I can definitively say on at least one prior BMW, I've never called them to inform them I added expensive forged aftermarket wheels nor informed them of thousands of dollars worth of performance mods designed to make the car go faster. But when that car was totalled, I provided receipts for all of the parts and received a payout from the insurance company (State Farm) that provided me with a quite fair value for all of those additions to the car.
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Model S/X Yoke steering wheel upgrade
- Thread starter NoMoGas
- Start date
Also, with an airbag, it's quite obvious how it works. It fires forward via ignition and inflates. Not unlike when persons remove airbags from steering wheels altogether and fire them off in various projects on youtube. Having 1/2 of a steering wheel vs having full steering wheel has zero effect on an airbag going off (the sensors that tell an airbag to go off are not in the rim of a steering wheel, nor is the ejection charge).
Listen, I am not sure that Martians won't land tomorrow and steal my rabbit. Doesn't mean I'm gonna sit there and stand guard on my roof.
Your comment about the wheel 'being similar but half of it is missing" is dead wrong. All Teslas currently being produced above the model 3 and Y come with the yoke steering. There is no full wheel available anymore on the plaid versions of the car. As for understanding the engineering, the airbag does not rest on the steering wheel when it deploys. In fact advances clear of the wheel and prevents you from hitting the center of the wheel. I'm not quite sure where you think the airbag is suddenly going to go, especially given how large it is, and how it actually works. It's not a pillow that requires the full wheel to support it. I have had the unpleasant experience of deploying all four forward facing bags in my car. Ironically the airbag was incredibly comfortable which is a strange thing to remember after the accident but that's a whole other story.
"Playing devils advocate" is another way of saying "I don't like what you're doing so let me s**t on it with rampant speculation under the guise of just asking questions". Here is an idea if you want to provide an informed opinion. Call your insurance agent, tell them you're considering changing the steering wheel to the an aftermarket version of the new model of Tesla wheel and see if your insurance rates change. If they say it does, have them provide that in writing and bring it back to the forum as a legitimate, well educated, warning. Just for the record, I did, they didn't know what I was talking about and didn't care. And I have Tesla insurance. As for your question regarding liability protection, you clearly misunderstood my point. If you do something negligent, or that is otherwise deemed to be your fault that is by definition "strict liability". Does that mean the liability section of your policy will cover that, it means that you have to have insurance to cover things that are your fault. If you decide to deep fry a turkey next to your shiny new model S and set it on fire, you are liable for that, in that you're negligent action directly lead to the loss. But your comprehensive policy will still cover the damage to your newly barbecued vehicle.
If you don't like it, and don't want it, don't get it. But people have modified their cars since the beginning of time. Many people on this forum including myself have changed the hood, headlights and the front end to the new model. Does that mean the airbags won't work? Some of us including myself have change the interior seats. Was that specific vehicle tested with those specific components on it for the NHTSA crash test? No it was not and yet we do it.
People add superchargers, turbos, change exhaust, upgrade their brakes, change their suspension, and every once in a while somebody will do something to their car that does cause it to get damaged. I don't inform the insurance company that I put aftermarket wheels and tires on my car either.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go climb on my roof and prepare
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The bolded part is SO true. I deal with people like that so often at work. Never with documented evidence or proof of ANYTHING. Always a lot of random questions that lead to...NOTHING.Listen, I am not sure that Martians won't land tomorrow and steal my rabbit. Doesn't mean I'm gonna sit there and stand guard on my roof.
Your comment about the wheel 'being similar but half of it is missing" is dead wrong. All Teslas currently being produced above the model 3 and Y come with the yoke steering. There is no full wheel available anymore on the plaid versions of the car. As for understanding the engineering, the airbag does not rest on the steering wheel when it deploys. In fact advances clear of the wheel and prevents you from hitting the center of the wheel. I'm not quite sure where you think the airbag is suddenly going to go, especially given how large it is, and how it actually works. It's not a pillow that requires the full wheel to support it. I have had the unpleasant experience of deploying all four forward facing bags in my car. Ironically the airbag was incredibly comfortable which is a strange thing to remember after the accident but that's a whole other story.
"Playing devils advocate" is another way of saying "I don't like what you're doing so let me s**t on it with rampant speculation under the guise of just asking questions". Here is an idea if you want to provide an informed opinion. Call your insurance agent, tell them you're considering changing the steering wheel to the an aftermarket version of the new model of Tesla wheel and see if your insurance rates change. If they say it does, have them provide that in writing and bring it back to the forum as a legitimate, well educated, warning. Just for the record, I did, they didn't know what I was talking about and didn't care. And I have Tesla insurance. As for your question regarding liability protection, you clearly misunderstood my point. If you do something negligent, or that is otherwise deemed to be your fault that is by definition "strict liability". Does that mean the liability section of your policy will cover that, it means that you have to have insurance to cover things that are your fault. Hey Siri if you decide to deep fry a turkey next to your shiny new model S and set it on fire, you are liable for that, in that you're negligent action directly lead to the loss. But your comprehensive policy will still cover the damage to your newly barbecued vehicle.
