LeeT5's V70R Project

[kevinking2020]

Is that with RAC, that they pay for it?

Is it any good?

I've got RAC through my work but i don't have parts or labour feature, I might ask about it.

[LeeT5]

Is that with RAC, that they pay for it?

Is it any good?

I've got RAC through my work but i don't have parts or labour feature, I might ask about it.

No mate. The AA.

https://www.theaa.com/breakdown-cove...n-repair-cover

[kevinking2020]

oh right.

RAC do something similar. I might have to think about considering it, but since I've owned the car, I've not had any issues and touch wood i wont. Saying that she is over the 103k mark now and things might start need replacing...

Garage Parts and Labour

We'll cover you for up to £750 for certain parts and labour, without any excess, at the roadside or through our RAC Approved Network following a breakdown.

Before you can claim, for cover your vehicle must have been serviced by a VAT registered garage, either within the 12 months prior to claim or in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines. You will need to provide evidence of this at the time of making a claim. Claims made within the first 14 days are not covered. Excludes claims for damage caused by wear & tear.

[jamesy12345]

maybe worth noting AA don't mention requirement for servicing garage to be VAT-registered....I haven't tested that with them yet

https://www.theaa.com/resources/Docu...cy-current.pdf

The Nominated Vehicle must be serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommendations (including service intervals). Service and mileage records are taken from the date the vehicle is first nominated for AA Breakdown Repair Cover. Invoices from a servicing garage will be accepted as proof of servicing and such invoices may be required by the Claims Department at the time claims are made. It is Your responsibility to find out the Nominated Vehicle’s servicing requirements and to comply with them.

[LeeT5]

maybe worth noting AA don't mention requirement for servicing garage to be VAT-registered....I haven't tested that with them yet

https://www.theaa.com/resources/Docu...cy-current.pdf

The servicing garage MUST be VAT registered.

See page 4, step 3, para 1 of the PDF....

https://www.theaa.com/resources/Docu...cy-current.pdf

[LeeT5]

1. Front H3 fogs converted to 4300k HID -- (convert to LED with ballasts)
2. 3" downpipe and 200 cell race CAT
3. Replace windscreen -- (in the spring 2017)
4. IPD Rear adjustable toe rods --(Need to order...still)
5. IPD DEM alloy cover --(Need to order...still)
6. larger exhaust tips
7. Repair weeping drive shaft inner seal
8. Fit reverse camera to iMiV -- (need to order)
9. IPD anti roll bar kit 25mm/28mm
10. Fit OPIE gold plug to engine sump -- (due 154k service)
11. Fit OPIE gold plug to Gearbox
12. Upgrade gearbox oil from 75W90 NS GL-5 to 75W140 NS GL-5
13. Front H7 High beam -- (convert to LED with ballasts)

[jamesy12345]

The servicing garage MUST be VAT registered.

See page 4, step 3, para 1 of the PDF....

https://www.theaa.com/resources/Docu...cy-current.pdf

Thanks Lee although my meaning was the garage doing regular maintenance on the car doesn't need to be VAT registered, however the garage doing any repairs does. The RAC terms & conditions mention that garage doing maintance on the car need to be VAT registered AND the garage doing repairs needs to be VAT registered, whereas the AA T's and C's don't make the distinction

Mind you I haven't tested it yet!!

[LeeT5]

Thanks Lee although my meaning was the garage doing regular maintenance on the car doesn't need to be VAT registered, however the garage doing any repairs does. The RAC terms & conditions mention that garage doing maintance on the car need to be VAT registered AND the garage doing repairs needs to be VAT registered, whereas the AA T's and C's don't make the distinction

Mind you I haven't tested it yet!!

I can concur that you can take your car to mickey mouse motors at the back of Lidl to get it serviced if you want, the AA won't give a hoot! However, to ensure a successful BRC claim, the repairing garage must be VAT registered.

However, the AA dip check BRC claims and can sometimes insist that you provide proof of service from a VAT registered garage within the last 12 months. If none can be provided, then the claim may be thrown out and you will foot the entire bill.

Bottom line is this (and quite rightly so)...

The AA will not be held accountable for the subsequent breakdown of a members vehicle, due to a lack of service/servicing.

I myself see it on the road on a daily basis......Car's broken down at the roadside with noises from engine...

Q. When was the last time your vehicle was serviced and when did you last check the oil Sir/madam...?
A. Err...Err......it was MOT'd last October!

Q. No, MOT's don't count. When was it serviced....oil changed etc?
A. Oh, err....it hasn't.

Q. Do you check the oil?
A. Should I?

Q. How long have you owned the car Sir?
A. 4 years mate!

Need I go on?...

