View Full Version : Which insurance lets you chip?
ryan_GTI
04-01-2007, 04:54 PM
I rang RACQ (my insurance) today and was told the vehicle would be uninsurable if I was to get a reflash...
What insurance are you guys with that allowed the reflash or did you guys had a way around it? feel free to pm me..
Thanks
shaneth
04-01-2007, 05:22 PM
Just Car, Aami, Shannons are all that i can think of.
gpk_gti
04-01-2007, 07:35 PM
ive got Shannons and its insured under modified.As long as it is a RTA legal modification,its ok by them.I only pay $1100 for $25000value.:)
YellowDieselGolf
04-01-2007, 11:54 PM
AAMI allow chips? wow, they wouldn't cover me in a turbo car (or even a mk3 VR6) until I was 30.
I'm with NRMA. I haven't asked them about chipping, but I know someone who works in their total loss dept. He TOLD me to chip my car and they'd never find out.
If they did, I could argue that it was for fuel economy.
I'm a pussy. I'm still stock
Golf Loon
05-01-2007, 07:27 AM
How would they ever find out? :?
If the car was smashed enough to be a total loss, no-one would drive it.
If it was repaired, it wouldnt matter. Panelbeaters dont tell tales
[QUOTE=YellowDieselGolf]
I'm with NRMA. I haven't asked them about chipping, but I know someone who works in their total loss dept. He TOLD me to chip my car and they'd never find out.
Hoyhoy.
Why tell them, thats why I don't have any stickers on the car saying so, so I don't say so.
ive got Shannons and its insured under modified.As long as it is a RTA legal modification,its ok by them.I only pay $1100 for $25000value.:)
Hoyhoy.
I'm with a large mob & I might be an old fart with a good driving record.
Cost me $388.00 for $30,000 cover. So I'm staying shuuuuuush.
syncro
05-01-2007, 08:10 AM
As long as it is a RTA legal modification,
Rechipping is not legal.
It would be very hard for them to know. And I don't think that Shannons really want to know.
gpk_gti
05-01-2007, 08:28 PM
Hoyhoy.
I'm with a large mob & I might be an old fart with a good driving record.
Cost me $388.00 for $30,000 cover. So I'm staying shuuuuuush.
yyyyeeeeeaa! and I thought I had it good!!im not such a spring chicken:D I had my vr6 from about 25 yrs old and I used to pay about $2200.I owned it for 6 yrs.I had done everything,and nrma knew with no probs.As for the chip/flash,shannons have been informed.no probs.and if I didnt inform them,how would they ever findout?:confused: unless they physically removed ecu and checked the chip. how many people would know what original looks like? as for flash,I dont think the insurance companies would even bother with it as it does hardly anything to the performance.
If you are worried,CHIP it and tell no one.:D
blackgti1.8
05-01-2007, 09:49 PM
Hmm. I'm slightly confused here.
Shannon are ok with Mods as long as their engineered.
Syncho says re-chipping is illegal, so I guess that means that its technically not ok with Shannon...
Anyway, the total loss arguement, is hard to debate anyway.
My other question was, what the warranty position with re-chipping?
Let me guess - you make a choice?
Are these programs switchable so you can re-enable the old one, if you need
to make a warranty claim?
Hmm. I'm slightly confused here.
Shannon are ok with Mods as long as their engineered.
Syncho says re-chipping is illegal, so I guess that means that its technically not ok with Shannon...
Anyway, the total loss arguement, is hard to debate anyway.
My other question was, what the warranty position with re-chipping?
Let me guess - you make a choice?
Are these programs switchable so you can re-enable the old one, if you need
to make a warranty claim?
You will find that VW wont blame the chip as the cause to the problem. As they have to fill out lots and lots of paper work to do with why its not covered under warranty. Any person from VW can get into the software if they are familiar with how it works. To void your warranty they have to prove that the chip caused the object to brake / dysfunction.
When I take mine in to VW, I do switch it to stock. But I only do this as in know they take it for a test drive.
And on the side of insurance, I’ve been inside racq before, There is no way they will bother to look at the ecu, and if you have a flash tune. LOL, they wont even know. So there is nothing to worry about there.
-
Kai
ryan_GTI
06-01-2007, 12:03 AM
ohhh i get ya guys... so its *hush* *hush* with the insurance :cool:
If when you asked about the chip, and you gave them your name, then there is somthing to worry about.
All that info is logged.
ryan_GTI
06-01-2007, 12:49 PM
oh lucky for me I didn't give them any of my details - I just told them I was shopping around and see which insurance was right for me...
... learnt from other ppls mistakes lol j:
YellowDieselGolf
07-01-2007, 10:37 AM
Rechipping is not legal.
