[johnmdaulby]

Is the RAC happy with new cars being sold without a spare wheel of any kind?

Would I still get roadside assistance?

[smudger]

Good question that John, and welcome to the site. The Mobility Scheme folk insist on a spare wheel being available. The last car we had, had to be modified to carry one.
Mind you, I would have to call out the RAC if we got a puncture, as with my back and poor motility I would never manage to change a wheel?
Cheers, Smudger.

[Rolebama]

Relevant extracts from Terms & Conditions.
Costs
4. Any costs incurred as a result of you failing to carry a serviceable spare tyre and wheel, or incurred
in arranging the removal of a wheel secured by locking wheel nuts when you are unable to provide
a serviceable key, appropriate to your vehicle, caravan or trailer.
10. If your caravan or trailer breaks down in a way that means it cannot be repaired, we will be unable to
recover your caravan or trailer. If this situation arises, we can arrange for the recovery of the caravan
or trailer, although you will be responsible for any costs incurred. We would recommend that you
always carry a serviceable spare tyre and wheel appropriate to your vehicle, caravan or trailer.
Please note: Motorised vehicles that are manufactured without the provision of a spare wheel will be
considered on their individual merits. Assistance in changing a wheel is covered, subject to you
carrying a serviceable spare as specified above.

[johnmdaulby]

Thank you SMUDGER & ROLEBAMA.

I asked my local garage the same question this morning and they said sling the can of goo and carry an inner tube. Now why did we not think of that!!!

Regards John.

[saloon drifter]

If the vehicle is not supplied with a spare wheel from new then we will give service and not charge for it.

Smudger Motability do not insist on a spare being carried, my friend has a Zafira on motability with no spare, and a lot of motability jobs i go to don't have spare wheels.

Also carrying an inner tube is not really going to help as you still need to get to a tyre depot to have it fitted and if the tyre is damaged on the sidewall with anything more than a pin prick then a tube isn't goinig to fix it.

RAC patrols also now carry a universal spare wheel which can be used in conjunction with the recovery trailer to take a vehicle to the nearest tyre supplier.

[smudger]

That must have been a recent change then, as when we got our second car in 2005 it was a Grand Scenic and they had to modify it to carry one.
Mind you, there was no mention of it when we picked up our latest one a few months ago?;)
Cheers, Smudger

[johnmdaulby]

Spare wheels

Thank you SALOON DRIFTER.
So the RAC are going to let the motor industry off the hook by agreeing to take a car, not supplied with a spare, to a tyre supplier in the event of a roadside unrepairable puncture.
I just hope I never find myself in that situation, I can see a very long day ahead. I still quite fancy the idea of a spare inner tube, as I don't drive in a manner likely to damage the walls of the tyre, all I've ever had are tread penetrations in 58 years of motoring.
Perhaps I shall return to my youth when the advice was to fill the tyre with grass wrapped in newspaper!!!
Happy were those days when half way up Porlock we used to stop at the trough to refill our boiling radiators.
On that note, a happy Easter to you all.
Regards John.

[saloon drifter]

If you only have a puncture in the tread area then you have no problem, all RAC patrols carry a temporary punc repair kit so you can drive to the garage but at a reduced speed off 40mph.

[johnmdaulby]

spare wheels

Thanks again SALOON DRIFTER.

Just feel a bit naked without a spare in the boot, looks as if we shall have to get used to it.

Regards to you all.

John.

[Biffo]

If you have a puncture on a motorway, neither 10 cans of goo, or an innertube will be of any use to you. By the time you've got onto the hardshoulder and stopped, your tyre will be well and truely knackered and beyond salvage, trust me!
either get a spare, or one of those narrow temp wheels as a spare.

[bandit600]

No spares are the bane of the Patrols lives.
It isn't the owners fault that the car doesn't come with one (although some were convinced by a salesman not to get one, a decision they regret) and a surprising amount of Motability vehicles don't have them. Some cars just don't have the space for one (eg VW Touran).
It's a sure fire bet that the tyre will have been kerbed or run flat which makes the goo they supply useless, and it'll be after Kwik Fit has closed for the night too.
All Patrols carry a multifit wheel now, so if we can get it on our trailer we'll use that wheel and tow it. Not the best answer in the world, but a lot better than having nothing at all.
The annoying cars are the ones with the space for a spare, but it's filled with a hugh polystyrene in-fill with the goo bottle and pump in it.

[wagolynn]

One option I have not seen mentioned is don’t buy the car, there are plenty to choose from with a spare.

[Rolebama]

In Saudi, it is illegal to sell a new car without a proper spare wheel, and proper stowage for it. Why can't any of our Govts introduce this?

