Breaking down - lesson learnt

[Donny_Dog]

Sorry - boring, part essay below:

Today I had an exam. 9.30am in Leeds, some 25 miles away. Got up early to miss the traffic and set off making good time, taking the 172 as the Mrs needed the ST. 5 miles from Leeds, just about to join the M621 and the car starts swaying with a horrible vibration. I head to the hard shoulder and notice the OSF tyre is flat. ****.

I opened the boot and noticed I had not put the 5th wheel in on Sunday (changed wheels, as car has sold) - in fact, its sat on the drive at my parents! FFS, forgot all about it.

Its ok though, we have AA cover.

Rang the AA who asked if the car came with a spare wheel when it was new. Hmmmm... before answering I had a few options; lie, tell the truth or play dumb (not difficult). I decided to tell the truth, hoping this karma would assist in me attending my exam and passing it. It didn't really matter as I used all of them and result was still a FAIL.

"sorry, we can only assist you if you have a working spare" he then goes away to double check their system "the 172 came with a spare wheel, so I'm sorry". Sh*t.

So I then tried lying.
"sorry, its a 182, my mistake pal"
"er.. the reg number you gave me states its a 172 made in 2001. The 182 was a later year". Lying gets you nowhere children.

So I then had to use the 'play dumb' not to get assistance, merely to make it out that I'm not a liar and just a spacktard. Although I am actually both.

"I don't really know much about cars, sorry" - what a n0b.

First time in 11 years I've had a flat.
ENSURE YOU HAVE A SPARE (if the car was to supposed to come with one as standard) AND IT WORKS. Quite suprised that the AA wouldn't attend if I didn't have one - but makes sense, complete waste of their time. But even if you made a genuine mistake, you're still on your own.

 

[tanker]

Unlucky pal, what would they do for a 182 that doesn't come with a spare then?

 

[Donny_Dog]

Unlucky pal, what would they do for a 182 that doesn't come with a spare then?

They'd come out and tow you away.

 

[Wick]

Love the thought process...

Honesty,
Lies,
Oh f**k it I'll pretend I don't like cars!

Sucks that they won't assist if you don't have a spare

 

[Brett]

I'm worried about getting a flat in my 182. Even a minor puncture will be a massive ball ache because there is no spare. I've had a fair few flat tyres in my time so I know at some point I'll have the situation of having to ring the AA because my car has no spare wheel.

 

[alex-avfc]

Lol, I removed the spare on my 106 GTI for "weight saving" and then decided I didn't like the empty cage that holds it to the underside of the car and got rid of that too! Always thought it would come to haunt me at some point, particularly as I often do 120m drives between home and Uni, across remote Welsh roads.

Won't be doing that again, nice knowing I've got a full sized spare in the 172.

 

[Andy 172]

Also removed mine for "weight saving" but I don't think it's worth the hassle if you get caught out as you have so im going to chuck mine in lol

 

[damo22]

I actually saw you on my way to work this morning! What did you do in the end? Did AA attend?

 

[warwickstingray]

I'm worried about getting a flat in my 182. Even a minor puncture will be a massive ball ache because there is no spare. I've had a fair few flat tyres in my time so I know at some point I'll have the situation of having to ring the AA because my car has no spare wheel.

My dad carries a steel wheel with tyre he bought for his IQ that he kept when he sold it on. Fits the 182 and is good enough to get him to a garage. It's better than a crappy space saver anyway! He does only really use the car to commute apart from track days, sprints etc. so keeping it in the boot isn't a problem.

 

[Chili Red]

So what did you do then?


My 182 had a blow-out once, in the most awkward of locations (on the beach at Port Isaac in Cornwall) and the AA came and rescued me. With a lot of difficulty.

 

[DaveDreads]

For well over a year i've had the spare sitting in the shed for weight saving,
mainly because I resented using petrol to lug it about and I liked how lite the car felt with no back seats & spare.

But the other week I went up to Lancaster for a family funeral so put it back in seeing as it was a long motorway journey,
since i've got back i've just left it in there because of the snow, and I can't shake the feeling that i'm going to need it at some point.

I'd hate to stranded at the side of the road for something I could have avoided if I had the spare with me.

 

[Donny_Dog]

I actually saw you on my way to work this morning! What did you do in the end? Did AA attend?

Lol. Thanks for your help!

Had to get the wife to bring a turini from the shed, then asked my brother in law to come so I could use his car whilst he waited for our lass!

I put two other people out, for my stupidity.

 

[pimmo2000]

I'd call up and cancel, that's terrible service, you pay them to cover you if you break down, if you'd done a service and forgot to put something back, they'd still come out.

