Company car tinkering
Discussion
Greetings.
I just took delivery of a company car: a disAstra estate. What is the general consensus behind what would happen if magically the radio suddenly had the dab module installed? The official policy is we can add the towing hook but only if we use the Vauxhall one and pay to have it removed afterwards.
I ask as I hear lots of talk of people doing stuff like chipping their repmobiles on the QT...
I just took delivery of a company car: a disAstra estate. What is the general consensus behind what would happen if magically the radio suddenly had the dab module installed? The official policy is we can add the towing hook but only if we use the Vauxhall one and pay to have it removed afterwards.
I ask as I hear lots of talk of people doing stuff like chipping their repmobiles on the QT...
Re-map the car - get caught - get sacked.
Re-map the car - have an accident - get sued to f**k by your employer.
Stick in another radio....just ask them FFS - if they trust you enough with £15k worth of metal then surely a radio module is not beyond that?
Why bother with a remap, do you really need to warp speed between appointments?
Re-map the car - have an accident - get sued to f**k by your employer.
Stick in another radio....just ask them FFS - if they trust you enough with £15k worth of metal then surely a radio module is not beyond that?
Why bother with a remap, do you really need to warp speed between appointments?
Sensible side of me says "tell whoever it is that owns the car" (lease company??).
PRO: you're covered if anything untoward happens in the future (Car nicked, recovered, DAB module found, some lowlife in insurance company tries to make an unauthorised mod as a reason for making your life hell).
CON: if they say "no" and you do it anyway and something goes awry you're in trouble.
JFDI side of me says "put it in". Every CoCar I've had for past 20 years I've insisted in installing handsfree phone kit myself rather than entrusting to some grease covered ape to which the lease company's response has been "that I would be liable for any damage/repairs/short circuits and fires."
Mind you, when you've got most of the dashboard, seats, control modules etc. etc. sitting on the floor of the garage (I can't stand any visible wires or the like) you do wonder if actually the competent, smartly dressed, experienced phone installer they would have sent around would have been a better option.
PRO: you're covered if anything untoward happens in the future (Car nicked, recovered, DAB module found, some lowlife in insurance company tries to make an unauthorised mod as a reason for making your life hell).
CON: if they say "no" and you do it anyway and something goes awry you're in trouble.
JFDI side of me says "put it in". Every CoCar I've had for past 20 years I've insisted in installing handsfree phone kit myself rather than entrusting to some grease covered ape to which the lease company's response has been "that I would be liable for any damage/repairs/short circuits and fires."
Mind you, when you've got most of the dashboard, seats, control modules etc. etc. sitting on the floor of the garage (I can't stand any visible wires or the like) you do wonder if actually the competent, smartly dressed, experienced phone installer they would have sent around would have been a better option.
Deva Link said:
Back in days of Cavalier SRi's, when you could chip a car by copying an eprom, every car on our fleet was chipped. 
Re DAB though, I thought it didn't work very well in cars anyway?
Works fine in my MR2, worked pretty well in the rented Golf I had for a while. The rented Focus I had the DAB was worse but that was more the radio being badly designed than the signal: Once you got it tuned into some stations and saved them to presets the sound was fine. Re DAB though, I thought it didn't work very well in cars anyway?
I'm not planning on chipping or doing anything like that. The car goes fast enough I just miss listening to Planet Rock, and wanted something "factory" than getting a portable one and plugging it into the aux socket.
My initial research (mostly caused by a slow day at work) has uncovered that it is possible to retrofit the factory bluetooth and DAB modules and wiring looms, and have the stereo coded by Vauxhall. Apparently most dealers prefer to fit Parrot kits aftermarket which won't work with the steering wheel controls so you need to select wisely. Fortunately my vehicle already has the correct stereo and peripherals to allow this.
Apparently there is a subwoofer in there somewhere too. My front passenger decided to wind me up by plugging his iphone into the stereo and crank out some hip hop with disgusting lyrics. The bass was making my mirrors vibrate much to the chagrin of the west Windsor massive as we returned to the office from our friday afternoon Nandos blowout. I was laughing too hard to change it back to my podcast
Chicharito said:
Deva Link said:
Back in days of Cavalier SRi's, when you could chip a car by copying an eprom, every car on our fleet was chipped.
WTF was the point?You'd have liberated, ohhh, about 2bhp from doing that.
I loved the old Cavi-sri... "See my red bumper inserts in your mirrors and yield!!!"
Steamer said:
Yes - but that was back-in-the-day when 130 was a big number!
I loved the old Cavi-sri... "See my red bumper inserts in your mirrors and yield!!!"
Amen sir. A big enough output to have it written large on the side. I loved the old Cavi-sri... "See my red bumper inserts in your mirrors and yield!!!"
Dad had one, we ruled the roads. I loved it....all 130bhp of it.
Garlick said:
Amen sir. A big enough output to have it written large on the side.
Dad had one, we ruled the roads. I loved it....all 130bhp of it.
The father in law had one of the first SRIs sold in the UK.Dad had one, we ruled the roads. I loved it....all 130bhp of it.
He deliberately hung on to his previous company car for a few months longer just so he could have an SRI, rather than an SR.
He then followed that with a Montego Turbo.. before a brace of Sapphire Cosworths. The 2nd one being a Rouse Sport edition.
Chicharito said:
an SRI..
He then followed that with a Montego Turbo..
before a brace of Sapphire Cosworths.
The 2nd one being a Rouse Sport edition.
Damn that must have been a fun place to work!!He then followed that with a Montego Turbo..
before a brace of Sapphire Cosworths.
The 2nd one being a Rouse Sport edition.
Seems almost funny looking back, and then looking at those particular cars now (which are still great!) But I wouldnt trust ANYONE to drive one responsibly or cost effectively!!
However I did know a marketing agency that also ran a fleet of Renault 5 turbos.
Steamer said:
Chicharito said:
an SRI..
He then followed that with a Montego Turbo..
before a brace of Sapphire Cosworths.
The 2nd one being a Rouse Sport edition.
Damn that must have been a fun place to work!!He then followed that with a Montego Turbo..
before a brace of Sapphire Cosworths.
The 2nd one being a Rouse Sport edition.
Seems almost funny looking back, and then looking at those particular cars now (which are still great!) But I wouldnt trust ANYONE to drive one responsibly or cost effectively!!
However I did know a marketing agency that also ran a fleet of Renault 5 turbos.
It was replaced by a Nissan 200SX Touring, then an early S-Type.
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