spare wheel never used ...

peasant

...came across that in a few used car ads recently.

So what's that all about? Why mention it?
Am I supposed to pay more because there is an unused 5-year old tyre clogging up the boot?

Yeah, right ...

On that note ...anybody still doing it the old school ...rotating their tyres around, including the spare wheel?

On my second hand car the spare wheel was also brand new, never used but four years old ...the rest of them was pretty worn and a crap thread. So I bought a set of new, different tyres, with the end result that I now have a seven year old, "brand new" tyre hanging off the back that can only be used in case of emergency to be replaced asap if it ever does get used.

Should I mention "spare wheel never used" if and when I sell it?

Nevyn

Spare wheel never used will mean they have not rotated the wheels and the left wheels front and back will have born the brunt of every gutter and pothole the
time they have had the car.

Also may mean they have never changed a flat tyre the AA guy or who ever used the spare for that,
and really who wants to buy a car off someone that can't change a flat it
means they tend to know sod all about car maintence.

cargrouch

The car must be low on features to think the seller would have this as a plus point!

[Wind-up mode ON]
Would beemer sellers get more if they advertised "indicators never used"? [Wind-up mode OFF]

Eoin

Thaedydal wrote:

Spare wheel never used will mean they have not rotated the wheels and the left wheels front and back will have born the brunt of every gutter and pothole the
time they have had the car.

Also may mean they have never changed a flat tyre the AA guy or who ever used the spare for that,
and really who wants to buy a car off someone that can't change a flat it
means they tend to know sod all about car maintence.

Or it could mean that they just changed all tires when they should have, and never got a flat?

cargrouch wrote:

The car must be low on features to think the seller would have this as a plus point!

I was thinking the same, don't think it would be a huge factor when buying a car. Reminds me of a car salesman last year showing me a car, and making sure to point out that it had a Dublin reg.

Stephen

if anything, that would be a negative point, given the nature of Dublin traffic.

Big Nelly

Dont some of the newer cars come with a sh*tty spare tyre that you can only use for a few miles and then have to get tyre fixed? I have often seen them around Dublin on the cheaper cars and they are like a tyre for a go kart. This could be just a reference they actually have a proper tyre?

Eoin

Big Nelly wrote:

Dont some of the newer cars come with a sh*tty spare tyre that you can only use for a few miles and then have to get tyre fixed? I have often seen them around Dublin on the cheaper cars and they are like a tyre for a go kart. This could be just a reference they actually have a proper tyre?

You mean space saver wheels? Actually very common on a lot of cars, saloons in particular as they have less boot space than most hatchbacks.

Duiske

eoin_s wrote:

Or it could mean that they just changed all tires when they should have, and never got a flat?



I was thinking the same, don't think it would be a huge factor when buying a car. Reminds me of a car salesman last year showing me a car, and making sure to point out that it had a Dublin reg.

What is the big deal with Dublin reg's ?. They even have their own section in AutoTrader. I remember my manager being mortified by the fact he had to borrow his wife's car for a few day's, not because it was an old punto, but because it had an Offaly reg.

Eoin

Duiske_Lad wrote:

What is the big deal with Dublin reg's ?. They even have their own section in AutoTrader.

Are you sure it's not Cars for Sale in Dublin have their own section?

Duiske_Lad wrote:

I remember my manager being mortified by the fact he had to borrow his wife's car for a few day's, not because it was an old punto, but because it had an Offaly reg.

crazy stuff!

I really couldn't believe the guy pointing the "D reg" out as a feature - although I suppose the car was a bit light on extras...

BrianD3

I'd say the reasoning behind this is it might give a buyer the impression that the car is more "perfect" "as new" "pristine" and "original" than the average car. Some people are so fastidious about originality that the spare wheel and associated bits never having being used and stowed correctly is a plus point. TBH i can sort of see their point. I'd prefer to see this than to see a filthy worn spare with a scuffed/dirty/abused jack and wheelbrace just thrown in the boot because the owner is too lazy to stow them correctly.

Similar story with toolkits. If the car has a factory fitted toolkit and its all present and correct and looks barely or never used it gives a better impression of the whole car than a toolkit which has bits missing or put back in the wrong place, is filthy and generally looks abused.

Quentin Wilson actually gave advice along these lines in his buyers guide for the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow on Top Gear. He advised buyers to look at the toolkit as part of their evalutaion of the car. He actually made a statement along the lines of "if the owner has defiled their Rolls Royce toolkit to fix their toilet they may not tbe the sort of chap you want to be doing business with" It was meant to be funny but I also think he was being semi serious at the same time

bazz26

peasant wrote:

...came across that in a few used car ads recently.

So what's that all about? Why mention it?
Am I supposed to pay more because there is an unused 5-year old tyre clogging up the boot?

Yeah, right ...

On that note ...anybody still doing it the old school ...rotating their tyres around, including the spare wheel?

On my second hand car the spare wheel was also brand new, never used but four years old ...the rest of them was pretty worn and a crap thread. So I bought a set of new, different tyres, with the end result that I now have a seven year old, "brand new" tyre hanging off the back that can only be used in case of emergency to be replaced asap if it ever does get used.

Should I mention "spare wheel never used" if and when I sell it?

I think this originated as an old car salesman's trick that has kind of caught on with some people in the same sense as "one careful lady owner". At the end of the day when your trying to sell something, you try your best to sell the product in the best possible way.

AMurphy

peasant wrote:

...
So what's that all about? Why mention it?
Am I supposed to pay more because there is an unused 5-year old tyre clogging up the boot?

.....

Ahemmmm.
I have a very nice mobile with an OEM '89 spare wheel & tyre still in the boot. Used 3 times that I'm aware of. The little rubber hairs are still on it.

Why?. It does not match the other wheels, so why drive about with 3+1. That looks dorky.

I do a 4 wheel rotation and change tyres 2 at a time whether they need it or not. Fortunately punctures and blowouts are few and far between.

On the van the tyres are directional, you cannot do a left for right exchange AND very few tyre places are prepared to do a rim/tyre exchange for free. So it's front to back only and pray your alignment is OK.

Similarly on the truck, the rear wheels are a differnt size to the front, and the spare is differnt from both. If is did a 4 wheel rotation I'd have a r or L pull on the steering. So I do a 2x left/right rotation. Nondirectional tyres.

Nonetheless, I'd not bother mentioning it in a 4 sale ad. Who cares?.

gerrycollins

peasant wrote:

...came across that in a few used car ads recently.

So what's that all about? Why mention it?
Am I supposed to pay more because there is an unused 5-year old tyre clogging up the boot?

Yeah, right ...

On that note ...anybody still doing it the old school ...rotating their tyres around, including the spare wheel?

On my second hand car the spare wheel was also brand new, never used but four years old ...the rest of them was pretty worn and a crap thread. So I bought a set of new, different tyres, with the end result that I now have a seven year old, "brand new" tyre hanging off the back that can only be used in case of emergency to be replaced asap if it ever does get used.

Should I mention "spare wheel never used" if and when I sell it?

the rason you should be wary of this is in fact that the tyre will degrade over time and the pressure of course so if your stuck in the backarse or nowhere at 2 am and its teeming down rain you want your spare tyre to be reliable so make sure you change it or check on it every 3 months

AMurphy

I have not seen any degradation in mine, they hold pressure, I have inspected them for cracking and bulging, I do pressure check them on occasion. I have orientated them in the wheel well, so valve is very easy to access without much effort.

I don't think it is true to say a "never used" spare is a liability.
However a well used tyre, subsequently resigned to the spare may be.