The plastic foam insert which fills the wheelwell and does not properly contain the pump and the sealant is £63. I have just paid £155 for a full size steel wheel and correct (matching) tyre, a jack and winding handle and a wheel brace. The wheel fits the wheel well but bulges up into the boot space so the floor liner won't lie flat and the device for securing the wheel in the well won't actually grip whichever way up you put the wheel! Can't draw a diagram and too complicated to explain! The idea of having a shredded tyre on an M way at 2am and being at the mercy of my recovery service to obtain a new tyre filled me with dread! You'd have to call them out as the supplied items do not include a jack anyway
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There's good planet saving ideas behind this, for all the times you use the spare, probably once in 5 years think of all the fuel you will have saved by not carrying a spare and jack etc.
Plus when you do get a shredded tyre at 5pm on Christmas Eve half way between your house and your destination (the outlaws), think how good it will be for the coffers of the out of the way breakdown service and out of hours taxi service when you can't get a new tyre till Jan 7th.
Just put this nonsense in to save an eco warrior doing so.;)
edit..good call AS, i would have done the same but being as tight as you know what would have gone used from flea bay.
Edited by gordonbennet on 12/11/2009 at 19:07
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...wheel bulges up into luggage cover...
I looked at some supermarket Focus hatches a few years ago which solved this problem with a full-width board.
It was covered with matching carpet, so I reckon it was a factory order, perhaps for a hire fleet.
Looked odd when you opened the hatch because the luggage compartment was three or four inches shallower than normal.
No lip to hold anything in, either.
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Indeed GB. I thought that, in order to curry some favour with the dealer I plan to use forservicing, 200+ miles from where I bought the car, it might be an idea to spend a bit of money there and be known. Probably as a man with more money than sense but known! Thanks for your input ifthelps - it does!
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 12/11/2009 at 19:59
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AS, I once had a Focus with a spacesaver spare, I noticed that other Focii with a full size spare have additional foam packing under the boot liner to raise the level by some 50mm or so, to account for the wheel thickness. This might be why your jack etc. does not fit.
Edited by mustangman on 12/11/2009 at 21:12
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I used a tyreweld canister on the front wheel of my bike some years ago. It got me back to England and around for a few weeks.
When I took off the tyre to see the damage, there was no trace of any foam or gunge, it was perfectly clean and usable for another couple of years...probably still ok with new owner.
Always carry one now in the bike's glovebox.
Ted
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Going back 20yrs ago jaguar dunlop tyres i think had a rubber compound on the inside of the tyre so when you got a puncture this would almost seal around the nail/screw and make it leak much slower, you cut it away and repaired the puncture in the normal way.
These tyres back then were £100.00+ do they make this anymore?
A runflat is designed not to come off the rim i think?
Old ideas are the best in my eyes no spare wheel is asking for trouble & is it worth the bother especially in the wet & cold!
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My Skoda has a differently sized spare tyre on a steel rim. Not a space saver as such but still has a 50 mph sticker on it. Think the rolling radius is the same as the larger alloys fitted.
Just fits in the boot recess.
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I used a tyreweld canister on the front wheel of my bike some years ago. It got me back to England and around for a few weeks. When I took off the tyre to see the damage there was no trace of any foam or gunge it was perfectly clean and usable for another couple of years...probably still ok with new owner.
I have never used the stuff, but I seem to recall in various product reviews that the manufacturer advises a maximum speed limit of 50 mph until the tyre is replaced or repaired properly. I also read that the use of this stuff renders effective repair impossible as it hides the source of the air leak.
That said, on a motorcycle the "get you home" aspect definitely has some value.
Our Grand Scenic had no spare, and a "tyre repair kit" included. Great if you run over a nail, but pretty useless if your tyre explodes at speed, and disintegrates. I've only had one blowout thankfully, but no amount of sealant was ever going to recommission that tyre. It was a barely recognisable blob of semi molten goop and steel bands by the time I'd safely stopped on the hard shoulder.
