If you're thinking of NOT ordering a spare wheel, think again.....

[Coops]

Here's a little story about how a relatively simple 20 min journey home from a wedding reception on Saturday night turned into a 3 hour journey, and how it might make you think twice about whether or not you should replace that bottle of tyre sealant with a proper spare wheel:

 

The 4 of us left the wedding reception about 10pm on Saturday - myself, wife and two 8 year old kids for a relatively quick 20 min journey home across a mixture of A and B roads. About halfway home, I rounded a sweeping corner and noticed at the last minute a manhole cover with two large holes either side of it and before I knew it I'd hit it. And hit it with some force too, as soon as it happened I said "that'll be punctured then" and about 30 seconds later I could hear and feel it was totally flat.

 

I managed to park up safely and got out to have a look - at this point I was not aware what the damage was but given the time & location wanted to try and get it temporarily repaired so that we could get home.

 

I know how to change a wheel and could have done that quite quickly but hadn't acquainted myself with how the Tyre Mobility System works so immediately had to find out how to work it. I undid the valve and emptied the contents of the liquid into the tyre, replaced the valve and started the compressor to inflate the tyre. Nothing. Thinking that it perhaps needed to "harden" or "set" in the tyre I waited a few minutes and tried again. Nothing.

 

Great. Hear we are sat in the middle of nowhere, with a flat tyre, no spare and tired kids. It was obvious that the TMS wasn't working so I then had to get recovery arranged through the lease company. Whilst waiting I managed to crawl to the nearest village to give the recovery guy some hope of finding us! Eventually they arrived about 12:15am, and promptly got us loaded for the remainder of our journey - only 3 miles away!

 

 

At 1am, we finally arrived home with the Superb being suspended from the back of a recovery truck - the kids thought it was a great adventure in the back of the truck!

 

Sunday morning came and the Superb was sat on the driveway going nowhere - I rang the lease company and at around 2pm, the tyre fitter arrived to fit 2 new front tyres - I knew they would have needed replacing soon anyway so got them to do the other as well.

 

The damaged tyre in the end was a very small 1cm cut in the sidewall which I now understand the TMS wouldn't have been able to reach to repair.

 

 

 

As a company car driver the financial costs don't have an impact on me but nonetheless they aren't going to be cheap and I will find out how much but I suspect in excess of £600.

 

 

 

So if you are thinking about not specifying that spare wheel option at around £100 - you perhaps should think again.

 

 

 

[Huskoda]

I don't understand the logic of not having one, especially in a car which has enough room for a full spare built in like the Superb.

 

No spare = no sale.

[Coops]

Especially when the car could be a company or lease car and options might not be available to the driver.

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[moley]

I would always have a spare wheel & tyre, I hate it when I have to use the spare knowing that if I pick up another puncture I will have a problem. 

I did see a Vauxhall Insignia on the hard shoulder of the M40 recently left stranded on an RAC orange jack with a wheel off. They had obviously gone off to get a new tyre....what a pain in the rear end. 

[KenONeill]

Ok, I don't see this applying to the Superb, but apparently there are some models where the weight saving reduces the carbons enough to get the car down a tax band.

[Richf]

You drove a fair way on that !

 

I have spares on both my Skodas but my 370 doesnt come with one and it wouldnt be an option since the subwoofer is fitted in the spare tyre well

 

On the plus side its an adventure for your kids and you are making memories

[BJM]

This sounds horribly familiar, right down to the manhole cover.

 

Except in my case, it was mid February, in the pouring rain, 3 pm, I had SWMBO in the car AND I had a spare at home, having taken it out of the old Mk I Superb 3 days before, but not got around to swapping it into the new one.

(The garage was sending it straight out to auction so I had no qualms about pinching the spare and the jack etc.)

 

Like you the jello didn't set, and the air compressor ran for at least 10 minutes to no effect.

 

In the end I drove it 2 or 3 miles to the nearest (National Tyres) depot and got a new tyre fitted - the old one was completely borked so wouldn't be further damaged.

 

So I put the spare in the boot with the tools from the old car as soon as I got it home.

 

Lo and behold, 5 days later, 11 pm different road, different pothole but at least a spare to change to this time.

[Coops]

@ BJM: In discussions with the lease company at present to see about getting a spare put in. The recovery costs etc will be well in excess of the parts costs. Not the first time either, colleague had a similar instance a few months back.

 

 

Ok, I don't see this applying to the Superb, but apparently there are some models where the weight saving reduces the carbons enough to get the car down a tax band.

