Focus econetic: no spare tyre
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From: Mrcheerful on 22 Mar 2010 17:15 John wrote: > "GB" <NOTsomeone(a)microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:4ba78672$0$2491$db0fefd9(a)news.zen.co.uk... >> >>> I've read a number of cars do not have spare wheels now. Is this >>> just penny pinching by the manufacturers? >> >> I have a Volvo C70 CC and by the time the roof has stowed itself >> into the boot the only space left is the well where the spare wheel >> would go. So, Volvo just supply one of those seal and pump kits. I >> only hope it works! > > I guess that statistically many people in the first few years of car > ownership never change a wheel for themselves. Many punctures seem to > require a new tyre (in my experience) - so why not save costs and > weight by only supplying 4 wheels and tyres - they may even make a > "Green" issue out of it! Oh, great! when you are stuck for ages waiting for recovery because there is a great big hole in one of your tyres, then find that the tyre size is not immediately available, then have to stay in a hotel overnight till one arrives, miss your flight and have to buy another ticket and miss the first two days of your holiday. I would not buy or use a car without a spare wheel attached, preferably full sized, and stuff the green lobby.
From: Duncan Wood on 22 Mar 2010 18:27 On Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:15:02 -0000, Mrcheerful <nbkm57(a)hotmail.co.uk> wrote: > John wrote: >> "GB" <NOTsomeone(a)microsoft.com> wrote in message >> news:4ba78672$0$2491$db0fefd9(a)news.zen.co.uk... >>> >>>> I've read a number of cars do not have spare wheels now. Is this >>>> just penny pinching by the manufacturers? >>> >>> I have a Volvo C70 CC and by the time the roof has stowed itself >>> into the boot the only space left is the well where the spare wheel >>> would go. So, Volvo just supply one of those seal and pump kits. I >>> only hope it works! >> >> I guess that statistically many people in the first few years of car >> ownership never change a wheel for themselves. Many punctures seem to >> require a new tyre (in my experience) - so why not save costs and >> weight by only supplying 4 wheels and tyres - they may even make a >> "Green" issue out of it! > > Oh, great! when you are stuck for ages waiting for recovery because > there > is a great big hole in one of your tyres, then find that the tyre size is > not immediately available, then have to stay in a hotel overnight till > one > arrives, miss your flight and have to buy another ticket and miss the > first > two days of your holiday. I would not buy or use a car without a spare > wheel attached, preferably full sized, and stuff the green lobby. > > You could apply that argument to a spare exhaust or radiator though.
From: Chris Whelan on 23 Mar 2010 03:16 On Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:27:31 +0000, Duncan Wood wrote: [...] > You could apply that argument to a spare exhaust or radiator though. Not really. If I had to, (and I have!) I could drive home with lumps of exhaust missing. Equally, unless a radiator suffered a massive failure, I could stop every couple of miles and top it up. I wouldn't attempt to drive home on a tyre that held no air! Also, the chances of predicting an exhaust or radiator failure by preventative maintenance are much higher than the ability to predict that there was an object in the road capable of destroying a tyre. Chris -- Remove prejudice to reply.
From: Mrcheerful on 23 Mar 2010 04:40 Duncan Wood wrote: > On Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:15:02 -0000, Mrcheerful <nbkm57(a)hotmail.co.uk> > wrote: > >> John wrote: >>> "GB" <NOTsomeone(a)microsoft.com> wrote in message >>> news:4ba78672$0$2491$db0fefd9(a)news.zen.co.uk... >>>> >>>>> I've read a number of cars do not have spare wheels now. Is this >>>>> just penny pinching by the manufacturers? >>>> >>>> I have a Volvo C70 CC and by the time the roof has stowed itself >>>> into the boot the only space left is the well where the spare wheel >>>> would go. So, Volvo just supply one of those seal and pump kits. I >>>> only hope it works! >>> >>> I guess that statistically many people in the first few years of car >>> ownership never change a wheel for themselves. Many punctures seem >>> to require a new tyre (in my experience) - so why not save costs and >>> weight by only supplying 4 wheels and tyres - they may even make a >>> "Green" issue out of it! >> >> Oh, great! when you are stuck for ages waiting for recovery because >> there >> is a great big hole in one of your tyres, then find that the tyre >> size is not immediately available, then have to stay in a hotel >> overnight till one >> arrives, miss your flight and have to buy another ticket and miss the >> first >> two days of your holiday. I would not buy or use a car without a >> spare wheel attached, preferably full sized, and stuff the green >> lobby. > > You could apply that argument to a spare exhaust or radiator though. The idea of needing a recovery truck/time to get another tyre merely for a flat tyre is where I have a problem. I have driven on with large lumps of exhaust missing, likewise water falling out. Belts missing, clutch cables gone, gear levers fallen out, brake failure, accellerator cables broken and a bit of string for a throttle, etc. etc. The only water problem I had to get the RAC out for was when I ran over a badger at a great rate of knots at 2am , everything seemed fine, till the the temp. went up, a huge chunk of rad was snapped off (bloody plastic radiators, wouldn't have happened with a copper and brass one, grumble, grumble) , the RAC came out and suggested radweld !!!, I pointed out that it wasn't just a little leak and they took me home on a transporter.
From: Duncan Wood on 23 Mar 2010 07:03
On Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:16:44 -0000, Chris Whelan <cawhelan(a)prejudicentlworld.com> wrote: > On Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:27:31 +0000, Duncan Wood wrote: > > [...] > >> You could apply that argument to a spare exhaust or radiator though. > > Not really. > > If I had to, (and I have!) I could drive home with lumps of exhaust > missing. Equally, unless a radiator suffered a massive failure, I could > stop every couple of miles and top it up. > > I wouldn't attempt to drive home on a tyre that held no air! > > Also, the chances of predicting an exhaust or radiator failure by > preventative maintenance are much higher than the ability to predict that > there was an object in the road capable of destroying a tyre. > > Chris > YMMV, I can remember two occasions when somethings holed my radiator, I've yet to punch a large hole in a tyre. |