Just took my car in for a service. They didn't say anything but they've written on the checklist that my offside front tyre is cracked.
MOT is due by the end of April. Driving back to London on Saturday. Do I wait until the MOT or get it replaced before I drive back?
You're asking yourself the wrong question. Surely it should be more along the lines of: "do I get it replaced right now, straight away, immediately or start planing my own funeral?"
Just took my car in for a service. They didn't say anything but they've written on the checklist that my offside front tyre is cracked.
MOT is due by the end of April. Driving back to London on Saturday. Do I wait until the MOT or get it replaced before I drive back?
You're asking yourself the wrong question. Surely it should be more along the lines of: "do I get it replaced right now, straight away, immediately or start planing my own funeral?"
Wasn't quite sure how bad cracked means. Never had it before and only been driving a few years.
Getting the impression it means it could blow any minute though in which case I'll get it done this week
If you have a tyre pressure monitor in your car does that mean you don't have to bother with checking the tyres at the garage until you get a warning light?
If you have a tyre pressure monitor in your car does that mean you don't have to bother with checking the tyres at the garage until you get a warning light?
If you have fancy sensors that actually tell you what the pressure is in the tyre, then you can just check that regularly and top them up if needed.
If its just an on/off warninglight, on the cars I've driven the warning light comes on when the pressure is getting quite a lot below optimum - to the point that you need a slow puncture of some such to trigger it. They won't usually come on due to the usual slight fluctuation you can get in pressure due to temperature changes etc. Keeping your tyres at optimum pressure keeps your tyre wear even and is, in theory, good for your fuel economy, although exactly how much difference that makes I don't know.
If you have a tyre pressure monitor in your car does that mean you don't have to bother with checking the tyres at the garage until you get a warning light?
I've got one on my car (jaguar XE) and at first the sensor kept on lighting up on the front passenger side stating low pressure - checked it a couple of times & seemd ok. Had to pop in the local dealer for a sat nav update & asked hem to check it for me. They said on was on a low load setting so I asked them to re-calibrate it (I am quite a heavy chap & often have my 3 kids in the car too ) - ever since its been right as rain.
Only thing I don't like is that I have no spare tyre - car comes with a self sealing puncture kit. Not used it yet & feel a bit apprehensive it I have to - so used to changing tyres on cars & would prefer to know that I have a perfect new one on it rather than a "bodge job" - even if its only for a short time until I got home or to a garage. Anyone have experience of these kits ??
Tyres are a pretty crucial part of the vehicle doing what it's meant to do. Don't take a chance mate, change that one (which must be ancient or incredibly shit quality if it isn't) and change its brother on the other side of the vehicle too. Running a car on a budget is just a way of prolonging spending a shit load on something nasty
Isn't it great that a tyre thread brings the man about people on this site even though let's be honest most of us drive fairly average cars where the difference between an £80 and £120 tyre isn't really gonna kill us
For what it's worth I've got a nice car now but for the last 20 years if I need a new one I certainly wouldn't spend some of the money on branded tyres that are recommended
working in the products liability insurance industry I can tell you that pretty much all tyres are good
Isn't it great that a tyre thread brings the man about people on this site even though let's be honest most of us drive fairly average cars where the difference between an £80 and £120 tyre isn't really gonna kill us
For what it's worth I've got a nice car now but for the last 20 years if I need a new one I certainly wouldn't spend some of the money on branded tyres that are recommended
working in the products liability insurance industry I can tell you that pretty much all tyres are good
Agree to a point, budget tyres will do a job but will also wear quicker.
I should be on commission for them but Maxxis are hard to beat. Almost budget priced, yet very very good quality and come with a lifetime guarantee.
And steer clear of part worm tyres, nothing to be gained from putting them on a car in the medium term
If you have a tyre pressure monitor in your car does that mean you don't have to bother with checking the tyres at the garage until you get a warning light?
My two-penneth worth on TPMS.
First, whether and when they "ping" you a warning will depend upon whether they were set correctly in the first place.
Second, tyre pressures can alter depending upon whether it's summer or winter. I find I get a ping from my sensors at the onset of winter and have to give them a couple of extra psi each. This comes out again in spring so that the pressure is not too high. (All to do with air expanding when hot, I suppose.*) Although, oddly the pressures on Mrs cafcfan's car seem okay all year round. Perhaps because it's garaged?
Third a TPMS only tells you whether the pressure is okay. It won't tell you whether you've got potentially lethal damage to a tyre, a bald tyre or a tyre with a nail or something in it that is doing a temporarily good job at holding the air in. So, give them an occasional visual inspection anyway.
