Well it just keeps getting better. NOT!

You know when you are just having one of those days....

I was out in the Citigo, with my daughter driving, this lunchtime.

She drove forwards into a large parking space and grazed, and I do mean grazed, the offside wheel on the kerb.

I was a bit annoyed, as you can imagine, as there was probably a scuff on the alloy :(

Imagine my surprise when I got out to look and heard that horrible hissing sound!

Yup, the tyre was going down rapidly :(

The alloy has a very small scuff which is so light it might even polish out, so good news there.

The tyre, however, had a half inch gash in the sidewall! :( :(

I was not happy!

Anyway, Skoda Assist turned up pretty quick and he has to move the car away from the kerb to get his jack in.

Full lock one way and he drives forward. The tyre is almost off the rim, the alloy about a millimetre from getting scuffed on the road this time!!

Full lock the other way and he starts to reverse. Same thing happens so I stop him.

He looks confused.

I look annoyed.

So, jack in place and up she goes.

Skoda man tries to undo wheel nuts and promptly snaps the socket end off his long ratchet bar.

Eventually manages to get the wheel off and throws it on the path, face up thank god, but a good clunk on the inside face of the alloy! :(

He then says he is going to try and fit a space saver spare he is carrying (it's a 16" wheel with 5 stud fitting. The Citigo has 14" and four stud fitting) he gets it out of the van despite me telling him it won't fit and why.

Kwikfit has a tyre so off we go leaving the front of the car sticking out into the road three feet from the kerb in the narrow road and my daughter looking after it.

Kids and money... There's another story but I had to go with him to pay.

Still not happy!!

Kwikfit were great and very quickly fitted a new tyre at £75 :(

back to the car, wheel on and paperwork and off he goes.

I'm slightly happier now despite a lighter wallet

The moral of this story is be bloody careful not to get anywhere near kerbs with these Eco tyres.

I had a look at the duff one. The sidewalls are VERY thin and I reckon any contact with a kerb, however light, will result in your wallet being lighter too.

That's reminded me to make sure I don't forget the spare wheel.

That way you don't have the inconvience or some ape playing with your alloys.

What about parking on the kerb does that count?

Sorry to hear btw

So, how much thinner is the sidewall of an Eco tyre than a non-Eco tyre?

I would have reported the Skoda assist guy, cant believe he trashed your alloy!

Sorry to hear that. My mum has super low profile p zero Nero Pirelli on her Mazda 2 and has done 3 tyres the same way in the 6 years she's had the car.

So, how much thinner is the sidewall of an Eco tyre than a non-Eco tyre?

Mike,

They are VERY thin.

Having cut a normal car tyre in half before, I know that the side wall is approx 5mm thick.

The Eco are less than 3mm. (an educated guess from an engineer with a micrometer for fingers )

I would have reported the Skoda assist guy, cant believe he trashed your alloy!

Blue,

I am going to send them an email this morning.

Not so much trashed as small dents on the inside.

Regardless, he should have taken more care with a 1000 mile old car :(

In this day and age with Alloys costing a fortune they should place them on a wheel mat

Seems it's getting quite rare to find good service these days.

My Vauxhall (now sold awaiting a Citigo) was damaged when it was recovered due to a broken front spring. Had to have the front bumper sprayed and a dent repaired in the passenger door. Also took my MX-5 for an MOT last month and it came back covered in scratches around the front wings and drivers door. Not possible to see at the time of collection as it was absolutely pouring down.

Anyway sounds like those wheel nuts are going to need freeing off a little when I get mine, if the assist guy had trouble with yours.

Mick

Mick, I think it was more to do with the poor state of his tool rather than the nuts being too tight.

Mick, I think it was more to do with the poor state of his tool rather than the nuts being too tight.

Sounds like something from a Carry On film.

I suppose it's also the annoyance of not having a spare wheel (like most modern cars). A tin of goo would not fix a tyre with side-wall and wheel damage!

I'm guessing the 'Eco' tyres are not runflats. Runflats would have a much stiffer sidewall, even stiffer than a normal tyre.

Edited 28 August, 201213 yr by Jim H

The RAC guys do get regular H&S checks on their Vans and Tools - I know one of my mates does it.

I made the mistake of going with the no spare wheel option. Thought it was a bad decision at the time, but when I called up later to see if I could add one to my order I was quoted an extra £130 !

Could someone who knows what they're talking about confirm if this would fit ? The spec looks right to me but I'm not 100% sure.

http://www.skodaparts.com/product/fabia-roomster-14-inch-steel-wheel-2000-2013-34994

Thanks very much.

White Flag, that Roomster wheel rim is a 5 stud. The Citygo is a 4 stud.

You probably won't find the right size for the Citygo unless you order from the dealer.

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe it's the only current Skoda to use 4 stud rims.

Possibly you could find an old Golf one to fit, as they were 4 stud some time ago.

But to save £20 and have to worry about offset and it's from a scrap yard and rusty I'd probably just cough up for a new one.