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Just before I got married in 1977 I was driveing around London in a Mk2 Cortina when I got a puncture. I had one of those aerosols with me, called a Finelac I think, and duely inflated the tyre and went on about my business. I bought another aerosol and threw it in the boot. A couple of days later I got another puncture and repeated the performance. Then I took tha car to Ireland, drove round Ireland for a couple of weeks and drove it bak to London. It was still going with the two tyres blown up withe the sealer aeroslol when I got rid of it a few months later.
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Many thanks Mustangman - the spare wheel sticks "up" above the floor line by about 1/2 an inch so it isn't worth buying a new floor carpet/cover or getting a bit of ply cut to shape to make a new floor. I can live with it.
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Think of all the fuel you will have saved by not carrying a spare and jack etc.
At a rough guess, maybe a few gallons, unless you would have carried the spare on the roof or bonnet (Landies?). But allow for the environmental cost of manufacturing the spare too - it may be more significant.
[pedant mode] I was jerked by Retgwte's notion of 'repairing an issue'. This word has usurped the job of 'problem' all over the place. But I can't really think of 'repairing' a problem either, never mind an issue. Of course - air must have issued from the tyre - that must have been what he meant.
Sorry :-)
Edited by Andrew-T on 13/11/2009 at 10:31
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At a rough guess maybe a few gallons unless you would have carried the spare on the roof or bonnet (Landies?). But allow for the environmental cost of manufacturing the spare too - it may be more significant.
Deduct from that the fuel used by the recovery truck you'd need after a blowout that you wouldn't have needed if you could have simply bunged the spare on, and it's probably even stevens, plus a sight less convenient. ;-)
The Scenic had no spare wheel facility at all, with the omission of the spare supposedly designed to improve boot space / shape, so even if I'd gone out and bought a spare rim and tyre, there would have been nowhere to put it. It would have been nice to have the choice.
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The Scenic had no spare wheel facility at all, with the omission of the spare supposedly designed to improve boot space / shape, so even if I'd gone out and bought a spare rim and tyre, there would have been nowhere to put it. It would have been nice to have the choice.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>.real renaults had the spare wheel under the bonnet
ask Lud he will confirm the days when renaults were beholded in esteem
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>>>>>>>>>.real renaults had the spare wheel under the bonnet
ask Lud he will confirm the days when renaults were beholded in esteem
whats that got to do with it? My VW touran had no spare - or space for it.
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whats that got to do with it? My VW touran had no spare - or space for it.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>.well Volkswagen haven't made a car as good as a mk1 golf or a scirroco since the 80"s
does that help?
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The people carriers seem to struggle to find somewhere to put the spare - if you want seats in the boot, it doesn't make it easy. Ford managed it on the Galaxy - mine had a full size alloy spare under the back of the car (I bet they don't now). Where there's will, there's usually a way.
Manufacturers who ignore what customers want are treading a dangerous path. Runflats and no spare counted against BMW when I bought my last car.
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Where there's will, there's usually a way.
>>>>>
>>>>>>>or where theres a well theres usually a tyre--
bum bum--
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I strongly expect the hire and lease companies are going to demand replacing the ford original equipment stuff in the boot, plus a new tyre, and are going to charge the drivers
a whole new revenue stream for ford
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Runflats and no spare counted against BMW when I bought my last car.
That would be the single biggest thing to stop me buying a BMW too. £1,000+ for a set of four tyres on a family saloon/estate is just ridiculous, not to mention the ride quality compromise and as you say no spare wheel.
What's wrong with letting the customer tick a box and have four proper tyres and a spacesaver spare at no extra cost?
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The people carriers seem to struggle to find somewhere to put the spare - if you want seats in the boot it doesn't make it easy.
Citroën still use the underbody hanger arrangement for a space saver on the C4 Grand Picasso.
Of course, the downside of this is you will only ever get a puncture when you are all dressed up with some place to go, it's dark and it's raining.
