Tyre Depth And Jacking Points On Auris

[Norvass]

I just had a 20k service completed on my TR 2.0 ltr diesel Auris. The outer edge (on each side) of both front tyres according to the report from the dealer are 1.5mm and need to be replaced, there is at least 4mm in the main centre section. So I took the car yesterday to the local ATS Euromaster tyre fitter for replacement for Michelin Primacy HP at £80 each. After looking, the ATS tyre fitter said that replacement was totally unnecessary, I apparently had at least another 2-3000 miles left in both tyres.

Later I decided to swap the rear tyres to the front and remove the front to the back. Make max use of he rears 6mm depth. I checked in the manual and discovered that there are only two front and rear jacking points on the Auris. They are located well under the car and you have crawl some way under the car to get the jack located. When you start winding the jack up it lifts the entire front end or rear end up. Not one wheel at a time, which is the traditional safe way of changing a wheel. This means that the opposite end of the car (the end that is not being lifted) the wheels have to be well chocked - otherwise you have a risk of the car moving forwards or backwards.

Can any Auris owner help me. I would like to know if anyone has had the same sort of issues on their front tyres like I have had? Contradictory information from Toyota Dealer to local tyre fitter. Has any one experienced changing tyres on an Auris - and having to lift the rear/front tyres at the same time?

Thanks

[on board training]

Hi,

Not had this with a Toyota dealer yet, but I have experienced this with some garages in the past and my worst experience was a local SEAT dealership where we had bought 4 Ibizas and two cars had the front tyres replaced at service and when it came to the third i was in a position to check the vehicle weekly check sheets and was able to prove the previous two cars had incorrectly had the front tyres repalced and before authorising the front tyres on the third one I went into the dealership.

Surprise! The car still had 5mm of tread depth left over the central 3/4 of the width of the tyre. In essence the dealership was at it and after proving it I was able to negotiate free servicing to compensate for the previous tyres wrongly replaced.

I think some dealers wrongly play on the average motorist's lack of understanding regarding the legalities of tyres. The outer edge of the tyres on most modern day cars will wear much quicker due to power steering, steering set-up etc and the tyre may still be legal when there is no tread left at all on the outer edges as long as there is at least the minimum tread over the central 3/4 width of the tyre.

[Soot1]

Sounds like you've been stunt driving on 2 wheels.

[Johan007]

Including myself there are number of people in this forum having warn the outer edges of the tire. I was going to get them replaced but I am not too sure anymore.