Warning: your towbar could invalidate your car insurance

[Dustydog]

I think the general consensus is that it’s advisable to notify the insurance of any change, however minor, that has taken place after one has taken ownership of the car. What appears to remain unclear is whether factory fitted options, if any, have to be reported, too. A towbar, perhaps, but what about other factory fitted options, in particular those which were intentionally ordered? In a strict sense they aren’t modifications because the vehicle was never built without them, so nothing was ‘modified’, but how do the insurance companies see it?

CIDRA goes some way to answer what to disclose and suggests the Insurer must ask leading questions or issue lists of what they consider disclosable.

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But you highlight a major problem . Unlike the German registration document the UK version is very basic.
I suspect those buying new will receive an invoice detailing all the factory fitted optional extras .
In recent years I have bought used, newish, vehicles . None came with the original purchase invoice.

 

[Lutz]

Just a note on the side.

My car was due for its German roadworthiness certificate (MOT equivalent) this month, so I thought I'd have it done today. The tester noted that the wheels on which the winter tyres were fitted were not OEM and no type approval certificate was submitted for them. That would amount to the wheels being a notifiable modification. (I never gave it a thought that the paperwork supplied by the manufacturer of the wheels would be needed for the test because they are exactly the same size, 7½Jx17/ET32, and similar design to the original factory fitted ones). Normally that would have resulted in a failure, but as a sign of goodwill and sound engineering judgment, the tester declared the wheels OK for a pass. However, in future, I should keep a copy of the certificate for the non-OEM wheels in the glovebox ready for presentation if needed, or the details would have to be added to the vehicle registration document.
Such is the interpretation of a vehicle modification here in Germany.

 

[otherclive]

Just a note on the side.

My car was due for its German roadworthiness certificate (MOT equivalent) this month, so I thought I'd have it done today. The tester noted that the wheels on which the winter tyres were fitted were not OEM and no type approval certificate was submitted for them. That would amount to the wheels being a notifiable modification. (I never gave it a thought that the paperwork supplied by the manufacturer of the wheels would be needed for the test because they are exactly the same size, 7½Jx17/ET32, and similar design to the original factory fitted ones). Normally that would have resulted in a failure, but as a sign of goodwill and sound engineering judgment, the tester declared the wheels OK for a pass. However, in future, I should keep a copy of the certificate for the non-OEM wheels in the glovebox ready for presentation if needed, or the details would have to be added to the vehicle registration document.
Such is the interpretation of a vehicle modification here in Germany.

Nice to have such a pragmatic tester.

 

[Dustydog]

What is the German approach on spare wheels/tyres?

 

[Lutz]

What is the German approach on spare wheels/tyres?

Spare wheels/tyres are not subject of a roadworthiness test because they are considered to be for limited emergency use under restricted conditions only. Otherwise, skinny spare wheels would be prohibited altogether.

 

[Dustydog]

Spare wheels/tyres are not subject of a roadworthiness test because they are considered to be for limited emergency use under restricted conditions only. Otherwise, skinny spare wheels would be prohibited altogether.

But they are in the U.K.,If the spare is below the prescribed tread depth no MOT.

 

[RogerL]

But they are in the U.K.,If the spare is below the prescribed tread depth no MOT.

The irony here is that you can simply remove the spare before the test.

 

[Lutz]

But they are in the U.K.,If the spare is below the prescribed tread depth no MOT.

How about size, speed and load rating? These are just as much part of the test in Germany as tread depth. Skinny spare wheels are always a different size and you wouldn't get a pass if you submitted your car for a test with a skinny spare wheel fitted, so why a fail just because the spare is just sitting there in the boot doing nothing but the tread depth is inadequate?

 

[otherclive]

How about size, speed and load rating? These are just as much part of the test in Germany as tread depth. Skinny spare wheels are always a different size and you wouldn't get a pass if you submitted your car for a test with a skinny spare wheel fitted, so why a fail just because the spare is just sitting there in the boot doing nothing but the tread depth is inadequate?

That’s the point; the tread depth is inadequate. But you don’t need a spare for the MoT so any doubts remove it, and carry a gunge kit or nothing.

 

[Lutz]

That’s the point; the tread depth is inadequate. But you don’t need a spare for the MoT so any doubts remove it, and carry a gunge kit or nothing.

Sounds a bit illogical to me. What does tread depth matter if the wheel is stored safely in the boot? If it's fitted because of a puncture elsewhere, it's an emergency situation where normal requirements don't apply. Otherwise, one could argue that a skinny spare wheel should result in an MOT failure, too.
I suppose one could also argue that the wheel in the boot with insufficient tread depth is not a spare wheel at all, but old junk that happened to be carried in the back of the car.

 

[otherclive]

N

Sounds a bit illogical to me. What does tread depth matter if the wheel is stored safely in the boot? If it's fitted because of a puncture elsewhere, it's an emergency situation where normal requirements don't apply. Otherwise, one could argue that a skinny spare wheel should result in an MOT failure, too.
I suppose one could also argue that the wheel in the boot with insufficient tread depth is not a spare wheel at all, but old junk that happened to be carried in the back of the car.

No one has ever claimed it is logical, but it is what it is. I had a XC 70 with a Volvo supplied space saver that was 2 inch less diameter than the OEM tyres. Now that was illogical, so when towing I carried a full size spare.

