Part of my recent motoring adventure in the Midlands included picking up a puncture.
During a visit to a retail park near Walsall, the front nearside tyre was punctured by a four-inch knife blade.
The tyre deflated immediately and I guessed correctly the extent of the damage meant it was unrepairable.
Good service from autonational recovery who had a local garage out to me in half an hour.
Their driver made a couple of phone calls and took me and the car to an independent tyre place nearby which had a suitable replacement in stock.
I was pleased about that because the CC3 takes an uncommon size.
The new tyre is a Nordexx Stratus, although it might be a Stratus Nordexx for all I know.
Balanced and fitted for a suspiciously cheap £65.
It's the correct size, speed and weight rating, and looks fine in that it's round and black same as the others.
Drives alright, too.
It's early days, but it makes me wonder if it's worth paying £100+ for a tyre when one for almost half the price does the job.
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I infer that you have no proper spare, or pram wheel, and you're on the gloop?
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>> I infer that you have no proper spare, or pram wheel, and you're on the gloop?
Imagine how small the boot on a Focus CC would be with a full size spare wheel.
I assume it hasn't got one... maybe it has.
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A quick google and I believe it's got a space saver. But if you need a new tyre might as well sort it out sooner than later.
I wonder where you put the full size wheel if you get a puncture though... especially if the boot wasn't empty.
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...I infer that you have no proper spare, or pram wheel, and you're on the gloop?...
Correct, compressor and gloop.
Even if I had a spare, I would have been left with a grubby knackered tyre in the boot, and would have to have gone to a tyre place at some point anyway.
I was on my way in under two hours, longer than it would have taken to put a spare on, but at least the job was fully sorted at the time.
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@rtj above.
It has a wheel well big enough for a spacesaver, which is a £25 extra.
The boot's big with the roof up, so is the wheel and tyre, although it would go in.
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As you have discovered, Iffy. no such thing as a ditchfinder tyre, just ditchfinder drivers.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Wed 19 Oct 11 at 19:46
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...no such thing as a ditchfinder tyre, just ditchfinder drivers...
Very true, and there's no chance of finding a ditch down there anyway.
It's all concrete.
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The other 3 tyres will keep you out of trouble.
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If it were up to me I would ban spacesavers and insist on driving a large V8 Saloon with a decent spare.
BUT.........we (she) has a Colt automated manual with a pump and a can of goo to cure the lack of pressure........................Progress huh!!
Last edited by: Webmaster on Mon 24 Oct 11 at 13:18
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Shouldn't the new tyre go on the rear?
;>)
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...Shouldn't the new tyre go on the rear?...
He-he.
The others still have about 6mm on them.
The recovery man said if they repaired the old tyre, it would be a good idea to put it on the back.
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I suspect you'll never notice the difference. On vehicles with intrinsically good handling dynamics such as yours the effect will be marginal. I remember due to financial necessity at the time having to replace all 4 tyres at once on a mk2 Mondeo estate with the cheapest I could find. Some anomymous "Singalongamax" or something were fitted. Only difference I could genuinely identify was a slighty harsher road noise which given it was the old 1.8 TD didn't matter much and that they wore out a bit quicker than brands you can pronounce.
Since then I've always "treated" myself to known mainstream brands but can't really say those cheapies threw me off the road at any time.
Maybe someone with a slide rule could prove something about them but the seat of my pants learned to live with them without anguish.
Maybe a car which was less capable would show more of an allergy to them or indeed one which asked more of them due to its greater power.
Not sure really but if I was skint and needed tyres again I'd sooner have cheapies with plenty of tread than marginally legal ones with a posh brand. Probably...
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Having seen a friend's 325i on Wanli tyres become simply dangerous in the wet, I'd stick to non-Chinese tyres until they up their game.
In the dry there wasn't a problem, but far less grip and traction was evident as soon as the road became moist.
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Being a life-long motorcyclist, tyres are an absolute no-compromise item. Ask yourself why cheap tyres are actually cheap ?
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Oh agreed, totally. Unless you happen to be absolutely borasic at the time in which case you have to buy the best you can afford. Better cheap tread than none. I've only done it once and didn't die of it or ever feel I was going to but in defence I didn't have many options at the time. In preference of course I'd rather have quality tyres and have done since.
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...Ask yourself why cheap tyres are actually cheap ?...
Could be:
No advertising or marketing budget.
Made by slave labour.
Made in factories more automated than most.
Made in factories which don't comply with European standards of emissions, waste disposal and health and safety.
Made using more cheaply sourced, but just as good, raw materials.
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You may well be right, but teflons are not for me. I see Humph's point of view.
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>> You may well be right, but teflons are not for me. I see Humph's point
>> of view.
>>
Or me, now I can afford good ones. and I agree with Humph.........BUT - I have been in a situation where I could not afford decent rubber, it was Eastern European in my day. I still maintain that you must adapt your driving to the tyres fitted., no car is lethal in the wet, the driver has poor skills. I have no experience of motorbikes but as they fall over when you stop they must need good tyres. :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 20 Oct 11 at 08:25
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>> it was Eastern
>> European in my day.
