Plug In Hybrid Lack Of Spare Wheel

[Peter2673]

Hi. It's 2 am, I'm just home after getting a puncture at 11.30pm three miles from home.

I think a nail entered the tread and then came out again. The near side front tyre deflated fairly quickly. I couldn't see a hole on initial examination so I was optimistic that the electric pump and canister of sealant would do the job, but in fact it didn't work at all. The sealant gushed out through a 2mm diameter hole which was near the centre of the tread. I jacked the car up, engaged neutral, rotated the wheel so the hole was at the bottom and more sealant dripped through, waited ten minutes and then tried inflating it again but only succeeded in producing another gush of sealant.

My year's Toyota rescue expired last week, so I called the RAC who did not send out a repair man but simply dispatched a recovery truck straight away to deliver the car and me home. Tomorrow I shall have to jack it up, remove the wheel and take it to a tyre fitter for a replacement tyre.

When buying the car I had expressed my misgivings about not having a spare wheel, but the salesman reassured me that the sealant is excellent and works for 90% of punctures. The RAC lady says sealant is rubbish and it never works. The RAC is dismayed at the number of times it has to recover vehicles when previously a quick wheel change would have sufficed.

In 38 years of driving this is the first time I've needed recovery (three breakdowns all fixed at the road side, and several flat tyres all changed by myself is my previous tally).

Lesson learned. I need a spare wheel.

Question: Is the well at the back of the boot space where the charger lead lives big enough to hold a small space saver? I notice it has a curved bottom and wonder if it is used for that purpose in countries where a spare is mandatory? If not where else would you store a spare? What size wheel is needed? Will my friendly Toyota dealer be able to get one?

Thanks for any advice

Pete

[johalareewi]

In the standard gen3, the wheel well takes a space saver spare so it is worth a try.

If you know someone with a gen3 (with a spare!), you can do a trial fit using their space saver.

[Chris Dance]

I had a front drivers side flat tyre after hitting a high kerb at speed a couple of months ago. Luckily I have my Toyota accident recovery on direct debit. The AA were great and came within an hour and fitted the space saver. (I should have had the space saver put on the rear not on the front as the car is a bit unstable with the space saver on the front.) The AA chap told me it is a good job I did not have "Gunge Sealant" as what they would do in that case would be to call out a tyre company. He said the sealant is useless. I vowed then not to ever buy a car with no spare wheel. I do not know for certain but I would have thought your plug in could have a space saver wheel fitted. Try what johalaree suggests. If a space saver fits in the plug in, your Toyota dealer should be able to get a space saver wheel; after all it is just another part.

[aCactus]

I don't think there is enough space in the plug-in for a spare - the "ordinary" Prius seems to have the spare laid flat under the floor and part of this space is taken up by batteries in the plug-in. I was not bothered by the lack of a spare in my car as my previous toyota (RAV4) also had no spare.

[Cyker]

It's funny, even my old crappy Fiesta had a full-sized (albeit steel-wheeled) spare whereas now we're having to fight to get crappy space-savers!

[Peter2673]

Update. Thanks all for your comments.

I phoned Hills Toyota, Letchworth. They don't have any "arrangement" for fixing punctures other than you take your own wheel off, leaving the car standing on its jack. Deliver the wheel to them, and they fit a replacement tyre and then you take the wheel home and re fit it yourself.

The tyre full of gunk could not be repaired so I had to buy a new one for £94. To add three insults to injury, the cost of a replacement bottle of gunk is £54 plus vat. They don't keep the replacement gunk in stock and will have to order it, so, If I should get a puncture that is amenable to a gunk repair I shall be stranded again. They refuse to sell me a space saver spare as a spare wheel is not a listed part for a plug in Prius. They can't accept the liability of selling me a part that is not for my car. I pushed them really hard on this but they wouldn't budge. I got as far as saying "if I came in anonymously and asked you for a new space saver spare fro my T-Spirit, how much would it cost?

They replied that it would cost £154, and they do in fact have one in stock, but they still can't sell it to me because they know I'm really buying it for a plug in.