If you don't like it, and don't want it, don't get it. But people have modified their cars since the beginning of time. Many people on this forum including myself have changed the hood, headlights and the front end to the new model. Does that mean the airbags won't work? Some of us including myself have change the interior seats. Was that specific vehicle tested with those specific components on it for the NHTSA crash test? No it was not and yet we do it.
People add superchargers, turbos, change exhaust, upgrade their brakes, change their suspension, and every once in a while somebody will do something to their car that does cause it to get damaged. I don't inform the insurance company that I put aftermarket wheels and tires on my car either.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go climb on my roof and prepare
"Devils advocate". Guess what? I dont believe in the devil. So eff off
LOL.
I have a question. When did the Tesla Motors Club become Facebook? Remember the days when we were all one big family on the same side?
I've decided to many people now have Teslas
I've decided to many people now have Teslas
RIGHT. Everything has to be a debate on here now. ITS A GOD DAMN AIRBAG. There literally could be ZERO RIM AT ALL. Like you could saw the ENTIRE rim off. And guess what? The airbag will STILL deploy just fine if the front collision sensors tell it to.I have a question. When did the Tesla Motors Club become Facebook? Remember the days when we were all one big family on the same side?
I've decided to many people now have Teslas
The mere thought of my calling my insurance company in 1995 to tell them I increased the HP by +25 via cone air filter/chip/exhaust. Is this guy nuts? LOL
Aggmeister2010
Active Member
To be clear from an Insurance consideration standpoint - they're not going to drop you because you modified your steering wheel. From a value standpoint, insurance doesn't generally provide coverage for any modifications that they aren't aware of. In fact, they rarely provide coverage for modifications at all, because the farther you get from "factory," the harder it is to assign value. This is understandable....andthat probably wouldn't matter to OP.
The only time I could see this becoming a liability legally is: If OP gets in an accident and is sued by a victim, and an investigation finds that his modification to the steering wheel at least partially led to the accident, he could be held liable. But that's a lot of "ifs".
Oh man, FB and even Reddit are so much worse even still....there was a guy in the Tesla Reddit thing last week responding to someone's concern about a major suspension rattle and loose steering, and he claimed that "if the app doesn't show a problem, it's fine to drive."
He COULD NOT understand that the app has no ability to detail that kind of issue, and his only response was "well they should program the app more!"
That's the kind of folks you're dealing with there. Blind leading the blind. At least on TMC we're just wearing thick glasses.
The only time I could see this becoming a liability legally is: If OP gets in an accident and is sued by a victim, and an investigation finds that his modification to the steering wheel at least partially led to the accident, he could be held liable. But that's a lot of "ifs".
I have a question. When did the Tesla Motors Club become Facebook? Remember the days when we were all one big family on the same side?
I've decided to many people now have Teslas
Oh man, FB and even Reddit are so much worse even still....there was a guy in the Tesla Reddit thing last week responding to someone's concern about a major suspension rattle and loose steering, and he claimed that "if the app doesn't show a problem, it's fine to drive."
He COULD NOT understand that the app has no ability to detail that kind of issue, and his only response was "well they should program the app more!"
That's the kind of folks you're dealing with there. Blind leading the blind. At least on TMC we're just wearing thick glasses.
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Wol747
Active Member
I think you misunderstand the concern: we all know how airbags are triggered, the question is whether the whole steering wheel plays a part in taking the force of the body via the bag. I don’t know but I would assume the design takes it into account.
I asked MY insurer - as a hypothetical question - what the impact of replacing the steering wheel with a yoke would be on the policy - and, as is so often the case nowadays, the reply appeared to think I was asking about putting alloys on!
Duh….
Did somebody really ask if the insurance policy would get affected by putting on an aftermarket steering wheel? Oh Lordy. That guy probably calls his agent to give updates on his tire tread depth.
Wol747
Active Member
You probably haven’t had much interaction with insurance companies, I would guess.
Every insurance policy I’ve ever seen has questions about such things as modifications in the initial document, and at each renewal. I agree that it’s easy to ignore them and it has no impact UNTIL you make a claim. A major mod such as replacing a steering wheel with a yoke, as a DIY project involving the airbag, would most certainly require the insurer’s consent to keep the policy valid in law.