The BX estate bought in 1993 came with 'fleet miser' fronts from Yugoslavia, Sava was the brand IIRC.
Couple of incidents where, almost subliminally, I lost touch with the steering on wet roads. Rund to Kwik Fit for Michelins lickety-split!!
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A good few years ago I bought a Mk1 Mondeo as a cheap stop gap car. It was so good I ended up keeping it much longer than expected. Come tyre renewal time I went for a special offer at the local tyre fitters and ended up with 4 brand new but suspiciously cheap tyres.
On dry roads the main difference compared to the previous tyres was road noise and an uncomfortable edge to the ride.
On wet roads...unbelievable and, compared to the old tyres, almost undriveable. I went on a long journey thinking the tyres needed bedding in. On motorways in the wet I had the feeling of aquaplaning at remarkably low speeds and the ABS would kick in if I so much as looked at the brake pedal.
On wet B roads the Mondeo had been transformed from probably the best handling front wheel drive car of the late 90s to something which seemed to have the characteristics of a 30s Beetle with worn dampers on slicks. And yes, I checked tyre pressures and tracking.
After about 2,000 miles and suitably chastised, I went back to the tyre dealer and bought a new set of decent tyres. Since then I've only ever fitted quality tyres to my cars however cheap the cars themselves are. At the end of the day the tyres offer the only point of contact with the road.
I've subsequently had the opportunity as part of my job to visit tyre factories, and discovered there are big differences in the materials and processes used for decent quality tyres compared to the chinese ditchfinders. As with most things you get what you pay for.
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If all this is true, (and I'm not saying there's not at least some basis in the difference between different tyres) why don't insurance companies load your premium if you're not on OEM tyres?
Last edited by: Mapmaker on Thu 20 Oct 11 at 17:48
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Because there are plenty of alternatives to OEM that are at least as effective in most conditions.
And OEM may mean several different brands.
And tyre dealers would have to stock every type of tyre to avoid customers suing them for causing inflated insurance prices.
etc etc
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Funny you should say that - I know of two makers - BMW and Mercedes who mark tyres with a symbol (a star with BMW) - it would be interesting to see what response an insurance company would give on a claim when an examination of the tyres revealed non-approved types fitted. When I declared the replacement tyres on the X1 (up-specced wheels) and the Winter tyres to LV all they were interested in were that the tyres were "approved" all 8 carry the BMW star btw....
Last edited by: R.P. on Thu 20 Oct 11 at 18:24
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Aw jeez I'm going to have to go outside with a torch now to find symbols on my tyres...
That Da Vinci Code bloke has a lot to answer for. I know they're Contis anyway...
Edit - right been. All I can find is a little horse on mine. Can't be that surely?
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Thu 20 Oct 11 at 19:07
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My only (previous) experience with ditchfinders was four remoulds on my Triumph Herald.
Handling wasn't its strongest suit, but the main difference was wear - I ran through all four in about 5,000 miles.
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Mine has Contiseals on it. Apparently very similar to the ones without the goo in them that are meant to seal small leaks. If I remember when it's light tomorrow I will look for the Lost Symbol.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 20 Oct 11 at 19:51
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Aren't all Contiseals self - sealing types ?
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I bought a pair of "Lassa Impetus Revo 2" tyres for the Golf 6 months ago. The Pirellis I ordered through Mytyres transpired to be out of stock an hour before the fitter was due to turn up, as did everything else they had in the correct size. I needed a pair of tyres that day ahead of a long trip, and the local tyre place had these in stock at a very reasonable price (about £100 fitted for the pair). The fitter recommended them as a decent tyre, and research showed that Lassa are involved in several joint manufacturing and R&D ventures with Bridgestone. The asymmetric tread pattern on these tyres is in fact almost indistinguishable from the Bridgestone RE300.
To be honest, on the back of a mk4 Golf, hardly the last word in dynamic excellence, I can't really tell the difference between these and the P6000s that came off the car. They are absolutely fine. Did one emergency stop in the wet a week later thanks to a moron in a van, and no dramas at all. They seem to do the job perfectly well.
I will always go for branded tyres where possible, but not all unbranded stuff is ditchfinder material. The worst tyres I've ever experienced on a car were still from one of the "premium" manufacturers, also known for green and white trainers, and tennis balls. Which they should stick to. :-)
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...but not all unbranded stuff is ditchfinder material...
That's probably the hardest part, sorting the good from the bad.
No risk buying a premium brand.
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>> Aren't all Contiseals self - sealing types ?
Yes but the same tyre without the sealing goo is a fair bit cheaper. I didn't make my thought clear.
't doubt at replacement time I get something else. Although the tyres won't be that cheap. I am guessing £150 a corner and more for Contiseal.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 20 Oct 11 at 21:10
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Mercedes approved tyres have the letters MO (M0?) on the sidewall.
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Thanks Arctophile. There is indeed an "MO" on them.
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So what's the horse thing on Humph's car ? :-)
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Means it's ok to hoof it.
