# no spare wheel in new car



## theengineer (19 Aug 2008)

Hi everyone

Did anyone ever come across a new car which does not have a spare wheel, friend received a new car yesterday,( Opel) with no spare wheel, apparently the manfacturers now provide a compressor and solution which helps seal the punture,

disavantages i see are....
repaired wheel can only be driven for 6 miles according to specs
max speed in 50 mph
solution must be replaced in 4 years ( has expiry date)
it is no use for a serious cut.

any comments from anyone? 
did your car come as a spare wheel?

I am intrested in what happens with new cars,


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## Caveat (19 Aug 2008)

It's not that unusual unfortunately - the new Honda Civic is another.


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## ubiquitous (19 Aug 2008)

Simple way around it - don't buy those cars.


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## Graham_07 (19 Aug 2008)

BMW are another I believe.


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## Sunny (19 Aug 2008)

Same with the Audi TT


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## D1983 (19 Aug 2008)

Yep a lot of manufacturers are doing that now.Also the catch is if a car comes with run flat tyres and you get a puncture it can't be repaired and you have to buy a whole new tyre,even if you just drove 5 mins out of the showroom.


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## Frasier (19 Aug 2008)

Some cars use run flats and have a tyre pressure monitoring system (e.g. BMW Z etc).

Others use a repair system that includes a sealant and compressor (e.g. Mx5 etc.).

This seems to becoming more popular but it is not without its problems.  For example, get a puncture on a run flat tyre and you will be replacing the tyre.  You can drive for 150 miles on it though.

The other system allows for the tyre to be repaired unless the tear is severe.

It has some advantages though mainly being weight and space saving.  These cars normally come with 2 or 3 years roadside assistance.


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## theengineer (19 Aug 2008)

thanks a million for all the replies, 
My friend has got on to the garage they are exchanging the small compressor and sealant for a full sized tyre with tools,

reason 
car in showroom has a full size spare
brochure refers to full size spare,


he is going over in the afternoon to collect, 

I am amazed as i never heard aout these new developments, guess my car is too old, 
i once had a van and used carry two spares, and  was still worried as i was miles from help,

maybe it is me, but i would not be comfortable without a spare


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## Caveat (19 Aug 2008)

theengineer said:


> but i would not be comfortable without a spare


 
Me neither - it would probably even put me off buying the car.


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## bacchus (19 Aug 2008)

D1983 said:


> with run flat tyres and you get a puncture it can't be repaired


Michelin run flat tyres can be repaired.


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## woodseb (19 Aug 2008)

ubiquitous said:


> Simple way around it - don't buy those cars.


 
bit of a drastic measure if the car's right, most of them allow you to buy a space saver wheel for about e100. i've the new civic and the spare gives you a bit of piece of mind especially as i hear if you use the gunk to repair a puncture you pretty much have to throw away the wheel after cos the garages won't clean it out


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## ubiquitous (19 Aug 2008)

My own experiences of a space saver wheel have been unsatisfactory. I would not buy a car without a spare wheel. Others are free to do otherwise if they wish.


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## bacchus (19 Aug 2008)

ignorance, laziness, hassle...
and it is more profitable to change a tyre than to repair one.



			
				michelin said:
			
		

> A Michelin ZP may be repaired once and once only by a tyre professional following the normal rules and procedures for the inspection, preparation and repair of standard tyres.
> ZP tyres which carry sidewall markings indicating that repairs should not be carried out are still considered non-repairable.


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## D1983 (19 Aug 2008)

bacchus said:


> Michelin run flat tyres can be repaired.



The zp range can be repaired,once and once only and as long as there is no internal damage.Even though it says on the sidewall not to repair michelin have said you can do it once but its up to the tyre dealer/repair shop,it becomes their responsibility if something goes wrong,thats why it will be very hard to get someone to fix it.So in other words you will end up replacing the tyre.


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## theengineer (19 Aug 2008)

Thanks everyone for the replies.


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## aircobra19 (21 Aug 2008)

I don't think it makes sense not to have some sort of a spare tyre.


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## Ancutza (21 Aug 2008)

The "tyre-weld' solution outlined is all good and well if the tyre is only slightly damaged but (as happened to me recently) in the case of a, say, inch-long split then your in trouble. I'd never touch a car that didn't have at least a space saver.

By the way I'd like to invoke the curse of God on the idiot who designed the sparewheel release on the Nissan Pathfinder.  Fiddly in the extreme and possibly un-do-able in the dark without a torch.  Grrrrr!!!!


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## aircobra19 (21 Aug 2008)

I had a puncture during the week. Swapped to the spare, dropped the puncture into repair on the way to work, picked it up on the way home. Cost €5. Last time I got tyres of this size I had to order them in and it took two weeks. The cheapest, easiest and most flexible solution is to have a spare or space saver.


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## Yoltan (22 Aug 2008)

Caveat said:


> It's not that unusual unfortunately - the new Honda Civic is another.