Fourth, a TPMS comes into its own if you've got run flat tyres.
Fifth, the batteries only last maybe 5/7 years and you have to replace the whole unit. (Or disable the system so you don't get annoying messages on your dashboard).
*Sometimes when I'm bored I leave the dash on the TPMS diagnostic screen. It starts a journey at 2.3 bar for each tyre and they increase to 2.5 bar as the tyres warm up. The fronts get there more quickly than the rears, presumably because of the lateral movement.
If you have a tyre pressure monitor in your car does that mean you don't have to bother with checking the tyres at the garage until you get a warning light?
I've got one on my car (jaguar XE) and at first the sensor kept on lighting up on the front passenger side stating low pressure - checked it a couple of times & seemd ok. Had to pop in the local dealer for a sat nav update & asked hem to check it for me. They said on was on a low load setting so I asked them to re-calibrate it (I am quite a heavy chap & often have my 3 kids in the car too ) - ever since its been right as rain.
Only thing I don't like is that I have no spare tyre - car comes with a self sealing puncture kit. Not used it yet & feel a bit apprehensive it I have to - so used to changing tyres on cars & would prefer to know that I have a perfect new one on it rather than a "bodge job" - even if its only for a short time until I got home or to a garage. Anyone have experience of these kits ??
Yes, Have had to change a few tyres in my time but never used one of those. Not looking forward to the time I have to as my car has that kit too, as I presume do most new cars.
If you have a tyre pressure monitor in your car does that mean you don't have to bother with checking the tyres at the garage until you get a warning light?
I've got one on my car (jaguar XE) and at first the sensor kept on lighting up on the front passenger side stating low pressure - checked it a couple of times & seemd ok. Had to pop in the local dealer for a sat nav update & asked hem to check it for me. They said on was on a low load setting so I asked them to re-calibrate it (I am quite a heavy chap & often have my 3 kids in the car too ) - ever since its been right as rain.
Only thing I don't like is that I have no spare tyre - car comes with a self sealing puncture kit. Not used it yet & feel a bit apprehensive it I have to - so used to changing tyres on cars & would prefer to know that I have a perfect new one on it rather than a "bodge job" - even if its only for a short time until I got home or to a garage. Anyone have experience of these kits ??
Yes, Have had to change a few tyres in my time but never used one of those. Not looking forward to the time I have to as my car has that kit too, as I presume do most new cars.
As I understand it the problem with the OEM gloop which temporarily seals the tyres is that it destroys the tyre carcass and makes it inevitable that a tyre with even a minor puncture will have to be replaced rather than repaired. there are alternatives. An american product called slime www.slime.com is supposed to work and can be cleaned out. Holts Tyreweld makes the same claim. I always carry a couple of tins.
I had them on my RAV4 which moved on in 2013. Did the job; at the time it was said that you sacrifice ride quality, but on the RAV I couldnt say I noticed.
The next car was my DS5, and as seems now to be the vogue it had no spare (being a hybrid, there was no room what with the battery). When I asked about run-flats they just sniffed and said “not possible” but in that useless Czech non-service way. Now I’m waiting for my new DS4, also no sparé and considerably delayed delivery. My dealer is embarassed about it, and even offered me a free rental car (which I dont need as the DS5 is fine), but I thought, maybe I could instead insist they fit run-flats. So, before asking the wider world as always, I ask CL: what’s the current word on run-flats? And why, when so many cars come without a spare, are they not more common?
Mrs cafcfan's BMW Z4 had run flats. They were awful. they had very small side walls and ride comfort was truly shocking. Even the smallest pothole felt and sounded as if the whole car was about to fall apart and you couldn't help but wince every time a road imperfection came into view. The BMW dealer kept coming up with complete bollocks about having to stick with them because the suspension, etc was set up for them. One got a nail in it and we took the opportunity to switch all four to normal tyres. On a recommendation from the tyre place I use, we opted for Avons and in comparison they are superb. Two slight downsides: first, they have no protective beading so the alloys are more vulnerable. Second you really have to carry a couple of cans of Holts tyreweld around with you in case of a puncture as there is no spare.
Run flats by their nature are very hard sidewalled tyres, so does tend to effect comfort, they are also a lot more expensive.
The general now is no spare and tyre weld kit. All well and good for a small puncture to get you home, but it makes a mess and no good for a split/blow out. So make sure you have recovery.
Run flats by their nature are very hard sidewalled tyres, so does tend to effect comfort, they are also a lot more expensive.
