Are flat tyres the new busted lights?
Discussion
Say what you will; manufacturing methods, complexity, throwaway culture, the private fleet on our roads is becoming ever more poorly maintained.
The big thing a few years ago was blown bulbs. They were all the rage! Having both headlights working was the mark of a strang obsessive - not forgetting pesky tail and brake lights. The worst were cars with blue sidelights and one headlight. I don't mind the modification but it's proof that the driver at least is capable of replacing a bulb. So why not all of them?
I digress. It seems, round here at least, that blown bulbs are passe. Everyone's got them so it's time for a new craze. The answer appears to be low, and in some cases fully flat, tyres. I've seen several cars driving around practically scraping their wheel rims. Is this a sad by product of harsh times? Where drivers cannot even afford a part worn or remould. Or is it just apathy? Either way surely they must notice!
The big thing a few years ago was blown bulbs. They were all the rage! Having both headlights working was the mark of a strang obsessive - not forgetting pesky tail and brake lights. The worst were cars with blue sidelights and one headlight. I don't mind the modification but it's proof that the driver at least is capable of replacing a bulb. So why not all of them?
I digress. It seems, round here at least, that blown bulbs are passe. Everyone's got them so it's time for a new craze. The answer appears to be low, and in some cases fully flat, tyres. I've seen several cars driving around practically scraping their wheel rims. Is this a sad by product of harsh times? Where drivers cannot even afford a part worn or remould. Or is it just apathy? Either way surely they must notice!
steveo3002 said:
saw one of those invalid scooter things limping along the street the other day with the tyre hanging off its wheel
Well to be fair there's nowhere to carry a spare (let alaon a jack and wheel brace on one of those and i guess being disabled meens even if there was they couldn't change it and last time i looked the AA dont take mobility scooter on? 
It's all down to the modern "somone should have told me/done it for me" attitude of todays a
hole, sorry i meen pleb, no i meen averadge human being.more potholes and speedbumps to knacker your wheels/tyres if you get it wrong.
Personally caught a pothole the other day. Slow puncture developed over the next couple days. Even as someone that has a clue about cars, it wasn't obvious from the steering wheel. No juddering/shaking. Was actually the plip,plip,plip noise on a quiet road that gave it away.
Personally caught a pothole the other day. Slow puncture developed over the next couple days. Even as someone that has a clue about cars, it wasn't obvious from the steering wheel. No juddering/shaking. Was actually the plip,plip,plip noise on a quiet road that gave it away.
I think the tyre pressure monitoring systems (that are now law on all new cars) are a good thing.
Most tyre failures result from a very slow puncture that the driver doesn't notice until it is too late. I reckon Monitors will catch potential failures much earlier. I just worry that a red light for tyres on a dashboard will be like an oil pressure light to most drivers. 'If the tyre light isn't on there's no need for a visual check at all'
Most tyre failures result from a very slow puncture that the driver doesn't notice until it is too late. I reckon Monitors will catch potential failures much earlier. I just worry that a red light for tyres on a dashboard will be like an oil pressure light to most drivers. 'If the tyre light isn't on there's no need for a visual check at all'
Redlake27 said:
I think the tyre pressure monitoring systems (that are now law on all new cars) are a good thing.
Most tyre failures result from a very slow puncture that the driver doesn't notice until it is too late. I reckon Monitors will catch potential failures much earlier.
Really? When did this become mandatory?Most tyre failures result from a very slow puncture that the driver doesn't notice until it is too late. I reckon Monitors will catch potential failures much earlier.
Cupramax said:
Really? When did this become mandatory?
Quite recently I think.Getting hard to keep track of all the new "mandatory" stuff they keep adding.
In tyhe old days you just checked your car over.
Not necessarily a bad thing as such but it sometimes gives people a false sense of security.
Just because there are no warnings on the dash doesn`t mean all is well.
Combine this with 2 year service intervals and, potentially, 2 year MOT`s and I think it`s storing up trouble.
Fubar1977 said:
Quite recently I think.
Getting hard to keep track of all the new "mandatory" stuff they keep adding.
In tyhe old days you just checked your car over.
Not necessarily a bad thing as such but it sometimes gives people a false sense of security.
Just because there are no warnings on the dash doesn`t mean all is well.
Combine this with 2 year service intervals and, potentially, 2 year MOT`s and I think it`s storing up trouble.
Every new registered car in the US has to have them after the Firestone/Ford Explorer debacle several years ago, and they're going to come into force in the EU in 2014.Getting hard to keep track of all the new "mandatory" stuff they keep adding.
In tyhe old days you just checked your car over.
Not necessarily a bad thing as such but it sometimes gives people a false sense of security.
Just because there are no warnings on the dash doesn`t mean all is well.
Combine this with 2 year service intervals and, potentially, 2 year MOT`s and I think it`s storing up trouble.
I've just taken my car back after lending it to someone for an extended period of time to find a horrible squeak from the gear linkage. When I asked about it this person said "oh yeah, that started about 6 weeks ago. It really, really annoyed me! The warning light wasn't on though"
Well why the fk didn't you think to do something about it/let me know? Why did you think that a 7 year old cheap car would have a light for that? . What if it was a sign of impending failure of the aforementioned linkage?
Well why the f
k didn't you think to do something about it/let me know? Why did you think that a 7 year old cheap car would have a light for that? . What if it was a sign of impending failure of the aforementioned linkage?Cupramax said:
Redlake27 said:
I think the tyre pressure monitoring systems (that are now law on all new cars) are a good thing.
Most tyre failures result from a very slow puncture that the driver doesn't notice until it is too late. I reckon Monitors will catch potential failures much earlier.
Really? When did this become mandatory?Most tyre failures result from a very slow puncture that the driver doesn't notice until it is too late. I reckon Monitors will catch potential failures much earlier.
http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2013/2/7/company-c...
JREwing said:
I've just taken my car back after lending it to someone for an extended period of time to find a horrible squeak from the gear linkage. When I asked about it this person said "oh yeah, that started about 6 weeks ago
Never lend your car to anyone for anything longer than a quick trip somewhere, I once lent mine out and got it back with a scuff on the bumper, puts strain on the friendship that's for sure.Anyway I digress, some people take that little care of vehicles, at our company tires come back to the workshop with threads exposed. When the later LDV's came out with larger windscreen washer bottles we knew it was a bad thing, becuase it meant people would wait even longer before opening the bonnet.
Redlake27 said:
I think the tyre pressure monitoring systems (that are now law on all new cars) are a good thing.
Nope but cars that have them fitted and are not working putting an error meassge up can now fail a mot. Its not cheap neither to replace the sensors in the wheels. Ive seen a few cars go past work with flat tyres and servicing cars the number of them with less than 10psi in them is on the up aswel.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff