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Official bhp v remap bhp and insurance companies


Irn Bru

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One for the more enlightened on this subject.......maybe even one of the forum insurance reps / traders.

 

2005 350Z gt has an officially listed claim of 276 bhp, but as we all know, horses turn to donkeys over the years and after ten years my Z will have lost between 10 and 25 bhp ???? Open to speculation !!!!!.

 

So..... If my cars bhp performance is a factor in the insuring world..... what happens if I get my car power modded, ie plenum spacer, air intake, remap, sports cats and it is still only 276 bhp after a dyno test ??.

 

Surely there is an argument from the punter that, I may have modded my car but I have only brought it back to its original bhp so therfore why is my premium increasing ?.

 

I've just carried out a few mods to the engine bay, polished plenum (Mopedmark), 2006 oem airbox (Flyboy) and polished aluminum air intake pipe and plenum spacer (Torqen), cheers guys, it's not been mapped........yet !!. My car is heavily modded on the body front and my insurance company has told me that as long as there is no bhp increase, my premium won't be affected, just as long as I notify them to all and any mods I do, which is fair enough. But it really sticks in ma craw that even when power modding and not exceeding the official Nissan bhp for my Z, they want to increase my premium.......... how can they explain that one ??

 

How many members here have done power mods as listed above and still don't get to the original bhp that has such a baring on our insurance prices.

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As a whole, insurers like to go in dry with me.

As I'm only 21 with 1 years NCB ( long story - got shafted and didnt get my first year - waste of money and time ) I basically cannot mod my cars apart from different wheels and radio etc, but I doubt I'd declare those anyways.

 

I had a look at very generic mods - air intakes and all the usual basics and they nearly wanted double my premium. yet if I tick the option for a non manufacturer spec engine it is double... but they don't ask any details, so in my eyes why bother with air intakes, plenums etc ( and declare it mind you ) when I can, in theory, drop in a 1500BHP Chevy V8 monster....

 

I just don't get on with insurers, and they always seem to confuse me haha.

 

Maybe have a look for "performance cars/mods " insurers? they seem to be more understanding and actually know what these parts do.

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Do cars really lose that much power? I guess it depends on mileage and how well it's been looked after.

 

Either way, I'm pretty sure the increase in premiums is down to the greater chance of you being a bit of a hooligan if you mod your car. Not always fair, but far from 100% false either..

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Do cars really lose that much power? I guess it depends on mileage and how well it's been looked after.

 

Either way, I'm pretty sure the increase in premiums is down to the greater chance of you being a bit of a hooligan if you mod your car. Not always fair, but far from 100% false either..

I would argue that a modder is far from being a hooligan, although there are some out there, I would argue that someone who puts money into a car that doesn't increase its value as we all know to any great degree against an unmodified car of the same make and model, is more likely to drive sensibly more often than a chav in a corsa and I'm not talking about 18 year olds. Piling your hard earned dough and your weekends into making your car unique surely says your gona look after it and not drive like **** !!!!!!

Ok.... I know we get a heavy right foot from time to time, but a modder loves their car a lot more than the "Joe publics". Would be very interesting to have a insurance trade member on here give us all the real honest facts.

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Well, in theory you could ask for a remap to smooth out power delivery and insist that they don't give you a dyno reading: That way, when asked by your insurer how much power you've added you can truthfully say you don't know as you had the remap for other reasons.

 

Another way to view it is that insurers are covering you based on the car having lost power, so you are increasing it from that base level with a remap ;)

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Declared mods are required for increased value ratings, running a set of 19's for example will make no noticeable difference to performance (insurance purposes before Ekona gets excited), but, a set of lmgt4's are going to cost more to replace than a set of rays and possibly make it more appealing to thieves, same could be said with bodykits.

 

Op is right on remap front though, if there is a way to get some extra pennies from you, insurers will have it covered ;)

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Well, in theory you could ask for a remap to smooth out power delivery and insist that they don't give you a dyno reading: That way, when asked by your insurer how much power you've added you can truthfully say you don't know as you had the remap for other reasons.

