Worth converting to HID considering insurance implications?

**wilkie** · 03-01-2008 02:37 PM

hey all,

bought an '08 civic (havent taken delivery yet) and also bought new headlight housing and HID conversion kits for the car. No insurance company will insure a car with anything illegal on it, so it begs the question: is it worth fitting these to my car or not?

there are two options i see:

fit it to my car and dont tell the insurance company, but they may turn around and tell me my policy is void in the event of a claim

OR

dont fit it to my car and just use a high kelvin halogen bulb instead.

i don't know how closely they are going to look at the car in the event of an accident, and it may well be fine to put the kit onto my car and hope they don't find it. then again, if i dont list the modification to the lighting and there IS an accident, is it possible to have them only cover the car as if it were stock and not cover the extra cost of the lights?

not sure on any of this, anyone else got any ideas?

**dmx** · 03-01-2008 02:49 PM

it's hard to choose. mods and insurance/warranty can't blend together.
if u won't take a risk, just get philips bluevison bulb.

**denot** · 03-01-2008 03:32 PM

My technician and another repairer told me this will happen if you install HID:
1. Insurance wont cover it if its broken (e.g. in an accident) but will restore your headlight, so all you need to do is buy a new bulb. Other alternatives is find an insurance comp that cover this (e.g. justcar)
2. If anything wrong with your car electric (eventhough its nothing related to the HID), Honda can say that it was caused by the HID installation thus will void the warranty.

Any1 can reconfirm this?

**wilkie** · 03-01-2008 03:45 PM

i dont mind if they don't cover it if it's broken, the stories i've heard are that the insurance company will try and find any little thing to try and avoid paying out on the policy, so if i had it on the car and didnt list it as a mod, they would use that as an excuse not to pay. i have been looking at Just Car and spoke to them on the phone, they are the ones telling me they wont insure any vehicle with anything illegal on it.

as for honda reneging on their warranty, i will just change the lights back to the original and then say the electrical problem arose, so they can't avoid it if i do that i dont think.

**Danese** · 03-01-2008 03:51 PM

i can't help with ins, but if you do change to HID the excess heat can melt the light manifold. and any problems that are a result of light directly will be void of warranty.
Dealers don't pay for warranty issues but they do get auditted by honda for all warranty claims.
I am putting them in my FN2. don't buy anythink thats not german or jap. including fittings.

**denot** · 03-01-2008 03:57 PM

have a read on this: http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registrati...s_nov_2007.pdf

I think it says modifying light or adding extra lights (fog and driving lights) is a minor modification which doesnt need to be reported to RTA. but dunno if i read it clearly...

**wilkie** · 03-01-2008 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by denot

have a read on this: http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registrati...s_nov_2007.pdf

I think it says modifying light or adding extra lights (fog and driving lights) is a minor modification which doesnt need to be reported to RTA. but dunno if i read it clearly...

thats the same as over here in WA, adding additional lighting doesnt require approval, but that doesn't include HID

**Danese** · 03-01-2008 04:26 PM

i think that if you are considering doing it to contact your ins provider.

**wilkie** · 03-01-2008 06:01 PM

argh this annoys the hell out of me. i just spoke to Just Car again and asked them if i do put on subsequent illegal mods, what happens and they will only say "the car might not be covered" and that's it. i am guessing i shouldn't fit the lights then...unless someone can come up with a loophole for me? :P

**markCivicVti** · 03-01-2008 06:07 PM

^ that sounds really stupid.

In basic form it's:

Will an insurance company cover me if I drive a car with illegal mods?

C'mon... No they won't - they are out there to make money not be your friend. But what makes it illegal to have HIDs? Is there a way to have legal HIDs? It's either that or stick with normal halogen.

**Shimian** · 03-01-2008 06:36 PM

well this wont make it legal, but i will be installing HIDs on my eagle eyes. Atleast it will be projected and wont be blinding oncoming traffic. Ive driven past 2 civics fd with HIDs and OMFG its blinding.

**wilkie** · 03-01-2008 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by markCivicVti

^ that sounds really stupid.

In basic form it's:

Will an insurance company cover me if I drive a car with illegal mods?

C'mon... No they won't - they are out there to make money not be your friend. But what makes it illegal to have HIDs? Is there a way to have legal HIDs? It's either that or stick with normal halogen.

to me, the purpose of insurance is to cover the value of the car, and i don't care if they cover the stock standard value of the car, and replace the equipment with stock standard stuff should there be an accident. i realise they aren't out to be my friend, but then again they don't have to take my money and not be upfront if they are going to cover it or not either. if they don't want to cover it, let me know and i will look elsewhere for insurance.

HID kits are illegal if they aren't a standard option by the manufacturer, and if it is an aftermarket system, then the headlight unit needs auto levelers and headlight washers as well. The only legal way to have HIDs is to buy them with the car stock or have a professional system installed at great cost.