Polestar Poll

[ITServe]

Chris - Thank you very much indeed for sharing that story. It confirms my suspicions that insurance companies can and will examine an ECU in a serious accident.

As for the Norwich dealer, never used them (yet). I would have bought from them, I was on the point of signing for the order, when I found but they were 4k more expensive than drive the deal and a dealer 100 miles away, even after haggling and they really were absolutely disinterested in continuing to discuss the deal! They seemed to believe that their local services were worth the 4k premium!

I am hoping this is not the case, as I would like to use them for servicing and warranty work if needed. Nothing against them and they may well be fine as far as technical stuff goes too. I am told they are the last of the Volvo dealers in the whole Inchcape group.

[Chris N]

No problem at all. It was a real eye opener to what length's insurance companies go. I had heard stories as we all do but yes, the do remove ECU's.

I have no doubt that if I had not declared the upgrade I would be £33,000 worse off and probley have 6 points on my licence for driving with no insurance.

Thing is, it only cost me an extra £42 to add the upgrades and if I had thought "I'm not paying that!" I would of lost everything. The accident wasn't my fault either. A lorry dropped a huge chain in the road. I hit it and left the road so it goes to show, you can be the safest most careful driver on the road but it won't stop someone else from "taking you out".

[Teejay1]

Not sure I would bother with the upgrade but if I did then I would have to inform the insurers as someone said giving the insurance companies get out clauses is a major mistake.

Also if you unfortunate enough to be in a collision and there is a fatality they'll pick you car to pieces and throw the book at you.

[Clan]

Has anyone actualy been charged extra by the insurance company after declaring this?

[RoyMacDonald]

One thing that interests me is that when someone on the forums did a bhp output test on the 163 bhp D5 they found out it was actually outputting 140 bhp. They then had a RICA tune (the 200 and something bhp one) and found that it now output 170 bhp.

So it's all very well looking at the ECU but it won't tell you what the engine output is. All engines vary in power output and most engines lose power as they age, so don't the insurance companies need to do an engine output test?

When I used to get my 940 TD serviced they always asked me if I wanted it timed for performance or economy. There was no standard for the output of the engine.

[npw]

[HTML]One thing that interests me is that when someone on the forums did a bhp output test on the 163 bhp D5 they found out it was actually outputting 140 bhp. They then had a RICA tune (the 200 and something bhp one) and found that it now output 170 bhp.

So it's all very well looking at the ECU but it won't tell you what the engine output is. All engines vary in power output and most engines lose power as they age, so don't the insurance companies need to do an engine output test?

When I used to get my 940 TD serviced they always asked me if I wanted it timed for performance or economy. There was no standard for the output of the engine. [/HTML]Presumably the reduced BHP figure was taken on a rolling road and would therefore include power losses through the transmission. With the engine out of the car on a test bench it would probably somewhere near what you would expect.

[FaKaWi]

Originally Posted by RoyMacDonald

So it's all very well looking at the ECU but it won't tell you what the engine output is. All engines vary in power output and most engines lose power as they age, so don't the insurance companies need to do an engine output test?

They don't care what the result of the ECU change is, all they need to know is if it has been modified from standard and not been declared. The data tables and check digits within the ECU programming make it relatively easy with the correct software and protocols to identify such changes, contrary to what some tuning companies would have you believe in their literature.

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by FaKaWi

They don't care what the result of the ECU change is, all they need to know is if it has been modified from standard and not been declared. The data tables and check digits within the ECU programming make it relatively easy with the correct software and protocols to identify such changes, contrary to what some tuning companies would have you believe in their literature.

I've been wondering how to tell if the ECU has been changed previous to my ownership as I didn't buy my XC90 new. Mine dosn't feel any different to drive compared to a standard car but the way I drive I never rev the engine much over 2,500 rpm so I probably wouldn't be able to tell anyway.

Is there an easy, inexpensive way to tell?

[XCF]

interesting issue there ...how do you prove you didn't know a car was chipped, or equally how does an insurance company prove you did...

[AyrshireXC90]

As I said on the Direct Line thread, when my car was in the body shop after an RTA, the assessors report to the insurance company included photos of the tax disc & odometer; I am not sure if the ECU was interrogated.
I guess the two photos were to ensure I had VED up to date and was not doing more miles than I had declared to Admiral.
I suspect the insurers are fully aware of all the possible ruses, and are several steps ahead of the punters!