[bandit600]

I had three no-spare incidents last week, and even though I've got a multifit wheel they were all on cars that couldn't be towed.

A Porsche (too low to tow) huge 305/30zr19 tyre, 3 hours spent dealing with it.
A Smart Car (too small to tow) only one place in a city had a tyre, 2 hours wasted.
A Pugeot 407 (too heavy to tow) doubled kerbing, 1 spare. Could only get one tyre in a reasonable time (2 hours!) but got back on the road.

[Watcher]

Spare wheel

I've just had this discussion with a car salesman -
"Oh, you don't really need a spare wheel"
"Really? Why not? Can you guarantee I'll never get a puncture"
"Well, no, course not, but it doesn't happen often"
"So, if you can be so confident about the future, can you give me the correct six numbers for next week's Lotto?"
"Well, you can always buy a spare"
"What?! Why the **** should I have to?"
"Because the car doesn't come with one"
"Well it should; how much is leaving it out saving?"
"I don't know"
"I know how I can save a lot more"
"How?"
"Goodbye"

[wagolynn]

Originally Posted by Watcher

I've just had this discussion with a car salesman -
"Oh, you don't really need a spare wheel"
"Really? Why not? Can you guarantee I'll never get a puncture"
"Well, no, course not, but it doesn't happen often"
"So, if you can be so confident about the future, can you give me the correct six numbers for next week's Lotto?"
"Well, you can always buy a spare"
"What?! Why the **** should I have to?"
"Because the car doesn't come with one"
"Well it should; how much is leaving it out saving?"
"I don't know"
"I know how I can save a lot more"
"How?"
"Goodbye"

Now if more people would do that we would have real spare wheels on cars.

[Watcher]

No spare wheel

And I'm not saying what make it was but they have an excellent reputation for reliability (but presumably the same risk of a puncture as anyone else!) and "older" members may remember when the name was well known for light-bulbs!

[mark222]

Another problem with the tin of goo in the boot is that once the sealant is used an otherwise small repairable puncture is unrepairable, resulting in the purchase of a new tyre, for some us £150 isn't uncommon compared with a £10 repair, that's if it works.

What's the alternative- Run Flats??? another cost problem as they can't be repaired, they cost more, often aren't stocked in dealers and only allow you to drive 50 miles anyway.

after searching I was surprised a more puncture proof tyre hasn't been developed by now and then came across another type of goo which is added before the puncture occurs as a preventative measure. A product called puncturesafe coats the inner surface of the tyre with a viscous layer that instantly seals punctures as they happen and as long as the puncture is within the legal limit (6mm) and has not compromised the structure of the tyre, is guaranteed to last the life of the tyre, if the damage is severe it bleeds out giving a controlled deflation.

sounds almost magical to me, surely they couldn't make these claims if they weren't true, could they?

It doesn't cost much about a tenner a tyre.

[smudger]

Hi Mark222, welcome to the site, you missed our earlier thread about a new style of tyre that doesn't even need air! I think there is a picture of it on here somewhere. Anyway, you will probably find it as you look around the site:cool:
Cheers, Smudger.

[Rolebama]

Smudger, I think you mean the Michelin Tweel? Couple of videos on YouTube. Search 'Michelin Tweel'
Downside is that they (Michelin) say they are having vibration problems over 50mph. So they won't be in the shops for a while yet.

[Watcher]

No spare wheel

I've just had this discussion with another dealer who sells cars which have an unimpeachable reputation for safety.

They offer a no-cost option of a light-weight spare wheel, but their attitude is, they say, that they think that for anyone to attempt to change a wheel is too dangerous - they reckon to have collected statistics on KSI, people changing wheels on motorways, at night, in poor weather, hit by traffic, incompetance with tools (car slipping off jack etc), and they insist their approach avoids all this. At the cost of a tyre ruined by gloop, presumably.

I'm not entirely convinced, but I must admit they have a point I hadn't considered before!:o

[Rolebama]

Watcher, although I accept that as a reasonable argument, I wonder how it stands up to how many KSI there have been involving those who did not have a spare tyre. (Or just didn't want to get their hands dirty.) I think we pretty much accept that the gloop is pretty useless on a motorway puncture, as usually the tyre seal is blown due to the distance driven to stop. I have changed a number of wheels on the hard shoulder, and have also seen a number of TrafPol changing wheels for people to get them mobile asap and off the hard shoulder. I honestly don't know the answer, but I will definitely stick to a proper spare, and change it when necessary.

[Watcher]

Gloop

Originally Posted by Rolebama

Watcher, although I accept that as a reasonable argument, I wonder how it stands up to how many KSI there have been involving those who did not have a spare tyre. (Or just didn't want to get their hands dirty.) I think we pretty much accept that the gloop is pretty useless on a motorway puncture, as usually the tyre seal is blown due to the distance driven to stop. I have changed a number of wheels on the hard shoulder, and have also seen a number of TrafPol changing wheels for people to get them mobile asap and off the hard shoulder. I honestly don't know the answer, but I will definitely stick to a proper spare, and change it when necessary.

