Well finally got my Vredstein Ultrac Sessanta's fitted to the Octy Vrs last night...they sure look & feel good, but this morning the tyre pressure monitor warning light flashed up, 1st time it's come on since I got the car. Hopefully it's just because of the new tyres (pressures?), nothing visible anyway but I'll check all is well before I head home tonight. Any known issues with these, following the fitting of new/different tyres?

I had the same thing last time mine were changed. Maybe your older ones had lost some pressure (evenly, so wouldn't set off the sensor) and the new ones are a little higher - enough to trigger it off. Just hold the button in for a few seconds til it beeps to reset it and you should be fine.

No issue with pressure monitor but I have noticed a 10% drop in fuel economy since fitting the vredestiens. Someone suggested to me this may be because the overall circumference of the wheel may be slightly different (despite ultrac tyre size listed as the same as the OEM fit it had), which would throw out the gearing.

I believe the pressure monitor works by analysing the rolling circumference of the wheel, obviously as pressure is lost the tyre deflates, the rolling circ' 'gets smaller' and the light goes on. If you did not reset the monitor upon first fitting the new tyres this may explain your light coming on?

JD

check pressures and then hold the tpm button in till it bings then its been reset to the tyres current state.

thanks guys...hopefully it won't involve a 10% drop in mpg...I struggle to get 27 now !!!

Interesting comment on the Vredsteins...otherwise are you happy with the tyres?

I think they are a great tyre. Not too noisy, progressive feel (even with 18s), stacks of dry grip and not bad in the wet, although the back end gets a bit squirmy when pushed hard in the wet (arguably shouldnt be doing that though anyway). I run a highish PSI (36 front and 34 rear) for max economy on mainly long haul m'way driving with work.

Can get 38-39 mpg at 74mph with cruise but was getting 41-42 with dunlops. I have petrol vRS.

Goes down to 30mpg with pressure set for 'grip' and leaded right boot on

JD

Interesting...I have (or had !) mine set to the manufacturers recommended pressures - for the 'not fully loaded' option. With cruise on at 70ish over a long journey, I've seen 35mpg but no higher - that was with the 4 original Conti's. I've only swapped the two fronts to Vredsteins (plenty life left in the rears)...I am aware of the arguements over which end the new tyres should go on, but these guys know their stuff & said, definitely fit them to the front.

Most of my driving (unfortunately) is now town based with a few miles of dual c/way thrown in at one end...over a tank I see anything from 25-28mpg.

I think I will check with a manual calc to see if the computer may be wrong (although I might be disappointed if it's the other way !!!)

The tpm has gone off everytime I have changed tyres. I just reset it and then no further issues until I come to change them again. I put it down to the increase in rolling radius with the new tyres compared to the old worn ones.

Nothing to do with TPMs but how often does an Octy (either shape) qualify for the description of "car with rubbish steering and no ABS doing a panic stop on a flooded corner"?

Exactly; the problem with the tyre manufacturer's advice is that it uses very old and badly driven cars as justification!

More than happy with my Ultrac Sessantas, a tad noisy but excellent grip in the wet (better than Michelin Pilot Exatos at any rate), which I what I primarily bought them for.

There are several previous threads about tyre pressures but 2.35 bar all round works really well on the vRS (TFSI & TDI); improved grip & handling response with no loss of ride comfort, higher pressure is better for economy as well.

No noticeable effect on fuel consumption for me. Different (larger tyre size)? An old wives tale!

I fitted a full set of Ultrac's (the model below Ultrac Sessantas) to my previous Octy 2.0 tdi Elegance. I had no difference to economy and the main difference was the superior wet weather performance compared with the lousy Dunlops that were fitted when new. The Vredestein website is totally misleading with their pressures only stating the maximum pressures permitted. I found that sticking to the standard car's pressures worked best. At first the tyres did not impress but after becoming accustomed to them I could not fault their performance.

One observation was that my Vredesteins were rated "AA" for traction (see sidewall) which is apparently the highest standard for wet weather braking performance. (most of the tyres available only have a single "A" on the sidewalls. I am definitly fitting Ultrac Sessantas once my OE Michelins (Which strangly enough are also graded "AA" for traction) wear out.

What helps is my local tyre supplier does a great deal on Vredesteins!!

The older Ultrac was an excellent tyre. I'm not so fussed on the newer version. That's why I went back to Bridgestone this change, back to what I know.

Checked my tyres (one of the new ones was 29 & the other 32 (now 31 all round)) & reset the TPM...so we'll see what happens...either the tyre fitter was lazy, blind or I have a slow...hopefully it was one of the former !

Checked my tyres (one of the new ones was 29 & the other 32 (now 31 all round)) & reset the TPM...so we'll see what happens...either the tyre fitter was lazy, blind or I have a slow...hopefully it was one of the former !

I have yet to have any tyres fitted where the pressure has been set to the correct pressure, I think you did well getting them set so close !!

I have yet to have any tyres fitted where the pressure has been set to the correct pressure, I think you did well getting them set so close !!

The place I go to always manages OEM settings (unfortunately T1-Rs wear more evenly with 2PSI over on A4 chassis cars).

I have yet to have any tyres fitted where the pressure has been set to the correct pressure, I think you did well getting them set so close !!

Snap; I always ask the tyre fitter to put the pressures quite a bit higher than they should be - then adjust them to my own preference once i get home (and the tyres have cooled down).

That way I know the pressures are correct.

Well finally got my Vredstein Ultrac Sessanta's fitted to the Octy Vrs last night...they sure look & feel good, but this morning the tyre pressure monitor warning light flashed up, 1st time it's come on since I got the car. Hopefully it's just because of the new tyres (pressures?), nothing visible anyway but I'll check all is well before I head home tonight. Any known issues with these, following the fitting of new/different tyres?

The TPM actually works by using the ABS sensors to detect how fast each of the wheels are turning relative to each other.

If you put a new tyre on, more tread, bigger diameter, slower rotation for the same given speed of the car.

If a tyre looses pressure, it gets smaller, hence has to rotate faster for any given speed of the car.

As per the other advice, press the button to reset once all of the tyres are correctly inflated.

I am glad to say, there have been no further issues with the TPM (so it must just have been a poorly set pressure/the greater tread depth that was the issue).

As regards the tyres...maybe it's too early to say, but there is certainly more grip in the corners, but also a lot more road noise & it may be my imagination but the car doesn't feel quite as well 'planted' on the road as it did. Thankfully the mpg seems to have remained pretty constant.

As regards the tyres...maybe it's too early to say, but there is certainly more grip in the corners, but also a lot more road noise & it may be my imagination but the car doesn't feel quite as well 'planted' on the road as it did. Thankfully the mpg seems to have remained pretty constant.

I like my Ultrac Sessantas as they do have this element of flexibility to them that gives a progressive and forgiving nature to the handling & roadholding; very useful in the wet and cold. plus it gives a suppleness to the ride (compared to my Michelins).

I will never trust the TPM again after it failed to activate after a double blow-out :(