My nice new (used) Jazz needs four tyres......... I briefly checked the tread (which was good on all four)
Well then, it doesn't need new tyres after merely five years. A bit of superficial cracking is neither here nor there. At pressures less than a half flat bicycle tyre they are hardly likely to 'blow-out'. Take the advice of tyremongers with a pinch of salt - they are in the business of selling and rapidly fitting as many as they can.
... I noticed the other day that one tyre was losing air
Find out where from. If you can't spot a nail (and they can be almost undetectable if vandalised with a nail gun) put a squirt of Fairy liquid in a cup of water and paint it all over - watch for bubbles. If none, paint round the rims to check for rim leakage. Then get it mended by a back street second-hand tyre fitter.
I bet most caravan owners have old cracked tyres, and my TR7 tyres, although hardened, were still legal and satisfactory when I changed them at 23yrs old.
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My nice new (used) Jazz needs four tyres......... I briefly checked the tread (which was good on all four)
Well then, it doesn't need new tyres after merely five years. A bit of superficial cracking is neither here nor there. At pressures less than a half flat bicycle tyre they are hardly likely to 'blow-out'. Take the advice of tyremongers with a pinch of salt - they are in the business of selling and rapidly fitting as many as they can.
... I noticed the other day that one tyre was losing air
Find out where from. If you can't spot a nail (and they can be almost undetectable if vandalised with a nail gun) put a squirt of Fairy liquid in a cup of water and paint it all over - watch for bubbles. If none, paint round the rims to check for rim leakage. Then get it mended by a back street second-hand tyre fitter.
I bet most caravan owners have old cracked tyres, and my TR7 tyres, although hardened, were still legal and satisfactory when I changed them at 23yrs old.
I understand the point about "tyremongers", but I happen to trust this particular garage. I've already had the punctured tyre replaced, so if tyremongers they are, they've already got me on that one.
The others are just as bad but not losing air. However, although I have owned cars in the past which have had or developed cracked tyres, even to an untutored eye these do look to me like a particularly bad example. As said above, my own fault for not spotting it, but should they have been sold like this?
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I've spoken to one of Heavenly Bagshaw's customer service representatives, and she has promised to raise the tyre issue with the dealership. So I'll wait to hear, and will update the forum if and when I do.
Many thanks for your observations thus far.
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All four tyres are Michelin Energy Savers, which I'm pretty sure are the originals and which is the brand of tyre I would have chosen myself.
There is a get out of jail free (almost) card for your relative.
About 5 years ago I bought 4 16" wheels on e-bay for my BMW, fed up with the 17" wheels, the 16" ones with winter tyres were so much better. The insurance company were fine about it even with regards to fitting non run flat tyres providing all 4 matched.
The wheels were adertised as being perfect except for a small scrratch on one (photo on the listing) and teh tyres having a minimum of 6mm tread and all being Michelin Energy Savers. I won them for an unbelieveably cheap £180 and the seller was not happy. He asked me to pay £250 so I threatened to open a case. He quickly changed his mind and I agreed to pay £200 cash if he delivered them (it was a £140 mile round Trip). When he arrived all was (well appeared to be) as listed so paid.
Next day I spotted that the tyres all had fine cracks on the inside sidewalls yet were only 4 years old according to the date code. Obviously not sun damage and not too upset since the wheels had cost me about what I had expected to pay and as listed were imaculate, essentially I had got 4 free knackered tyres.
Since it was already September I decided to wait until spring to fit them and then deccide what to do about tyres plus keep an eye out for bargains over the winter. But one boring lunchtime at work I found Michelins phone number (in Birmingham) and spoke to chap in technical. He told me that providing the date code was within 6 years the tyres were still under guarantee. Suggested I took the wheels to ATS who would remove the tyres FOC and send them back to Michelin. Obviously they could at this time fit new tyres but I did not need them. Did as suggested, the manager moaned claiming they did not get paid for the work by Michelin but that was not my problem.
To my surprise a few weeks later I received a letter saying that the tyres were indeed faulty and I would be receiving a cheque in a few days, no indication of the amount but anything was a bonus. When the cheque arrived it was for £196, (based on the cost of a tyre and the percentage of tread left) £16 more than I had paid, made the wheels an absolute baragain.
Never did use the wheels, sold the BMW and bought the Leon, sold wheels on e-bay for £160.
So get in touch with Michelin immediately, free tyre perhaps?
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All four tyres are Michelin Energy Savers, which I'm pretty sure are the originals and which is the brand of tyre I would have chosen myself.
There is a get out of jail free (almost) card for your relative.
About 5 years ago I bought 4 16" wheels on e-bay for my BMW, fed up with the 17" wheels, the 16" ones with winter tyres were so much better. The insurance company were fine about it even with regards to fitting non run flat tyres providing all 4 matched.
The wheels were adertised as being perfect except for a small scrratch on one (photo on the listing) and teh tyres having a minimum of 6mm tread and all being Michelin Energy Savers. I won them for an unbelieveably cheap £180 and the seller was not happy. He asked me to pay £250 so I threatened to open a case. He quickly changed his mind and I agreed to pay £200 cash if he delivered them (it was a £140 mile round Trip). When he arrived all was (well appeared to be) as listed so paid.
Next day I spotted that the tyres all had fine cracks on the inside sidewalls yet were only 4 years old according to the date code. Obviously not sun damage and not too upset since the wheels had cost me about what I had expected to pay and as listed were imaculate, essentially I had got 4 free knackered tyres.
