emergency tyre repair

Should be OK to get you home. Try to keep speeds down if poss.

Chrsi

AFAIK these things are not legal repairs in the UK although they will almost certainly last the life of the tyre.

Rob Graham

It'll be legal until you get off the ferry at Dover AFAIK. They should last a fair long time without problems.

did this odd looking stick have a passing resemblance to a very thin hairy turd? And was it inserted using something akin to a large darning needle, with a handle? If so, then its the same stuff we use at work, we have no problems with these repair outlasting the tyre, and can be used at normal speeds.

hairy?.. well, yes I'd say it was; very thin turd?...hmm, now you mention it. And definitely a darning needle sort of thing with a handle. Many thanks for the positive prognosis.

- cheers also for all optimistic feedback on this.

That sounds like the "T-Handle Radial Repair Kit" made by Carquest that I've got. They do work.

I had a puncture once & the car places wouldn't repair the puncture 'cos they said that the tyre wasn't legal (on tread depth, and would I like to buy a new one.) Well technicallly the tyre was legal and they were charging way over the odds for the replacement tyre which they didn't have in stock anyway so I drove the car around for a few weeks with a cut off plastic golf tee stuck into the hole.

many thanks for replies on this - as it turns out the rear tyres were evidently close to needing replacement so decided to get those two replaced. I didn't really know what to buy other than what the main dealer saw fit to supply - if nothing else to circumvent a language problem (still in France for a few weeks).

What are the factors in choosing a tyre? Any problem buying from kwik-fit or the like? Fairly soon, I'll need to replace the front pair and would like to have a vague sense of knowing what I'm doing.

many thanks

corrections/alternatives invited

- sorry - please ignore sig

It might be best to post the details of the vehicle...?

Chris

It's a passat estate tdi 4 motion

Might be worth asking on uk.rec.cars.vw.watercooled?

HTH

Chris

I'll try that - meanwhile if anyone other poster here has any insights on kwik-fit vs main dealers for tyres generally I'd be interested. Also what are the parameters - what makes one tyre significantly better/worse/cheaper/more expensive than another?

it's a general query - my partner needs to replace her tyres soon.

insights on

Dealers probably will take your car to a proper tyre dealer anyway. If you've got expensive alloys then you might want to be careful about where you take it. In general you get what you pay for. You have to determine what factors are important to you - dry weather roadholding, wet weather, snow, noise, comfort etc.

FWIW, my experiences with Kwik-Fit have been terrible! Rip off prices, wheel trims broken, valves fitted that are so short you couldn't get the air hose on them, pressures left so low that the tyre was illegally soft - I'll never go near them! Others may have had a better time.

I use my local Rapid Fit (Part of the Ford dealership, but good for all makes). Their prices are competitive and the service is OK.

Main dealers seldom fit tyres themselves. If you ask them to do it, you will just pay over the odds for them to take your car elsewhere.

I've always found Michelin to be the best, but at a cost. I generally use Continental, Goodyear or similar based on what deal I can get.

When I was younger, less wise and somewhat impoverished I tried a set of budget tyres, (Courier, the budget brand of Pirelli I was told.) They were awful! I replaced them long before they were worn out. IMHO, you are better off with a well-known make that is almost worn out than a new tyre of a dubious make. YMMV!

Chris

as an old fart driving a boring car I would probably go for miniumum noise. Any advice on how to reliably establish the best tyre for the job?

if they operate in west sussex I'll check them out

Yes, that's probably what happened to me yesterday.

many thanks

sounds like he "plugged" the tire

very very common on tractor trailer tires where it's a royal pain to pull the wheels.

on a BIG (18 wheel) truck it's considered a "permanent" fix

should do f> I'm in france with survival-only french so was not able to fully understand the