Spare Wheel

[crampedsky]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm new to the forum and to the Skoda brand but not to the VAG group as we also have a VW golf and a Polo in our family.

 

My daughter decided a couple of weeks ago to trade her faithful old Polo for a brand new Rapid Spaceback 1.2 Sport. She was initially told the car was going be built on week 46 but today, during a visit to our local dealership, I was told that's been brought forward to week 45.

 

I really hope she hasn't made a mistake as there seem to be a fair amount of negative comments about the car in the forum.

 

Whilst visiting the dealership today, I tried to order a spare wheel kit but I was told that if I did, it would push the build date back to the original 12 weeks. I could, however, order a spare wheel kit from the dealership, which could be delivered in as little as four days. I declined their kind offer since it costs more than double (factory order is £70, dealer wants £168).

 

I even contacted Skoda customer service, as I really do not understand how a simple spare wheel kit could possibly delay the build of a whole car. The phone call proved to be a big waste of time.

 

According to the guy on the phone, the big difference in price between factory and dealership is due to labour costs, I didn't bother to ask what kind of labour cost was involved in placing a spare wheel kit into a spare wheel cubbyhole. I can't help feeling someone is trying to be too clever

 

Does anyone know where I could get the spare wheel set, other than a very well known auction site? I refuse to pay the kind of money the dealership is asking for. The car comes with 17" alloys but apparently it's okay to use 16" spare wheels, is this correct?

 

Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this!

 

 

 

[The Plumber]

The Rapid/Spaceback, current Polo/Ibiza and Fabia III all use the same spare wheel and tools, only the polystyrene insert can differ. Just recently picked up a full spare wheel set-up on e-bay from a breakers for my lads Ibiza, it was originally fitted to a Polo and cost £80 including postage. Likewise the dealer wanted £170, as the car he bought was from stock with a tyre repair kit.

 

Tyre size by the way is 185/60 R15.

 

 

TP

[crampedsky]

Hi TP

 

Thanks for your prompt reply. 

 

Would that size fit my daughter's car?  I believe the Sport comes with 17" tyres.

 

CS

[eyegr]

 

 

I even contacted Skoda customer service, as I really do not understand how a simple spare wheel kit could possibly delay the build of a whole car. The phone call proved to be a big waste of time.

 

Just so you know, in the factory it is not a matter of taking a spare wheel putting it under the boot floor:

 

Each car is built with tens or hundreds of individual options (one of which is the spare wheel presence) and there is a large logistics system behind these options which would have to be notified of the change. These things take time, and one week seems a reasonable amount.

[camelspyyder]

However - there are loads of VAG group spare wheels with tyres on Ebay if a week is too long to wait.  I'm thinking of getting 4 for a winter set.

Edited 16 October, 2015 by camelspyyder

[Stormchaser]

"Simply Clever"

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[crampedsky]

Hi everyone....

 

I don't think I've explained myself very well re waiting time....

 

The initial delivery date for the car was 20/12/15, (week 46 build). This was later changed to an earlier  delivery date of between 30/11 and 05.12. 

 

If I order the spare tyre from the factory,  then the delivery date for the car gets pushed back to 20/12,  so that's 3 or 4 weeks wait just for the spare wheel.  I realise there's lots of logistics involved but how comes the dealership can source it in only four days?

 

I've had a look on ebay but i'm unsure about the size of the wheel I need. I know the car will have 17" ones and some listings say a 16" spare is suitable....is this right?

 

Once again thanks everyone for your help!

[The Plumber]

The spare for all versions of the Rapid/Spaceback, no matter what road going wheels they have, is a 185/60 R15 tyre mounted on a 6Jx15 ET38 rim, with a bolt pattern of 5x100.

 

You could try mytyres for example, as they do tyre and rim packages, just need to find a tool kit.

 

 

TP

[crampedsky]

Thank you TP,

 

i'll have a look in mytyres

[Robbydazzler]

Whether you have 15/16/17 inch wheels on the Rapid/Toledo the tyre fitted to each will make the circumference/diameter exactly the same for all sizes.As previously stated the standard spare is 185/60 R15.

[crampedsky]

Back...

 

I contacted Skoda UK Customer Service this morning to enquire about something unrelated to the car. Since I managed to get hold of someone very helpful, I also asked about the spare wheel incident.