Since it was already September I decided to wait until spring to fit them and then deccide what to do about tyres plus keep an eye out for bargains over the winter. But one boring lunchtime at work I found Michelins phone number (in Birmingham) and spoke to chap in technical. He told me that providing the date code was within 6 years the tyres were still under guarantee. Suggested I took the wheels to ATS who would remove the tyres FOC and send them back to Michelin. Obviously they could at this time fit new tyres but I did not need them. Did as suggested, the manager moaned claiming they did not get paid for the work by Michelin but that was not my problem.
To my surprise a few weeks later I received a letter saying that the tyres were indeed faulty and I would be receiving a cheque in a few days, no indication of the amount but anything was a bonus. When the cheque arrived it was for £196, (based on the cost of a tyre and the percentage of tread left) £16 more than I had paid, made the wheels an absolute baragain.
Never did use the wheels, sold the BMW and bought the Leon, sold wheels on e-bay for £160.
So get in touch with Michelin immediately, free tyre perhaps?
Thanks for that. Not sure how we'd manage without three tyres while they're being checked by Michelin, one having already been replaced, but certainly food for thought.
Whether I follow your example and call Michelin depends on which road I intend to go down: allowing the dealer to inspect the car and decide whether the tyres can be replaced under warranty, or just dealing with the issue myself subject to the vagaries of my finances.
Its booked into the dealership next week so they can have a look at the tyres, but I'm still unsure as to whether I want to leave it with them, even for just a couple of hours.
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All four tyres are Michelin Energy Savers, which I'm pretty sure are the originals and which is the brand of tyre I would have chosen myself.
There is a get out of jail free (almost) card for your relative.
About 5 years ago I bought 4 16" wheels on e-bay for my BMW, fed up with the 17" wheels, the 16" ones with winter tyres were so much better. The insurance company were fine about it even with regards to fitting non run flat tyres providing all 4 matched.
The wheels were adertised as being perfect except for a small scrratch on one (photo on the listing) and teh tyres having a minimum of 6mm tread and all being Michelin Energy Savers. I won them for an unbelieveably cheap £180 and the seller was not happy. He asked me to pay £250 so I threatened to open a case. He quickly changed his mind and I agreed to pay £200 cash if he delivered them (it was a £140 mile round Trip). When he arrived all was (well appeared to be) as listed so paid.
Next day I spotted that the tyres all had fine cracks on the inside sidewalls yet were only 4 years old according to the date code. Obviously not sun damage and not too upset since the wheels had cost me about what I had expected to pay and as listed were imaculate, essentially I had got 4 free knackered tyres.
Since it was already September I decided to wait until spring to fit them and then deccide what to do about tyres plus keep an eye out for bargains over the winter. But one boring lunchtime at work I found Michelins phone number (in Birmingham) and spoke to chap in technical. He told me that providing the date code was within 6 years the tyres were still under guarantee. Suggested I took the wheels to ATS who would remove the tyres FOC and send them back to Michelin. Obviously they could at this time fit new tyres but I did not need them. Did as suggested, the manager moaned claiming they did not get paid for the work by Michelin but that was not my problem.
To my surprise a few weeks later I received a letter saying that the tyres were indeed faulty and I would be receiving a cheque in a few days, no indication of the amount but anything was a bonus. When the cheque arrived it was for £196, (based on the cost of a tyre and the percentage of tread left) £16 more than I had paid, made the wheels an absolute baragain.
Never did use the wheels, sold the BMW and bought the Leon, sold wheels on e-bay for £160.
So get in touch with Michelin immediately, free tyre perhaps?
Thanks for that. Not sure how we'd manage without three tyres while they're being checked by Michelin, one having already been replaced, but certainly food for thought.
Whether I follow your example and call Michelin depends on which road I intend to go down: allowing the dealer to inspect the car and decide whether the tyres can be replaced under warranty, or just dealing with the issue myself subject to the vagaries of my finances.
Its booked into the dealership next week so they can have a look at the tyres, but I'm still unsure as to whether I want to leave it with them, even for just a couple of hours.
My Civic new came with Michelin energy savers and I found them to be noisy, but they cracked at around 20k mark.
but they also didnt (imo) last long- 25k miles- and had to replace, but heard the turanzas were quieter so bought them to replace, they are better all round so it may just be the tyres, personaly I do not think much of the Michelin and wouldn`t have again
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My son has a Dacia Sandero 1.2, bought in June 2015, with 26k miles. He is an enthusiastic driver , as am I when I've driven it.
We'd noticed that front tyres needed changing, so he borrowed my car and I took his into my local trusted indy. Up on ramp, found noticeable splits/cracks between treads on rear tyres, though plenty of tread left.
Also found front pads/discs worn, reasonable for the mileage.
So, four tyres, pads and discs, total £330. Very reasonable, I thought, especially as my grand-daughters (8 and 6) travel in this car. This is what grand-dads do.
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Well, I noticed the other day that one tyre was losing air, so I took it to my local indy for a butcher's. He pointed out that the sidewalls of all four tyres are cracked, and indeed one has cracks in the tread. The reason for this, apparently is that with the car having done so little mileage over its four and a half years of life, and having spent a lot of time standing still, the rubber has lost its suppleness and flexibility through lack of use, leading to brittleness and cracking.
..................................... I don't agree with that conclusion by your tyre man, it's an opinion not substantiated. I have a similar low mileage 6 year old car, the rears are original Continentals and they are absolutely fine. I changed the fronts as i wanted more tread on them before winter.
I have a 17 year old trailer sitting around with original tyres, which are not cracked and still serviceable for local trips to the dump, however I do intend to replace them as a precaution. But i would follow Skidpan's advice, i reckon they're faulty.
cheers and enjoy the Jazz
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