You might well be lucky if making a claim without telling the insurer but that would be at the discretion of it. I don’t have your faith in their benevolence.
Just one example: some time ago the Mrs was backed into in a public car park at a shopping centre. The other driver was at fault and said so. Our insurer turned down the claim as “cars are not insured in car parks: that’s our final word.”.
Absolute BS, of course, but it was a nice try. And eventually overturned after much “negotiation”.
Good luck.
Can we stop making claims without backing them up? Cite the law. There is no "involvement of the airbag". Give it a rest. It's replacing the wheel with the current version of the wheel as provided by the OEM. Identical airbag, no change so quit with the fear mongering nonsense. And your "major modification" is literally one bolt and two screws.
Initially I wasn’t going to comment on this thread. OP was under the guise that we are a big family and he is passing on a deal to fellow model s owners in a “Group Buy”. As if he was doing us a favor and how dare you to *sugar* on my good deeds. I don’t think most of y’all feels the same way when you find out that you can get the yokes from a run down Chinese factory that you can negotiate for a bargain price of $499 shipped when you buy a quantity of 10 or more. This thread is reek of commercial sale where OP makes a whopping $500 profit per wheel. Of course OP and OPs two other accounts on this forum is steaming because positive, constructive, and legitimate questions is interfering with their scam and cutting in their profit.
whitex
Well-Known Member
It's simple, even Elon's spell doesn't last forever. The longer Tesla is in business, the more disillusioned people it will leave in its wake. I used to believe, give Tesla all the benefit of doubt - "oh, they are just delayed, my 691hp passing speeds upgrade is coming, the design studio said so and I'll give Tesla the benefit of doubt". How naive I used to be.I have a question. When did the Tesla Motors Club become Facebook? Remember the days when we were all one big family on the same side?
I've decided to many people now have Teslas
AMPd
Well-Known Member
On a scale of 1-10 how upset would you be if I stole that saying from you?Listen, I am not sure that Martians won't land tomorrow and steal my rabbit. Doesn't mean I'm gonna sit there and stand guard on my roof.
Your comment about the wheel 'being similar but half of it is missing" is dead wrong. All Teslas currently being produced above the model 3 and Y come with the yoke steering. There is no full wheel available anymore on the plaid versions of the car. As for understanding the engineering, the airbag does not rest on the steering wheel when it deploys. In fact advances clear of the wheel and prevents you from hitting the center of the wheel. I'm not quite sure where you think the airbag is suddenly going to go, especially given how large it is, and how it actually works. It's not a pillow that requires the full wheel to support it. I have had the unpleasant experience of deploying all four forward facing bags in my car. Ironically the airbag was incredibly comfortable which is a strange thing to remember after the accident but that's a whole other story.
"Playing devils advocate" is another way of saying "I don't like what you're doing so let me s**t on it with rampant speculation under the guise of just asking questions". Here is an idea if you want to provide an informed opinion. Call your insurance agent, tell them you're considering changing the steering wheel to the an aftermarket version of the new model of Tesla wheel and see if your insurance rates change. If they say it does, have them provide that in writing and bring it back to the forum as a legitimate, well educated, warning. Just for the record, I did, they didn't know what I was talking about and didn't care. And I have Tesla insurance. As for your question regarding liability protection, you clearly misunderstood my point. If you do something negligent, or that is otherwise deemed to be your fault that is by definition "strict liability". Does that mean the liability section of your policy will cover that, it means that you have to have insurance to cover things that are your fault. If you decide to deep fry a turkey next to your shiny new model S and set it on fire, you are liable for that, in that you're negligent action directly lead to the loss. But your comprehensive policy will still cover the damage to your newly barbecued vehicle.
If you don't like it, and don't want it, don't get it. But people have modified their cars since the beginning of time. Many people on this forum including myself have changed the hood, headlights and the front end to the new model. Does that mean the airbags won't work? Some of us including myself have change the interior seats. Was that specific vehicle tested with those specific components on it for the NHTSA crash test? No it was not and yet we do it.
People add superchargers, turbos, change exhaust, upgrade their brakes, change their suspension, and every once in a while somebody will do something to their car that does cause it to get damaged. I don't inform the insurance company that I put aftermarket wheels and tires on my car either.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go climb on my roof and prepare
Very interested but can you provide an install guide? Very difficult to find many people/company to install.
Wait a minute. If you’re saying these wheels are completely interchangeable, why can’t the few people who are buying the new S that hate the yoke do a reverse upgrade back to round?
Notice that he kept the turn signal, autopilot, high beam and windshield wiper stalk controls. It’s not easy to put those back on a 2021+.
