Car advice

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

Those tyre repair kits are a waste of time. I bought a space saver tyre off ebay. Although I've since found you can't use a scissor jack on my car but in the event I call out the breakdown company they can fit the space saver and I can be on my way.

[Empty It]

Those tyre repair kits are a waste of time. I bought a space saver tyre off ebay. Although I've since found you can't use a scissor jack on my car but in the event I call out the breakdown company they can fit the space saver and I can be on my way.

How can you not scissor jack your car?

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

How can you not scissor jack your car?

There's a body kit on it (standard fit - not an optional extra) which means any attempt to use a scissor jack would break the body kit.

[Thereisalight..]

10 hours ago, RH33 said:

Can you not change you’re own tyre?!

No. I don’t have jacks/wrenches 

[welshbairn]

11 minutes ago, Thereisalight.. said:

No. I don’t have jacks/wrenches 

It's the very minimum you want in a car to go about in, and costs very little. What happens if you puncture a tyre in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal? It's also very easy.

[Thereisalight..]

2 hours ago, welshbairn said:

It's the very minimum you want in a car to go about in, and costs very little. What happens if you puncture a tyre in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal? It's also very easy.

True. I'd just hope I'd be able to get a breakdown service out to me in some way. I've been driving for 16 years now and that was my first (and hopefully last) puncture 

[welshbairn]

4 minutes ago, Thereisalight.. said:

True. I'd just hope I'd be able to get a breakdown service out to me in some way. I've been driving for 16 years now and that was my first (and hopefully last) puncture 

Would you not be a bit embarrassed as a grown man to call them out to put your spare wheel on? This could be a generational thing, I'm from the dark ages.  

[Thereisalight..]

47 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Would you not be a bit embarrassed as a grown man to call them out to put your spare wheel on? This could be a generational thing, I'm from the dark ages.  

I wouldn't. I pay for a service so I'll use it whenever I need to (hopefully not at all) 

[RH33]

When I broke down they couldn’t come go me until the next day (I was fairly close to home). 
I’ve changed tyres 3 times and I reckon it was quicker hanging about waiting for breakdown.

[RandomGuy.]

7 hours ago, welshbairn said:

Would you not be a bit embarrassed as a grown man to call them out to put your spare wheel on? This could be a generational thing, I'm from the dark ages.  

Tbf its pretty common.

Last week I had to go to a guys driveway because his wives tyres had gone flat. I'm outside in the freezing cold fucking about on the damp ground getting the jack in place while he sits inside his own.

Doing things like that when someone else can do it is a mugs game.

[Empty It]

I wouldn't. I pay for a service so I'll use it whenever I need to (hopefully not at all) 

Mental behaviour what if you get a flat in the middle of nowhere when you've got plans and the breakdown guys says 2 hours mate

[Sergeant Wilson]

17 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Tbf its pretty common.

Last week I had to go to a guys driveway because his wives tyres had gone flat. I'm outside in the freezing cold fucking about on the damp ground getting the jack in place while he sits inside his own.

Doing things like that when someone else can do it is a mugs game.

I thought there was no-one lazier, clumsier and less prepared than me. I couldn't change a tyre, but even I could put a spare wheel on. Between your story and @Thereisalight..it seems worse human beings than me exist.

[jimmy boo]

Changing a wheel takes about 5 minutes and couldn't be easier. Id be mortified calling a breakdown service for that.

[Trackdaybob]

We're way past the old "if you can't change a wheel, you shouldn't be driving". These days a lot of cars don't even have a spare wheel. 

Lots of people don't have any basic mechanical skills these days. 

IMO the ability the change a wheel should be part of the driving test. Or at least part of a driving lesson. More important than programming the sat nav.  

[Sergeant Wilson]

1 minute ago, Trackdaybob said:

We're way past the old "if you can't change a wheel, you shouldn't be driving". These days a lot of cars don't even have a spare wheel. 

Lots of people don't have any basic mechanical skills these days. 

IMO the ability the change a wheel should be part of the driving test. Or at least part of a driving lesson. More important than programming the sat nav.  

Am I understanding the repair kit correctly, is this the aerosol thing you spray in the punctured tyre? What use would that be if the tyre has a wide year is hitting a kerb?

[hk blues]

7 hours ago, welshbairn said:

Would you not be a bit embarrassed as a grown man to call them out to put your spare wheel on? This could be a generational thing, I'm from the dark ages.  

I'll admit I did once call out the breakdown company when my company car had a puncture on a Saturday night in the pissing rain in a pub car park.  The guy took ages to come and then made it clear he thought I was a dick for doing so - he was probably right. 

[Trackdaybob]

I think it varies from car to car. Some have spares, some have the aerosol, some you have to spec from the options list. 

My first TT came with no spare. The jack and wheel brace was there as was the (empty) space where the spare should have been. One of the first thing I bought for it was a spare wheel. £80 off eBay i think it was. One of those space saver things. Thankfully, I've not had to use it. 

[Empty It]

I think it varies from car to car. Some have spares, some have the aerosol, some you have to spec from the options list. 
My first TT came with no spare. The jack and wheel brace was there as was the (empty) space where the spare should have been. One of the first thing I bought for it was a spare wheel. £80 off eBay i think it was. One of those space saver things. Thankfully, I've not had to use it. 

Audi TT? You sure that space wasnt for your hairdryer and straighteners?

[sonsanorak]

Had to call a breakdown company out once to change a tyre, but that was because the wheel had got stuck on the hub with rust. Theres only so much lying under the car booting it can achieve, sometimes you need a man with a hammer. In that instance the mechanic pulled it off using a ratchet strap tied from the wheel to his van.

My advice would be to have both call out cover and ability to do it yourself

[Guest]

1 hour ago, hk blues said:

I'll admit I did once call out the breakdown company when my company car had a puncture on a Saturday night in the pissing rain in a pub car park.  The guy took ages to come and then made it clear he thought I was a dick for doing so - he was probably right. 

Fcuk him. That’s what he is paid to do. He was just pissed off that he got soaked doing his job.