Believe me guys, I have the same conversation with punters at least twice a month and the woeful thing is....it's on the rise!
People just get in their cars and drive them, without a care in the world.

Servicing your car at 'Mickey mouse motors' does not count.

[jamesy12345]

I can concur that you can take your car to mickey mouse motors at the back of Lidl to get it serviced if you want, the AA won't give a hoot! However, to ensure a successful BRC claim, the repairing garage must be VAT registered.

However, the AA dip check BRC claims and can sometimes insist that you provide proof of service from a VAT registered garage within the last 12 months. If none can be provided, then the claim may be thrown out and you will foot the entire bill.

Bottom line is this (and quite rightly so)...

The AA will not be held accountable for the subsequent breakdown of a members vehicle, due to a lack of service/servicing.

I myself see it on the road on a daily basis......Car's broken down at the roadside with noises from engine...

Q. When was the last time your vehicle was serviced and when did you last check the oil Sir/madam...?
A. Err...Err......it was MOT'd last October!

Q. No, MOT's don't count. When was it serviced....oil changed etc?
A. Oh, err....it hasn't.

Q. Do you check the oil?
A. Should I?

Q. How long have you owned the car Sir?
A. 4 years mate!

Need I go on?...

Believe me guys, I have the same conversation with punters at least twice a month and the woeful thing is....it's on the rise!
People just get in their cars and drive them, without a care in the world.

Servicing your car at 'Mickey mouse motors' does not count.

Maybe I'll test it out one day - my rx7 gets serviced by a guy who isn't VAT registered, Mr M. Mouse, but when the inevitable rebuild is needed then it's just possible I might use a place who is VAT registered - one of the rotary specialists, by the prices they charge for sure they should be VAT registered..!

Of course a car should be maintained regularly, but my reading of the T's & C's is still that it doesn't state the maintaining garage must be VAT registered. I agree it is stated that the repairing garage does need to be.

Here are the RAC terms & conditions - on page 10 you can see they specifically mention that the garage doing maintenance must be VAT registered...'serviced in the last 12 months by a VAT registered garage'. I couldn't find this wording in any AA document so far - maybe I missed it though?
http://www.rac.co.uk/pdfs/breakdown/...onditions.aspx

All this said, is VAT registration proof of competence? Some of the main dealers are prime examples of why VAT registered places are not always the best for repairs - I wouldn't take an rx7 to Mazda for a rebuild for example, nor would I take an S/V60R to Volvo for shimming a block. I understand though the AA and similar need to protect themselves from cabbages who think cars are maintenance free now.

sorry

[Gold 'N' Brown]

The way I see it is that the "bean counters" etc expect servicing, maintenance, repairs etc to have been carried out by a legitimate business. And whilst you are quite right in stating the VAT registration is not proof of competence, it is one way of proving that a business is legitimate. If they are VAT registered then they are probably insured and equally fulfilling all other legislative requirements too, i.e it's all being done "by the book".

Sadly, a garage that is not VAT registered is probably seen as no more relevant than you demonstrating that you have serviced your car yourself, and presenting invoices for the parts and materials used, even if you are far more competent than the local main dealers. And when you look at it like that, would you expect (for example) British Gas to cover a claim on a boiler that's not been serviced by a Corgi registered technician with paperwork to back it up, but you HAD got a Corgi registered plumber mate to do the work for you on the cheap, cash in hand?

It all comes down to paper trails at the end of the day, and making sure everyone is covering their own arses along the chain.

[jamesy12345]

The way I see it is that the "bean counters" etc expect servicing, maintenance, repairs etc to have been carried out by a legitimate business. And whilst you are quite right in stating the VAT registration is not proof of competence, it is one way of proving that a business is legitimate. If they are VAT registered then they are probably insured and equally fulfilling all other legislative requirements too, i.e it's all being done "by the book".

Sadly, a garage that is not VAT registered is probably seen as no more relevant than you demonstrating that you have serviced your car yourself, and presenting invoices for the parts and materials used, even if you are far more competent than the local main dealers. And when you look at it like that, would you expect (for example) British Gas to cover a claim on a boiler that's not been serviced by a Corgi registered technician with paperwork to back it up, but you HAD got a Corgi registered plumber mate to do the work for you on the cheap, cash in hand?

It all comes down to paper trails at the end of the day, and making sure everyone is covering their own arses along the chain.

You are correct fella I am just trying to reduce a potentially 2k bill for a rebuild & they are trying to make a profitable business. I likes a bargain & if I think I see a gap in the paperwork I will try to wriggle through it. We mustn't make it easy for the fat cats of this world

Apologies to Lee for rambling off topic!

