Temporary spare ruined my weekend away

[Ralphs]

Hi All

My wife and I are VW fans with a Tiguan and a 2010 Touareg, both fantastic vehicles except for the temporary spares. Both have caused problems.

This weekend I packed the car for an overnight camping trip down to Canberra. Got a flat just as I arrived in the gravel car park, NOT up some rocky fire trail, and I just had the tyres rotated this week. Of course its full of camping gear, at least it wasn't raining and I wasn't towing anything (you cant tow with a temporary spare!).

Had to call roadside assist as the compressor wasn't working; this model runs a compressed space saver spare .... changed the tyre. Now its about midday and the tyre places in Canberra close early on Saturday. So I race around to Bob Jane to try to fix the full size flat. The puncture is right on the shoulder, they cant fix it and don't have another.

Don't you love the way the car manufactures seem to invent a new tyre size with every new model. Crazy .... haven't they hear the word standard?

My camping gear is now stacked all through the Touareg as the full size flat takes up lots of boot space. Thank goodness I am on my own, if the missus was with me !!!

So a much anticipated camping trip was aborted so I could drive home in daylight and good weather; doing 80 up the Hume highway with B-Doubles bearing down on you at 110 is just plain dangerous. Eyes glues to the rear view mirror. Twice I activated the hazard lights to warn trucks I was travelling so slowly.

With 78,000 on the clock the Touareg has been faultless BUT I will not buy another till Volkswagen provide a workable full size spare option. My wife had a Jeep for a while and the vertical spare in the boot worked really well, easy to check inflation, easy to get out, easy to put the flat in, all without fully empting to boot!

Wake up VW, people actually take their SUVs beyond the shopping center car park.

[Ralphs]

Hi All
Please excuse my rant on this .... was not a happy camper !!

Calmed down now and just ordered some 17" rubber and a full size spare. Treg is too good to let this problem stop me driving it.

Would still like VW to realize, customers are having to go to lots of work just to get a workable spare solution for Australia.

[velly_16v_cab]

A few questions..
1 - Is it really VW's fault that tyre suppliers do not carry your size tyre?
2 - It is a pain not having a full size tyre. I thought they were rated faster than 80kph? (I have been in a mk3 Golf GTI 16v running the space saver tyre on the rear and we were doing 120mph lol)

:)

[team_v]

Almost all cars now don't come with a fullsize spare.
The buyer wants more car for less cost so they get the extra satnav/blutooth at the expense of a full sized spare.

Luckily everyone upgrades wheels so you can jag a single wheel pretty cheaply to use as a full sized spare.



P.S. didn't you have the same rant in the Tiguan section about it not having a full sized spare also?

[Diesel_vert]

Preparation is key for any long or extended journey.

Check the condition of the vehicle beforehand. Taking into account the nature of the trip, consider any additional equipment that may be needed for the duration. It is not inconceivable the standard equipment provided by the vehicle manufacturer may not be enough to provide for all circumstances.



Luckily everyone upgrades wheels so you can jag a single wheel pretty cheaply to use as a full sized spare.


Calmed down now and just ordered some 17" rubber and a full size spare.

A simple and cost effective solution, if I ever saw one.



Almost all cars now don't come with a fullsize spare.


It is a pain not having a full size tyre. I thought they were rated faster than 80kph?

The full sized spare in many vehicles is often not a matching spare.

Vehicle manufacturers state not to exceed a maximum speed of 80 km/h (50 mph) for unmatched wheels or tyres.

[Transporter]

Hi All

My wife and I are VW fans with a Tiguan and a 2010 Touareg, both fantastic vehicles except for the temporary spares. Both have caused problems.

This weekend I packed the car for an overnight camping trip down to Canberra. Got a flat just as I arrived in the gravel car park, NOT up some rocky fire trail, and I just had the tyres rotated this week. Of course its full of camping gear, at least it wasn't raining and I wasn't towing anything (you cant tow with a temporary spare!).

Had to call roadside assist as the compressor wasn't working; this model runs a compressed space saver spare .... changed the tyre. Now its about midday and the tyre places in Canberra close early on Saturday. So I race around to Bob Jane to try to fix the full size flat. The puncture is right on the shoulder, they cant fix it and don't have another.

Don't you love the way the car manufactures seem to invent a new tyre size with every new model. Crazy .... haven't they hear the word standard?

