Modern shite tyre quandry

[New POD]

Okay, please be kind to me, this is half rant and half erm seeking the 'best' solution.

 

So my wife and daughter are fecking useless when it comes to cars, it's not that they don't understand, they actually do the opposite of what I've tried to explain they should do.

 

For example. The oxford built MINI that they drive has a Tyre pressure warning system, and if the light comes on. They WILL NOT stop and check the pressures, they will not look for the 12v compressor(s) in the boot, and add a bit of air. No they will drive home and then park the car up, and not use it.  Now given that I work away during the week, this has happened twice, due to dodgy valves.  When I got to check the car, one run flat was at 4 psi, and one none run flat was at 6 psi.

 

 In the boot are 3 holts tyre weld cylinders, and a genuine MINI one, with a MINI compressor, jack, wheel wrench, etc.

 

I have taken to checking the tyre pressures at the weekend, but now that 2 tyres need replacing I'm wondering what is the best option.

 

Now the car is supposed to have run flats, but a previous owner has fitted 2 perfect none-run flats to the back.  It it the 2 front run flats that need replacement. 

 

I have also obtained via ebay a brand new old stock wheel of the same size.

 

So I tried to have a discussion with my wife, about which way to go.

 

1) Put it as per BMW supplied it - Buy 4 runflats at a cost of £350 to £420.  Fit one of the good none runflats to the spare, which will pretty much fill the boot, but only put it in when going on long journeys.

2) Replace the 2 Runflats with Run Flats - £190 to £210. Fit the just legal runflat to the spare and stick it in the boot.

3) Replace the 2 runflats with 2 none runflats £100 to £140 - Ditto the spare

 

Now my wife's attitude is this: " I'll just carry on regardless, and if I can't get home, I'll phone the RAC to come and recover me.  There's no point in having 2 runflats, because if the warning light comes on, I'm not going to check the pressures, I'm just going to carry on. Do what you want, but if you are going to fit runflats, it would be better to fit 4"

 

I am utterly at a loss with this attitude.  So you have the luxury of a warning light, you have a pressure gauge, and a compressor, surely you'd stop, check all for tyres, and if one was low, add air, or perhaps use a can of gloop?

 

In my humble opinion the warning light is a luxury if you have normal tyres, but essential if you have run-flats, because, you can't tell when they are low by looking, and they are really only designed for a max of 50 Mph for 50 miles.

 

Even typing this I'm coming to the conclusion that I should not get runflats, as she'll just abuse them, if she gets a puncture.

 

The other thing that is pissing me off, is that she has taught our daughter this pathetic, it's not a woman's job to know or care attitude, and she's fucking worse.

[mouseflakes]

You need Clare Rayner, not Autoshite.

[New POD]

You need Clare Rayner, not Autoshite.

 

Pretend you are she.

[KruJoe]

Condolences to you on four points:

1. Wife
2. Daughter
3. Bini
4. Runflats

Just this last week, I was talking to an older lady friend about her BMW's tyres. It has runflats, and they've needed all four replacing every 18 months (!) since she's had the car, last done six months back. Last week she noticed one of them had sidewall damage. She only mentioned it in passing. I advised her to cut her losses, find a good deal on a full set of 'normals', and keep the runflats for ebay.

 

She called me last night, over the moon with her middle-of-the-road Nexens (I think), the car's way more comfy, and 'easier' to drive, and the bill was less than the price of two new runflats.

She had all four wheels aligned at the same time - it could well have been wonky since she bought it off the BMW forecourt!

Happy customer now. And I may get three figures back for her for the part-worns. I'll get a tin of gunk for her to hide in the boot, but I told her it will make a tyre irreparable if she needs to use it.

[mouseflakes]

Pretend you are she.

 

TBH - I think Clare Rayner would have more chance of answering your query than I. 'Tyre pressure warning system', 'run flat tyres' - these are the things of some future fantasy world surely? I haven't clue.

[Parky]

Kumho ecstas apparently work well on these.

 

Had Bridgestone run flats on mine, damn fine tyres but damn expensive. Get the Kumhos as they improve ride and handling.

