't void your warranty...
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 4,052
Likes: 5,159
From: Below the Gnat Line
When you say "My dealer doesn`t seem to want to answer", exactly which person at the dealership do you mean?
Of course you can do the work, if you are competent, just save the receipts for the oil and filter.
I take a couple of digital pics with my camera also.
Remember, the service is way more than a lube and filter change, go through the entire checklist that is laid out in the service manual.
Of course you can do the work, if you are competent, just save the receipts for the oil and filter.
I take a couple of digital pics with my camera also.
Remember, the service is way more than a lube and filter change, go through the entire checklist that is laid out in the service manual.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 508
Likes: 31
From: California
If you spend enough time on any Harley forum, you will see some pretty incompetent stuff being done (or suggested)....
The service manual is not written for do it yourselfers, it is written for the professional dealership mechanics...
The manual you buy is not a "Light" version...
The later service manuals have much more information in them than in previous years, they are much better written and laid out than the earlier manuals, better diagrams, clear pictures, excellent wiring diagrams.
The service manuals these days are as thick as a Brooklyn phone book, about 3 times as big as the manuals from the 70`s and 80`s.
The service manual is not written for do it yourselfers, it is written for the professional dealership mechanics...
The manual you buy is not a "Light" version...
The later service manuals have much more information in them than in previous years, they are much better written and laid out than the earlier manuals, better diagrams, clear pictures, excellent wiring diagrams.
The service manuals these days are as thick as a Brooklyn phone book, about 3 times as big as the manuals from the 70`s and 80`s.
Case(s) in point, my 2014, 2013, 2001, and 1998 service manuals provided step by step info on basically the entire disassembly and reassembly of my bikes. Far more info than I needed, but I never doubted the information was there if I needed it.
With even a few BASIC procedures on my 2020, there were entire steps left out in the manual that required me to Google + YouTube to fill in the gaps. My simple example in this case would be the removal of the batwing fairing - SWATHS of info left out of the manual about this.
But yes I do agree with the comments above RE letting the dealer do the first major service as sort of a 'final inspection'. I guess the money is best spent on peace of mind...
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 5,915
Likes: 5,929
From: NorCal
I'll just throw in a horror story. I bought a Softail and had the selling dealer do the 1st service since it was free. Long story shortened, the tech stripped out the drain plug on my transmission. Yes they covered it, but only by changing the transmission case. Meaning they tore it apart, dropped my gears into a new case and reassembled. Then another problem struck. The tech that did that didn't properly torque the clutch diaphragm springs and they backed out into the Primary Cover. This was done by 2 different dealers as I had moved. I don't trust anyone anymore.
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 490
Likes: 119
From: New Brunswick, Canada
The dealer I just purchased an Electra Glide Standard from will not allow me to do any work on the bike.
I wanted to install the Primary Vent Kit on my bike while I was changing my Primary Cover to a Chrome one.
Dealer told me if I install the Vent Kit it will void my warranty. Wonder if that means I am not allowed to change
my primary cover either? Sickening that dealers screw a person around like this!
I wanted to install the Primary Vent Kit on my bike while I was changing my Primary Cover to a Chrome one.
Dealer told me if I install the Vent Kit it will void my warranty. Wonder if that means I am not allowed to change
my primary cover either? Sickening that dealers screw a person around like this!
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 3,174
Likes: 1,466
From: Charleston, SC
The dealer I just purchased an Electra Glide Standard from will not allow me to do any work on the bike.
I wanted to install the Primary Vent Kit on my bike while I was changing my Primary Cover to a Chrome one.
Dealer told me if I install the Vent Kit it will void my warranty. Wonder if that means I am not allowed to change
my primary cover either? Sickening that dealers screw a person around like this!
I wanted to install the Primary Vent Kit on my bike while I was changing my Primary Cover to a Chrome one.
Dealer told me if I install the Vent Kit it will void my warranty. Wonder if that means I am not allowed to change
my primary cover either? Sickening that dealers screw a person around like this!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,129
Likes: 12,690
From: South Carolina
The dealer I just purchased an Electra Glide Standard from will not allow me to do any work on the bike.
I wanted to install the Primary Vent Kit on my bike while I was changing my Primary Cover to a Chrome one.
Dealer told me if I install the Vent Kit it will void my warranty. Wonder if that means I am not allowed to change
my primary cover either? Sickening that dealers screw a person around like this!
I wanted to install the Primary Vent Kit on my bike while I was changing my Primary Cover to a Chrome one.
Dealer told me if I install the Vent Kit it will void my warranty. Wonder if that means I am not allowed to change
my primary cover either? Sickening that dealers screw a person around like this!
Here is how it works:
If the transmission lube is not migrating to the primary, the vent is not needed, and the moco will not authorize the repair.
If you do this on your own, you are risking a warranty issue, because the modification was not done by the dealer (using the process required by the motor company).
If the transmission lube is migrating to the primary, the dealer will take care of it, a painless procedure.
The subject here is can the owner do the routine scheduled maintenance and still be covered under warranty, and the answer is yes.
Last edited by Dan89FLSTC; Nov 7, 2020 at 07:33 AM.
