Decats and the law.

[MarkM]

I currently have a stainless system with sports cat welded into it. I am going to get the system decatted which basically involves cutting the sports cat out and welding in a straight through pipe (£49.95, probably the best performance per pound mod I have made, lol).

From what I have read on the forum this will make the exhaust alot louder?

I dont have a problem with MOTs so dont need a removeable pipe.

What happens if you get caught without a cat? How many people have been caught and what were the consequences? I have never been stopped by the police in my car but its sods law if I get this done I will.

 

[RichMcc]

The chances of you getting caught are slim to nothing

 

[G_F]

I took mine off, my insurance said they wouldnt pay any claim if i had a decat. Admiral.

 

[Nigel]

I'm not sure but I think the only time you'll be in any trouble is if your pulled over at one of the roadside vehicle testing sites. Police can't measure emissions on the spot and would probably ask you to take it to a garage to get it checked.

Or if you have an accident and it's not declared!

 

[RichMcc]

I had no idea.... the exhaust came with the car hofficer!

Thats interesting I'll hold off on the decat then Im with admiral but think their a pile of horse crap so wont be using em next renewal Im gonna try adrian flux or what ever its called.

 

[MarkM]

I had forgotten about insurance.

I will give greenlight a call. See what they say.

 

[kully]

I currently have a stainless system with sports cat welded into it. I am going to get the system decatted which basically involves cutting the sports cat out and welding in a straight through pipe (£49.95, probably the best performance per pound mod I have made, lol).

From what I have read on the forum this will make the exhaust alot louder?

I dont have a problem with MOTs so dont need a removeable pipe.

What happens if you get caught without a cat? How many people have been caught and what were the consequences? I have never been stopped by the police in my car but its sods law if I get this done I will.

as nigel said , theres no on the spot checking system by the police but they would probably want to see the insurance , theres no way they would check under the car to tell you had a decat or not , as you could state it's loud because of the exhaust .

on saying that , i'm not sure how you would get on with the VOSA vehicles .
as they can push for the whole thing tbh .

 

[MarkM]

I had forgotten about insurance.

I will give greenlight a call. See what they say.

No, they wont insure the car if it doesnt have a cat.

 

[G_F]

My sisters bf was refused a payout on his motor last month, car was totalled with 19k left on finance, he is gutted to say the least, all because of a decat.

 

[jamesp24]

Just say you have a sports exhaust.

 

[MarkM]

My sisters bf was refused a payout on his motor last month, car was totalled with 19k left on finance, he is gutted to say the least, all because of a decat.

I am not a person who takes risks with these sorts of things.

My current cat does not match the pipework ie. has smaller inlet and outlet diameter, I am not sure how many cells it has and even if it is metallic or not (probably worse then the standard 182 cat).I am going to buy a 100cell metallic cat, which is the best I can legally get away with.

 

[MarkM]

Just say you have a sports exhaust.

The statement made by the insurance company I am with is that the insurance is void if the car is not fitted with a cat. For all the people who have decats I would be surprised if your insurance is valid.

 

[Has]

Just say you have a sports exhaust.

The statement made by the insurance company I am with is that the insurance is void if the car is not fitted with a cat. For all the people who have decats I would be surprised if your insurance is valid.

This is very true... in a way.

It must pass the MOT, in most cses it wont without a cat on.



There have been changes in the way insurance/MOT stations look at this.
Worth ringing around.

Most people who put a decat on are running it at their own risk, they should know this as we have had many threads before.

No good saying "i dunno officor".....it does NOT pass as an excuse!!

 

[Has]

My sisters bf was refused a payout on his motor last month, car was totalled with 19k left on finance, he is gutted to say the least, all because of a decat.

I am not a person who takes risks with these sorts of things.

My current cat does not match the pipework ie. has smaller inlet and outlet diameter, I am not sure how many cells it has and even if it is metallic or not (probably worse then the standard 182 cat).I am going to buy a 100cell metallic cat, which is the best I can legally get away with.

Same here.

Glad somebody else has sense

 

[Rob's172]

^^ same, that why i paid £300 for a sports cat

 

[jamesp24]

Haha ill just say ay who whats a decat where how when .

 

[Andyman]

My sisters bf was refused a payout on his motor last month, car was totalled with 19k left on finance, he is gutted to say the least, all because of a decat.

There has to be more to it than this.

My mate used to work in a crash repair bit working with insurance and writing valuations etc and there no where near that thorough to go checking for bits of pipe under a car. They must have had something else on it for them to fine tooth comb this car!


I know of a local case where the lad had a bodykit and lowered suspension, smashed his car and the insurance still agreed to folk out !! Yeah he had to fight his corner but they came to a agreement

 

[Matt@Stealthsport]

My insurance through HIC covers me for engine mods up to a certain BHP increase and all cosmetic mods (Rollcage, fire extinguisher, carbon panels etc.)

They only want an extra £90 for covering a 30bhp upgrade.

 

[Da]

As I understand things (I may be wrong) but for your fully comprehensive insurance to be valid the car has to be kept in a roadworthy condition. If the car has no CAT then it would be deemed as un-roadworthy as it would not pass an MOT or a VOSA spot check.
This is my understanding anyway.