I shouldn't think for a minute they have! I've never tried the gloop, and don't intend to, because 1] I see no reason to ruin a perfectly good tyre just because it has a little hole in it, and 2] if its worse than that - e.g. sidewall damage, I'd be wasting my time anyway!

I agree with you, I think this is just one of those idiotic fashion things that manufacturers all slavishly adopt without really thinking it through, (like front fog lights, or the current trend towards "slab" sided doors with no protecton strip - see BMW, for instance).

I too will be sticking with a proper spare wheel - the man selling the cars made by the firm that sounds like an old light bulb manufacturer told me I'd be lucky to find any modern car that has a spare, well I was, and I have and what's more it's a full-sized alloy - it's on its way from Germany as we speak - made by a firm whose logo looks like 3 letter Vs.:D

[Rolebama]

A friend of mine is in the market for a replacement used car. He was looking on AutoTrader, and mentioned that a few of the ads he has looked at specify 'Full Size Spare Wheel' as a selling point.

[smudger]

Yea! then when you go to trade in it, they say its a bad thing as it takes up space and adds weight to the car?

Either way, the motorists loses out...as usual;)

[Watcher]

That ****** spare wheel....

Originally Posted by smudger879n

Yea! then when you go to trade in it, they say its a bad thing as it takes up space and adds weight to the car?

Either way, the motorists loses out...as usual;)

Only just noticed this - I couldn't disagree more strongly! First, my car is designed with proper space for a proper spare wheel which, being alloy, weighs b***er-all, and if when I need to sell it I can guarantee I'll find more interest because I have a full-sized spare! There are still plenty of people who think about what they are buying rather than a] slavishly follow fashion, or b] get conned by salesmens' nonsense!!:mad:

[Snowball]

This year I changed my 7-seater, 'no spare wheel' for a new model; exactly the same vehicle, but 5-seater with full sized spare wheel.

When we were arranging for a holiday in France, with our 7-seater, Red Pennant (Caravan Club travel service) advised me that, in the event of a puncture, having no serviceable spare would add a £100 surcharge to a call-out. So, I bought a spare, although it took up a lot of room in the luggage compartment.

For my car, the goo had a shelf life of four years, and a replacement container was about £40.

Provision of a properly-stowed, full sized spare should be a strict requirement under the Construction and Use Act.

The point about the dangers of changing a wheel on a busy road is irrelevant; if you call out a patrol, the replacement wheel is still required. In hazardous circumstances it makes sense to call for assistance; the heavy breakdown vehicle with its flashing beacons is better protection than a red plastic triangle.

[davesdad]

The point about the dangers of changing a wheel on a busy road is irrelevant; if you call out a patrol, the replacement wheel is still required. In hazardous circumstances it makes sense to call for assistance; the heavy breakdown vehicle with its flashing beacons is better protection than a red plastic triangle.[/QUOTE]


Flashing beacons mean nothing to some tired hgv drivers im affraid

[Snowball]

Originally Posted by davesdad

The point about the dangers of changing a wheel on a busy road is irrelevant; if you call out a patrol, the replacement wheel is still required. In hazardous circumstances it makes sense to call for assistance; the heavy breakdown vehicle with its flashing beacons is better protection than a red plastic triangle.

Flashing beacons mean nothing to some tired hgv drivers im affraid[/QUOTE]

True, but as for many things in life, you sometimes meet up with 'Hobson's choice'. I suppose you could ask the rescue driver to park a fair way back from your disabled vehicle; after all, his protection is just as important as your own.

[Watcher]

Spare wheels

Originally Posted by Snowball

Flashing beacons mean nothing to some tired hgv drivers im affraid

True, but as for many things in life, you sometimes meet up with 'Hobson's choice'. I suppose you could ask the rescue driver to park a fair way back from your disabled vehicle; after all, his protection is just as important as your own.[/QUOTE]

I agree there is no way to absolutely guarantee safety while you change a wheel (especially on a motorway hard-shoulder) but there are risks in everything we do - the trick is to recognise them, be reasonable, and to minimise those risks.

As you would have to stick the can of gloop into the tyre valve, you would be just as exposed as if you were changing a wheel, but with a spare wheel to change you could be fairly sure you would be able to continue your journey.

With a can of useless gloop you not only ruin a potentially repairable tyre if the puncture is simple, but if the puncture is severe, e.g. in a sidewall it WON'T work so you are stuffed anyway! :rolleyes: