Remap disappointment!

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ToeKnee

MB Enthusiast
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Joined
Aug 14, 2016
Messages
3,637
Location
leicestershire
Car
R230 SL500 in teal blue, R231 SL500 in black. (Vauxhall insignia diesel now sold) Black Ford Mondeo
I was going to remap my SL last year and spoke to Aviva (my insurance Co) about it and they only wanted £50 extra for the year, decided against it when work died up due to covid. Fast forward to this week, visited a remap company and organised what needed doing etc. then called Aviva to let them know only to be told they wouldn't accept a remap on my car now. So, looks like I may be changing companies at renewal, my question is to those of you who have mapped your car and told the insurance, which company are you with?
 
there must be 1000's of remapped diesels on the roads now, new buyers of 2nd hand cars wont even know they are remapped and will be insuring them as thus .
 
there must be 1000's of remapped diesels on the roads now, new buyers of 2nd hand cars wont even know they are remapped and will be insuring them as thus .
I agree, but as I've already had the discussion with my insurer I wouldn't go ahead and remap without their knowledge.
 
called Aviva to let them know only to be told they wouldn't accept a remap on my car now.
Disappointing. They were always reasonable regarding mod's. Is this a definite (hard) "no" or just someone in their call centre making an interpretation of "the rules"?
 
Admiral for me and no issues with the mods ,inc remap, on the BM.

I decided to declare everything i had done to the car , too much to risk for the sake of a few ££.

All done online with confirmation e-mails so no grey areas.

K
 
Everyone's different, but is it worth getting a remap on an SL500. Unless your getting at least another 50+bhp you will never notice it in normal running & are you uprating the brakes at the same time. Your car, your choice. Just my opinion.
 
Privilege were OK with one of mine until the power output made a 21% increase over the original, when they decided that they could no longer cover me.

I ended up with Marker Study through A Plan Insurance at Thatcham who were most accommodating, even when the car was fitted with many non-standard extras.
 
Disappointing. They were always reasonable regarding mod's. Is this a definite (hard) "no" or just someone in their call centre making an interpretation of "the rules"?
I could go up to 35bhp, after that it's a hard no.
 
Everyone's different, but is it worth getting a remap on an SL500. Unless your getting at least another 50+bhp you will never notice it in normal running & are you uprating the brakes at the same time. Your car, your choice. Just my opinion.
Over 80bhp increase. Interesting point about brakes though, do they need upgrading with a power increase? Surely braking from 70mph to zero is the same no matter how much power you have? Genuine question!
 
If one doesn't exploit the additional power at every opportunity then the brakes will be fine. The general thought though is one tends to accelerate more often between corners etc.. and the brakes will need to dissipate more heat. Does the SL55 have different brakes to the SL500? Might be a pointer as to whether they need upgrading? One's insurer may also expect or look more favourably to a "more complete package"?
 
Over 80bhp increase. Interesting point about brakes though, do they need upgrading with a power increase? Surely braking from 70mph to zero is the same no matter how much power you have? Genuine question!
The issue is around energy dissipation, brake fade etc.. Clearly a more powerful version of the same vehicle is more able to reach higher speeds more quickly and thus likely to need more brake applications. The maximum speed is also a factor, not the speed limit in any one country. An SL63 weighs very much the same as an SL400, for example, but has bigger/different brakes to the 400.
 
Thank you for the brake explanations, something to think about.
 
An SL63 weighs very much the same as an SL400, for example, but has bigger/different brakes to the 400.
SL63 is 115kg heavier than SL400
 
My reason for asking about the brakes is that there is a reason for increasing the power output ie you are going to exploit it, otherwise there is no point in doing it. Therefore if you are accelerating harder and more often then you will be using the brakes more often & harder. You made a point of 70 to zero is the same no matter the power, but you will be doing more braking from 70 or whatever as if you are accelerating faster your reaching the next braking point sooner which brings in more heat & without efficient dissipation, possible fade at the extreme.
 
there must be 1000's of remapped diesels on the roads now, new buyers of 2nd hand cars wont even know they are remapped and will be insuring them as thus .

Mechanics son also a mechanic had a Alfa Romeo 2.4 JTD , said remapping is rubbish as tried to remap it four times with no improvement .

Turns out it was already remapped .

Choose a remapper with a dyno .
 
Reminds me of my Nissan Primera with a fooked engine. I put it off the road for a couple of months while I looked for and replaced the engine myself. Changed my insurance to a old wreck of an escort for the two months. When all was up and running again I phoned the insurance company to put the insurance back to the Nissan. Being proud that I changed the engine myself I told the girl this. She then told me they would not insure me. I could not believe this and still p!sses me off today. Wonder what would happen if I told them I do my own suspension and brakes like many of us. Which to me is more safety critical than swapping an engine.
 
Thank you for the brake explanations, something to think about.
Don't bother with the brakes, just another mod you will need to tell your insurer about , and one they will probably be even less impressed with.
 

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