Many thanks to all for the advice after my original query. We've decided to go for 205/60/16 on 6J ET50 steels. To the uninitiated, the wheel/tyre choice is a minefield, and my dealer didn't want to commit to tyre choices. Cheers everyone. Tony

And purely out of interest, what was it that clinched it over the 215's and 7J's?

Many thanks to all for the advice after my original query. We've decided to go for 205/60/16 on 6J ET50 steels. To the uninitiated, the wheel/tyre choice is a minefield, and my dealer didn't want to commit to tyre choices. Cheers everyone. Tony

That was my choice. You will not be disappointed!

And purely out of interest, what was it that clinched it over the 215's and 7J's?

Mainly the closest in rolling diameter I think to the existing 17" wheels in the sense that the speedo reading will be somewhere near the same, Jessica was not happy having to mentally check the actual speed with displayed speed. That's the conclusion we came to anyway in our ignorance of wheels & tyres! Tony

And purely out of interest, what was it that clinched it over the 215's and 7J's?

Prior to the above decision I had emailed William Fisher at SUK, asking him to confirm their approval of me fitting 205/60/16 Winter tyres on 6J steel wheels. His reply(summarised verbatim below) may be of interest:

I have passed your request to Skoda Technical who have confirmed that it is not in fact possible to fit 205/60/16 tyres as you have suggested. I am sorry for any disappointment caused.

For your information, I have listed the approved combinations below:

Tyre size Wheel size

205/55/16 6J x 16

205/55/16 7J x 16

215/60/16 7J x 16

205/50/17 6J x 17

So I have changed my order for 6J wheels to 7J, and will be getting 215/60/16 to retain some speedo accuracy as explained before. There is a delay I am told in getting the wheels before Xmas, so I may wait until summer to get the tyres when prices and availability are better ready for next winter. Hope this is of some help, though not totally logical to me, but I am no expert! Tony

Prior to the above decision I had emailed William Fisher at SUK, asking him to confirm their approval of me fitting 205/60/16 Winter tyres on 6J steel wheels. His reply(summarised verbatim below) may be of interest:

I have passed your request to Skoda Technical who have confirmed that it is not in fact possible to fit 205/60/16 tyres as you have suggested. I am sorry for any disappointment caused.

For your information, I have listed the approved combinations below:

Tyre size Wheel size

205/55/16 6J x 16

205/55/16 7J x 16

215/60/16 7J x 16

205/50/17 6J x 17

So I have changed my order for 6J wheels to 7J, and will be getting 215/60/16 to retain some speedo accuracy as explained before. There is a delay I am told in getting the wheels before Xmas, so I may wait until summer to get the tyres when prices and availability are better ready for next winter. Hope this is of some help, though not totally logical to me, but I am no expert! Tony

Interesting as I had a call from Will Fisher and another from Skoda UK via my dealer and both approved the 206/60/16 combination prior to my buying and fitting. They are fitted and are fine! There certainly seems to be a lot of confusion over wheel/tyre sizes. I still wonder whether Skoda Technical are giving out information based upon which tyres will be acceptable to take snow chains.

Edited 6 December, 201015 yr by survey

Prior to the above decision I had emailed William Fisher at SUK, asking him to confirm their approval of me fitting 205/60/16 Winter tyres on 6J steel wheels. His reply(summarised verbatim below) may be of interest:

I have passed your request to Skoda Technical who have confirmed that it is not in fact possible to fit 205/60/16 tyres as you have suggested. I am sorry for any disappointment caused.

For your information, I have listed the approved combinations below:

Tyre size Wheel size

205/55/16 6J x 16

205/55/16 7J x 16

215/60/16 7J x 16

205/50/17 6J x 17

So I have changed my order for 6J wheels to 7J, and will be getting 215/60/16 to retain some speedo accuracy as explained before. There is a delay I am told in getting the wheels before Xmas, so I may wait until summer to get the tyres when prices and availability are better ready for next winter. Hope this is of some help, though not totally logical to me, but I am no expert! Tony

Well Tony, there you have it in writing there from Skoda Technical.... the definitive range of sizes that, presumably, we must adhere to if we want to fit winter tyres on steel wheels with the blessing of the masters. And, as you've said, to get closest to the original 17" wheel diameter on SE and Elegance, the 215/60/16's on 7J's seem the obvious choice especially if you're inclined towards a slightly higher profile on 60's as opposed to 55 or 50.

How many have already ordered or fitted combinations that don't meet with their approval? Bit of a cat among the pigeons situation and await the thoughts of others.

