Just had my car back from a service, the garage fitted my space saver tyre on the rear as they found a small bulge on the side wall so though it was better to fit the space saver, however the full size tyre and wheel taken off fit perfectly in the wheel well in the rear boot, so space saver my arse!!!, if they have room for a full size wheel and tyre fit one!!!!!!!! it should be called a cost saver!!! how much did VW save by fitting cost saver tyres to their cars and calling them space savers? I can understand the need for a genuine space saver on high performance cars where the tyres could be 285s and above but not a family car GRRRR. Rant over.
I don't think you can complain, it did exactly what it should. It saved the space until you realised a normal wheel would fit in.
They're probably a fair bit lighter for some cars too.. Saving weight over a few years is bound to save at least a quid in fuel!
Part of the reason for the space saver is that it helps with the emission test due to the lighter weight.
At least it's not a can of gunk and and a compressor that Continental call a comfort kit! Not much comfort when you have a blow out on the M3
A spare tyre?
That's a luxury.
No spare supplied with mine.
No tyre sealant or compressor.
Just stupidly expensive run-flats that must be replaced at the slightest sign of a puncture.
Just buy a proper wheel if you want one. Rant over :)
Space savers are rubbish. Space Masters are awesome!
https://youtu.be/IZeMN59hvEQ
Although, I've had a couple of customers fit them then drive down to me without pumping them up first.
My last brand new car came without a spare wheel of any form - just a pump and a can of goo.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Same thing happened to a mate in work. Bought an alloy with a tyre on eBay for not much more than the cost of a new can of goo. I quite liked the idea of the goo until I realised that slow punctures can make it to the garage with a bit of pumping up and big punctures are often beyond help, so chance of using the goo is slim....
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I hear lots of stories how tyre shops won't touch a wheel/tyre that's been 'slimed'. Something to do with it spilling all over the shop/tools/persons when removing the old tyre. Not certain how true that is but, after getting gunk spray on me when trying to fill a tyre, I can well believe it - horrible stuff and still trying to get it off the driveway a year later after using it on a wheelbarrows tyre!
At least you got a spare and a place in the boot for it my Wife's MB CLA has neither a spare nor the space for one just a pump and the dreaded "gunge" which ruins the tyre and is no use if the tyre gets anything other than a straightforward puncture
I asked MB how much for a spacesaver
£140.00 tyre
£110.00 bag well it does have AMG on it
£60.00 jack all plus VAT
Got the equivalent for £ 140.00 complete but no AMG on the bag
Had a spacemaster on an earlier MB and it was fine.
This is shrinkflation I reckon - when I bought the wife's last shopping trolley - I lost it totally with Toyota because there was no space saver just a tub of goo - Escalated to UK director - they supplied a space saver FOC. It was a bit of hassle though and after 20 odd years of buying Toyotas et al................... the latest shopping trolley is a Mazda3. The manufacturer still wanted extra cash for a space saver - I refused. Standoff.
They paid half in the end. If they want brand loyalty they should not (shaft) do this to customers
Soon they will provide a car with three wheels to meet emission and fuel consumption targets then get you to pay for the fourth.
You can't use the goo on a sidewall flat and any tyre dealer will refuse to mushroom a flat that has been gooed.
I would love to get the little sh**s in marketing that thought of this ruse and put them on a trans pennine route in January at night - give them a flat tyre and then say "here it is a tub of goo - go fix your flat!"
:-)
Last edited by Brian; 25th July 2017 at 10:46.
No, 50mph I think for BMWs with run flats, and no more than 50 miles, although it's been a couple of years since I owned one.
They have to have a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System too, otherwise you won't know you've got a flat. Run flats can be repaired as well, although the longer and faster you drive them 'flat' the less the chance of repair.
I agree with the other chap, early run flat tyres were like rocks, but they've developed over the years and I was hard pushed to tell the difference between them and standard tyres on my last BMW.
I'd much prefer a run flat setup to changing to a spare wheel in most situations.
Last edited by Tooks; 25th July 2017 at 18:56.