Prius 2016 - I have the spare 15" I'd like the repair kit instead

[andreapenna]

Hi everyone :-)

when I ordered my new Prius 2016 Business (15" alloys) I forgot to specify I wanted the repair kit instead the spear Tyre.
At that time I discussed with the dealer (June) and they promised me to get the repair kit for me to swap the two.
Unfortunately at today they still have no news of the repair kit and I started losing hope in their help.

Is by any chance somebody that would like to swap the other way round? 
I live in Salisbury.

Cheers,
Andrea

 

 

[Heidfirst]

you do realise that we are all going to say that you are mad ...

 

[PeteB]

get your straitjacket here! 

 

If I had the gunge, I'd swap, but I would never accept a car with gunge!

[Konrad C]

8 hours ago, Heidfirst said:

you do realise that we are all going to say that you are mad ...

 

You are mad!!  But not everyone are fit and strong enough to change a wheel. 

I have an example that happened to my brother - he visited a friend in Devon, and the was a hidden metal spike, which ripped the side of the tyre. Not tyre repair kit was going to work obviously, and the friend had to take my brother to Kwik-Fit which was a few miles away, to get a new tyre. He has a Renault Grand Scenic with only the repair kit.

I had a puncture a few months back, and used the space saver. It did the job but I hated the limitation. I went and bought a second hand full size alloy wheel and tyre that matches the what I have on the car. If I have a puncture now, I can change the wheel and get on with my journey with no restrictions.

 

If the repair kit is used, the tyre will most likely be changed by the tyre fitter and not repaired, even if it is within the limit of allowable repair, so costing a lot more and possibly throwing away a nearly new tyre.

The kit may have a use by date!

You will need to have breakdown and puncture rescue in case the kit fails to work.    

Edited November 20, 2016 by Konrad C
additional words

[PeteB]

2 minutes ago, Konrad C said:

... used the space saver. It did the job but I hated the limitation...

The kit may have a use by date!...

Tyres have a use-by date too (generally about 6 years even if never taken out of the boot), another reason I hate space savers, but I hate having no spare even more.

My old firm kept a number of full size alloy wheels and tyres for their Prius fleet in the office, so drivers could pop in if they needed one and deposit the flat tyre for us to get repaired/replaced.

I notice from the hand book some markets get a full size spare - I'd have happily paid extra if they'd only offered that as an option.  But not worth swapping now as I'd have to replace the whole boot tray system too.  Would be a cinch to offer as a factory option, would have made the 3½ month wait for the car slightly less annoying.

[Heidfirst]

4 hours ago, PeteB said:

Tyres have a use-by date too (generally about 6 years even if never taken out of the boot), another reason I hate space savers, but I hate having no spare even more.

The gunge use-by is only about 3 years & gunge won't work for all tyre repairs/failures - a spare will.

If need be call out AA/RAC etc., to change a difficult wheel or in an unsafe position. in Andrea's case as a woman they will prioritise her call.

[andreapenna]

Hi all,

thanks for your replies.
Just to clarify Andrea is a Mr not a Miss - I'm from Italy :-)
Regarding the spare vs the repair - I have 30 years of driving on italian and uk roads and never had the need to repair a tyre so, considering this, the fact that the repair kit option gives me extra boot storage and less weight to carry around (so less petrol) I was considering that as a more efficient approach.

Happy to share opinions :-)

[PeteB]

20 minutes ago, andreapenna said:

...Happy to share opinions :-)

and good that we have choices  

[PeteB]

22 minutes ago, andreapenna said:

...30 years of driving on italian and uk roads ...

Out of interest, are the road in Italy better than ours (surface quality wise)?

I drive in Spain a fair bit and their roads these days make UK roads look like third world.  Even in Ibiza, all the roads are billiard table smooth hot-rolled asphalt with perfect white centre and border lines.  Even small bays that in the 1970s could only be reached by tractor or boat, are served by perfect roads now.

I would be embarrassed to drive my Spanish friends around the East of England.

My experience on UK roads is very different - some 14 punctures in 14 years, at least four of which would never have been helped by the gunge (and probably 2 or 3 more).  But then, I've done 270,000 miles in hybrids since then!

[Heidfirst]

backing up Pete a bit I have had more tyre damage in the last 2 years than in the previous 30+ ... (admittedly some of that is probably down to running 45 series tyres during the summer on this car).

[andreapenna]

2 hours ago, PeteB said:

Out of interest, are the road in Italy better than ours (surface quality wise)?

I drive in Spain a fair bit and their roads these days make UK roads look like third world.  Even in Ibiza, all the roads are billiard table smooth hot-rolled asphalt with perfect white centre and border lines.  Even small bays that in the 1970s could only be reached by tractor or boat, are served by perfect roads now.

I would be embarrassed to drive my Spanish friends around the East of England.

My experience on UK roads is very different - some 14 punctures in 14 years, at least four of which would never have been helped by the gunge (and probably 2 or 3 more).  But then, I've done 270,000 miles in hybrids since then!

Italian roads in the last decade have severely deteriorated due to maintenance cost cuts.
Also they are generally less safe than the south west UK I drove normally due to high speed and aggressive attitude of Italian drivers (when they flash at you it is to say "don't move or you're dead!"; here it is to say "after you :-)" and I must say that I really like those tiny reflective "things" in the tarmac you use here guys.

I was in Majorca in August and I thought exactly the same: wow, these roads are great - you can really touch with hand how they care about safety, tourism and image.

 

[Heidfirst]

5 hours ago, andreapenna said:

I was in Majorca in August and I thought exactly the same: wow, these roads are great - you can really touch with hand how they care about safety, tourism and image.

 

EEC grant funding.

[andreapenna]

On 11/21/2016 at 6:57 PM, Heidfirst said:

EEC grant funding.

The ones we are throwing out of the "brexit" window right? :-)

[Heidfirst]

Spain has been a net beneficiary of the EU, UK has been a net donor. You could say that you paid, in some small part, for the Spanish road improvement programme. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

On 21/11/2016 at 1:17 PM, andreapenna said:

..... and I must say that I really like those tiny reflective "things" in the tarmac you use here guys.

Cat's eyes

[andreapenna]

And finally... after 11 months I got my boot "refurbished" with the spare kit!!!!

Celebration time, less weight and a bigger boot - oooohhhh.... now I deserve a holiday and there is proper space to put the family luggage :-)

 

 

[johalareewi]

On 11/21/2016 at 1:17 PM, andreapenna said:

when they flash at you it is to say "don't move or you're dead!"; here it is to say "after you :-)" 

 

Actually, "Dont move or your dead" is the rule here too.  Officially, flashing your lights is to warn others of your presence.

The "after you" flashing isn't official and if they then hit you, it will be your fault.