EDIT Just spotted your post, survey. You were typing at the same time as myself.....will you be shooting off another email yourself to ask why you was told one thing and Tony, another?

Edited 6 December, 201015 yr by oldstan

Oldstan - it really is a minefield. I do wonder whether Skofa are looking at sizes suitable for fitting chains. Or is there a difference between 2 and 4WD?

Oldstan - it really is a minefield. I do wonder whether Skofa are looking at sizes suitable for fitting chains. Or is there a difference between 2 and 4WD?

I'm not so sure, survey. I can see that the smaller diameter tyres like the one's The Plumber fitted would, by the very nature of their smaller size, allow for the width of the chain links to take up the space and bring the diameter back up to the original diameter........that makes sense. But to sanction winter tyre sizes that are within a whisker (0.7%, if I remember right) doesn't then allow for the extra size of the chain links. So, I'm not sure about your thoughts on that one. I sense a polite but inquisitive email heading Mr Fisher's way. At least you have the car......and as we all know, I don't :S , so probably best coming from you.

Edited 6 December, 201015 yr by oldstan

I'm not so sure, survey. I can see that the smaller diameter tyres like the one's The Plumber fitted would, by the very nature of their smaller size, allow for the width of the chain links to take up the space and bring the diameter back up to the original diameter........that makes sense. But to sanction winter tyre sizes that are within a whisker (0.7%, if I remember right) doesn't then allow for the extra size of the chain links. So, I'm not sure about your thoughts on that one. I sense a polite but inquisitive email heading Mr Fisher's way. At least you have the car......and as we all know, I don't :S , so probably best coming from you.

I may have said that I did not wish to fit chains. Anyone have Will Fisher's email address as I had previously phoned him?

I may have said that I did not wish to fit chains. Anyone have Will Fisher's email address as I had previously phoned him?

I addressed my email to [email protected], for the attention of William Fisher, and it seemed to work. I can understand your annoyance, it is so difficult to get definitive and straightforward answers from SUK, I was pleased in a way to actually get something in writing, though it wasn't what I wanted to hear!. I could forward you his actual email, Survey, if yours is on the system and I can manage to do it, Will Fisher did seem to be trying to help and was quite sympathetic. Tony

Just tried and it doesn't seem to work, probably me, if you want a copy you can mail me and I'll reply direct.

Edited 7 December, 201015 yr by jessica

I addressed my email to [email protected], for the attention of William Fisher, and it seemed to work. I can understand your annoyance, it is so difficult to get definitive and straightforward answers from SUK, I was pleased in a way to actually get something in writing, though it wasn't what I wanted to hear!. I could forward you his actual email, Survey, if yours is on the system and I can manage to do it, Will Fisher did seem to be trying to help and was quite sympathetic. Tony

Just tried and it doesn't seem to work, probably me, if you want a copy you can mail me and I'll reply direct.

Jessica - I have now emailed Will Fisher and also my dealer who also approved my choice of tyre (after consulting Skoda Technical). I did manage to pinpoint within a hour or so of the day when I was phoned by both Will and my dealer with their approvals for my choice, before I placed my order for the tyres. I await a response! Could the difference be that your car is a 2WD? - I would not have thought that made a difference to wheel/tyre choice.

Jessica - I have now emailed Will Fisher and also my dealer who also approved my choice of tyre (after consulting Skoda Technical). I did manage to pinpoint within a hour or so of the day when I was phoned by both Will and my dealer with their approvals for my choice, before I placed my order for the tyres. I await a response! Could the difference be that your car is a 2WD? - I would not have thought that made a difference to wheel/tyre choice.

Be interested in what they come up with. I can't see the 2 WD making a difference, they are the same tyres throughout the range apart from the differences in trim i.e 'E', 'S' 'SE' etc. I did make the point in my email that I did not want to use chains, and that was all the handbook catered for.

So I don't think he was confused over that. Come to that I can't see the problem with what you've got anyway, seems a sensible match, especially as the 205/60/16 are more easily available as far as I can see. Tony

Be interested in what they come up with. I can't see the 2 WD making a difference, they are the same tyres throughout the range apart from the differences in trim i.e 'E', 'S' 'SE' etc. I did make the point in my email that I did not want to use chains, and that was all the handbook catered for.

So I don't think he was confused over that. Come to that I can't see the problem with what you've got anyway, seems a sensible match, especially as the 205/60/16 are more easily available as far as I can see. Tony

Tony - I have received a prompt response from Will Fisher at Skoda UK. This is what he says:

[Thank you for your email regarding winter tyres for Yeti. I am very pleased to learn that the tyres you have selected following

our discussions have proven effective in the cold weather we have been experiencing.