[abdul]

What happens if u do your own servicing

[abdul]

And have receipts for parts used

[LeeT5]

What happens if u do your own servicing

And have receipts for parts used

Abdul, if you use the 'edit' button, you could have put these in one post

If you have the receipts for parts, oil, filters etc, then that is fine i Guess. However, in those cases, the AA may send a Vehicle inspector to the vehicle at the garage to access it's condition and the parts that are being claimed on.
Their decision is final, despite what the garage might say.
I've known it to happen and I've known of cases refused, it does happen but it's rare.

[LeeT5]

(Anymore questions about AA BRC, please start a new thread. This is going way off topic.)

1. Front H3 fogs converted to 4300k HID -- (convert to LED with ballasts)
2. 3" downpipe and 200 cell race CAT
3. Replace windscreen -- (in the spring 2017)
4. IPD Rear adjustable toe rods --(Need to order...still)
5. IPD DEM alloy cover --(Need to order...still)
6. larger exhaust tips
7. Repair weeping drive shaft inner seal
8. Fit reverse camera to iMiV -- (need to order)
9. IPD anti roll bar kit 25mm/28mm
10. Fit OPIE gold plug to engine sump -- (due 154k service)
11. Fit OPIE gold plug to Gearbox
12. Upgrade gearbox oil from 75W90 NS GL-5 to 75W140 NS GL-5
13. Front H7 High beam -- (convert to LED with ballasts)

Front bumper will be coming off very soon to sort out 1 and 13

[LeeT5]

1. Front H3 fogs converted to 4300k HID -- (convert to LED with ballasts) COMPLETE
2. 3" downpipe and 200 cell race CAT
3. Replace windscreen -- (in the spring 2017)
4. IPD Rear adjustable toe rods --(Need to order...still)
5. IPD DEM alloy cover --(Need to order...still)
6. larger exhaust tips
7. Repair weeping drive shaft inner seal
8. Fit reverse camera to iMiV -- (need to order)
9. IPD anti roll bar kit 25mm/28mm
10. Fit OPIE gold plug to engine sump -- (due 154k service)
11. Fit OPIE gold plug to Gearbox
12. Upgrade gearbox oil from 75W90 NS GL-5 to 75W140 NS GL-5
13. Front H7 High beam -- (convert to LED with ballasts) COMPLETE

[LeeT5]

Finally, I got round to upgrading my lights. It required front bumper removal, which is why it's taken me so long to get round to doing. The results are explicit!!! Light output is incredible, precise and sooo much brighter than Halogen H7 and the HID's I had installed in the front fogs. I'll let the pictures and videos do the talking....

Front bumper removal...



In the above picture I also removed the steering oil cooler as I needed to replace my N/S bonnet latch.



The LED's I installed are 5th generation:

H7 = 3000 lumens
H3 = 2500 lumens (smaller LED due to bulb size)







A very minor mod required to allow the bulb wiring to sit nice in the housing...



Looking at the light....



N/S light prepped and ready for installation...





Very small driver mounted underneath the light housing...



O/S light prepped and ready for installation...



Now onto the front fogs...

[LeeT5]

The fog lights were much easier to prep as no modification is needed on the housing.

You only have to make a hole in the rear of the plastic cap to allow the cooling fins to protrude out...





Quick plug in and test before refitting the front bumper...





Colour temperature comparison (stock Halogen on left).....





Halogen H7...



LED H7...

[LeeT5]

(NOTE: My Dipped Lights are stock HID's with Osram Xenarc 5500k D2R bulbs)

Dipped ONLY and DRL's...



Dipped (Raised) High beam and DRL's...



Dipped and DRL's....



Everything on!



Dipped and DRL's...



Everything!



Dipped and DRL's..



Dipped only...



DRL's ONLY...





The beauty of having the CFE installed is you can set it to use your fogs like DRL's. The DRL's turn off when you switch on the headlights and switch on, when heads are turned off. Equally, when my headlights are on I can also turn on the fogs as normal (for inclement weather).
However, when I turn on my Full beam, the Fogs ALSO come on, giving me extra light. They switch off again when full beam is turned off.

DRL cut off is razor sharp too.

Overall, I'm really impressed. The light output is clean, instant and no warm up period, like HID's. Making the H7's awesome for flashing ppl etc!

[Gold 'N' Brown]

Looks very impressive, not sure I'd want to be coming towards you though! How much did the bits cost?

Not sure about the idea of using the fogs as DRLs though. But that's a personal nit-pick harking back to the days before DRLs became an actual thing, when chavvy dick heads used to drive everywhere with their fogs on.