Terms and Conditions for buying car tyres

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To stay 'legal' and make sure the car behaves as expected, I always check the car handbook to find the correct size/load/speed rating for the car. I don't want to give the insurance company any reason to refuse a claim if there was an accident and something isn't right.
I agree with this approach.

Car manufacturers don't want their products flying off the road and therefore we can presume they tell us which tyre keeps our car (and all its integrated systems) functioning optimally.

Whether or not a plug is a good idea depends entirely on how you use the car. I say: heavy loads and/or high speeds, replace the tyre (or tyres). I am not interested in discovering the service limit of a tyre plug on a motorway.
 
They don't make them all the same because then you would all have to buy tyres rated for high speeds, which are more expensive. For example my 1988 500se Mercedes has a top speed electronically limited to 155mph. The specified tyres are rated for that speed, and very expensive. Since I don't intend to ever drive it at anything like that speed, I have fitted tyres rated up to I think 120mph, much cheaper. You also have to consider weight, the Merc weighs about 1 3/4 tons, another car using the same size tyre might weigh much less, hence the different load ratings. You really shouldn't mix them up, particularly on a car with any serious performance that you intend to drive hard. If you are just pottering about it probably doesn't matter that much, but still best avoided.
As to punctured I have had loads repaired over the years, fine if it's a small hole in the tread. And most tyre shops will take a dim view of you bringing them tyres you have bought elsewhere to be fitted. Many will either charge you through the nose, or just flatly refuse to have anything to do with them. At the end of the day you are driving round on four bits of rubber, each of which only had a contact patch about the size of a credit card. How they perform is pretty damned important. If you ever find yourself in the position where you have to do a real world emergency stop, then having different tyres on each front wheel is very likely to make the car swerve to one side. If someone came to you and said I want you to build me a wooden box, you say "what wood?" They say " just wood, I mean wood is wood innit? " You would no doubt a) think they were pretty stupid, and b) proceed to explain the various different types of wood and their relative merits. Tyres are no different.
 
Here any tire shop will charge you through the nose to mount tires from a third party
Many will either charge you through the nose, or just flatly refuse to have anything to do with them
I thought the same so I went on the Asda website and there is a toggle for “mail Order” and “fully fitted” with about £10 difference in price. For my car I put in the registration number and it gave a large number of different tyre types, prices and when they could be fitted, generally today or tomorrow. Perhaps Asda are using a third party to fit them (Halfords?). It looked like a good place to start a tyre purchase.

Perhaps someone who has used Asda can explain how it works.
 
Plus one for Black Circle, on the site you can specify from their lists the tyre fitting company local to you and they deliver the tyres too them, after having this done at my local fitters, they gave me their private number and said ring this in the future and we will match any price you get on the internet, so may be worth talking to you local fitter, mind you this was after six new tyres in one year, I live on a flint strewn lane.
 
I never buy cars with low profile tyres as its easier to get rim damage, also normal profiles give an extra bit of suspension.
I always replace in pairs.
Usually buy tyres with a lower dB rating, over longevity.
 
i always use tyre shopper when i need tyres
https://www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/buy onlne and then national tyres does the fitting. even ringing national tyres direct ends up dearer!

last puncture i got was literally on the limit as to how close to the sidewall is supposed to be yes/no for repair, he did repair it so £20 rather than £200 for a new tyre!
 
Im surprised you managed to find any choice of tyres for an i3, i thought there is only 1 brand that makes the i3 size (they're like bicycle tyres) and they just offer an all season and winter version.
 
i3 tyres are unusual in both size and specification. Obviously designed with minimal roll-resistance, so tread-depth is not great, and they are not run-flat. There are two principle manufacturers to my knowledge.
The National Tyres website summarises the rules on puncture repair quite nicely: basically only in the central 3/4 of the tread.
https://www.national.co.uk/information/puncture-repairsJohn
 
Postscript: we had a side-wall puncture in an i3 tyre, which was discovered when at home & parked on the drive. I needed to get the car 3 miles to the local garage. I remembered that superglue can be used to successfully repair broken neoprene drive belts on tape-players etc, so I cleaned the puncture area and injected some glue into the "wound", then applied a bicycle patch on the outside. After an hour I re-inflated to a modest pressure and checked that it held, then drove gently to the garage. It was still 100% when they removed the tyre. Could be a solution to get you home in an emergency.
 
Could you tell us the pertinent legislation? or even a valid reason why?
I'm not sure it's illegal as such, not advised but not illegal to my knowledge. That said, I'm aware of MOT stations failing some vehicles because of it, IIRC there was a thread on a Landy forum some time back where this had happened and the vehicle owner demanded to see the legislation which never materialised through the garage who failed it.

I suspect however that this may possibly be an EU directive which may impact UK legislation - it's just finding that link.
 
I'm not sure it's illegal as such, not advised but not illegal to my knowledge. That said, I'm aware of MOT stations failing some vehicles because of it, IIRC there was a thread on a Landy forum some time back where this had happened and the vehicle owner demanded to see the legislation which never materialised through the garage who failed it.

I suspect however that this may possibly be an EU directive which may impact UK legislation - it's just finding that link.
If “the use of the motor vehicle or trailer involves a danger of injury to any person” then it is illegal. It is in F2 40A

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/part/II
The law is not going to specifically say it is illegal to put an inner tube in a tubeless tyre, far too specific.
 
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Could you tell us the pertinent legislation? or even a valid reason why?
Tubeless tyres have not been designed for use with a tube. Manufacturers testing has not been done on this combination. I don't believe there will be a relevant standard to test against, so whilst it may work fine. It has not been proven safe for road use.
 
With cars here having mandated tire pressure warning systems you can't use an inner tube anyway. Don't your cars have the same? Or are we the only ones stuck with them?

Pete
 
With cars here having mandated tire pressure warning systems you can't use an inner tube anyway.

Pete
No we don't have anything that daft , yet. :)
How does that work. If you have a '57 chevy do you have to spoil it by fitting new wheels and tyres?
 

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