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It means he pinched them off a Ferrari... ;-)
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Appears that GM and Aston Martin do it as well.
PS
Ford seem to have FO on their tyres - dunno if that's European or US.
Last edited by: R.P. on Thu 20 Oct 11 at 21:08
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Just went to have a look if there were any VW/WAG markings on the tyres. Nothing obvious using a torch. They are Continental Sport Contact 3 Contiseal 235/40 R18's. Found some for about £190 but not in stock immediately.
A comment someone made to me today though... the tyre tread on his new Audi aren't as deep as he thought they'd be. Mine neither. Is this due to design or to make sure you have to get tyres early? Tread depth is nowhere as deep as the new ones I had on my Mazda before it went back.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 20 Oct 11 at 21:20
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Might have found my own answer - oh dear:
"The Continental Sport Contact 3 is a summer tyre for ultra high performance sports coupes, powerful cars and luxury sedans. The perfect summer tyre can only be driven on dry roads and it is not intended to be driven in sub zero temperatures on icy and snow covered roads."
:-)
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...is a summer tyre for ultra high performance sports coupes,...
So they are wrong on both counts. :)
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But Continental seems to have been best in an Autoexpress test:
www.conti-online.com/generator/www/uk/en/continental/automobile/themes/car-tyres/standard-car-tyres/contisportcontact/contisportcontact-3/contisportcontact-3,tabNr=2.html
And you're right in saying mine is not a performance car. Top speed is only meant to be 141mph. And it's not a coupe. A Comfort Coupe perhaps (four door).
Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 20 Oct 11 at 21:28
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...Top speed is only meant to be 141mph...
On those tyres, in October?
You're a braver man than me.
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>> On those tyres, in October?
... In the UK... :-)
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I had an interesting chat with a Russian born volunteer at the CAB today on this subject - In her charming accent she reminded me that we British have no idea how cold a real winter is.....she has a point.
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I will ask about my tyres tomorrow - in the snow/cold we had in early 2010 my Mazda6 on 16" tyres was crap. My wife's FIAT was a lot better. I knew the Passat on wider/lower profile tyres would be worse.
So better to ask what my options are if it's as bad again. If they say drive it and I have an accident then they can hold partial responsibility. A set of winter tyres would be better and cheaper ;-) And I know what the answer would be.
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>> In her charming accent she reminded me that we British have no
>> idea how cold a real winter is.....she has a point.
This is true. A former colleague of mine spent a few years in Colorado, and reckoned the office kept a box of tissues on the reception desk during winter. Apparently it was fairly common for the blood vessels in people's noses to freeze walking between the car park and the front door, then "thaw" after few seconds inside. The tissues dealt with the resulting nose bleeds.
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My A4 came with Continental Sport Contacts (2 at the time IIRC) from new, in the same size. Don't want to worry you but I was shocked to find that they were down to 3mm on the front after just 8k miles!! Now I know the A4 cab is a pretty heavy, nose heavy FWD car, but even so... I like to think I'm a pretty sympathetic driver - car is still on its original pads and discs after 48k miles. Replacements were Goodyear Eagle F1s, and it's still on Goodyears of some sort. Even so, I've never managed more that 12k miles from the front tyres.
The car is being passed down to my partner shortly, and I have bought a set of 17" winter wheels / tyres (ebay) to try out this year. Lets see how they fare...
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>> Don't want to worry you but I was shocked to find that they were down to 3mm on the front
>> after just 8k miles!! Now I know the A4 cab is a pretty heavy, nose heavy FWD car, but
>> even so...
Having looked at the tyres I suspect they won't last any more. Not worries as I won't pay for them as such. Company lease car.
The Passat CC is a pretty heavy FW car too. And the 170PS engine is 7kg heavier than the 140PS variant too.
I have to have a better look tomorrow - but these tyres don't have 8mm of tread on them. they have less tread than I am used to seeing on new tyres.
I got told a story by the last tyre fitter that fitted tyres on my Mazda at home. An M3 driver had asked for the same original tyres to be fitted despite them not lasting... they were fitted after the fitter tried to say they had less tread than the alternative.... they lasted a few thousand miles. Driver complained and then got what was suggested. Four tyres cost around £2k and lasted weeks basically!
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My Ford had SFA on its tyres.
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I am not going out to check the wife's MX5....
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and I'm not going out to check my wife's Nissan..but if I happen to take the dog out and happen to drop something near it...
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Thu 20 Oct 11 at 21:29
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Jaguar have a J on them according to my wife, whose boss was in the tyre trap on his Jag a couple of months ago.
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My KIA has "Michelin" on the tyre sidewalls, among a lot of other text and logos. :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Fri 21 Oct 11 at 11:33
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My bike tyre's got an elephant symbol on it -but the truly excellent German made Metzelers have always had that !
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...My KIA has "Michelin" on the tyre sidewalls...
That's all you need to know.
Michelins for the CC3 are about £180 each, so it won't be getting any of those.
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I've bought a ditchfinder - Manatee
