VW Up spare wheel

vikingaero

melbury wrote: »

Surely though using air con is worse than carrying a spare tyre for emissions.

But thousands more buyers would refuse to buy a car without a/c than a spare.

Iceweasel

melbury wrote: »

Surely though using air con is worse than carrying a spare tyre for emissions.

Air-con uses less fuel than opening a window - depends on your speed of course.

The faster you drive the more the open window costs in terms of increased consumption.

melbury

True, but you only get to use air con for a couple of weeks a year in the UK:) In hot countries I agree it is a necessity, but not here for most of the time.

Iceweasel

melbury wrote: »

True, but you only get to use air con for a couple of weeks a year in the UK:) In hot countries I agree it is a necessity, but not here for most of the time.

Are you only using your AC for cooling?

I run AC (actually Climate Control) every day - it's never switched off.

In the UK it's actually more of a necessity in the winter.

AC + heat means no more misty windows.

AdrianC

Iceweasel's bob-on. Aircon is as much, if not more, use in the UK in winter than "summer".

Also, only turning the aircon on for a couple of weeks a year is a great way to have aircon that doesn't work when you want it, because the seals have dried and the gas has escaped.

melbury

AdrianC wrote: »

Iceweasel's bob-on. Aircon is as much, if not more, use in the UK in winter than "summer".

Also, only turning the aircon on for a couple of weeks a year is a great way to have aircon that doesn't work when you want it, because the seals have dried and the gas has escaped.

That's interesting I didn't know that. Don't cars with air con have conventional heaters then?

My OH has air con in his car but only on very rarely as he doesn't use the car that often - still works though and has never had anything done to it.

Still think a spare wheel is extremely important.

AdrianC

melbury wrote: »

That's interesting I didn't know that. Don't cars with air con have conventional heaters then?

Yes, of course.

Aircon is a little extra coolant circuit - not at all unlike a fridge - in the airflow path through the heater.

The refrigerant is compressed by an engine-driven pump. It then passes through the airflow, decompresses, absorbs heat from the air, and warms up. It then sheds that heat through an extra radiator up front. In doing so, it also dries the air - the moisture condenses out, and drains under the car.

So, if you've then got the heater on as well, you're warming up dry air, and blowing that at the windows. Great way to get shot of the condensed moisture on the glass - far, far quicker than blowing warm, moist air at them, which can just makes them mistier.

The refrigerant gas has oil suspended in it, which lubricates all the seals as well as the compressor. If that lubricant isn't circulated, the seals dry out and shrink slightly - which lets the gas escape. Regas, and the gas will... escape again in short order.

Still think a spare wheel is extremely important.

When did you last have a flat tyre?
When did your windscreen last mist up?

vikingaero

AdrianC wrote: »

When did you last have a flat tyre?
When did your windscreen last mist up?

I actually had a flat tyre this morning - nail in centre of tread. Last time my windscreen misted up was a month or two ago.

Point being. I really really value my leisure time and go off the beaten track which is why a spare is really important to me.

A few years ago I started a new job and didn't have any time off for 6 months. On the one day I took a day off to take the kids to the coast we had a puncture. I pulled into a petrol station and changed the tyre for the spare. 15 minutes later we were on our way.

We were in the Northern Highlands about 3 years ago. I hit a rain/water covered pothole and the tyre was shredded. I put on the spacesaver spare and limped 2-3 hours into Fort William to get a new tyre. After a new tyre we were on our way. Compare this to my friend in his runflat equipped BMW M3 who got a shredded tyre even further north than me in Scotland, it was a bank holiday, and was stranded for 3 days until a new tyre could be couriered up to him.

AdrianC

vikingaero wrote: »

Compare this to my friend in his runflat equipped BMW M3 who got a shredded tyre even further north than me in Scotland, it was a bank holiday, and was stranded for 3 days until a new tyre could be couriered up to him.

A friend's M3, y'say...? <raised eyebrow>

Seriously, something like that would have staggered-fit tyres, different size front to back, anyway. That would NEVER have had a full-size spare (of which size?), only ever a space-saver. On a space-saver, as on a deflated (albeit not shredded) runflat, you are limited to 50 miles at 50mph. That's not really going to be a lot of use in the far north of Scotland...

WobblyDog

vikingaero wrote: »

I actually had a flat tyre this morning - nail in centre of tread. Last time my windscreen misted up was a month or two ago.

Point being. I really really value my leisure time and go off the beaten track which is why a spare is really important to me.

A few years ago I started a new job and didn't have any time off for 6 months. On the one day I took a day off to take the kids to the coast we had a puncture. I pulled into a petrol station and changed the tyre for the spare. 15 minutes later we were on our way.

We were in the Northern Highlands about 3 years ago. I hit a rain/water covered pothole and the tyre was shredded. I put on the spacesaver spare and limped 2-3 hours into Fort William to get a new tyre. After a new tyre we were on our way. Compare this to my friend in his runflat equipped BMW M3 who got a shredded tyre even further north than me in Scotland, it was a bank holiday, and was stranded for 3 days until a new tyre could be couriered up to him.

I can supply a single anecdotal data point. I've only had one flat tyre, but it was a major one that couldn't have been repaired with a can of foam. I was in a fairly remote part of Snowdonia, so I was glad my cheap Fiesta was fitted with a spare wheel.