 

[N0ddie]

I think its shocking also. Surely if you have the neccessary cover they could have stuck you on the back of a flatbed and took you home since you have a working spare there or to a garage?

 

[Silent_Scone]

Last time I called the AA they told me to call the fire brigade. Why don't they put that in their shitty TV adverts.

 

[Donny_Dog]

I think its shocking also. Surely if you have the neccessary cover they could have stuck you on the back of a flatbed and took you home since you have a working spare there or to a garage?

Full cover yes.

They offered to contact a local AA affiliated garage who'd do the recovery but it would be chargeable.
I'm guessing I missed the small print about the spare wheel, or took it for granted as its with our bank that we got the cover.

 

[daveski]

Might check this seen as I have a sub where the spare wheel would be...

 

[Donny_Dog]

Looks like some MG ZR owner was in the same position (http://forums.xpowerforums.com/archive/index.php/t-59414.html)

Check yer sparez.

 

[Addicted]

Luckily I wont be in this position as I have a 182, so no spare wheel to keep taking in/out

Unlucky though dude, sods law its the day you have an exam!

 

[Donny_Dog]

Luckily I wont be in this position as I have a 182, so no spare wheel to keep taking in/out

Unlucky though dude, sods law its the day you have an exam!

Yeah, typical eh. Ah well, I made it in time anyway.

The 172 is sold so I'll be in the 182 from now on, so in the same boat as you - but the tyre foam wouldn't have saved me. The foam would have just run out of the side of the gash. Would have made a nice alloy pie, I think. + wasted the foam.

 

[ScarySquirrel]

I actually saw you on my way to work this morning! What did you do in the end? Did AA attend?

Lol. Thanks for your help!

HAHAHA!

 

[TomBear]

what if you flattened the other tyre?? surely they would have to attend if you had 2 flat tyres and only one spare

 

[barker22]

I would deffo complain. Easy to say when you have time to think but you could tell them you had a puncture yesterday and the tyre is getting fixed at a garage.

 

[jesus]

Lesson learnt - get a 182 instead of a 172 :approve:

 

[Fern.]

Thanks for the essay! Made my day!!

Did you get to your exam? Im guessing not so :/

 

[N0ddie]

I would deffo complain. Easy to say when you have time to think but you could tell them you had a puncture yesterday and the tyre is getting fixed at a garage.

I spoke to one of the AA reps on the phone about this and they said that their terms and conds. require you to carry whichever option your car is fitted with ie. wheel or foam pish otherwise they are within their right not to come get you.

What you want to do it flatten one other tyre, just take the cap off and flatten it enough to look flat, then they've got to come get ye.

 

[DannyR]

So even thought I've got a ph1 I couldn't only have the foam in with me?

 

[Stig182]

I'm worried about getting a flat in my 182. Even a minor puncture will be a massive ball ache because there is no spare. I've had a fair few flat tyres in my time so I know at some point I'll have the situation of having to ring the AA because my car has no spare wheel.

why worry just buy a space saver and check it in the boot or the tyre foam, that works wonders, has got me out of some right s**t!!

 

[dedposh]

I had the same problem a few weeks ago.

I was driving home from a mates at 1am on the m61 and got a puncture! The AA came out, but because I only had local recovery they wouldnt take me home and couldnt source me a spare tyre!

In the end I paid the driver 60 quid to take me home. The foam was useless as my tyre was torn to shreds. Its GRIM

 

[wezzel98765]

I had a break down the other week. Complete flat due to rip in sidewall. Called my free AA cover out (new car cover), told them the situation and that I didn't have a spare wheel.

They got to me, and they couldn't do anything. Couldn't toe it because my car is too low from the factory (apparently), too low to jack it up to get the wheel off to take me to the local tyre place to get a new tyre, so, in the end... I just drove 1 mile @ 3mph on my flat tyre as it was the only option I had!

 

[Deany]

I'm driving to Leeds today, I have no spare wheel, this might end badly.

 

[guysy]

Good reminder for me this, had a puncture in my last car, girlfriend also suffered one and both times had a spare, so ill have to get a steel wheel and a cheap tyre on to throw in the back for long journeys.

 

[jesus]

It'll be fine, I did a 2000 mile trip across Europe without one.

 

[plymcl172]

The AA are nobs-fact

RAC would not have said that !

 

[d4nmc]

The AA are nobs-fact

RAC would not have said that !

When I got a flat in the 172 Cup the AA man was unreal who helped me out, I couldn't say a bad word about his service!

 

[plymcl172]

The AA have been terrible in loads of ways to me and I wont bore people with it.