Who what why where when how? :) Any info on this?
Timbo
07-01-2007, 11:07 AM
Rechipping is not legal
Crap! As long as the engine meets EPA regs it's legal.
And it's insurable. The issue from the insurance co's perspective is much more about full disclosure by you, the insured owner, than the type or effect of the mods (except if they're patently unsafe mods, obviously).
The problem today is that "young" people tend not to disclose, have accidents, and then the insurance assessor 'discovers' stuff; as a result, insurance companies have become pretty gun shy and, if you < 25, just give a blanket 'no':(
Bug_racer
07-01-2007, 05:14 PM
Rechipping is not legal.
Im curious as to what is not legal about it ?
To me all chipping is is changing the air/fuel mixture , spark and boost on a turbo car .
You could tune an old car by changing the jets in the carby , and advance and retard the timing . I dont think this was ever illegal .
If its to do with emmisions , we are on Euro 3 I'm pretty sure that most of the chip companies will be within this spec , especially with FSI now .
Bug_racer
07-01-2007, 05:25 PM
To void your warranty they have to prove that the chip caused the object to brake / dysfunction.
-
Kai
Thats a hard one to prove on VW's part , mainly cause if there is an issue with the programing it turns out to be a whole heap of cars and not just the one . Ive run into this a few times with customers cars that have been chipped . Its fine stock but has issues when chipped . Then I have to spend hours , sometimes days going through making sure everything works fine , data log and send back to Giac who go through the logs . So far all issues have been resolved and most of the times they are a one off that doesnt happen again . If it start happening regularily then Giac spend the time to find out whats wrong and all Giac dealers get notified of the fix . If it is the software then you'll get an issue like this :
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=915672&page=1
I dont even know if this issue has been resolved yet ??
mikinoz
07-01-2007, 07:17 PM
FWIW - I'd suggest to say that it is a grey area and it is an 'at your own risk' thing to do to a car, and each accident it unique - if you happen to get the wrong assessor and you were involved in a high speed crash, they may investigate the car to that length.
On the whole, if you don't call it a 'chip' but a timing and mixture recalibration, Bugracer is right - that becomes no different to my Hillman Imp running different needles in the Weber!
Goodluck!
ryan_GTI
07-01-2007, 10:03 PM
APR claims that the chip is undetectable by any diagnostic tools - if that's the case how would the insurance company know? any input?
Guy_H
08-01-2007, 08:18 AM
Completely undetectable by diagnostic tools - and of course you can switch it on & off by the cruise control lever so even on the test drive, the tech can not feel the power increase.
I am sure if your insurance company wanted your ECU removed & sent to a tuner to confirm its chipped they could do so, but in our 10 years in chipping cars I have never heard of it being done.
Mind you, its always best to disclose everything to your insurer (all though I am sure a lot of chipping goes un disclosed :o )
Bug_racer
08-01-2007, 09:48 AM
Completely undetectable by diagnostic tools -
Funny that , I know when a car has had the trial program
VW doesnt really care about chipped cars anyway . If an engine was to blow (which I doubt ) then they may start examining the ecu , but usually they would just replace it if it was suspect .
syncro
08-01-2007, 10:27 AM
Im curious as to what is not legal about it ?
To me all chipping is is changing the air/fuel mixture , spark and boost on a turbo car .
You could tune an old car by changing the jets in the carby , and advance and retard the timing . I dont think this was ever illegal .
If its to do with emmisions , we are on Euro 3 I'm pretty sure that most of the chip companies will be within this spec , especially with FSI now .
Changing jets or any emissions mod is illegal.
Although you can pay lots of money to have it tested and approved, which would make it legal.
theStainRemover
12-01-2007, 02:36 PM
Hoyhoy.
I'm with a large mob & I might be an old fart with a good driving record.
Cost me $388.00 for $30,000 cover. So I'm staying shuuuuuush.
Mate, $388.00 is a damn good price!!! I'm getting to the old fart stage as well, and was wondering, if you don't mind telling, which insurance company you are with?
Mate, $388.00 is a damn good price!!! I'm getting to the old fart stage as well, and was wondering, if you don't mind telling, which insurance company you are with?
Hoyhoy.
PM with the info.
SoVeReIgN
19-01-2007, 01:32 PM
With the flash uploader - Only the cars tune has changed, not the chip.
I call it 'tuned'
Glide_GTI
19-01-2007, 05:07 PM
Hoyhoy.
I'm with a large mob & I might be an old fart with a good driving record.
Cost me $388.00 for $30,000 cover. So I'm staying shuuuuuush.
*cough* 1900 for me lol
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