Vauxhall Zafira B - Useless tyre repair kit

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Mon 7 Oct 2013 20:28
Vauxhall Zafira B - Useless tyre repair kit - bobber

Having read HJ's experience with a puncture in his Mazda 6, I was reminded of my episode with "glop" and a compressor. My Zafira SRi came with stupid 225/40 18 tyres, no spare, but a can of "glop" and a compressor. I damaged a sidewall in France, and, of course, the "glop" had no chance of sealing it. A new Dunlop SP Sport cost me 200 euros!

When I got back to the UK, I bought a matching Dunlop for £100, then sourced a spare wheel cradle, wheelbrace and jack, and a 16" steel wheel with a 215/55 tyre from JST Motor Spares (through the Parts Gateway website).

I subsequently bought 4 more 16" steel wheels, and now have winter tyres fitted ready for the cold weather. I would advise anyone with the "glop" system to get at least a spacesaver spare, and ditch the "glop".

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Tue 8 Oct 2013 23:30
Vauxhall Zafira B - Useless tyre repair kit - Smileyman

Well said, it should be a legal requirement for all car dealers to state on the paperwork whether a spare wheel is included, if so whether it is full size or spacesaver, and if neither what solution is provided (if any).

It would also give the garage an opening to upsale the deal with a full size spare!

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Wed 9 Oct 2013 08:39
Vauxhall Zafira B - Useless tyre repair kit - jc2

What's the matter with people?It's not the dealer's responsibility-it's YOUR'S!!!. NO spare wheel-then don't buy!

Edited by jc2 on 09/10/2013 at 08:41

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Wed 9 Oct 2013 22:14
Vauxhall Zafira B - Useless tyre repair kit - Smileyman

The problem is ignorance - many (if not most) don't always know the (right or important) questions to ask, so are immediately at a disadvantage .... it happens in all walks of life, no-one knows everything.

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Wed 9 Oct 2013 22:17
Vauxhall Zafira B - Useless tyre repair kit - alan1302

True - it is ignornace but that hardly means we need anotehr law for such a thing.

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Fri 11 Oct 2013 09:22
Vauxhall Zafira B - Useless tyre repair kit - jc2

I don't think it's all ignorance.I've just bought a new car-new-not secondhand new-with a spare wheel of course but the salesman told me they order all the cars they sell with spare wheels because that's what their customers ask for.

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Sat 12 Oct 2013 16:09
Vauxhall Zafira B - Useless tyre repair kit - hillman

Where do they fit the spare wheel ? Lots of new cars just don't have the space or fixings.

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Sat 12 Oct 2013 16:19
Vauxhall Zafira B - Useless tyre repair kit - jc2

The car I bought could be ordered with an inflation kit and a flat boot floor or with a spare and well.Boot therefore smaller.Space saver-not a wide wheel but still a spare.

Edited by jc2 on 12/10/2013 at 16:23

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Sat 12 Oct 2013 16:27
Vauxhall Zafira B - Useless tyre repair kit - RT

Where do they fit the spare wheel ? Lots of new cars just don't have the space or fixings.

Not that many cars physically can't stow a spare - the majority that don't have full-size spares use that underfloor space as extra load volume or spacesaver and less extra load volume.

My Hyundai Santa Fe has a full-size alloy spare under the bodywork floor, without reducing ground clearance, and fold-down 3rd-row seats stowed under the boot floor but above the bodywork floor - and it's still a lower usable boot floor than a Freelander that can't have 3rd-row seats and doesn't get a full-size spare on many models!

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