EDIT: Citygo is a 4 stud. I pressed 5 by mistake on the top line! :wonder:

Sorry to hear that. You'd expect someone to take good care of your car whether it's new or not. Not good news.

I think it'd be worth keeping a check on these eco tyres and reporting problems on the forums to see if they're more problematic than the vanilla ones.

Edited 31 August, 201213 yr by jofgav

Lots of more rubbish ECO tyres coming soon once they start to enforce the New Noise regulations.

For now if you dont want them, then basically do not have them.

(Suzuki UK do winter tyres on Wheels as an Option for the Swift, Splash etc, & Lots of Skoda Dealers in Scotland have some quite good value Winter & All Weather tyre sitting on offer in the Showroom.)

Good excuse to change them for something more robust as the Frosts arrived in many places today.

http://www.NTDA.co.u...reLabelling.pdf

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18663023

george

the New Noise regulations.

Love a link to these please?

Mike,

They are VERY thin.

Having cut a normal car tyre in half before, I know that the side wall is approx 5mm thick.

The Eco are less than 3mm. (an educated guess from an engineer with a micrometer for fingers )

mmm, that's a bit worrying to hear. Would they wear out quicker? And why are they so thin?

G.P.,

it has all been slow in coming, but they are on a roll now (pun).

It is not something i dreamt up or a conspiracy theory, it will be effecting us all in the near future.

First the tyres need designed & manufactured & available, the labelling and selling of the replacement tyres,

this is happening now.

then the changes can take place at MOT's and road side tests some time down the line..How many years is anyones guess.

For any Regulations or Legislation beyond the July 2012 stage you will need to google and look yourself,

i have no idea if it is even Written yet or at what stage of Statute for what happens next as far as Tyre Noise in the UK.

I just know the EU/UK Limitations already in place and being implemented further on the Import of 4x4 & Off Road tyres has already hit in the UK, & certain 'new' tyres became almost impossible to Purchase from 'Commercial & Domestic' Tyre Suppliers,

with 'Private' means of bringing in being the best way to get some Aggressive Tyre treads.

(this is down to the 'dirty rubber' legislation & re-cycling' legislation not just noise. But that is another story again.)

http://www.dft.gov.u...enforcement.pdf

http://www.national....egulations.aspx

http://www.ntda.co.uk/images/TyreLabelling.pdf

See 'Exclusions'

george

mmm, that's a bit worrying to hear. Would they wear out quicker? And why are they so thin?

I think they will wear out quicker, they are thiner to cut the weight down.

It is not something i dreamt up or a conspiracy theory, it will be effecting us all in the near future.

First the tyres need designed & manufactured & available, the labelling and selling of the replacement tyres,

this is happening now.

then the changes can take place at MOT's and road side tests some time down the line..How many years is anyones guess.

For any Regulations or Legislation beyond the July 2012 stage you will need to google and look yourself,

i have no idea if it is even Written yet or at what stage of Statute for what happens next as far as Tyre Noise in the UK.

I know you've not drempt it up, the S mark caused enough problem's, I just thought you'd seen some new furture regs.

As for the new label's, they were a great idea but its not quite gone to plan as some manufactures have not been to honest with the results. .

I just think of the 'Tyre labels' as being like the very similar labels for 'Washing Machines', 'Fridge freezers' etc.

Now i can not buy easily or cheaply normal Washing machine with a blue and red inlet pipe,

i get a choice of 'Cold Fill' only machine.

I have a boiler & hot water in the tank, but must fill a washing machine with cold water and let the machine heat the water..

(actually i dont have hot water when its below freezing where i live, because the 'Condensing Boiler' John Prescott made us fit does not work when my outside flu freezes)

So then i have no heating and Frozen Water pipes for days on end for 3 out of the last 4 winters.

EU have energy & conservation ideas & forget the practical use or users and Regional needs.

There is usual extra expense and less choice coming in their plans.

george

mmm, that's a bit worrying to hear. Would they wear out quicker? And why are they so thin?

I don't think they will wear out quicker ?

The depth of tread is the same, just the sidewalls that are thinner.

Must be a weight saving thing I guess?

Now i can not buy easily or cheaply normal Washing machine with a blue and red inlet pipe,

i get a choice of 'Cold Fill' only machine.

I have a boiler & hot water in the tank, but must fill a washing machine with cold water and let the machine heat the water..

(actually i dont have hot water when its below freezing where i live, because the 'Condensing Boiler' John Prescott made us fit does not work when my outside flu freezes)

So then i have no heating and Frozen Water pipes for days on end for 3 out of the last 4 winters.

EU have energy & conservation ideas & forget the practical use or users and Regional needs.

There is usual extra expense and less choice coming in their plans.

I also now only have the one inlet on the rear of our washer, with the aid of a 'Y' piece it takes in 50/50 hot/cold, thankfully we don't have a condensing boiler, and as long as I can get parts I'll keep the old one going. .

I don't think they will wear out quicker ?

The depth of tread is the same, just the sidewalls that are thinner.

Must be a weight saving thing I guess?

Yes, guess so, hope you're right about the wear issue.