My camping gear is now stacked all through the Touareg as the full size flat takes up lots of boot space. Thank goodness I am on my own, if the missus was with me !!!

So a much anticipated camping trip was aborted so I could drive home in daylight and good weather; doing 80 up the Hume highway with B-Doubles bearing down on you at 110 is just plain dangerous. Eyes glues to the rear view mirror. Twice I activated the hazard lights to warn trucks I was travelling so slowly.

With 78,000 on the clock the Touareg has been faultless BUT I will not buy another till Volkswagen provide a workable full size spare option. My wife had a Jeep for a while and the vertical spare in the boot worked really well, easy to check inflation, easy to get out, easy to put the flat in, all without fully empting to boot!

Wake up VW, people actually take their SUVs beyond the shopping center car park.

Can you please explain this; how did you manage to get puncture in the Tiguan and the Touareg at the same time? Did you drive them both on one trip? http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/f97/beware-temporary-spare-tyre-95846.html

[Mi16 Man]

Can you please explain this; how did you manage to get puncture in the Tiguan and the Touareg at the same time? Did you drive them both on one trip? http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/f97/beware-temporary-spare-tyre-95846.html

Good question! Was wifey right behind in the Tiguan?


MY06 XS Luxury / MY09 308 XSE HDi SW

[a239947]

Also when you take a tyre in to a tyre shop and they say your pincture is in the sidewall.
ASK TO SEE THE TYRE!
Many tyre shops will say this to the unsuspecting public so they can sell you a tyre instead of doing a $15 fix for half an hours work.
My wife has almost been stung by this and I have also been stung by this!
Always ask them to show you the puncture!

Sent from my GT-I9100

[nat225]

Most of the cars i have owned since the 90's all had / have space savers, except a few cars that have the spare mounted outside (rav4 / suzuki jimny).

Imo it is silly to complain against for the use of space savers given that most other car makers do the same thing.

I guess if the OP was driving a CX5 with the 19" wheels I am sure not only he would complain about the space saver but also the new tyre replacement cost.

I heard a story of a new bmw owner complaining against the run flat tyre replacement cost against the selling dealer when he had to replace one.

Soon we may have people complaining against dealers cos the cars they bought use petrol!


Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk

[Diesel_vert]

Despite its land mass, Australia has an urbanisation rate of almost 90%, which makes it one of the most urbanised countries in the world, but that still leaves a little over 10% of the population not living in urban areas.

(So much so that even some local manufacturers decided to make the matching spare wheel and tyre optional on some of their vehicles).

So it's understandable why a vehicle - especially one designed in Europe or Japan - not equipped with a matching spare would prove inconvenient to some people, but given a bit of forethought, it's not a situation without alternative solutions.

[Umai Naa!!]

Space saver spares don't bother me.

What does, is when I see the same car 6 months later still fitted with on, and it's doing warpspeed down the freeway.

[MultiplexMan]

My irritation regarding a space saver is when the full size flat cannot be carried easily.

I am OK with a space saver but the annoying small wheel well in the boot is another matter...

What is the driver meant to do if the vehicle is fully loaded as designed? Drop off a passenger, leave some cargo or perhaps the wheel with the flat by the road side ? :confused:

EDIT: I carry a full size spare in the Touareg. I have accepted that I lose a significant amount of my boot space. How many owners can fabricate an internal wheel carrier? It would be nice if VW would at least offer the option of a full size spare or some way of carrying one...

[Hillbilly]

Space saver spares don't bother me.

What does, is when I see the same car 6 months later still fitted with on, and it's doing warpspeed down the freeway.

Ha ha With all the Jap imports into NZ they used to use the spacesavers for trailer tyres.

They go well with a tonne of stuff on them NOT.

Also used to see ricers running around endlessly with one on the front, as you say usually travelling at warp speed.

When I was in Taxis we had to have a full sized spare so there was a good trade in used wheels as well

[Transporter]

My irritation regarding a space saver is when the full size flat cannot be carried easily.

I am OK with a space saver but the annoying small wheel well in the boot is another matter...