 

I guess that could be correct. Stupid thing is the a spare wheel on a car the size/weight of a Superb isn't going to make that much difference - 2% at max.

 

 

 

You drove a fair way on that !

 

<snip>

 

On the plus side its an adventure for your kids and you are making memories

 

Didn't have much choice Richf, wanted to be close to a village and not literally stuck in nomansland. But on the flip side kids thought the truck was great!

[KenONeill]

I guess that could be correct. Stupid thing is the a spare wheel on a car the size/weight of a Superb isn't going to make that much difference - 2% at max.

 

We're talking less than that; sort of say 121 to 120 g/km.

[Coops]

Ah from that perspective I see - I was comparing weight of the spare against the total weight of the vehicle but yes the same nonetheless.

[ruffday]

Ok, I don't see this applying to the Superb, but apparently there are some models where the weight saving reduces the carbons enough to get the car down a tax band.

I don't know on the latest models but when I got my 62 Reg Superb Greenline SE  a spare wheel was not an option.

I had to order it through the Parts Dept.

[Mr Ree]

After reading that horror story I've just rang the garage where my new car is coming from this week and asked them to lob a spare wheel in, full or space saver., really not fussed either way tbh.

[skinnyman]

It's funny you should have started this thread.  I've just bought a second hand 19" wheel & tyre for the Vectra as it doesn't come with anything at all.  We're off on a few long journeys in the near future and I don't fancy being stranded anywhere with the three children.  I've also had to buy the 'jack pack' that comes with some Vauxhalls that fits inside the spare wheel.  I'll sleep a lot more soundly now though knowing that if we do get a puncture I've got a better chance getting us to where we need to be.

[Coops]

Well that's 2 people that'll be better off as a result of this, if nothing else!
 

[skodanorman]

First option I ticked when ordering my Octavia after seeing the trouble it caused my sister in the summer when she suffered a flat. 

[Mr Rubble]

I don't know on the latest models but when I got my 62 Reg Superb Greenline SE  a spare wheel was not an option.

I had to order it through the Parts Dept.

I am afraid the latest Greenlines don't, the first thing I brought after I collected mine was a spare and a jack set. Really didn't fancy using a tin of gunk on a cold wet winter night, when I could just get a spare on, call me old fashioned by that's technology I do understand.

[Mikek3111]

I'm pretty lucky, when I bought mine it had a brand new alloy with new tyre in the boot

[preston334]

It was the only option I made sure I had on the yeti. Didn't fancy being stuck out in the middle of Donegal on holiday with only a tin of gunk as back up

[WeirdKerr]

I didn't get a spare in the Leon as its an ex rental with no options (apart from Met paint) and asked at the garage... 4 hundred or so... so i'm just gonna chance my luck.....

[littleade]

I got one after finding out mine came with no jack or wheelbrace when I was fitting my rear mudflaps. Seems Skoda think no ones capable of changing a wheel anymore.... plus the last 2 times I've had a puncture the gunk would have been useless anyway, but they probably save a few quid on every car as a result which will please the bean counters.

[Gonzo52]

Thank goodness - my new Rapid Spaceback came with a full size spare and jack. Best value accessory ....

Les

[cheezemonkhai]

Ok, I don't see this applying to the Superb, but apparently there are some models where the weight saving reduces the carbons enough to get the car down a tax band.

 

Audi A3 is a good example of a VAG group car, which comes with a full size spare is standard and emissions are  99g for a 1.6TDI.  106 for the 2.0TDI 150 and 108 for the 2.0 TDI 184.

 

I think the weight of the spare has got nothing to do with it and cost probably has more.

Lets face it it's a sprung mass in the boot, so they'd be better off saving weight with lighter alloys or narrower tyres to reduce rolling resistance.

[Stormchaser]

Had to get one for my Citigo Sport as well. Feel better now it has one

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[gallego1968]

When i bought my Fabia i took the extra option and got a full size spare wheel.

['daiking']

Audi A3 is a good example of a VAG group car, which comes with a full size spare is standard and emissions are 99g for a 1.6TDI. 106 for the 2.0TDI 150 and 108 for the 2.0 TDI 184.

I think the weight of the spare has got nothing to do with it and cost probably has more.

Lets face it it's a sprung mass in the boot, so they'd be better off saving weight with lighter alloys or narrower tyres to reduce rolling resistance.

Pardon the obvious pun but a spare wheel doesn't weigh that much, does it? trimming the spare tyre on the driver would make a massive difference to many people's fuel economy if that were the case.

I would not be comfortable without a spare wheel in my own car.