Why you should get a spare wheel!

[jonnybgood]

Having had time to consider this, I recall twice in thirty years of motoring having needed a spare but still, I've ordered one why, because its about being in control, I can turn up 15 mins late somewhere with dirtyhands I need to go & wash and be forgiven by anyone for being late, because I had a flat.

If I phoned and apologise for not being able to make it somewhere because my can of junk won't work & everyone will think I'm a numbty for not having brought a spare.

I said it before, its just common sense.

Regards

T

I've been on the road about 30 years as well and have had a fair share of punctures but pretty much all of them have allowed me to get to the nearest tyre centre.

The last tyre I've changed on the roadside was probably on a ford escort or capri over 20 years ago. The punctured tyre would then normally get left in the boot unrepaired for ever and a day.

I know if my wife is driving she couldn't tackle a tyre change and I wouldn't want her to try. I would struggle, for a start I'd have to work out where the jacking points were first.

All that said I've got a spare but it wasn't something I chose just ended up with.

One thing I do keep in the boot is a air compressor so I can reinflate minor punctures like screws or nails so that I can get to a tyre centre.

[The Plumber]

Hi all - first post here so apologies if this has been answered somewhere else. I am being quoted £190 (by four different delers) for the standard spare wheel and toolkit, or £145 for the wheel / tyre alone. This seems a bit steep compared to prices quoted on here. Probably a silly question but is there any reason I can't just get my local independent tyre place to order me in a steel wheel and budget tyre and drop them into the wheel well (I have the Combi SE with standard 16" alloys)?

Thanks

Simon

 

Hi Simon,

 

the £190 is what I've seen advertised on e-bay as well. Parts for the Octy III do seem more than the previous model, particularly steel rims; been after some for winter.

 

This anyway might be a slightly cheaper option as a spare but you will still need the tool kit;

 

http://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/skw.pl?bestellnummer=8667--D-104762&cart_id=7435386.110.21436&dsco=110&sowigan=So&csuchen=1&Gmarke=&Gdub=&Ggroesse=&Gfelge=&Gf_last=&achse=A&syt_d=&Hersteller=Skoda&PKWtyp=OCTAVIA%20COMBI%202.0%20TDI&felge=16%20inch|5%20x%20112.00%20x%2057.00|5|46.00&PKWtypgenau=|342192||1968|110|201305|%20|57.00|112.00|5|5E%20||K|E11*2007/46*0243*..%20&my_1_car=Skoda__OCTAVIA%20COMBI%202.0%20TDI____|342192||1968|110|201305|%20|57.00|112.00|5|5E%20||K|E11*2007/46*0243*..

 

 

TP

[SNR]

Thanks TP - gives me an option to consider.

Simon

[Dedders]

Hi all - first post here so apologies if this has been answered somewhere else. I am being quoted £190 (by four different delers) for the standard spare wheel and toolkit, or £145 for the wheel / tyre alone. This seems a bit steep compared to prices quoted on here. Probably a silly question but is there any reason I can't just get my local independent tyre place to order me in a steel wheel and budget tyre and drop them into the wheel well (I have the Combi SE with standard 16" alloys)?

Thanks

Simon

I've ordered a spare from a main dealers in Surrey, the price quoted is £155 for the wheel and tool kit.

[Matt Pez]

I've ordered a spare from a main dealers in Surrey, the price quoted is £155 for the wheel and tool kit.

I don't see how they can justify this when the brochure price is £75!!

[Dempsek]

I don't see how they can justify this when the brochure price is £75!!

They justify the cost because they do not supply the gunk and compressor when the wheel is ordered as an option, yep expensive stuff that gunk and compressor.

[Matt Pez]

They justify the cost because they do not supply the gunk and compressor when the wheel is ordered as an option, yep expensive stuff that gunk and compressor.

Fair enough I suppose but you don't get a jack and wheel brace kit if you go with the gunk option.  I guess the compressor would be quite expensive though as the one supplied with SWMBOs Mk II was the full blown VAG one, and it's a nice piece of kit and the pressure guage is very accurate.  Interestingly, for my Mk III, I opted for the spare wheel from the factory, but when it turned up without, the dealer had to source one from the parts department, not sure if that was just a factory error or if they always order them in separately, same as with the SD cards for the Sat Nav, so they don't go walkies at Grimsby docks!

Edited 4 January, 2014 by Matt Pez

[Neily03]

I don't see how they can justify this when the brochure price is £75!!

 

Because when you order it with the car it's in place off the the can of foam and pump + whatever else you get, so that is knocked off the price.

[blokart]

The thing with a roadside plug (unless you're in a tyre van and can take the tyre off the rim, and apply a permanent plug), is it's only a temporary fix as it goes in from the outside, and can be pulled out by tyre wear if left in for too long. The catch is, because they have to drill the tyre, it can stop a permanent repair being applied. 

Only temporary fix? I have 10+ years experience with the professional external plugs on my bikes and cars and I never replaced them by permanent ones  if it is a normal puncture from a nail or a screw, but NEVER repaired on the tyre sides only on the road contact surface. I repaired 20+ tyres with thes plugs whitout any trouble for myself or friends, neighbours as in the weekend no tyre fitters are opened in Belgium.