The general now is no spare and tyre weld kit. All well and good for a small puncture to get you home, but it makes a mess and no good for a split/blow out. So make sure you have recovery.
This is true for OEM kits supplied with cars. In fact you will probably have to replace the tyre (and the TPMS valve thingy). Whereas Holt's Tyreweld is water based and the tyre guys can just wipe it out with some paper towel and make a repair if that is feasible.
Hmm. Doesnt look like the tech of run-flats have moved on much from when I got them with the RAV , which was around 2008.
I dont remember them being expensive but the reason may be that they were also all-weather. Here, winter tyres are obligatory, and generally with good reason, but they qualified. So I saved on the winter tyres which are also expensive.
Probably will have to pass, then. The new car is supposedly a much smoother ride than the current one,(mine was an early Citroen version and the ride was much criticised by those who remembered what the original DS was all about) and supposedly has tech that anticipates imperfections in the road, and somehow compensates.
Comments
Getting the impression it means it could blow any minute though in which case I'll get it done this week
If its just an on/off warninglight, on the cars I've driven the warning light comes on when the pressure is getting quite a lot below optimum - to the point that you need a slow puncture of some such to trigger it. They won't usually come on due to the usual slight fluctuation you can get in pressure due to temperature changes etc. Keeping your tyres at optimum pressure keeps your tyre wear even and is, in theory, good for your fuel economy, although exactly how much difference that makes I don't know.
How old must the tyre be to crack?
Only thing I don't like is that I have no spare tyre - car comes with a self sealing puncture kit. Not used it yet & feel a bit apprehensive it I have to - so used to changing tyres on cars & would prefer to know that I have a perfect new one on it rather than a "bodge job" - even if its only for a short time until I got home or to a garage. Anyone have experience of these kits ??
Worth giving the tyre an inspection yourself though
I haven't had to change them on the car yet which I got January 2013. Treads still fine on them. Not immediate nope. Tyres checked over in the service and tread depth still at 5mm. Just wasn't sure whether a crack is dangerous.
For what it's worth I've got a nice car now but for the last 20 years if I need a new one I certainly wouldn't spend some of the money on branded tyres that are recommended
working in the products liability insurance industry I can tell you that pretty much all tyres are good
I should be on commission for them but Maxxis are hard to beat. Almost budget priced, yet very very good quality and come with a lifetime guarantee.
And steer clear of part worm tyres, nothing to be gained from putting them on a car in the medium term
First, whether and when they "ping" you a warning will depend upon whether they were set correctly in the first place.
Second, tyre pressures can alter depending upon whether it's summer or winter. I find I get a ping from my sensors at the onset of winter and have to give them a couple of extra psi each. This comes out again in spring so that the pressure is not too high. (All to do with air expanding when hot, I suppose.*) Although, oddly the pressures on Mrs cafcfan's car seem okay all year round. Perhaps because it's garaged?
Third a TPMS only tells you whether the pressure is okay. It won't tell you whether you've got potentially lethal damage to a tyre, a bald tyre or a tyre with a nail or something in it that is doing a temporarily good job at holding the air in. So, give them an occasional visual inspection anyway.
Fourth, a TPMS comes into its own if you've got run flat tyres.
Fifth, the batteries only last maybe 5/7 years and you have to replace the whole unit. (Or disable the system so you don't get annoying messages on your dashboard).
*Sometimes when I'm bored I leave the dash on the TPMS diagnostic screen. It starts a journey at 2.3 bar for each tyre and they increase to 2.5 bar as the tyres warm up. The fronts get there more quickly than the rears, presumably because of the lateral movement.
Now I’m waiting for my new DS4, also no sparé and considerably delayed delivery. My dealer is embarassed about it, and even offered me a free rental car (which I dont need as the DS5 is fine), but I thought, maybe I could instead insist they fit run-flats.
So, before asking the wider world as always, I ask CL: what’s the current word on run-flats? And why, when so many cars come without a spare, are they not more common?
otherwise I suppose they’re fine…
One got a nail in it and we took the opportunity to switch all four to normal tyres. On a recommendation from the tyre place I use, we opted for Avons and in comparison they are superb. Two slight downsides: first, they have no protective beading so the alloys are more vulnerable. Second you really have to carry a couple of cans of Holts tyreweld around with you in case of a puncture as there is no spare.
The general now is no spare and tyre weld kit. All well and good for a small puncture to get you home, but it makes a mess and no good for a split/blow out. So make sure you have recovery.