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new tin top car = no spare wheel
nick205 - 27/10/10 at 03:53 PM

It appears that the majority of cars these days are supplied with a punture repair kit instead of a spare wheel and jack. Speaking direct to Skoda UK they commented that this was a measure taken to reduce the overall wvehicle weight and therefore contribute toward lower emissions. They also pointed out that most buyers specify the "optional" spare wheel when buying a new car (which is still supplied with the repair kit by default).

Firstly, I'd not want to be faffing around trying to mend a puncture, which would invariably occur when it's raining, cold and dark only to find it doesn't work and I'm stranded. Far more reliable to change the wheel and be on your way.

Secondly, what's the point in achieving a headline CO2 figure that in reality the vehicle is not going to achieve...?


loggyboy - 27/10/10 at 04:02 PM

The other thing to consider is that once injected the tyre cant be repaired, so instead of a £20 repair, its a whole new tyre.
I would expect that offset against the fuel savings would mean youd have to luckout at not having a puncture for about 30 years before the fuel savings paid back.

I completely take MPG figures with a pince of salt since I bought my Volvo Drive, alegedly 50mpg urban, 62 combined and 75 extra urban.
So far since Dec09 ive averaged 45mpg, and at best driving very conservatively (ie gentle acel and 65mph on m/way etc) ive managed a whoping 55mpg.


adithorp - 27/10/10 at 04:11 PM

I'd say more like some rather than the majority.

About the same proportion as old cars with flat spare tyres.

adrian


locost750mc - 27/10/10 at 04:15 PM

And what would happen if you got a blowout or similar where it couldnt be repaired by the kit?, frubar.

[Edited on 27/10/10 by locost750mc]


mcerd1 - 27/10/10 at 04:35 PM

I'm all for weight reduction, but they are doing it in all the wrong places...

I recon they should use thiner glass and rip out the pointless stuff (i.e. sound proofing, eletric adjustable everything, air con and so on)


tomgregory2000 - 27/10/10 at 04:36 PM

it all a load of b0llocks

its just another way for them to make more money

no spare wheel = more cash for them


bitsilly - 27/10/10 at 05:10 PM

They can be repaired but it is a horrible job so most refuse to.
Also, the kit did not work when the puncture was in the sidewall of my car.


col - 27/10/10 at 05:21 PM

I had a fiat punto sporting w reg and it came with a spare, my mate had an 03 which had apuncture repair kit in polystyrene wheel shape case,in the bootfloor........i told him to go to scrapyard and get a spair....he did £5 job done.


Mr Whippy - 27/10/10 at 06:41 PM

just a con and I've had several punctures that the sidewall was holed from hitting curbs and a can can't fix that...

stupid space savers are dangerous too, trying to get home in snow and ice with one of those...no thanks

old cars are the best, forget this modern cheap rubbish


AndyW - 27/10/10 at 07:07 PM

No matter what manufacturers do, save money, save weight, saves this saves that, the general public will always find a reason to fault what they do. Run flats, now there is a good idea, all we get is people hating them. Space savers, extra boot space, oh no we hate them there dangerous. If we all hate all the things so much just go buy a bloody push bike. This country is nothing but moan moan moan.


JoelP - 27/10/10 at 07:27 PM

quote:
Originally posted by AndyW
This country is nothing but moan moan moan.


Are you moaning?!


tomgregory2000 - 27/10/10 at 07:50 PM

quote:

old cars are the best, forget this modern cheap rubbish


he is not wrong, i now drive a 1986 land rover 90 and that has a propper size spare, i just hope it snows this year so i can have some fun in it


nick205 - 27/10/10 at 08:12 PM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
The other thing to consider is that once injected the tyre cant be repaired, so instead of a £20 repair, its a whole new tyre.
I would expect that offset against the fuel savings would mean youd have to luckout at not having a puncture for about 30 years before the fuel savings paid back.

I completely take MPG figures with a pince of salt since I bought my Volvo Drive, alegedly 50mpg urban, 62 combined and 75 extra urban.
So far since Dec09 ive averaged 45mpg, and at best driving very conservatively (ie gentle acel and 65mph on m/way etc) ive managed a whoping 55mpg.



That's very interesting! That's the other car I've been looking at and tempted by the "potential" economy.

Is it a V50?

How many miles have you done so far?

Diesels seem to need a good few 1,000 miles under their belt to reach their best.


Danozeman - 27/10/10 at 08:43 PM

Tyres can be repaired when that stuff is in them. But as said most places tell you you cant as you have to clean the tyre out etc. Mucky job.

As for the stuff its expensive to replace. For eg the VW stuff is 40 quid a bottle and BMW stuff for the mini is 60 quid IIRC.


Ninehigh - 27/10/10 at 09:32 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Danozeman
Tyres can be repaired when that stuff is in them. But as said most places tell you you cant as you have to clean the tyre out etc. Mucky job.

As for the stuff its expensive to replace. For eg the VW stuff is 40 quid a bottle and BMW stuff for the mini is 60 quid IIRC.


