Just don't get me started....................... Spare wheels ought to be STANDARD!

 

EDIT, as I can't be bothered!

 Found this in today's Sunday Times:

 

" The AA has come up with a design for a 17in universal spare that will fit almost any car with a 5-stud or 5-bolt fitting. It will work like a conventional space saver, with users limited to 50mph.

 

The plan is for patrols to carry a universal spare, then charge drivers a £200 deposit on their credit card at the roadside, which will then be refunded when the driver takes the spare to a tyre dealer to get the car's punctured tyre repaired or replaced.

 

The AA said the new wheel was aimed at the 3.4m cars in Britain with no spare wheel, but instead come with a tin of sealant that can fix minor punctures but not major blowouts or damage to sidewalls. "

 

The Grand Scenic that preceded my Yeti covered 140,000 miles in 8 years and still had its original canister of sealant untouched. No punctures in that time. While my previous BMW had nails through both rear wheels during a similar period. On balance, I'm pleased my Yeti has a spare. But without wishing to tempt fate, have to say that it's steel spare remains untouched and pristine, with the car having covered 84,000 so far.

 

F.  

Personally, I wanted the boot space & flat floor in "van mode" so didn't go for the spare wheel option on the basis that I have never had a blow-out in 20+years, & as I also have a set of winters, thought I could carry one of those as a spare if going a distance. I did specify TPM though as I've had several slow punctures over the years, so thought that would suffice, & so far, I've been right. I've had 2 slow punctures in the same tyre on the Yeti & the TPM catches it when the pressure differential is about 4psi, so I thought that was pretty impressive, certainly enough to avoid long term tyre damage. I do however check tyre pressures at least fortnightly & am always careful never to kerb a tyre, so maybe that goes some way to explaining why I've never had a major failure too. Out of complacency, I've never bothered carrying that winter as the spare yet either! (Doh, that's done it...)

 Found this in today's Sunday Times:

 

" The AA has come up with a design for a 17in universal spare that will fit almost any car with a 5-stud or 5-bolt fitting. It will work like a conventional space saver, with users limited to 50mph.

 

The plan is for patrols to carry a universal spare, then charge drivers a £200 deposit on their credit card at the roadside, which will then be refunded when the driver takes the spare to a tyre dealer to get the car's punctured tyre repaired or replaced.

 

The AA said the new wheel was aimed at the 3.4m cars in Britain with no spare wheel, but instead come with a tin of sealant that can fix minor punctures but not major blowouts or damage to sidewalls. "

 

The Grand Scenic that preceded my Yeti covered 140,000 miles in 8 years and still had its original canister of sealant untouched. No punctures in that time. While my previous BMW had nails through both rear wheels during a similar period. On balance, I'm pleased my Yeti has a spare. But without wishing to tempt fate, have to say that it's steel spare remains untouched and pristine, with the car having covered 84,000 so far.

 

F.  

 

I was just about to quote this! Seems like a useful idea - I wonder if Skoda Assist recovery vehicles will carry some such thing as well?

I would never own a car without a full sized spare wheel.

 

As above... some gunk isn't much good when you have a blow-out etc.

 

Plus a space saver is also no good when your on your way on holiday wanting to make some progress on the Autobahn then have to do 50mph because of the space saver... no thanks!

 

Also I really hope people make sure they have breakdown assistance and DO NOT try to change their wheel or fill it with gunk on the hard shoulder... there was really only one person to blame for that mans death... himself. Sorry.

 

Phil

 

Also I really hope people make sure they have breakdown assistance and DO NOT try to change their wheel or fill it with gunk on the hard shoulder... there was really only one person to blame for that mans death... himself. Sorry.

 

Phil

Phil

Phil, the unfortunate guy made a misjudgement, in your opinion, (and I would always hop over the barrier and get assistance) to blame him-a friend or relative of a forum member as I understand it is harsh, unfair and wrong. As I read it some careless driver ran into him-what were they doing on or so close to the hard shoulder and not looking?

A few people say they don't need to carry a spare because the AA etc do. From the experience of someone I know, if you don't have a spare, you go to the back of the priority list (and thus will wait ages) because a lot of these companies class it as a problem caused by you.

 

I have full sized spares for both summer and winter. I wouldn't own a car without at least a space saver.

Phil

Phil, the unfortunate guy made a misjudgement, in your opinion, (and I would always hop over the barrier and get assistance) to blame him-a friend or relative of a forum member as I understand it is harsh, unfair and wrong. As I read it some careless driver ran into him-what were they doing on or so close to the hard shoulder and not looking?

 

If he hadn't have been there putting gunk in his wheel then he wouldn't have come to harm. This was not the fault of the tyre gunk.

 

Yes it is true that the lorry driver was also to blame but had the car driver done as he should and waited for recovery well away from the vehicle then all the lorry driver would have caused would be a written off car and lorry.

 

Sorry if it sounded harsh but I just didn't agree with blaming it all on some tyre gunk when the law is clear that no vehicle repairs should be undertaken on the hard shoulder and that all occupants of said vehicle should be a safe distance away preferably at the other side of the crash barrier.