Next questions: Where can I get a new bottle of gunk delivered overnight and preferably a bit cheaper than 60 quid?

Does anyone have a second hand Toyota space saver that they want to sell me? I promise faithfully that I shall not hold the vendor responsible for the fact that it clutters up my boot space.

Thanks again for your helpful comments

Pete

[valmiki]

Go to another dealer! These guys sound like a bunch of shysters

[IanIanIanIan]

My local Tesco is remaindering Holt's tyreweld at £3.50 at the moment.

Holt's state that National Tyre will repair tyres in which their gunk is used.

[barrycoll]

Peter....

you are going through the same palaver that I went through with my new Gen £ T Spirit..

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/146497-space-saver-spare/

above is a link to all the help that was given me, but I too had to put up with the crap from the Main Agents that no spare was available for this car....end off

my local small Toyota service garage bought me one, and it fits in the wheel well when all the glue stuff is taken out, and thrown away

[Chris Dance]

I have been told that one the "gunk" is used on a tyre the tyre is no longer repairable. Peter your experience puts me right off buying a plug in Prius. I just hope any new Prius models come with spare wheels. £54 for gunk sounds very expensive. You may find a space saver wheel for a Prius at a scrap yard.

[sanzomat]

There are plenty of websites that will return your stud spacing (PCD), centre hole size and offset.

I just had a quick look and it looks like the plug-in would be 5x100 pcd with a 54.1mm centre hole and 45mm offset.

You could therefore in theory try any wheel with a 5x100 pcd and whilst having the correct centre hole size makes fitting the wheel easier, for short term slow speed use you would be okay with a larger hole (but obviously not a smaller one). The offset is less critical as the only issue of having the wrong offset would be faster tyre wear and an odd feel to the steering but you'd get that anyway with a spacesaver on. On this basis you could go on eBay and search for 5x100 spare and see what comes up. I just did and heres is one for a VW which even has a 15" rim diameter. Also, subaru imprezza's spares would fit the hub too and maybe many others.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-SMALL-SPARE-WHEEL-CONTINENTAL-TYRE-125-75-15-15-INCH-GOLF-CORRADO-VR6-5X100-/360644686645?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item53f8193335

Technically you would be breaking type approval and probably invalidating warranty by using it and maybe would invalidate insurance but if you check with your insurer they would tell you.

My other half's car is a 2007 megane CC which came with gunk and no spare. There is room for a spacesaver without losing any bootspace in that and I found one that fitted from a Rover 25 on eBay (for only £5 collected). I phoned my insurer to check and they said no problem. In fact it has sat in the boot for 6 years but its worth having for the peace of mind. As long as you remember to drive slow and not for too far you'll be fine with one that isn't quite perfect as long as the pcd is right. Another thing to check is that the bolts work. Most alloys have a different bolt angle to steel wheels so if you bolt on the steel wheel with alloy bolts you might damage both so I got a set of steel wheel bolts from a scrappy for £2.

I accept no responsibility for this advice however!!

[wass]

The plug in prius uses a wheel and tyre combination with the same rolling circumference as the other prius in the model range and therefore the space saver from any other prius in the range will fit. The problem appears to be that there just isn't sufficient space to stow the spare out of sight and mind. I don't see this as a significant loss when I have, in the past , had to change a wheel in the rain with a boot full of luggage, a car full of people and with the spare tyre lodged deep in the well of the boot! It was bad enough having to ask everyone to stand in the rain while I had the car jacked up but they all had to hold onto their luggage because it all had to be unloaded in order to access the jack and the spare. All good fun!

I had a goo situation with our CT200 but thankfully Lexus Hatfield provided a space saver on request. I was thinking at the time that I would recoup the cost of the space saver when I had a flat but subsequently, I believe that I have already recouped the cost with peace of mind.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Can a relative purchase the spare from Hills for you? Or try contacting Parts King re purchasing a spare from him.