 

[Has]

As I understand things (I may be wrong) but for your fully comprehensive insurance to be valid the car has to be kept in a roadworthy condition. If the car has no CAT then it would be deemed as un-roadworthy as it would not pass an MOT or a VOSA spot check.
This is my understanding anyway.

This is correct

 

[jjoe90]

My sisters bf was refused a payout on his motor last month, car was totalled with 19k left on finance, he is gutted to say the least, all because of a decat.

I still dontunderstand why people buy cars at thos sort of price and then mod them?

 

[Da]

:approve: @ Has :rasp:

 

[mini-valver]

Who's to say the car did'nt pass an MOT with the decat on per chance? If the car is MOT'd then youcould argue that it was there from day one of you owning the car and was'nt aware of the decat because it passed MOT.

That's my thinking behind it anyway, they have to PROVE the decat was'nt present at the MOT date.

 

[SBV116]

On the front of an MOT pass certificate, it says WARNING : an MOT certificate does not mean the vehicle is in satisfactory condition (or something similiar), and they can do on the spot emmissions tests, VOSA do them around here quite often! It would need a cat to pass the mot, personally i think they would slap your wrists and make you put a cat on!

 

[MarkM]

I think you can have your own opinion on whether or not you think your decat is OK with your insurance company. At the end of the day you have to declare all mods. If you say you have a decat and they say thats OK then its not a problem.

People who say just declare an exhaust or I can do anything to my engine because I have an agreed power increase figure may have a shock if the worst happens.

 

[MarkM]

My insurance through HIC covers me for engine mods up to a certain BHP increase and all cosmetic mods (Rollcage, fire extinguisher, carbon panels etc.)

They only want an extra £90 for covering a 30bhp upgrade.

You dont have to declare what the engine mods are?

 

[ja.jack]

I'm with Adrian Flux and they are ok with a de-cat as long as you tell them.

 

[Kiev85]

I'm with Adrian Flux and they are ok with a de-cat as long as you tell them.

i thought a de-cat made the car "technically in the laws view" un-roadworthy and illegal to drive?? why would insurance companies accept this?

or have i missed something..

doh

 

[ja.jack]

What tablet of stone is that written on ? lol

 

[ForceIndia]

Have a search on pistonheads, a solicitor posted about a client with an Impreza, written off. No pay out from insurers due to decat. They may say over the phone it's ok, but the guy on the other end of the phone probably knows sod all about the ins and outs of the policy, puts it down as performance exhaust. Wouldn't trust insurer with decat, unless they will put it in writing.

 

[Phoenix]

isn't it any car registered after a certain year need to have a cat to lower emmisions. this bought the level at which a car passes its mot on emmisions down. so removing a cat on any car after that date makes the emmisions too high making it fail and as said "not roadworthy"

 

[MarkM]

Government website states the car must pass an emmissions test in order to pass the MOT.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/Mot/DG_10016070

I assume the emmissions test is designaed around a cat being fitted so indirectly you need a cat to pass.

I agree with warren4 though if you dont have a document from your insurer stating you have a decat then what someone has told you over the phone doesnt mean s**t.

 

[briny182]

well mine just passed with a de-cat..

reading this though, I think its time for a sports cat - don't fancy insurers not paying out! :S

 

[_Tom]

Mine doesnt need a cat! Woo! lol

 

[G_F]

My sisters bf was refused a payout on his motor last month, car was totalled with 19k left on finance, he is gutted to say the least, all because of a decat.

There has to be more to it than this.
They must have had something else on it for them to fine tooth comb this car!

Nothing more to it than that, as far as i know. Letter said none payout due to undeclared sports exhaust, two independent solicitors are still looking over it, costing big bucks though.

My sisters bf was refused a payout on his motor last month, car was totalled with 19k left on finance, he is gutted to say the least, all because of a decat.

I still dontunderstand why people buy cars at thos sort of price and then mod them?

The only mod was exhaust, 25k motors are not exactly mind blowing though mate, go on piston heads forums, people with 100k cars still do mods.

 

[ja.jack]

I just got off phone from Flux, and yes, the advisors you speak to dont have a clue.lol She just confirmed that they have a list of my mods on file including de-cat. Could'nt tell me the legality of cat removal, just kept repeating like a brocken record if car would pass mot without,all is fine.

They have taken extra dosh off me for the declared mods so I presume they would be on a sticky legal wicket if they refused a payout in the event of accident.

 

[MarkM]

I just got off phone from Flux, and yes, the advisors you speak to dont have a clue.lol She just confirmed that they have a list of my mods on file including de-cat. Could'nt tell me the legality of cat removal, just kept repeating like a brocken record if car would pass mot without,all is fine.

They have taken extra dosh off me for the declared mods so I presume they would be on a sticky legal wicket if they refused a payout in the event of accident.

Sounds like you are OK then.

For the sake of a couple of bhp and a couple of hundred pounds I will go with a sports cat.

 

[ja.jack]

If ''sports cat'' gives no extra power, whats the point?

Put the 200 quid towards the new bodies. lol

 

[MarkM]

If ''sports cat'' gives no extra power

Who says a sports cat gives no extra power?

 

[ja.jack]

On the 182 they dont, but I've been wrong before, Mark. lol