And the same stuff with a different label is probably a fiver from your local motor factors


PSpirine - 27/10/10 at 09:34 PM

I can confirm that the cost of one of those compressor + goo thingies is faaaar less than the weight of a spare.

I personally don't carry a spare in my car at all (got a tube of tyreweld) - reason? I don't fancy myself sitting 12" from lorries flying past at 50mph and a car balancing on a dodgy jack on my other side at night on a motorway. I've got AA recovery to help out in major cases, tyreweld will sort the small punctures.

Plus taking it out of its well means you have a rather nifty nook for putting stuff into that's out of the way.


Incidentally, a bicycle Tubeless tyre repair kit (a couple of quid) will sort out most punctures due to nails/screws etc. in about 10 minutes very effectively - the kit that has a little reamer, and some epoxy type stuff that plugs the hole, not a patch obviously!


Pavs


blakep82 - 27/10/10 at 09:53 PM

so, how many of you carry a spare wheel on your kit cars?


morcus - 28/10/10 at 12:36 AM

My 09 panda came with a space saver and Jack, but to be honest, I'd me inclined to call for help than get out on the motorway (Or most other roads after dark) and put it on. My 205 was 20 years old and still had most of the plastic wrapper still on it.
I do think it's a way for manufacturers to save money, that can of stuff has to be cheaper than a spare and there are probably other hidden savings aswell.

I'm intrested though in the answer to the above qestion.


daviep - 28/10/10 at 06:33 AM

quote:
Originally posted by bitsilly
They can be repaired but it is a horrible job so most refuse to.
Also, the kit did not work when the puncture was in the sidewall of my car.


You shouldn't repair sidewall damage anyway.


loggyboy - 29/10/10 at 01:53 PM

quote:
Originally posted by nick205
That's very interesting! That's the other car I've been looking at and tempted by the "potential" economy.

Is it a V50?

How many miles have you done so far?

Diesels seem to need a good few 1,000 miles under their belt to reach their best.


C30:


Ive done 20k in since December, keeping a log of petrol expences and mileage, Best is 55 average (around 600 miles to the tank), worse is 41mpg (around 450miles to the tank). Thats calculated MPG not off the lying computers (that it doesnt have anyway).

I bought it in Dec 09 on 7k but MPG has been fairly even throughout the last 10 months (depending on if I drive carefully or not!)

I had a courtesy V50 2.0 diesel for 3-4 days, so didnt get a chance to do proper calc, the computer that was fitted to that showed 45mpg, so i dont think theres much difference unless you drive everywhere at 50mph.

One huge bonus that I felt in my pocket the other month was the £30 road tax

One thing that could effect mine is it being the Rdesign, meaning bigger wheels, and a bigger spoiler, where as the standard DRIVe models have a smooth sided alloy and swept down spoiler. Apparrently the spoiler gives 2mpg alone.


JoelP - 29/10/10 at 07:37 PM

must say, its a damn nice looking car IMHO.


:{THC}:YosamiteSam - 30/10/10 at 09:18 PM

working for the biggest car manufacturer in UK i feel quite confident in saying its got nowt at all to do with fuel economy, weight, drag coefficient, smell or art deco - - pure money, nowt else.

every part of every car is designed, built, tested with money top of the list.

example - how many cars have you seen as prototypes and thought... wow - that looks cool! i'll buy one of those tomorrow.

then when it gets to production does it have the same spec? - how often engineers have said - na - cant be made cheap enuff to mass produce - bin that.. ahh now thats a cheaper bit.. we'll have that instead

bad for the customer but good for the manufacturers profit margins - which is what the head office wants to hear.. thats the way the world works now


cliftyhanger - 31/10/10 at 03:42 PM

There is another potential problem. I phoned my breakdown provider (comes with insurance policy on the wifes car) and they explained that they will only fit the spare tyre.
"But my car was not supplied with a spare tyre"
Reply "Then we will not be able to help you"
So, if no spare, don't rely on th ebreakdown people helping you out. They probably won't, worth a phonecall to check.


Guinness - 31/10/10 at 05:15 PM

I bought my Seat Leon new from a dealer in 2007. Came with bling 18" alloys.

First big trip away was a job in Cardiff. Loaded the car up with all the tools / gear and set off.

Got there, did the job, handed the project over to the client on a Friday afternoon. Loaded the car up and went to set off. "Bing" flat tyre alarm goes off. Shoite.

Unpacked the car, found the space saver spare. Tried to use the poxy little wrench they supplied to get the nuts off. Couldn't manage it. So called the AA. He came out with a decent breaker bar and helped me change the wheel.

Then the fun started. First off, the space saver said "no more than 50 miles at no more than 50mph". No way I was driving 400 odd miles home at 50mph. So I decided to put the spare back in the car. But it wouldn't fit, anywhere.

So I had to leave my suitcase behind at the site, and take the wheel to a local tyre place. Except there was no-where open in Cardiff at 5pm on a Friday night.

So I went back to site, swapped the wheel for my suitcase and stayed in a hotel. Managed to get the puncture fixed the next morning and get home a day late!

I now carry a tin of tyre weld and a compressor as well as the useless spacesaver.