Whilst I cannot comment on the content of independent internet forums, I believe I can confirm the reason you and your associate

feel you have received conflicting information.

An important distinction to make when confirming which tyres are permissible for a vehicle, is that the choice is chassis

specific, and not model specific.

Two cars may appear the same, but could have slight differences in load rating, speed rating, and aspect ratio from build, hence

the need to base any advice on tyre selection on a vehicle's individual chassis number.

The advice I gave you when we last spoke was based on your vehicle's chassis number and I can assure you that the wheel and tyre

combination now fitted to your Yeti is correct and permissible from a manufacturer's perspective.

I hope I have managed to clarify how we determine these combinations. If you have any further queries, please feel free to

contact me.

[/i]

Fortunately Skoda's advice to me is upheld but I would have thought that there was little difference between all Yeti chassis etc.

Tony - I have received a prompt response from Will Fisher at Skoda UK. This is what he says:

[Thank you for your email regarding winter tyres for Yeti. I am very pleased to learn that the tyres you have selected following

our discussions have proven effective in the cold weather we have been experiencing.

Whilst I cannot comment on the content of independent internet forums, I believe I can confirm the reason you and your associate

feel you have received conflicting information.

An important distinction to make when confirming which tyres are permissible for a vehicle, is that the choice is chassis

specific, and not model specific.

Two cars may appear the same, but could have slight differences in load rating, speed rating, and aspect ratio from build, hence

the need to base any advice on tyre selection on a vehicle's individual chassis number.

The advice I gave you when we last spoke was based on your vehicle's chassis number and I can assure you that the wheel and tyre

combination now fitted to your Yeti is correct and permissible from a manufacturer's perspective.

I hope I have managed to clarify how we determine these combinations. If you have any further queries, please feel free to

contact me.

[/i]

Fortunately Skoda's advice to me is upheld but I would have thought that there was little difference between all Yeti chassis etc.

Thanks for that, I am pleased for you that he has not condemned your choice, and now have it in writing! I still can't follow the logic. All Yeti SE's for example have the same tyres as standard, so why should they require different tyres for winter according to chassis number? When my dealer put in my chassis number on the Skoda system, it came up with 6J steel wheels for winter but no tyre choice options, or so he said. The mind boggles, but as they say, all's well that ends well, and I am stuck now with getting 215/60/16's on a lighter car! Tony

Thanks for that, I am pleased for you that he has not condemned your choice, and now have it in writing! I still can't follow the logic. All Yeti SE's for example have the same tyres as standard, so why should they require different tyres for winter according to chassis number? When my dealer put in my chassis number on the Skoda system, it came up with 6J steel wheels for winter but no tyre choice options, or so he said. The mind boggles, but as they say, all's well that ends well, and I am stuck now with getting 215/60/16's on a lighter car! Tony

I think I would call that a standard "get out of jail" card. A lot of sweet talking to cover the fact that they really don't know what they are talking about half the time and were caught out this time. Hmmm.

I think I would call that a standard "get out of jail" card. A lot of sweet talking to cover the fact that they really don't know what they are talking about half the time and were caught out this time. Hmmm.

My thoughts exactly!! So does everyone who wants winter tyres have to submit their chassis number to Skoda first to see what they are allowed? Tony

Edited 7 December, 201015 yr by jessica

My thoughts exactly!! So does everyone who wants winter tyres have to submit their chassis number to Skoda first to see what they are allowed? Tony

It is all really quite worrying! And just think of the number of owners who do not read this forum who will just do what they think is the best for them. If Skoda really think chassis numbers are so critical in determining alternative wheel/tyre combinations then the manual should say so in unequivocal words.

I think I would call that a standard "get out of jail" card. A lot of sweet talking to cover the fact that they really don't know what they are talking about half the time and were caught out this time. Hmmm.

Ah, so it wasnt just me that thought that when reading the reply!

Please do check with your insurance company about changing to winter wheels and tyres.

I was all set to get 4 steelies as on the E, with the right sized tyres and when I checked with Privelige they wanted an extra £80, they class it as a modification.

There was a comment on this thread earlier vis-a-vis winter tyres on the front of a FWD car only.

And much "schock horror"- dont do it advice.

Except what is the recommendation for snow chains.........................front wheels only I believe.

So erm what happens the back there then.

I appreciate one should be travelling slower on chains but none the less there were comments about walking pace tail out behavouir................... if one had the termity to fit winter tyres on the front only

just a thought

M

PS

I am with the poster who put his wifes Ka on front winters only.

The sensible or perhaps least worst option.