[Neily03]

Only temporary fix? I have 10+ years experience with the professional external plugs on my bikes and cars and I never replaced them by permanent ones if it is a normal puncture from a nail or a screw, but NEVER repaired on the tyre sides only on the road contact surface. I repaired 20+ tyres with thes plugs whitout any trouble for myself or friends, neighbours as in the weekend no tyre fitters are opened in Belgium.

But here in the UK, external plugs are not classed as a permanent repair under BS AU159.

[oldtynesider]

When I first decided to replace my old car ( Freelander MK1 ) I was looking at the Yeti Green Line but it had no option for a spare wheel to be stowed. I have been known in my younger days to push my motor bike for over 5 miles with a front wheel puncture, its a hard task but it builds you up physically, however in my old age I got wiser and will not travel in any vehicle without a spare wheel so I started to look for a reliable cheap to run car and bought my Octavia Mk3 estate complete with spare wheel. I have to say after a couple of months with it I am totally satisfied and would drive it anywhere without a second thought but not without a spare and if I get a punter the first stop after fitting the spare would be to get the punctured tyre mended or replaced

best regards, George

[pipsyp]

Only optional extra I got on my Elegance, wouldnt go anywhere without a spare and not paying £140-150+ when it can be supplied for £75 from the factory

[Mence]

Glad I got it on mine, the condition of the side roads round here makes it a must.

[jonnybgood]

Just suffered our traditional puncture within 4 months of purchase of new car.

Wife driving on came the tyre pressure warning light and lo and behold nail in right rear.

Car made it ok to tyre centre around four miles away (no way in the world my wife could manage a tyre change) and repair carried out for 20 quid. Fitter said they'd had a load of punctures in recently due to weather washing debris into road.

Only thing left now is for my wife to work out how to reset monitor, I'm at work and can't remember off the top of my head how to do it.

[Neily03]

 

 

Only thing left now is for my wife to work out how to reset monitor, I'm at work and can't remember off the top of my head how to do it.

 

Is the owners manual in the glovebox?

[jonnybgood]

Is the owners manual in the glovebox?

Yes she managed to do it ok after following the handbook.

Screen wash warning yesterday tyre pressure monitor today wonder what will come on tomorrow.

Seriously though its great having these warning indicators because they do provide you with the opportunity to rectify minor problems which could potentially become major ones.

[fiisch]

Adds unnecessary weight and will add 0.001 seconds to my journey to work.

 

I'll stick with the gunk and £75 thanks!

[neiln]

They justify it because they don't give you the compressor if you order the spare.

 

Ive just cancelled my space saver spare for the Vrs I've ordered ( still awaiting confirmation of the change from the dealer)

I dont want a space saver. For similar money I've got myself the full size rim - 7.5j x 18" et 51, 5 bolt 112 mm pcD. I paid £65 for an alloy from a mk 2 seat Leon that is in very good condition, through eBay.

 

I have an old screw type bottle jack and a wheel brace already but if you need one jacks can be had for 10 quid on Amazon or eBay, and a brace isn't much either.  I will need to pay about £120 for the tyre, but that will end up on the car in the future, when the first set of 4 wear out, so it isn't 'extra' costs in my mind.

 

If you have an octy with 16" wheels then you should find the correct 16" rim on eBay very easily and at half the cost of an 18" rim.  As I found, and said on the Vrs space saver thread, you need to look up the rim width, offset and bolt pcd and get the same. EBay search allows you to filter by rim diameter, width, bolt number, pCD and offset so it isn't hard (really hotrod, it may take a while though).  You can also find other cars with the right rims via wheelfit websites (link in other thread) and search by the car type. This helps as not all scrappers list by offset/pCD etc.  For the Vrs, I found seat Leon mk 2 was getting most hits on used wheels. Mk 5 and later golfs have the right pcd but only a few (errrr R32 and gti I think) the right offset.  Some Audi ( the TT I think) have the right wheels but they tend to cost a lot more..... You'll need to search a bit, but you'll get one. It took me about 10 or 12 days to get one. I missed out on one by bidding too low and passed on another that was badly kerbed but it would almost certainly have been fine as a spare.  So there are plenty, and 16" rims are ten times as common. Hope that helps.

Oh and if for some reason I can't cancel my space saver, I'll post here, I'll pass it on at cost.

[neiln]

Oh and centre bore needs to be right too, 57.1mm

[mellyboy]

Have ordered two spare wheels for different Skoda's , which both had the gunk crap in the boot, the upside is I have two VW tyre compressors, just checked my tyres pressures good bit of kit.

[Dempsek]

No spare wheel has become such a problem that the RAC will be using a universal spare wheel.

 

http://www.rac.co.uk/press-centre/press-releases/diesel-biofuel-content-suspected-cause-of-unexpect/

[cobaltfish]

No spare wheel has become such a problem that the RAC will be using a universal spare wheel.

 

http://www.rac.co.uk/press-centre/press-releases/diesel-biofuel-content-suspected-cause-of-unexpect/

Did you mean this? http://www.rac.co.uk/press-centre/press-releases/rac-rolls-out-universal-spare-wheel-as-puncture-n/

 

I've ordered a spare for my one. I got bitten by it a couple of years back. Somehow I managed to get a tear in the sidewall while doing 70, and only had goo and a compressor in the boot.  I didn't try the goo as it wasn't holding any pressure. 

It took RAC a couple of hours to get round to sending anyone.  I think as I made it to a layby and was in no ones way, even though on dual carriage way I wasn't any kind of priority!