Discussion
My V8V is feeling rather sorry for itself down in my garage with a slow puncture and a nice big nail sticking out of the nearside rear.
It's right in the middle though so on a normal car would almost certainly be 100% repairable; because I'm not too keen to splash out for a new pair of rears and given that the car isn't going to do any particularly stressful driving anytime soon (no trackdays or anything like that) can I get it repaired as you would with any mid-range car?
For interest, in 7 months across my 2 cars and a mere 12,000 miles I've now had 5 punctures. It's not so fun any more.
It's right in the middle though so on a normal car would almost certainly be 100% repairable; because I'm not too keen to splash out for a new pair of rears and given that the car isn't going to do any particularly stressful driving anytime soon (no trackdays or anything like that) can I get it repaired as you would with any mid-range car?
For interest, in 7 months across my 2 cars and a mere 12,000 miles I've now had 5 punctures. It's not so fun any more.
I too went through a similar spate of punctures a couple of years ago and it is staggeringly expensive and frustrating to keep replacing tyres when they have so little wear. However I would not contemplate driving cars like this without the right tyres in the right condition. A repaired puncture would be a risk that I wouldn't take.
Luckyluciano said:
Have you driven it with the nail in the tyre? I believe they won't repair tyres if the nail has caused damage to the
inside of the tyre.
Unfortunately yes, I don't know when it got the nail as the warning system didn't tell me about it, but I suspect a few miles in 30mph town speeds. Of course it is a slow puncture not a complete flat so I only detected that the driving was slightly out and it is still pumped up and not visibly flat at all.inside of the tyre.
There's a petrol station about 100m from my garage so I'll pop out, pump it up, and get it asap to my garage for a fix or to get some new tyres on the way.
Shmee said:
Luckyluciano said:
Have you driven it with the nail in the tyre? I believe they won't repair tyres if the nail has caused damage to the
inside of the tyre.
Unfortunately yes, I don't know when it got the nail as the warning system didn't tell me about it, but I suspect a few miles in 30mph town speeds. Of course it is a slow puncture not a complete flat so I only detected that the driving was slightly out and it is still pumped up and not visibly flat at all.inside of the tyre.
There's a petrol station about 100m from my garage so I'll pop out, pump it up, and get it asap to my garage for a fix or to get some new tyres on the way.
I agree with Michael here... There are strict guidelines set for repairing high performance tyres - if it is a sidewall puncture then it cannot be repaired. If however it falls withing the repairable area then it can safely be repaired. I believe there is a limit of 2 or 3 repairs per tyre also for high speed rated tyres.
There really isnt any problem with repairing such tyres providing that you stay inside the guidelines. A repair is about £10-£25 depending upon the type of machine used to balance the wheels again afterwards. I personally have been somewhat unlucky with punctures on my Astons and 911s over the last 3-4 years averaging at least 1 puncture per year. So far Ive had them all repaired with no ill effects whatsoever.
Main dealers and some tyre shops will always try and upsell a new tyre as clearly there is a lot more profit in it for them and its an easy sell to many customers. I have also had a couple of dealers lie and tell me that high performance tyres cannot be repaired - this is rubbish they can!!
There really isnt any problem with repairing such tyres providing that you stay inside the guidelines. A repair is about £10-£25 depending upon the type of machine used to balance the wheels again afterwards. I personally have been somewhat unlucky with punctures on my Astons and 911s over the last 3-4 years averaging at least 1 puncture per year. So far Ive had them all repaired with no ill effects whatsoever.
Main dealers and some tyre shops will always try and upsell a new tyre as clearly there is a lot more profit in it for them and its an easy sell to many customers. I have also had a couple of dealers lie and tell me that high performance tyres cannot be repaired - this is rubbish they can!!
Edited by Adam2S on Tuesday 11th January 12:16
michael gould said:
side wall damage is non repairable but a nail in the centre will repair fine.......should cost you a £10 including balancing
My regular tyre firm charges......Puncture repair to 235/65x17 4x4 wheel, balance and valve (at depot)£16.75 + vat.
2 x remove wheels and balance again at depot £12.00
£10 sound cheap to me.
Shmee, Central London is a disaster for punctures. Every street seems to have a block of flats being renovated and the builders couldn't give a toss about dropping nails and screws. A few weeks ago my wife's new Giulietta Cloverleaf got a nail in the middle of nearside rear (it was a week old), and then I got exactly the same in my Granturismo (when it was less than 2 weeks old). Both times I got the tyres repaired in the Kwik Fit on Sloane Avenue. £10 I think, and they were very careful with the wheels. Then last week I got a screw in the other rear on the Granturismo. Took it to Kwik Fit again, and they took the tyre off and removed the screw. It was a very short stubby thing and handed actually gone through the tyre. They sent me on my way for no charge (although I gave the guy a tenner anyway for his trouble). The Granturismo has been driven at about 65% of maximum since the tyre was repaired without any ill effects.
That's exactly where I'm going this afternoon, and the same place that did my last few repairs in the last few months.
I'm not new to getting punctures, flats and slow; 5 in 7 months shows that! Although I went 3 years in London without a single one in town, then 5 in 7 months, all similar slow punctures - getting very tedious!
I'm not new to getting punctures, flats and slow; 5 in 7 months shows that! Although I went 3 years in London without a single one in town, then 5 in 7 months, all similar slow punctures - getting very tedious!
David W. said:
michael gould said:
side wall damage is non repairable but a nail in the centre will repair fine.......should cost you a £10 including balancing
My regular tyre firm charges......Puncture repair to 235/65x17 4x4 wheel, balance and valve (at depot)£16.75 + vat.
2 x remove wheels and balance again at depot £12.00
£10 sound cheap to me.
I too have suffered punctures in a variety of my high performance cars and I have been surprised to find that tyres had often been repaired by previous owners. I was quite annoyed initially until I got a puncture in the rear tyre of my first F355 at a track day.
The puncture was in the sidewall and the local tyre place refused to repair it. Eventually they relented as it was impossible to find the correct tyre locally but would only accept cash and wouldn't even give me a receipt. I was told to drive at 30mph max - and I did until I got back to the track day
Spent the rest of the day hooning the car around the track, drove it home and had no problems at all. I get through loads of tyres rally driving and I have since spoken to various people in the tyre industry and the consensus is that if the puncture is in the tread (NOT sidewall) the repairs are very good and I haven't found anyone who has suffered any issues using a repaired tyre. It has certainly changed my outlook and saved me a load of cash
The puncture was in the sidewall and the local tyre place refused to repair it. Eventually they relented as it was impossible to find the correct tyre locally but would only accept cash and wouldn't even give me a receipt. I was told to drive at 30mph max - and I did until I got back to the track day
Spent the rest of the day hooning the car around the track, drove it home and had no problems at all. I get through loads of tyres rally driving and I have since spoken to various people in the tyre industry and the consensus is that if the puncture is in the tread (NOT sidewall) the repairs are very good and I haven't found anyone who has suffered any issues using a repaired tyre. It has certainly changed my outlook and saved me a load of cash
David W. said:
michael gould said:
your right just checked £10 +VAT one of the many advantages of living "up north"
I guess there has to be some advantages 
dw
Countdown to the next one...
Carlton Banks said:
Shmee, I thought I recognised your plate from somewhere......
I drive past your car a week or so ago between Chelsea and Fulham....and was racking my brains as to where I had seen your car / plate.
Looked good.
I think that sounds likely to have been last Tuesday when I was getting this puncture fixed!I drive past your car a week or so ago between Chelsea and Fulham....and was racking my brains as to where I had seen your car / plate.
Looked good.
Small world
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