Unless one intends to drive immoderately.

Then all four corners would be wise.

I appreciate one should be travelling slower on chains but none the less there were comments about walking pace tail out behavouir................... if one had the termity to fit winter tyres on the front only

You answered yourself. Snow chains are for very slow driving in very thick snow. They are NOT for normal driving on tarmac. So the chance of your rear overtaking the front on chains is minimal.

Ah, so it wasnt just me that thought that when reading the reply!

Intriguing, fascinating.......but very pleased for survey that you're not condemned to having 'inappropriate' tyres and you too have received the approval you sought.

Some will remember that I posted, some while ago, that when I called Customer Service there was a firm, but polite, insistence that they couldn't advise me without a chassis number - and that was a couple of weeks ago....so it's not necessarily something that Skoda have come up with in order to sort out, what seemed to be, this recent apparent inconsistency. Hope this might ease any possible, slight impatience or irritation towards them, although, as has been pointed out, it does seem rather obscure and difficult to sort out if you hadn't been looking on here to get this information. Again, due thanks will be offered to Will Fisher for dealing with those who seek correct advice and information from them, as we/you try to 'get it right'.

Edited 7 December, 201015 yr by oldstan

Intriguing, fascinating.......but very pleased for survey that you're not condemned to having 'inappropriate' tyres and you too have received the approval you sought.

No-one will remember that I posted, some while ago, that when I called Customer Service there was a firm, but polite, insistence that they couldn't advise me without a chassis number - and that was a couple of weeks ago....so it's not necessarily something that Skoda have come up with in order to sort out, what seemed to be, this recent apparent inconsistency. Hope this might ease any possible, slight impatience or irritation towards them, although, as has been pointed out, it does seem rather obscure and difficult to sort out if you hadn't been looking on here to get this information. Again, due thanks will be offered to Will Fisher for dealing with those who seek correct advice and information from them, as we/you try to 'get it right'.

Oldstan - I do remember your posting! I think the point is that it would be helpful if the manual actually states that for tyres other than those to be used with snow chains, it is necessary to contact Skoda with a chassis number for a list of acceptable wheel/tyre combinations. With winter tyres becoming so popular now in the UK, it would not hurt Skoda UK to insert in the handbook a slip detailing what tyres etc ARE acceptable for one's particular chassis type/number. It is really like the laziness in keeping all data to metric and bar pressure etc instead of making the handbook more relevant to customers who buy their products. And please nobody qqute the fact that we are in this d***** Common Market now!

Will Fisher has certainly put himself out to help customers. Good for him!

Carisbrook - I agree - checking with one's insuarnce company is sensible. As I have posted elsewhere, my insurer, Hastings, considered the fitting of my wheels/tyres a sensible safety precaution and there was no additional fee involved. When I come to renew the insurance next year it another item to think about.

Edited 7 December, 201015 yr by survey

Oldstan - I do remember your posting! I think the point is that it would be helpful if the manual actually states that for tyres other than those to be used with snow chains, it is necessary to contact Skoda with a chassis number for a list of acceptable wheel/tyre combinations. With winter tyres becoming so popular now in the UK, it would not hurt Skoda UK to insert in the handbook a slip detailing what tyres etc ARE acceptable for one's particular chassis type/number. It is really like the laziness in keeping all data to metric and bar pressure etc instead of making the handbook more relevant to customers who buy their products. And please nobody qqute the fact that we are in this d***** Common Market now!

Will Fisher has certainly put himself out to help customers. Good for him!

Carisbrook - I agree - checking with one's insuarnce company is sensible. As I have posted elsewhere, my insurer, Hastings, considered the fitting of my wheels/tyres a sensible safety precaution and there was no additional fee involved. When I come to renew the insurance next year it another item to think about.

Thanks, survey. All sensible stuff from your goodself............and I'll edit my previous entry straight away following your recollection......

Carisbrook - I agree - checking with one's insuarnce company is sensible. As I have posted elsewhere, my insurer, Hastings, considered the fitting of my wheels/tyres a sensible safety precaution and there was no additional fee involved. When I come to renew the insurance next year it another item to think about.

Thats definately a question I will ask come renewal, to any new Ins company's.

Just proves that 'some' companys are just out to squeeze any last drop out of you.

Lucky your ins co is a little more forward thinking.

there was a piece on winter tyres on Radio 4 money box program, saturday gone.

The AA are calling for a industry wide policy on the fitting of Winter's.

Edit: If anyone's interested about 6.45 mins in.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00wcs46/Money_Box_04_12_2010/

Edited 7 December, 201015 yr by carisbrook