[New POD]

Condolences to you on four points:

1. Wife
2. Daughter
3. Bini
4. Runflats

Just this last week, I was talking to an older lady friend about her BMW's tyres. It has runflats, and they've needed all four replacing every 18 months (!) since she's had the car, last done six months back. Last week she noticed one of them had sidewall damage. She only mentioned it in passing. I advised her to cut her losses, find a good deal on a full set of 'normals', and keep the runflats for ebay.

 

She called me last night, over the moon with her middle-of-the-road Nexens (I think), the car's way more comfy, and 'easier' to drive, and the bill was less than the price of two new runflats.

She had all four wheels aligned at the same time - it could well have been wonky since she bought it off the BMW forecourt!

Happy customer now. And I may get three figures back for her for the part-worns. I'll get a tin of gunk for her to hide in the boot, but I told her it will make a tyre irreparable if she needs to use it.

 

Point 1) In the 24 years I've been married, I have occasionally felt that on balance it was the right decision.

Point 2) If you are married and the wife wants Kids, she'll want one of each. I count myself lucky that we had one of each, and didn't have 5 boys before realising that the 6th might not be a girl.  The great thing about having a daughter is I get to stare at her boyfriends, and ask them difficult "Dad" questions like "And what time are you bringing her home" and "So have you thought about joining the army (trick question that one)"

Point 3) As I keep saying to nay sayers, -  it's no worse than the car it is the spiritual successor for, just like a metro really. Apart from the fact that it's a reliability time bomb, and overpriced for what it is, and that there are 100 other cars that would do the job at half the price, it's not actually a bad drive and looks pretty.

Point 4) I'm thinking "Fill the Boot with a full size spare"

[New POD]

Here are 2 pictures  

[Lacquer Peel]

Scrap it.

[mat_the_cat]

Blimey. I got back last night and my wife was trying to pump up a tyre but the cigarette lighter fuse had blown mid way through inflation. I felt a little frustrated that she hadn't changed the fuse but had left me to do it...now I realise I should think myself lucky!

[Asimo]

Nice colour. Bad wheels; can you get 4j x 10" steels for it?

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Binning the run flats would be a lot easier if you fit a space saver mounting kit apparently available from BMW.

http://www.minitorque.com/forum/f275/retro-fitting-space-saver-spare-wheel-791/

 

On ebay , some sellers of Rover 25/45 spares reckon they fit Binis too.

[New POD]

 

I sort of preferred this, but it was the most unreliable piece of overpriced shite, and had to go.

[DaveAspley]

Same problem here, wife drives past a petrol station 4 times a day but waits til I get home after a 14 hour day to mention she needs fuel and could I go get it? Fuck right off.

[JohnDeere]

Never, never again would I own a car with run-flats (or a compressor-gunk machine).   Runflats = £150 for a new tyre instead of £10 for a repair when you pick up a nail.   Gunk blaster = being totally f******d when you get a flat.    Within two weeks of buying a spare for the Fiesta of eBay it had been on twice.

[New POD]

Update : Just had a text from wifey : Quote : Your Daughter has looked it up online and if UR car is meant to have run flats you should NOT fit normal Tyres as can cause problems. 

 

FFS, this is an 17 year old who REFUSED to be taught how to check the tyre pressures.

[New POD]

Binning the run flats would be a lot easier if you fit a space saver mounting kit apparently available from BMW.

http://www.minitorque.com/forum/f275/retro-fitting-space-saver-spare-wheel-791/image.jpgimage.jpg

 

On ebay , some sellers of Rover 25/45 spares reckon they fit Binis too.

 

Yeah, I wondered if there was actually space to design and build a cradle that holds a 195/55 R16 under there.  I'm going to measure it up.  Anyone thing there's a market ? this time next year Rodney, we'll be millionaires.

[New POD]

Same problem here, wife drives past a petrol station 4 times a day but waits til I get home after a 14 hour day to mention she needs fuel and could I go get it? Fuck right off.

 

 

Strangely I don't mind filling up her car. It allows me, to drive it, check for warning lights, check all the levels and listen for faults.  Plus it gets brownie points.   

[beko1987]

I dont think your going to win this one chap, my condolances...

