WRONG SIZE TYRE???

[Feather]

Can you just confirm something with me please before I make my complaint. I'll try and keep it short,
Bought a car less than 3 months ago from Bristol Street Motors. 1 of the questions I asked was " it will have its spare wheel in the boot wont it?" Salesman said yes and pulled up carpet in boot to show me it was there.
Had to replace my front tyre yesterday so mechanic went in boot to get my spare but said he couldnt use it as it was the wrong size??? Have they diddled me or am I completely wrong in thinking that the front and back tyres are diff size- I know Im clutching at straws here but someone said this today and I thought they were mad but hey it doesnt hurt to ask.
I have a Ford Fiesta Zetek climate 2005.

 

[nickso]

he probably meant the profile was the wrong size. the width is irrelevant, particularly if its a spare.

wrong profile and possibly wrong width on the same axle as a different tyre is an MOT fail iirc. width would be ok for short term.

 

[TicklyT]

Is the spare tyre the correct size and type for the rim it is fitted on?

Some manufacturers provide 'space saver' spare wheels that are narrower, and even a smaller diameter to the other wheels - They are OK for their purpose as an emergency 'get you home' spare, and it saves weight and space in the car.

I could argue there's little point in swapping a worn out tyre for the spare as 'planned maintenance'. All you end up with is an unusable spare.

Rotating the wheels, as used to be advised, may increase the mileage you get from one set of tyres, but you will probably end up replacing all five at once instead of one pair at a time.

 

[blondini]

Both tyres fitted on an axle must be the same size. The only exception is skinny spacesave spares which are clearly marked with a speed limit and for temporary use only.

Post up the sizes of your tyres and the spare.

 

[gregers]

think yourself lucky,alot of new cars do not have a spare at all let alone a space saver,just a compressor with a canister of jollop.

great if your tyre has a big blow out or large cut.

 

[Burnerman]

Your Fiesta has the same tyre sizes front and rear.
Its likely that your car came to the dealer with its spare wheel missing - and they just popped one into the spare wheel well without giving it much thought.
Ask Bristol Street to sort this one out, pronto - and for free.
John

 

[mickcoulson]

hi......... i bought a fiesta titanium...no spare wheel just puncture repairer. i have made enquiries and found out that i need a 15" wheel for the spare ( this is from ford )why cant i buy a 16" spare wheel like the ones that are fitted to the car ?
mickcoulson

 

[Mickymoody]

Both tyres fitted on an axle must be the same size. The only exception is skinny spacesave spares which are clearly marked with a speed limit and for temporary use only.

Post up the sizes of your tyres and the spare.

Nearly right..

A DRIVEN axle MUST have the same ratio wheel/tyre combo, so a spacesaver on a driven axle is illegal.

So you must take off a good wheel, from the same side as the puncture (as they have driven treads), put that on the failed driven wheel, and replace the non driven wheel with the spacesaver, remembering that the vehicle can only be driven at a max of 50mph, and only to a place of recovery.

If your car is driven with a spacesaver as a driven wheel, then it will mess up the tracking on the good tyre on the same axle, and cause the vehicle to either crab, or have torque steer, both of which obviously affect handling.

A spacesaver on a 4x4 is as useful as a chocolate teapot - but get this - if a vehicle doesn't have a spare, regardless of drive, and the emergency services are called out for a tyre failure, and you don't have a spare, then you are fined!

You have nothing to complain about Op. Have a puncture, on a driven axle, ie front in a Fiesta, must swap the rear tyre to front, and fit spacesaver to rear. On a RWD car, vicaversa. Rules is rules.

I'd hate to be on the road, and you knew these rules but broke them, then killed me.

 

[mickcoulson]

Both tyres fitted on an axle must be the same size. The only exception is skinny spacesave spares which are clearly marked with a speed limit and for temporary use only.

Post up the sizes of your tyres and the spare.

Nearly right..

A DRIVEN axle MUST have the same ratio wheel/tyre combo, so a spacesaver on a driven axle is illegal.

So you must take off a good wheel, from the same side as the puncture (as they have driven treads), put that on the failed driven wheel, and replace the non driven wheel with the spacesaver, remembering that the vehicle can only be driven at a max of 50mph, and only to a place of recovery.

If your car is driven with a spacesaver as a driven wheel, then it will mess up the tracking on the good tyre on the same axle, and cause the vehicle to either crab, or have torque steer, both of which obviously affect handling.

A spacesaver on a 4x4 is as useful as a chocolate teapot - but get this - if a vehicle doesn't have a spare, regardless of drive, and the emergency services are called out for a tyre failure, and you don't have a spare, then you are fined!

You have nothing to complain about Op. Have a puncture, on a driven axle, ie front in a Fiesta, must swap the rear tyre to front, and fit spacesaver to rear. On a RWD car, vicaversa. Rules is rules.

I'd hate to be on the road, and you knew these rules but broke them, then killed me.

thanks for the response, but my question was why can't i put a spare in the boot that is the same size as the car wheels, i'm not bothered about space savers, even if it does not fit in the wheel well it would be easier just to fit a spare and carry on
cheers
mickcoulson

 

[Ian H]

Are the 16" wheels alloys? Get a 5th one from e-bay.scrap yard and have that as your spare.

 

[mickcoulson]

Are the 16" wheels alloys? Get a 5th one from e-bay.scrap yard and have that as your spare.

yes they are alloy, but i've never heard of ebay scrap yard

 

[Ian H]

Sorry, I tried to write e-bay or scrap yard.

 

[jetex]

Some cars come with say 16" wheels, but have a 15" spare. Vauxhall are fond of doing this. I have a Fiat Punto, which has a "space saver" spare, read: "money saver" !!. I bought a full sized wheel from a scrap yard, but the well in the boot isn't deep enough for this wheel as it's only designed for the narrow "space saver".

 

[Mickymoody]

Many people get rid of the 'spacesaver', and fit an LPG tank in the space it occupies. And carry a can of foam filler to reinflate a simple puncture.

But I don't recall a simple puncture, it was always a tear, so the foam wouldn't work.

So have a spare wheel (not necessary to be an alloy), in the boot, (not in the well) or if you get a puncture, ring a mate with the same sized wheels as your car..

 

[mickcoulson]

Many people get rid of the 'spacesaver', and fit an LPG tank in the space it occupies. And carry a can of foam filler to reinflate a simple puncture.

But I don't recall a simple puncture, it was always a tear, so the foam wouldn't work.

So have a spare wheel (not necessary to be an alloy), in the boot, (not in the well) or if you get a puncture, ring a mate with the same sized wheels as your car..

i've checked the the wheel size on the car and the wheel will fit in the well but it is too deep for the boot cover so i have put some 2x2 timber across the wheel well so it lifts the height of the well and fitted the boot cover. all i've lost is 2" depth in my boot. it should work ok.