What is the driver meant to do if the vehicle is fully loaded as designed? Drop off a passenger, leave some cargo by the road side or perhaps the wheel with the flat? :confused:

I know that the punctured tyre will fit in the Tiguan's spare tyre place, it will also fit in the Golf5 and possible others. It will not fit in the Touareg.
If you're too worried about getting a flat, you can use the puncture sealant like this Puncture Sealant (1 Litre) (http://www.pro-masystems.com.au/ProductMoreInfo.aspx?PID=96214&MenuID=132)
that I always keep in stock (as well as some other their products). It's used all the time, so you put it inside the tyre and drive with it. I've used it on my wife's car after she got the puncture when she didn't have the sealant in the tyre (10 minutes before going to work), simply removed the valve squizzed it in and pumped it up, remove the object. Now, more than 12 months later the tyre is still on the car (at rear), no pressure drop at all. The advantage of having it in is that it seals the punctures as they happen (not the punctures in the side wall).

[brad]

Can you please explain this; how did you manage to get puncture in the Tiguan and the Touareg at the same time? Did you drive them both on one trip? http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/f97/beware-temporary-spare-tyre-95846.html

I think he was trying to spam as many threads as possible.

[Tom87]

I carry a tyre repair kit like this Tyre Repair Kits and Equipment, Puncture, Emergency, Off Road - 4x4 Accessories Tough Toys (http://www.toughtoys.com.au/4wd-recovery/tyre-repair-kits-and-equipment/) and have used it multiple times to avoid having to use the space saver.

I've even used it to repair a screw hole which entered between the edge of tread and the sidewall. NOT recommended, but as a temporary fix, i weighed up the consequences and did it anyway. This tyre needed to be replaced for safety's sake.

If you manage to do the repair properly they're remarkably long lasting repairs. I find it helps if you heat the bit of cord up a bit beforehand, I stick it in the sun or ontop of the engine for a few minutes. Not too hot though or it gets a bit hard to use but the softer the goo the better the seal ends up being.

[Ralphs]

Hi Guys

Yes I was pissed and posted on both threads. BUT they were separate punctures about a year apart. The wife has a Tiguan with 115,000 which has been great (see my 100,000Km post as well) but I had to drive it down The Princes Highway to Nowra on a 100K mostly single lane road at 80, thankfully it was empty.

The Touareg example happened just last weekend, and basically ruined a weekend camping trip. I've now bitten the bullet and ordered 5x new 17' tyres and will carry a full size spare out of town. AND I will have to make a spare tyre carrier as its not even an option from VW.

However, I stand by comments that VW should fix this. I shouldn't have to modify my vehicle so that it can do what the brochure advertises in Australian conditions.

Still love my VW's ...but I don't have to be a total fan boy do I ?

[Ralphs]

Hi Guys, just so you know I am not a spammer. Also thanks to all those with good ideas on how to fix this for longer trips.

There seemed to be some question as to whether the space saver was really limited to 80. Here the pic of my Touareg, still waiting for new tyres.

8878



Also here is a pic of the boot space taken by a full size wheel and tyre. Notice the puncture is marked in chalk and right on the shoulder. Also note Tyre condition is OK, I was just unlucky.

8877


Just FYI, still VERY happy with my Touareg, and will soon have a new set of tyres plus a full size spare for longer trips.

[Transporter]

For your convenience, I've merged the 2 threads with the same topic into 1 single thread.
I understand that you can be a bit angry that you got the puncture, but you knew what spare was in your cars when you're buying them, so why get so agitated about it few years later. You knew that you could get a puncture and will need to deal with it.

I've 08Touareg myself - my daughter's daily ride and I've bought the spare rim and a new tyre at the same time when we took the delivery. She doesn't carry it with her and the full size spare could be at home and the car 500km away, if she gets a puncture. Would I get angry about it when it happens? Now! We knew what we were buying and the consequences if we get the puncture. :?

Please, do not start more threads with the same topic!

[Ralphs]

Hi Transporter

Thanks for merging these two threads.

Your right I should have known better. Actually I did know better. I bought the MY10 Treg just last May, started research on changing rims to 17" and better tyres, bought the rims. Then unfortunately got sick and was in and out of hospital for 8 months. So this was the first time I had been away since buying it.

Feel free to delete both this and the Tiguan treads if you like ... I promise not to be offended.

[Transporter]

No, no need to delete them. :)

It's some good info in this threads you've started and the general awareness that car owners need to plan ahead when they get the puncture is important too. Even having the full size spare seating at home is better than drive 2 days on a spacesaver wheel.

Actually, I just remembered that the Touaerg2 was offered with optional full size spare with the carrier over the hatch door. Going from my memory, they wanted $2000 for the option. I've regrated many times that I didn't go for it.