 

Phil

I agree no one should ever wait or work on the hard shoulder-but that error shouldn't be fatal and the poor guy didn't cause his death-he put himself at the mercy of other road users.

The lovely guy who bought my last Golf and his uncle were both wiped out by an errant trucker, whilst attempting to change a wheel on the M6 hard shoulder.

 

Spare or not, if we ever have a flat, we'll be out of the car and away like rats up a pipe.

 

I retro fitted a spare wheel kit - not had to use it (yet), but would rather rely on Škoda Assist to get me mobile and get a repair/new tyre at my preferred tyre specialist.

At the risk of getting back on-topic, has anyone else had a letter offering the retrofit at a reduced price? Alternatively, has anyone seen a skoda press release / recall which states that they'll be doing this?

At the risk of getting back on-topic, has anyone else had a letter offering the retrofit at a reduced price? Alternatively, has anyone seen a skoda press release / recall which states that they'll be doing this?

 

No, because I don't believe this has anything to do with Skoda, UK or EU, and is nothing but a marketing ploy by a dealer, using scaremongering tactics.

 

And to someone earlier, none of the breakdown companies will "put you to the back of the queue" now if you don't have a spare because so many vehicles do not get them supplied. Again, scaremongering.

And to someone earlier, none of the breakdown companies will "put you to the back of the queue" now if you don't have a spare because so many vehicles do not get them supplied. Again, scaremongering.

 

It may have been an isolated case, but it has happened and recently too. The company went above and beyond in the idiocy department though, because they told him this while he had a puncture out on his motorbike.

 

But yes, I agree the letter is just scaremongering, especially at such inflated prices.

 Found this in today's Sunday Times:

 

" The AA has come up with a design for a 17in universal spare that will fit almost any car with a 5-stud or 5-bolt fitting. It will work like a conventional space saver, with users limited to 50mph.

 

 

Despite the rhetoric from the AA's press release, leading to headlines such as "AA reinvents the wheel" etc, the RAC have been carrying these or similar for several years.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/road-safety/5486003/Reinventing-the-wheel.html - 2009

With our first Yeti went for the gunk option and our second the spare wheel.  The logic was we wanted the extra space but I worried about it for the three years we had the car.. Whilst we had no problems during that time I feel so much better now we have a wheel in the boot.  Genuinely, I really don't think loosing the space has impacted us at all.  By using the gap between the boot floor and the rear seats for storing supermarket bags etc. and various other item, which no longer role around the floor, the boot is clear and more usable.

I opted for the variable boot floor and now wish I had gone for the spare wheel, I suppose the spare wheel kit cannot be fitted with this floor configuration. If it could I would probably go for it even at the inflated cost involved

even at the inflated cost involved

  there has to be a pun there somewhere!

When I bought my yeti in April this year I opted to have a spare wheel Raised boot (clearly stated on the order form). It was fitted a couple of days later, a relative took it in for me as I was busy that day. After reading this thread just now I find that a 50mph emergency tyre has been fitted. My fault I suppose for not checking before now. I feel that a proper tyre should have been supplied. Should I ask for a proper tyre or is the emergency tyre acceptable?

When I bought my yeti in April this year I opted to have a spare wheel Raised boot (clearly stated on the order form). It was fitted a couple of days later, a relative took it in for me as I was busy that day. After reading this thread just now I find that a 50mph emergency tyre has been fitted. My fault I suppose for not checking before now. I feel that a proper tyre should have been supplied. Should I ask for a proper tyre or is the emergency tyre acceptable?

 

You were supplied with the correct item that you ordered, namely a steel 16" rim with a slightly different sized tyre. It is described just as that in the brochure.

It is not a "skinny" one, but as it is different to the others on the car it is a legal requirement for it to be marked 50mph. It is fully acceptable

A full sized wheel and tyre would not fit the wheel well properly.

Thank you Graham for your quick reply. I'll leave things as they are then. It goes in for it's first service next week so I thought I'd ask on here about it.

Your reply Graham was exactly what my sister said to me, but what man likes to listen to a woman when talking about cars?

Despite the rhetoric from the AA's press release, leading to headlines such as "AA reinvents the wheel" etc, the RAC have been carrying these or similar for several years.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/road-safety/5486003/Reinventing-the-wheel.html - 2009

The RAC VW/Skoda assistance do indeed carry them.

I was talking to an AA patrol man the other month and he was extremely happy when spare wheels ceased to be standard equipment, as it keeps him in a job.

With care, a spare wheel should last many years before the need to be replaced, but according to what Honda told my wife a couple of years ago, the bottle of goo requires replacing every 3 years (if not used meantime) as the stability of the chemicals can't be guaranteed beyond that period. Fact? or a money making scam, because she was quoted £60 for a new bottle! Needless to say she didn't bother!

Yes, I'm in the spare wheel camp too.

Tyres should be replaced every 5 years according to the Trade, as the rubber hardens and loses it's efficiency.