Puncture Caution !

[stbb]

After 2 weeks and 500 miles i got a puncture today. This is the first car i have that did not have spare wheel. It was a nice screw in middle of tread. I got repair kit out, filled tyre with get and pumped up. Took about same time as changing wheel. Went straight to tyre place to have it repaired only be to told you cant once you use the repair gell. WTF, i said, its only done 3 miles since i put it in. NO , cant and wont. Rand 5 more and was told by all the same thing. Rang skoda to ask them why the put something in car as solution for not having spare wheel that renders you tyre dead after use, Got told that nothing is as good a propper spare to what i agreed and giving the wast of space the temp comprssor is i now need to buy one.I might as well have driven on flat tyre, might have been repairable . Oh and just to make things better the gell is £35 to replace. New wheel and jack of ebay i think. Rant over but just be warned before using it.

[@Lee]

Completely agree, the gunk is absolute crap and not fit for purpose IMO. Nowt can beat having a fifth wheel in the boot, even a skinny space saver will let you re-use the punctured one.

[Damo]

Most of us are already aware of the scenario you unfortunately endured fella, but thanks for the warning all the same

I bought a second hand alloy and jack, and ditched the compressor/slime

Next to useless, and a terrible money saving scheme being used by car manufacturers these days

[Huskoda]

Its not money saving by the manufacturer, its money making.

 

Slime is not reusable, so you need to buy another can. Possibly from them.

The tyre isn't repairable, so you need to buy another. Possibly from them.

 

Once you see the light and want to ditch the whole setup, they can charge you again for the spare kit.

 

I have a simple policy, which has upset some salesmen I've recently spoken to: No spare, no sale.

 

Especially when I stipulated the car must be able to fit a full alloy spare.

[chris c]

I have bought a steel spare and jack kit for mine. Just need to get a tyre fitted next week then I'll will lose the gunk/slime from the boot. Is the compressor any good? worth keeping in there?

[crazyash88]

I've kept my compressor. They retail just over £80.

I've used mine a few times to check tyre pressures and also to blow my tyres up. Seems a lot quick than some compressors.

[Markyg]

I've learned the hard way too.

My spare has come today, just need to root around the garage for a spare jack and wheelbrace.

I'll keep the compressed, it's handy to have and decent quality. I can't believe they charge £35 for the gunk!!

[Stormchaser]

Agree the compressor is good. Well worth keeping it.

Sent from my PID using Tapatalk

[veedub210]

This has now got alarms bells ringing in my head! Why didn't I add the spare wheel for £50!!!! I've emailed the dealer and see if I can add it to the order? Found one on ebay going for £148 (inc spare wheel, the foam fitting, jack, etc)

[stbb]

That's what I thought. If I had been told about this when buying car I would have spent extra on spare wheel. Just ordered space saver off ebay so now just need jack.

[stooz]

why are you buying jacks? is there not one in the boot? im going to check what I have! thanks for the warning..

[Damo]

If youve not specced a spare, you will just have a compressor and slime

[up2mii]

£50 for a spare wheel is worth it for peace of mind alone.

 

I was very impressed that the little Mii could fit a full size spare in as well.

[Didescharlie]

I really feel for you horror story there stbb.

 

Not sure like Huskoda I'd demand a full alloy spare. That would just tempt me to be lazy and just swap the spare for the puncture and never get it repaired...

[MickA]

The official spare Skoda supply is 165 70 14, well it was in mine. The 14" alloys fitted to the car have 175 65 14 tyres fitted.

So it's not a wheel/tyre you would want to runaround on for too long but better than those space savers or not one at all.

Begs the question though when I asked for a spare they told me it's full size, it is in it's 14" but not the same width or wall depth. Also wonder why they didn't just give you one the same size as fitted and of course the same make of tyre. The car has Continentals fitted, the spare a Falken.

Have also seen some have retained the compressor and gunk, whilst others have it removed when they spec a spare wheel, mine was the latter.

Halfords do a can of Gunk for around £8 which should be better than paying over £30 for the proper stuffif you need it.

Edited 28 February, 2014 by MickA

[SimonJ]

No spare, no sale.

 

When Dad bought his Citigo last year he said the same thing to the salesman.  They added a spare to another order and swapped it over when it came in.

[Snaefell]

You could try 'tyre sticks'. 

 

Relatively inexpensive at under £10 and possible to carry out repair without removing the wheel. 

 

I've used them to good effect in an emergency.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCwWPlaghfs

[freemansteve]

I wouldn't trust this kit myself.

 

When I bought my car, I insisted the dealer threw in the official VAG spare wheel and extra tools (and free mats) - it didn't cause a big problem. They also let me keep the inflator pump and "gloop" bottle, which is what you are supposed to use for punctures in many recent cars - I'd trust this more than the tyre sticks, and at least if something bad happens, if you use the official VAG gloop kit, then I think there may be fewer potential insurance repercussions in the event of a claim.

 

Edited 2 October, 2021 by freemansteve

[Norton Ian]

In my opinion, having used both on motorcycles, the sticks are much better than the gloop. The sticks will almost certainly work, the gloop "might work" but even if it does the tyre is scrap afterwards. 

[Ootohere]

Good thread revival.

 

The tyre is only scrap where someone can not be bothered to clean out the gloop, and then do a plug repair properly.

So that will be tyre and exhaust centre operatives or lazy owners usually.   Tight people like me just get on with not scrapping perfectly good tyres.

[Norton Ian]

1 hour ago, e-Roottoot said:

Good thread revival.

 

The tyre is only scrap where someone can not be bothered to clean out the gloop, and then do a plug repair properly.

So that will be tyre and exhaust centre operatives or lazy owners usually.   Tight people like me just get on with not scrapping perfectly good tyres.

 

You are correct but finding a tyre place that would clean out the tyre and repair it, I would imagine is difficult. I have washed it out of motorcycle tyres and it isn't difficult to do but time consuming. A lot easier and more profit in selling you a new tyre.

[Ootohere]

So not necessarily scrap then. 

 Not worth leaving at a Tyre Centre & being charged for disposal if they will not do a repair and it can be used in the future for a spare, or even go on if another tyre gets wrecked.