 

[Jcloughie]

N

No one has ever claimed it is logical, but it is what it is. I had a XC 70 with a Volvo supplied space saver that was 2 inch less diameter than the OEM tyres. Now that was illogical, so when towing I carried a full size spare.

Space savers are often a smaller diameter, but that is allowed for in the side wall. I have used space savers a couple times and the car has always sat level.

Just took it easy and got my puncture fixed asap.

I don’t mind a space saver. But my Mazda only has the goo. The wheel well is filled with a woofer. If push came to shove, I would have to rely on the recovery.

John

 

[otherclive]

Space savers are often a smaller diameter, but that is allowed for in the side wall. I have used space savers a couple times and the car has always sat level.

Just took it easy and got my puncture fixed asap.

I don’t mind a space saver. But my Mazda only has the goo. The wheel well is filled with a woofer. If push came to shove, I would have to rely on the recovery.

John

The Volvo XC70 space saver was two inch less in OD of the tyre nothing to do with tyre wall. When I test fitted it to the front the car did not sit level. Yet my Superb 4x4 estate had a steel spare wheel that was smaller in diameter than the OEM alloys but with the tyre having a higher aspect ratio the overall OD was the same as the OEM tyres. Its width was as per OEM but the wheel had a label warning for emergency use at 50 mph max. Useful for towing if required though.

 

[Lutz]

N

No one has ever claimed it is logical, but it is what it is. I had a XC 70 with a Volvo supplied space saver that was 2 inch less diameter than the OEM tyres. Now that was illogical, so when towing I carried a full size spare.

It strikes me that the MOT has got things a bit screwed up if a 2 inch smaller wheel or a single steel wheel in place of an alloy one is acceptable as a spare but one with insufficient tread depth isn't.

 

[otherclive]

It strikes me that the MOT has got things a bit screwed up if a 2 inch smaller wheel or a single steel wheel in place of an alloy one is acceptable as a spare but one with insufficient tread depth isn't.

I assume that the comment wrt insufficient tread depth referred to the space saver being below our legal minimum of 1.6mm tread depth because it had been used. New space saver tyres are above 1.6 mm. But I agree we do have our quirks.

 

[RogerL]

It strikes me that the MOT has got things a bit screwed up if a 2 inch smaller wheel or a single steel wheel in place of an alloy one is acceptable as a spare but one with insufficient tread depth isn't.

The UK tends to fudge things - for a long time after the introduction of space-saver spare wheels they were technically illegal to use in the UK - but because they were a sensible idea, no-one got prosecuted for using one in an emergency and eventually the legislation was changed to permit them.

My 2000 Vauxhall Astra had alloy wheels and a steel spare with a full-size tyre on it - legal in the UK at any speed, for any length of time - why wouldn't it be?

 

[Lutz]

My 2000 Vauxhall Astra had alloy wheels and a steel spare with a full-size tyre on it - legal in the UK at any speed, for any length of time - why wouldn't it be?

There's nothing to stop you having a steel and an alloy wheel on the same axle, although it's not advisable as the unsprung weight will be different between left and right and that could adversely affect vehicle handling, but the offset must be the same.

 

[Jcloughie]

The Volvo XC70 space saver was two inch less in OD of the tyre nothing to do with tyre wall. When I test fitted it to the front the car did not sit level. Yet my Superb 4x4 estate had a steel spare wheel that was smaller in diameter than the OEM alloys but with the tyre having a higher aspect ratio the overall OD was the same as the OEM tyres. Its width was as per OEM but the wheel had a label warning for emergency use at 50 mph max. Useful for towing if required though.

My V70 was just the same as your Superb. I fail to see why your XC should be any different. Very strange. For the OD to be 2 inches smaller is a very very large discrepancy.

Back in the 70’s we had a flat on an Escort van with 12 inch rim, (no spare). A friend brought out a spare off a different Ford with a 13 inch rim. Both had standard aspect ratios. With the 13 inch on one corner it was conspicuously high. Nevertheless we got it home.

John

 

[RogerL]

There's nothing to stop you having a steel and an alloy wheel on the same axle, although it's not advisable as the unsprung weight will be different between left and right and that could adversely affect vehicle handling, but the offset must be the same.

From a long time ago, I recall a motoring magazine article explaining that alloy wheels for road cars were very similar weight to steel wheels of the same size - competition alloys are significantly lighter but made of more expensive materials, like magnesium - it's wrong to assume that modern alloys are aluminium, given that alloy simply means a mixture of metals.

 

[otherclive]

My V70 was just the same as your Superb. I fail to see why your XC should be any different. Very strange. For the OD to be 2 inches smaller is a very very large discrepancy.

Back in the 70’s we had a flat on an Escort van with 12 inch rim, (no spare). A friend brought out a spare off a different Ford with a 13 inch rim. Both had standard aspect ratios. With the 13 inch on one corner it was conspicuously high. Nevertheless we got it home.

John

Back in 2012 I posted a picture via a link to the Volvo owners community that showed the difference in size between a space saver and the OEM alloy. Believe me it did look odd. Unfortunately I cannot access the link as I’m no longer a member of the Volvo Owners Community.