 

Another way to view it is that insurers are covering you based on the car having lost power, so you are increasing it from that base level with a remap ;)

 

 

Or, get a remap set to the OEM bhp and copy that to the insurers to show your car conforms to the factory settings :shrug:

 

Only worth it I guess if your car's bhp has fallen away over the years....but if it has ;)

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depends on the manufacturer... some (normally german) understate the power figures, and produce cars that actually make a little bit more power. My 335i is in the book at 301bhp, but actually tests between 310 and 320 or so. And don't forget the gentlemens agreement in Japan to not sell cars with over 276bhp - several were quite some way over that when they left the factory, but officially they were 276bhp.

 

all this reminds me... must remember to let Esure take more money off me when I get mine remapped next week...

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They can easy check the ecu. As for power Nissan clearly overstate the zed , or use a dyno that reads generously , my 370z with a cat back, intake pipes and k&n filters made less than 300hp on a dyno dynamics dyno , even post uprev it only made 309!

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They can easy check the ecu. As for power Nissan clearly overstate the zed , or use a dyno that reads generously , my 370z with a cat back, intake pipes and k&n filters made less than 300hp on a dyno dynamics dyno , even post uprev it only made 309!

 

Is that bhp taken at the flywheel or the wheels?

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Unless insurance companies have access to tuners database, there isnt a chance in hell an assesor would know if the parameters have been changed and they would need an uprev license ;)

 

They wouldn't need to know if the parameters have been changed though surely? they could just see the ECU had a write date newer than the manufacture date. Unless you have a Nissan appointment to backup that then its pretty obvious its been remapped I would have thought?

 

You'd have to do something pretty serious/life changing mind for VOSA or anyone else to go to this level, being involved in a fatality would be life changing enough without worrying about petty stuff like this.

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The assesor would need uprev software and at that point could find out if the car has a license to be fair, most likely scenario would be they would employ a tuner (horsham, abbey) etc to check, but as you say, would have to be pretty serious for them to go to those lengths.

 

If you have given your insurer your club info, they could just look on here to see an excited post about your uprev figures ;)

 

What if you buy a car that has been mapped but you dont know?

 

Simple thing is just tell them and if you think your having your pants pulled down, try another insurer.

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They can easy check the ecu. As for power Nissan clearly overstate the zed , or use a dyno that reads generously , my 370z with a cat back, intake pipes and k&n filters made less than 300hp on a dyno dynamics dyno , even post uprev it only made 309!

 

Is that bhp taken at the flywheel or the wheels?

 

Flywheel of course , well calculated flywheel

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Unless insurance companies have access to tuners database, there isnt a chance in hell an assesor would know if the parameters have been changed and they would need an uprev license ;)

 

Not true , ecu's have a flash count to record if they have been altered , very very easy to check if this has altered. You dont need to check any parameters

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They can easy check the ecu. As for power Nissan clearly overstate the zed , or use a dyno that reads generously , my 370z with a cat back, intake pipes and k&n filters made less than 300hp on a dyno dynamics dyno , even post uprev it only made 309!

 

Is that bhp taken at the flywheel or the wheels?

 

Flywheel of course , well calculated flywheel

 

Why do you say "Flywheel of course", as most we see on here are measured at the rear hubs and then a 'calculation' is done as to what they may equate as the BHP at the fly but that can depend on transmission factors that can vary the fly BHP?

 

The BHP figure you have quoted is virtually identical to that I got after an uprev on the 370 .....measured at the rear hubs.

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The assesor would need uprev software and at that point could find out if the car has a license to be fair, most likely scenario would be they would employ a tuner (horsham, abbey) etc to check, but as you say, would have to be pretty serious for them to go to those lengths.

Which is probably what they'd do if they were looking at a claim of £500K if you cripple a baby for life. Couple of grand spent investigating is nothing, and then they get to come after you for that £500K...

 

It's no different to driving the Ring, you're uninsured there too and your insurer will happily come after you for the costs if you have an accident.

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