 

That's true. It is possible to buy one though. I wouldn't let it put me off the car.


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## Liar's Poker (22 Aug 2008)

I presume the reference to a "Space saver" is one of just 3/4 size joke spare tyres. What's that all about. I got a puncture recently and opened the boot and found this Micky mouse Dolls house tyre. I went out and bought a new tyre and it fitted into the boot space no problem. The 3/4 size tyre was given its marching orders. I presume it's some sort of a scam for manufacturers to save money and soften the blow for the next step, no spares included.


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## Guest106 (22 Aug 2008)

There's a comfort in having a proper spare wheel in the boot that I just can't get with the spacesaver thing no matter how I read the adverts .  For me, it's a mod con too far.


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## mathepac (22 Aug 2008)

aircobra19 said:


> ... Last time I got tyres of this size I had to order them in and it took two weeks. ...


Your Bugatti Veyron seems to be very hard on tyres.


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## aircobra19 (22 Aug 2008)

mathepac said:


> Your Bugatti Veyron seems to be very hard on tyres.


 
I wish  I was looking for 205x15x55. Apparently as most cars now have 16" and bigger getting low profiles in the smaller 15" size was a problem. 195x15x60 would be far more common aswell. I was also trying to match up the same make/type of a tyre.


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## Iceman732 (22 Aug 2008)

aircobra19 said:


> I wish I was looking for 205x15x55. Apparently as most cars now have 16" and bigger getting low profiles in the smaller 15" size was a problem. 195x15x60 would be far more common as well. I was also trying to match up the same make/type of a tyre.




205 15 55?  Extremely rare tyres all right. There are a few online dealers that sell quality low profiles at extremely low prices and are very reliable.... Just Google it...

I like that idea that some people believe a spacesaver wheel provides them with more piece of mind than a run flat tyre. Naturally the run flat tyre provides a much better service should a puncture occur. You simply activate the run-flat system and the wheel re-inflates itself and can be driven at up to 50 miles per hour for about 150-200 miles. Run-flat tyres have been extensively tested and work in almost 100% of cases. I think the results of Goodyear tests were one out ten thousand tests failed.

The run-flat system is different to that of the sealant, provided by the MX5 and RX8, I believe this system to be sub standard. 

You can of course elect to use a spacesaver tyre instead of the run-flat system. The dealer usual charges about €80-100 to supply a spacesaver as opposed to run-flats.

The one downside about run-flats is that they are expensive, for a 205x45x17R 84V you're looking at about €145 for the tyre alone. If you purchase the tyre through BMW dealers in Ireland they'll charge you €250 plus VAT for the tyre!! Of course this shows the competiveness of Irish BMW dealers!!

Anyway I recently found out that BMW dealers in the North offer insurance for run-flats. The only stipulation being that the tyre must have at least 2mm thread depth when taking the insurance out. It costs about £150 for one year and £300 for three years, the insurance covers up to four tyres. It’s a pretty good deal and they’ll insure southern cars that the sell!

Unfortunately for all you people opposed to technological advances Run-Flats are here to stay. Almost every tyre company is piling investment into the area. For all those against technology, did you there is something called SatNav?! Imagine not carrying a road map, it madness!!!!


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## aircobra19 (23 Aug 2008)

Out of curiosity who fits the tyres you buy online?

Seems like all these technological advances are very expensive. For what they offer. All that money to save you changing a wheel which takes 5 mins and then you can run as fast and as long as the tyre is rated for. Repair is a fraction of the cost, for most punctures. 

Sat Nav has it place. But its not like people couldn't find they're way around before they existed, so its a nice to have not a need to have.


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## Iceman732 (23 Aug 2008)

I get them put on in the local garage. They service lawnmowers and repair punctures etc... Generally only charge a fiver a tyre!


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## j26 (24 Aug 2008)

Between myself and the wife we've had 2 punctures in the last 12 years.  One car one that was repaired in no time and one bike one that cost a few quid as I had to get the bike picked up.

Looking at it logically, the spare is a waste of space.  For us at least, punctures are a rarity.


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## Bluebells (24 Aug 2008)

j26 said:


> Between myself and the wife we've had 2 punctures in the last 12 years.  One car one that was repaired in no time and one bike one that cost a few quid as I had to get the bike picked up.
> 
> Looking at it logically, the spare is a waste of space.  For us at least, punctures are a rarity.



You can be sure of one thing - the minute you find yourself without a spare, you'll get a puncture. 

It will also be a Bank Holiday Weekend, you absolutely will have to make this journey - a two hour drive, you are already running late, and, when you go looking, the fellow that _could_ have helped you out will be gone to a football match in the next county. It will also be raining.

All this is governed by the same Law Of The Universe that ensures that the wiper rubber will always wear out on the drivers side, never on the passenger side, and which ensures that you will be  stuck behind a lorry on a wet and dirty road when your windscreen washer will be empty.


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## aircobra19 (24 Aug 2008)

So true


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