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Citroën still use the underbody hanger arrangement for a space saver on the C4 Grand Picasso.
On the self levelling suspension models there's no room for the spare so you get the goo and pump instead.
Not sure whether that means just the excusive models or others too.
Makes it a pita for us checking them over, as the repair kits are stored in different cubbies depending on spec, and when you've spent 10 minutes searching in vain for the kit, you look under and realise it had a spare all along...doh.
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Wasn't it Citroen BXs that could jack themselves using the hydro-pneumatic suspension?
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>>Wasn't it Citroen BXs that could jack themselves using the hydro-pneumatic suspension?<<<
IIRC They could also run on 3 wheels if you took a back wheel off and ran on the high suspension setting, or was it an urban myth? - I have googled and failed so far for a picture.
Obviously it depended on getting the loading correct!
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Probably would't have worked if it was a front (driven) wheel that was missing but you are right about the broad concept. Cut and paste from Google but no picture
When you had a flat tire in a Citroën SM toggling some switches would pull the flat tire off the ground and tilt the vehicle accordingly to allow you to comfortably continue driving ON THREE WHEELS. The owners manual cautions not to exceed 110mph on three wheels though!
Doesn't read quite true either
I had an SM but not for long enough to get a puncture!!!!
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 13/11/2009 at 19:19
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I wonder how much it does cost to lug the spare around?
I would be happy to keep mine in the shed if it is a significant amount and have it brought to me or just drive on the flat to a garage, as I never reuse a flat tyre that has been driven on anyway.
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=86tExyn0gzI
IIRC They could also run on 3 wheels if you took a back wheel off and ran on the high suspension setting or was it an urban myth? - I have googled and failed so far for a picture.
>>>>
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Well found - what search terms did you use?
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Well found - what search terms did you use?
>>
Er, 'Citroen on three wheels', or something like that.
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It's gotta be easier to buy a big van like mine (with a spare tyre . The van not me you fools) keep all yer tools in the back including a Genny and a compressor and yer can sleep in there if yer have to. 3 way fridge. Micro wave off of the genny. Bucket and chucket for you know what.
What possesses any of us to have a car sometimes bewilders me, but then, I am only a mere Builder. Anyone want a mere built?
MD
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I would prefer to have a spare though the FocuST has no room for one, the exhaust is where the wheel well is on other Foci, therefore I would call the 4th emergency service (or equivilent) should I get a flat.
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On the self levelling suspension models there's no room for the spare so you get the goo and pump instead. Not sure whether that means just the excusive models or others too.
I think you're right, that is only the top of the range model.
Makes it a pita for us checking them over as the repair kits are stored in different cubbies depending on spec and when you've spent 10 minutes searching in vain for the kit you look under and realise it had a spare all along...doh.
I know what you mean, I was checking over the kit for changing the wheel last week.
That is the first time I've had to refer to a manual to see what should and should not be in the jacking kit. Wire removers for alloy wheel centre caps, alloy wheel nut cap removers, locking wheel nut remover, centre alignment tool...
I'm happy our car is only a VTR+ model with steel wheels and none of the above to lose at the roadside in the pitch dark.
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Wire removers for alloy wheel centrecaps alloy wheel nut cap removers locking wheel nut remover centre alignment tool...
Ah but did you find the tool for releasing the electric handbrake if it should fail and stick on?
If you found something that looks suspiciously like an IUD thats the feller:-)
It does at least tell you the procedure in the handbook surprisingly enough, i caused a bit of chaos for a while at a delivery point whilst we read up and made use of the dodgy looking tool.
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Ah but did you find the tool for releasing the electric handbrake if it should fail and stick on?
After reading the handbook that was what led me on the quest of the toolkit.
SWMBO can't get used to the manual operation of the electronic park brake. Winter is coming and I just know that handbrake is going to stick on when left overnight below -10.
Now might be the time for me to buy one of those small gas blow torches to heat the caliper when it sticks.
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