[Chris Dance]

Since the topic of having a spare wheel instead of "Gunge" has come up I have looked up other forums and comments on this issue on the internet. The "Gunge" it seems will only fix a puncture in the centre of a tyre. If the tye is split it is useless. The majority of car purchasers rarely ask a salesman if there is a spare wheel. A recent survey proved that car owners want spare wheels NOT "Gunge". Which magazine advised car buyers to refuse to buy a car without at least a space saver wheel. The RAC & AA say that the many of their call outs are for motorists stuck on roads with a can of "Gunge" that did not work. The majority of tyre repair companies will not fix a tyre that has been filled with gunge. Why an excellent car like a Toyota is not supplied with an adequate spare wheel is beyond me. The manufacturers state that if there is no spare wheel the car is lighter and gives a better fuel consumption. The amount of fuel saving is negligable so this argument does not stand up. I think it is up to car purchasers to refuse to buy any car that does not have an adequate spare wheel.

[barrycoll]

£136 for my non authorized new space saver on my T Spirit, tells you why it is not fitted as standard

[Dasbob]

Sadly i think its the way Toyota is going. My new Auris has no space saver.. but! it does have the space and the double decked flooring so i could stick a real tyre in and loose boot space (which i most likely will do the moment the "Gunge" fails on me).

Similar discussion going on here

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/150798-pre-purchase-queries-spare-wheel-and-seats/page-2#entry1286384

[Yolina]

My Yaris hybrid did come with a spare :D albeit a space saver one but still, better than a can of gunge. And yes, I double-checked at the dealership before ordering (and the salesman had to go and ask because he didn't know...)

I really don't get the new fad for gunge-only.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Weight saving - which also provides better results in the EU fuel consumption testing.

Not just Toyota adopting this approach - most others are.

[sanzomat]

Weight saving - which also provides better results in the EU fuel consumption testing.

Not just Toyota adopting this approach - most others are.

Easy to get around that one though, the manufacturer can just specify the spare wheel as an optional extra rather than standard fit and the EU test is done without it. When I got my Volvo V70 (Sept 09) the standard spec was no spare but a spacesaver spare in lieu of gunge was a zero cost option. Best of both worlds as the car gets to do the test without it but you get to have it for no cost!

[Chris Dance]

If a car comes with "Gunge" instead of a spare wheel and the buyer of the car decides to purchase a spare wheel; does the buyer have to purchase the jack and the necessary tools as well?

Does the Plug in Prius have the same jacking points as a nornal Prius?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Although the 2013 Auris comes with a tyre repair kit, it also has the jack and associated tools.

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/uploads/monthly_08_2013/post-133201-0-83016800-1376841902_thumb.jpg

[IanIanIanIan]

I have just bought a space saver spare from a scrapyard for £20.

It has a good tyre and is unmarked. It came from a 2002 Avensis. All I need now is a storage bag and a strap to hold it down.

I believe the full specification is:

PCD 5X100mm, 54.1mm centre hole, and 45mm offset, 135-70-16 tyre.

Fitted to:

Avensis 1998-2003

Carina 1988-1997

Celica 1994-2007

Prius 2004-Onwards

[Peter2673]

Ian- that's really helpful

Chris- Strangely, the Plug in Prius is supplied with a jack and wheel brace- they are in a really neat plastic lidded compartment under the front passenger seat. You have to slide the seat fully forward to get at them. Jacking points are standard Prius.

P

[Chris Dance]

Pleased to hear that the Plug in Prius & Auris have the jack & tools. All cutomers have to do is persuade Toyota to supply a proper spare wheel. I will not buy a new car unless I get at least a space saver. If all buyers did the same manufacturers would have to change the stupid policy of supplying "Gunk" which is proving useless.

[Peter@Beoworld]

My Prius T-spirit with solar roof only came with gunge but the dealer arranged (at cost) for a spare wheel and also the mounting for this. Not cheap but I wouldn't be happy with just the gunge. It would have been a deal breaker for me. The car came with the 17" wheels - I was semi expecting 15" but didn't mind either way.