8881

[team_v]

No, no need to delete them. :)

It's some good info in this threads you've started and the general awareness that car owners need to plan ahead when they get the puncture is important too. Even having the full size spare seating at home is better than drive 2 days on a spacesaver wheel.

Actually, I just remembered that the Touaerg2 was offered with optional full size spare with the carrier over the hatch door. Going from my memory, they wanted $2000 for the option. I've regrated many times that I didn't go for it.


Don't regret it, that looks ugly as sin!
Better to get the spare and rock it in a roof cage like Alex G

[Umai Naa!!]

Either option will make it look more like a proper offroader :banana:

[JustCruisn]

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/04/5ysow2-1.jpg

This works for me !

[Umai Naa!!]

I sure hope it doesn't have the airbag suspension.

[JustCruisn]

Maybe we need to push VW to bring in the Taigun
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/04/33-1.jpg

[Diesel_vert]

This works for me !

Rental 4WD vehicles are the best sort of 4WD vehicles.

[Ralphs]

I don't have a pilots license so wont by flying my Touareg .... great photo !!

Also love the lines on the Taigun. Hadn't seem one of these before. I this just a concept?

[Ralphs]

Google answered my own question on the Taigun. Looks like a fun city car but too small for me.

Like what they did with the spare. I had this tailgate solution on a Pajero in 1980s worked for me for 10 years.

[desvejk]

Here is amy solution for my Tiguan
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/f97/best-way-fit-full-size-spare-boot-69320-post1047361.html?highlight=#post1047361
Cheers,

Des

[Ralphs]

Thanks to all for some great ideas. Here is my summary in increasing functionality.

1.
Buy a can of tyre sealer, works like the new 'mobility tyre' on the Passat Alltrack. However only works on small (up to 5mm) punctures through the tread area. Neither of my last two punctures were fixable this way.
2.
Buy a spare tyre and keep it in the garage. At least you will be able to get it fitted immediately, rather than wait a few days for stock to come in.
3.
Buy a spare tyre and carry it in the boot. Its not very heavy and you can still pack smaller items inside it. At least you can get any tyre place to fit it to your rim and keep going. Would have solved my original problem.
4.
Buy a spare rim and tyre and put it in the boot. Tie it down with a simple net or straps. Ok if you don't need heaps of boot space. Means you can fit it and keep going.
Additionally, some good examples on the forum where guys have made a shelf over the spare. Also some examples where members have made vertical carriers. Not sure I need either.
5.
If you need all the boot space, Then you need to put it on the roof, or if you are towing on the trailer. But its pretty heavy to get up on the roof. This will use more fuel, but if you need a rack for other items this probably makes sense. On the trailer is great if using a camper trailer for touring.

So all of these work, really it depends on how much boot space you need for other stuff.

Again, many thanks to all for useful ideas and helping me sort my thinking!!

[Transporter]

I don't like posting the others experience, especially when it's something like the tyre puncture. But, this one is my daughter's latest (the second only in 8years of driving), and it happened last Thursday when she was ready to drive from Mt. Gambier to Adelaide. What a coincidence?
Luckily, she heard the faint hiss from the front tyre while she was getting in the car still at home. So, she grabbed the full size spare from the garage and drove a few hundred meters to Bridgestone place where they swapped it for her. The tyre is being repaired at Wise choice tyres at Lonsdale as I type.

So, having a full size spare ready even in the garage is a good idea, however if it's not in the car with you and you travel far from home, you better get familiar how to quickly swap the flat for the space saver. It's not that hard and many drivers done it. I know it's bloody annoying and there is never a good time when it happens, but I don't think that all car manufacturers will go back to a full size spare wheel, since not many drivers today aren't able to change the tyre anyway.

Our Touareg has everything needed to fix or swap the flat very fast, incl. wheel chocks, tyre repair plugs a second (bigger) air compressor, a breaker bar with 19mm deep socket. But, it's just that the girls aren't into these things and I was 500km away. :(

[Ralphs]

Hi Transporter.

Sorry to hear about your daughters flat. But your idea, Option 2 above, which I hadn't thought of, saved the day.

Its a simple, low cost but really good idea. Now I just need to find a rim as well, for any more remote trips.

Good list of gear for longer trips as well. I will build up a few tools in the wheel well.

[njg02]

You need to make one of these.
11226
11227

[Transporter]

Good solution. May I suggest to use the tread plate or similar, painted black, instead of the wood. :)