 

Or, MTFU, tell your family who the Daddy is and fit nice normal tyres to your 13 year old car! Fuck me if I used the tyres Citroen recommend on the XM it would cost me nearly what its worth! If they complain then sell the BINI, buy a 205 and yourself something nice with the change!

[beko1987]

Strangely I don't mind filling up her car. It allows me, to drive it, check for warning lights, check all the levels and listen for faults.  Plus it gets brownie points.   

The only time I use SWMBO's car is when I'm driving over to my mums to clean it or getting petrol.

 

lways come out with 2 or 3 things wrong with it, and when questioned she says 'oh yea, I meant to tell you about that rattle coming from the steering, and the tracking, and the exhaust blow-but-its-not-cos-its-a-new-exhaust-but-sounds-like-its-blowing. What, you want to have a look this weekend? You can't, I want to go out/got work/i thought we could do something as a faaaaamily this weekend. No I wont drive the XM, its not got 3 pedals its a stupid car its too big' etc etc

 

By the time we've finished the ensuing argument all brownie points are gone

[D-Dubya]

My other half has a similar attitude. She wrecked a set of alloy wheels driving on a flat caused by her twatting kerbs when pulling up. I repeatedly told her to not pull up onto kerbs but she did it, then she drove on the flat. I put genuine Peugeot alloys on it to give it more sidewall and she's picked up a slow puncture and didn't tell me or do anything about it as "I should notice". Well I did but it was a while before I did.

 

Warn inning lights don't get me started. She drove round for two months with a low coolant light and didn't tell me as "it went off after a bit". It was below low on coolant.

 

She also drove around one winter with no dash lights as every bulb failed, and I only found out when I took it to get a puncture mended. I asked why she didn't tell me and it was "because you'd moan about fixing it".

 

So why I've just bought her a brand new fiat 500 I'll never know

[messerschmitt owner]

1. Fit normal tyres

2. Don't tell wife.

3. Ensure RAC membership up to date.

4. Pocket difference and buy expensive tool for garage.

5. Divorce wife and disown daughter.

[barefoot]

Yeah, I wondered if there was actually space to design and build a cradle that holds a 195/55 R16 under there.  I'm going to measure it up.  Anyone thing there's a market ? this time next year Rodney, we'll be millionaires.

 

Judging by the description of the BINI owner/drivers in this thread, I wouldn't have thought there would be much of a market.

This time next year Rodders, you'll still be pumping up run-flats.

[DeeJay]

Wife came home from work said car is making a "funny noise".

She'd pulled the front bumper off on a barrier in the car park and driven 2 miles home with it bouncing off the road and smacking the body.

[Pete-M]

Beware of fitting normal tyres as I've known insurance companies more than once use "incorrect tyres" to get out of paying out on BMW and Mercedes for exactly that reason.

 

Chap I know had an 07 Cooper S that was recently written off (through no fault of his own) and the insurance offered a pittance (£1650) for it because it had Goodyear F1 Asymmetric tyres instead of the run flats it should have had. It's about £6-7k worth but the insurance are saying they're being generous because the car wasn't to manufacturers spec and wasn't road legal even though it was parked when it was hit.

 

They're playing silly buggers but it appears to be becoming a common insurance wriggle technique. They say you get cheaper insurance because of run flats so if you don't have run flats technically according to them your insurance is invalid.

 

It's stupid but that's not unusual for insurance companies. Runflats are part of the NCAP rating thing. .

[gary_davidson]

reading this about your wife and daughter feels like looking onto a crystal ball to my future.

[Pete-M]

Yup. Run flats have to have the tyre pressure monitoring systems by law, NCAP takes them into consideration as making the car safer. That's why Scenics had TPM, without it you don't get the all important 5* rating.

 

Even though TPM works the same with proper tyres insurance companies consider fitting proper tyres instead as "dangerous".

[Richard]

What is the difference in construction between a runflat and a proper tyre?

[ShiteRider]

Cancel RAC membership,

Put folding bycle in boot.

Job jobed.

[Barry Cade]

What is the difference in construction between a runflat and a proper tyre?

They have a much stiffer and stronger sidewall,  weigh a ton and are a ******* to fit.