 

It turns out that, apparently,  the absolute cut off point for any kind of changes to a factory ordered car is 2 weeks before the confirmed build date. I was given a confirmed week 45 build so that meant I had until 19/10 to order extras. I tried to order the spare wheel on 16/10, 

 

With this information in mind I contacted my local dealership which agreed that a mistake had been made at some stage and would provide said spare wheel as a factory extra for £80. (in the brochure they gave me says £70  but I suppose that would be pushing it).

 

I suppose they will see me as a massive pain in the rear from now on but I don't think I was asking for anything special. 

 

Once again, thanks to everyone for their help and advice

[RickTT]

Good result.

[RMurphy195]

Good result?Maybe - but personally I would have ordered a spare to match the other four - even if you have to source the tyre separately.

 

Why? - well a straight swop like for like is good, but if the spare is not the same size as the other four, then you are under pressure to source a replacement tyre instead of shopping around for deals.

 

Costly - perhaps, but you'll get most of this back the first time you have to replace worn-out tyres. If you need just the fronts, for example, you just need to buy one, not two, and then have the least-worn of the old tyres into the boot.

 

Just a thought ....

[RickTT]

Good result?Maybe - but personally I would have ordered a spare to match the other four - even if you have to source the tyre separately.

 

Why? - well a straight swop like for like is good, but if the spare is not the same size as the other four, then you are under pressure to source a replacement tyre instead of shopping around for deals.

 

Costly - perhaps, but you'll get most of this back the first time you have to replace worn-out tyres. If you need just the fronts, for example, you just need to buy one, not two, and then have the least-worn of the old tyres into the boot.

 

Just a thought ....

 

 

While i agree on cars which wheel well will take it, will the rapid boot take a wheel wider than a 185/60 R15. ?

[The Plumber]

While i agree on cars which wheel well will take it, will the rapid boot take a wheel wider than a 185/60 R15. ?

 

This is the problem of the manufactures making with fitting ever wider tyres, the wheel well then becomes to small, as deepening it could cause issues with ground clearance etc.

 

Also most spare rims are steel these days and again most larger rims are alloy.

 

 

TP

[RickTT]

This is the problem of the manufactures making with fitting ever wider tyres, the wheel well then becomes to small, as deepening it could cause issues with ground clearance etc.

 

Also most spare rims are steel these days and again most larger rims are alloy.

 

 

TP

 

 

Its not a ground clearance issue, as all they do is raise the boot floor an inch.

 

 

Its a cost and weight saving measure for the manufactures. Some cars in the VAG line up come with Full size 18 inch spares... Passat GT as an example.

[RMurphy195]

Its not a ground clearance issue, as all they do is raise the boot floor an inch.

 

 

Its a cost and weight saving measure for the manufactures. Some cars in the VAG line up come with Full size 18 inch spares... Passat GT as an example.

Weight saving - IMHO neglible compared to the overall weight of the vehicle.

 

Cost saving - True cost to the customer - consider you used to have breakdown insurance for breakdowns, becomes less needed with greater reliability of cars.. Loss of a spare wheel means you need breakdown insurance as a necessity in case of a puncture - still very common due to the debris on a roadways. So if you weren't bothered about breakdown insurance but now you are 'cos of punctures - its a recurring cost.

 

Cost saving - to customer - recouped the first time you need to replace a worn tyre.

[nbramwel]

^{Crampedsky.  Ask the dealer to give you (at least) the compressor which will come with the car.  Could be useful to check the tyre pressures.  I would also ask for the gunge kit and foam stuff that the kit sits in.  After all, you've paid for it and it's yours.  When you come to sell the car, you can put the compressor, gunge and foam stuff back in and keep your spare to either sell on or put into your replacement car.} 

[crampedsky]

^{Crampedsky.  Ask the dealer to give you (at least) the compressor which will come with the car.  Could be useful to check the tyre pressures.  I would also ask for the gunge kit and foam stuff that the kit sits in.  After all, you've paid for it and it's yours.  When you come to sell the car, you can put the compressor, gunge and foam stuff back in and keep your spare to either sell on or put into your replacement car.} 

 

Thanks,,,, I was actually wondering about this and whether I should ask for the standard kit supplied or they would claim I was paying for an upgrade and therefore not entitled to the original kit.

 

Wondering what the dealer's  take would be on this but no doubt I will find out soon enough