Modifications and insurance

[qsilverza]

well we are on the subject, do slotted rotors and upgraded pads need to be shown ?

[Mr Messy]

I would imagine they would be fine as long as they are the original size. I view them the same as tyres - as long as they meet the neccesary rules (speed, weight rating etc) then its up to the owner to decide.

Then again I'm no guru.

OT: I wonder if braided lines are okay?

[McDub]

But what if they don't know that the car has been tuned? I'm a new GTI owner considering the treatment and the REVO website says clearly that insurance companies can't see that the car has been tuned.

"1. Can the dealer see that my car is modified?
Not at all. Since there is no removal of any hardware there is no physical indication that the car has been modified. Engine electronics behave exactly as original and cannot be re-flashed by the dealer. The dealer computers cannot detect the software even with the latest versions of equipment. Since there is no permanent changes to the ECU then the factory original code can simply be reloaded.

The dealer cannot see something that truly isn’t there!

2. Can the insurance company see that the car is modified?

Insurance companies, like dealers, use different methods of discovery when it comes to chipping. Some use dealer computers to inspect the ECU while others physically open the ECU to inspect the soldering on the chip.

In either event the software would be completely invisible. "

i wouldn't bank on what they said (unless you're willing to sue them in return for suggesting something you probably should not be allowed to do..)

They actually cover themselves, they just say that some companies do this, and some do that. they didn't actually say that insurance companies don't use NON-dealer computers, did they.

And "The dealer cannot see something that truly isn’t there! ", come on are you kidding me?
there's a fricken program of sorts inside the chip, of course there is something there, you're not paying for nothing.
that's like saying there's no porn on my hard drive because it's just full off 1's and 0's.
well plug it into something that can actually read it (a computer) and output it to a screen, and there you go, PORN.

[Mr Messy]

I suppose its not like a chip company is openly going to say "Be warned dude, this will completely stuff your warranty and insurance", are they?

They must get very sick of people asking Qs about whether it will affect their warranty etc.

[McDub]

Yeah but it's one thing to openly say it could void your warranty, and completely other thing to say that "they'll never know"

[No457 Snowy]

But what if they don't know that the car has been tuned? I'm a new GTI owner considering the treatment and the REVO website says clearly that insurance companies can't see that the car has been tuned.

Well that's where it comes back to you because you have a "Duty of Disclosure" whereby you MUST notify them as a condition of them agreeing to insure you. If they balk at an expensive claim and do some investigating and find things for themselves then your policy is null and void.

On the issue of brakes you must have an Engineers Certificate if you modify the braking system in any way that uses components that were not originally spec'd by the manufacturer as options for the vehicle.

You need to do your homework guys, don't play around with insurance companies because they are very experienced in dealing with this stuff on expensive modded cars that have been written off by people who thought they were smarter than the insurance company lawyers.

Best advice is to call them and discuss what they will and won't allow, if you lie to them or don't disclose full information then you're still not really covered because you are still at risk of them finding out and they can use that as an excuse to say if they had of known then insurance would never have been offered, so in the end you've paid all that money, but in reality you're still at risk. Not very smart.


Snowy.

[ggsngolf]

Hi all, with my insurance due on my car end of this month, reading this thread led me to the shannons website. My MK4 2L has been chipped and slightly modified and these are not covered in my Allianz insurance I am sure. So, on line the estimate (Shannon) was only $55 more with the option of mthly, 1/4, 1/2 or full year payments - great! Rang them up, unfortunately because this is my first 'modified' car, and I have not competed in track race days, advanced driving courses or have no history as a 'motor car enthusiast' - I do not qualify for Shannon insurance. Isn't Shannon car insurance for the modified car owner???? Does anyone have any other insurance company options??? Because my only other alternatives are to a) lie to my insurance company saying I have no mods and hope that nothing happens to the car or b) remove all mods so that the car falls in line with conditions of insurance.

[Vee-Dub]

Im insured through just car and they were fine with all my modifacations although some being illegal, i.e 19;s, coilovers, height, and they insured me for 5k + worth of stero, my insurance anually is around $3k which i have adjusted so i have a larger excess and only pay $1400 a year, pretty good considering even for a stock golf i was looking round the $1500 mark, Just starting to get some quotes at the minute for when I upgrade to a GTI

[VWEAPN]

insurance companies only insure a vehicle that is road worthy. speak to RTA technical to find out what is road worthy and what isnt.

[Mr Messy]

The more I think about it the more i want to chip mine, so I've had a bit of a look at insurance again.

NRMA costs me (<25, male, dodgy suburb, speed fine last year) about $250 a month, with a premium of $1100 or so. CPU mods not allowed.

(For interest I was quoted $4000 prem + $1k exess by AAMI and $2500 prem + $2k excess by Just Car)

Shannons cost for the same car, location, history etc $175 or so with an excess of $900.

With a modified ECU (I said APR on the phone) and 18 inch wheels - not costing extra, just for the 'risk' of it- the premiums go up to $195 or thereabouts. The dude on the phone asked lots of questions about whether I was a member of a car club/had done skid pans/ owned other 'enthusiast' cars but they can't be picky as I have none of the above and still qualified for insurance.

Anyway, for me Shannons seems to be a win-win because I'm not deceiving the NRMA (and hoping they don't find out) and have free reign to modify the car (so long as mods are legal).