Tyre Change

[bowllingg951]

have got a c5 2002 diesel estate I am changing the 4 steel wheels with a full set of alloys as the steel spoils the car my query is when I change both back wheels do I leave suspension in normal or do I need to raise it and advice on changing the fronts as well please

[Johndouglas]

Before jacking the car up you should always raise the suspension to the full height.    If you don't you may find the suspension malfunctions when lowered.

[paul.h]

If you are going to go under the car always use axle stands. If a height sensor on the front or rear anti roll bar is caught the suspension may drop to a very low level, quicker than you could get out of the way.

 

Before you fit the alloys, clean up the hubs and wheels where they contact the hub and apply a smear of copper grease. Otherwise the alloys can corrode and stick to the hubs making them difficult to remove later. Make sure you use the correct wheel bolts, on alloys they have a washer and a flat face that contacts the alloy.

 

Remember to tell the insurance company you have modified the car with the new wheels. It should not cost anything but stops them refusing to pay out if you make a claim.

[bowllingg951]

thanks guys wasn't to sure about raising , have told insurance of changing to alloys friend of mine in an accident never told his ins. he had changed to alloys from steel they refused to pay out he only had it 6 months.

[paul.h]

I think it is in the car handbook to raise the suspension before jacking up to change a wheel. There have been reports on here of problems with the suspension when this has not been done and sometimes this can be at a garage/tyre place if they are not familiar with the C5.

 

It may have been last year in a BBC report of an insurance claim where they refused to pay out since the owner had put a sticker on the side of the car and not told them.

[MikeLane]

"It may have been last year in a BBC report of an insurance claim where they refused to pay out since the owner had put a sticker on the side of the car and not told them."

Almost unbelievable! Is this termed a "modification"?

[bowllingg951]

thanks for the infoe. just had a thought do I need to slacken the power steering cap off to relieve the pressure when I jack up the car or not thanks in advance

[Johndouglas]

No need to remove the cap.

[paul.h]

This is copied from a previous topic about dpf removal http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22047-antipollutionunblock-diesel-filter-faults/page-2?hl=%2Bjeremy+%2Bvine&do=findComment&comment=82395

 

Posted 02 February 2015 - 02:53 PM

On the BBC radio 2 Jeremy Vine program 2/2/2015 vehicle modifications and insurers not paying out was discussed. It started with the case of a car that had the sump stolen and resulting engine damage and the insurer had agreed a payout but then saw a picture of the car which has religious stickers on it. They then refused to pay saying the stickers were a modification they had not been told about, even though it had no impact on causing the theft of the sump. There is a BBC article but on the radio the car owner gave more details than in the linkhttp://www.bbc.co.uk...-wales-31064998

 

Other people then phoned in. One refused payout was for a vehicle with a Chelsea football sticker which the insurer did not know about. Another was the owner of a motorbike who was knocked off by a car which had been repainted yellow but the car insurer refused to pay out since they did not know the car had been repainted - in this case though after lots of attempts to get paid, the bike owner then let on he worked for the BBC and the money was hand delivered the next day. Somebody then involved in the insurance business said you should declare any changes no matter how small including stickers, since the insurers will find anything to avoid paying. So even if a change has no possible cause to give a claim, the insurer can still refuse to pay out. In the case of a car that has had the dpf removed, you can get a good idea by looking at the end of the exhaust to see if it is covered in soot since I have found on our cars with a dpf the inside of the exhaust looks like clean metal.

 

Most modifications do not cost extra on insurance. Last time I changed my insurance for the C5 I told them it was used for towing a caravan but then realised I had not specifically told them it had a towbar so did this on the renewal - it was no cost but now appears on the documents as a modification (Direct Line). On our C3 we had parking sensors fitted which we told the insurer about, again it was no extra cost and is mentioned in the documents but the small print says it is not covered if not an original fitting (Admiral).

 

[Johndouglas]

 I had not specifically told them it had a towbar so did this on the renewal - it was no cost but now appears on the documents as a modification

 

Notifying of modifications must vary from company to company.   When I told LV about my towbar their reply was that the didn't regard that as a modification.    However, it's as well to tell them about every mod. then there's no loop hole for them.

[paul.h]

Maybe when you have a bump and the insurer's engineer visits to check the car damage, he/she is really looking to see if there are any modifications so the insurer does not have to pay out, rather than getting estimates for its value and the repair cost. They always record the mileage which will be checked against the annual mileage in the insurance schedule.