Be careful buying a new Japanese car

[benjaminbutton]

About three months ago we bought the above and day before yesterday we had a puncture at home and were stuck. To our horror we discovered not only was there no spare, not even one of the emergency short term type, but there was no jack. I realise that in our ignorance we did not check the boot properly at the car showroom and should have done, so all we saw was a virtually a brand spanking new boot.

I'm now informed that many or even most Japanese cars do not come with a spare tyre but at least I feel you should be supplied with a jack etc. What there is is a box with a series of what appear to be small compressed air bottles, a plastic tube and three other tubes of something or another with warning signs on them. All in Japanese.

Then we were put in contact with Huseyin Kayiskanat, He is Kayiskanat Lastic Servisi. It is a mobile 7/24 emergency tyre service in a smart, well presented Ford transit and clean containing all that he needed. Including compressor to crank the car up. He discovered the offending tiny "pin", said we didn't need to replace the Dunlop tyre if we didn't want to and continued to treat the inside of the tyre with what looked like liquid rubber. Huseyin was efficient and very helpful and would recommend to anyone in need of emergency as not only does he do emergency treatment on tyres he does emergency work on batteries. His call out fee was 100tl

For those who are not supplied with a English version of your car Manual, we managed to obtain one from Hungary!!

[compass]

Looks like you have found the "modern alternative" to a good old fashioned spare wheel.

Tubes of liquid tyre sealant and compressed air bottles to reinflate the tyre after the GUNK has done it's job.

Compass

[Bert]

Many cars don't have spares

[Brend]

It is not just Japanese cars. Having bought a new BMW Mini in when they first came out in 2001 we were flabbergasted that you then had to buy a spare tyre if you wanted one!

[benjaminbutton]

I appreciate all you say, and its probably our fault for being both old and naïve but how on earth you can be expected to set up a "science lab" in the pouring rain on the side of the road I have no idea and what happens when you have used the one off tubes and bottles. Don't expect to obtain a new pack in the TRNC because you won't get one. Buyer beware, be more inquisitive than we were and it would have been nice to at least found a jack and attachments. ps at least we we found a triangle in a box.

[tutor4u]

Contact details please, e.g. Phone no: Huseyin Kayiskanat, He is Kayiskanat Lastic Servisi.

[Dave G]

I bought a new Mercedes 6 years ago and it had no spare tire, I have had numerous slow punctures over the years so I bought a very small generator from Mr Pound which plugs into the cigarette lighter socket, once re inflated I have gone to pit stop and had the tire fixed, it has saved me many times

[benjaminbutton]

The manual actually says there should be a jack, wheel brace and spare wheel so somewhere between Japan, Instanbul and TRNC, these seem to have vanished. Manual actually says these should remain within the car whenever a dealer or private owners sells it on. Oh hum, fat chance!!

tutor4U, sorry I missed the important bit out:- 0533 824 7975

[Chriswright03]

We have a UK registered Honda and it has neither a jack or wheel brace. I am used to cars not having a spare wheel but they always had a jack before. Main reason for excluding the spare wheel and tools is weight saving as it helps with the emissions. Mind you how many people these days even know how to change a wheel let alone do it safely?

[Kanonier]

We have a UK registered Honda and it has neither a jack or wheel brace. I am used to cars not having a spare wheel but they always had a jack before. Main reason for excluding the spare wheel and tools is weight saving as it helps with the emissions. Mind you how many people these days even know how to change a wheel let alone do it safely?

Me!

[a1sysman]

It is not just Japanese cars. Having bought a new BMW Mini in when they first came out in 2001 we were flabbergasted that you then had to buy a spare tyre if you wanted one!

Are not BMW Minis sold with run flat tyres as standard? Ours was.

[Chriswright03]

We have a UK registered Honda and it has neither a jack or wheel brace. I am used to cars not having a spare wheel but they always had a jack before. Main reason for excluding the spare wheel and tools is weight saving as it helps with the emissions. Mind you how many people these days even know how to change a wheel let alone do it safely?

Me!

Me too but sadly not many will be these days. Add that to the fact that alloy wheels need to have the wheel nuts tightened to set tolerances for safety. Don't even get me started about people jacking the car up in the wrong place causing damage to the bodywork. Mind you I don't think I would want to be at the side of many roads here changing a wheel!

[Chriswright03]

It is not just Japanese cars. Having bought a new BMW Mini in when they first came out in 2001 we were flabbergasted that you then had to buy a spare tyre if you wanted one!

Are not BMW Minis sold with run flat tyres as standard? Ours was.

Yes. They won't run flat either if you hit the side wall of the tyre. Found that out one morning when my wife did just that on a Sunday and no garages open where we were. So a 20 k plus car stranded over the weekend..

[MikeK]

We bought a brand new "space saver" spare wheel from Pit stop in Catalkoy for peace of mind. Our car came with the "puncture repair kit" and carry that in the car as well.

[Chriswright03]

Not a bad idea and in our last car we could have done so as there was stil a space for one in the boot. With this one however there is no space in the boot for a spare as it is taken up with a cubby hole under the floor which is quite big but just not big enough.

[benjaminbutton]

We can't rewrite history so what is done is done, but I've measured the size and depth of space in boot of the cut out shape for a tyre and there is more than enough room for both a correct size and width of a tyre, let alone a "space saver". Another reason I guess for a rich enlightened business person to run the equivalent of RAC or AA. Can't see it happening though can you.

[Brend]

a1syaman
They were run flat tyres. Luckily we never had to test them.

[Brazen]

We can't rewrite history so what is done is done, but I've measured the size and depth of space in boot of the cut out shape for a tyre and there is more than enough room for both a correct size and width of a tyre, let alone a "space saver". Another reason I guess for a rich enlightened business person to run the equivalent of RAC or AA. Can't see it happening though can you.

I believe that Hondas can be supplied with a spare as an extra, so there is a space for them already in their cars.

[Brazen]

We bought a brand new "space saver" spare wheel from Pit stop in Catalkoy for peace of mind. Our car came with the "puncture repair kit" and carry that in the car as well.

I’m interested in getting one if the price is right. Could you let us know approximate cost please?

[Chriswright03]

We can't rewrite history so what is done is done, but I've measured the size and depth of space in boot of the cut out shape for a tyre and there is more than enough room for both a correct size and width of a tyre, let alone a "space saver". Another reason I guess for a rich enlightened business person to run the equivalent of RAC or AA. Can't see it happening though can you.

I believe that Hondas can be supplied with a spare as an extra, so there is a space for them already in their cars.

Ours is a Honda Civic and there is not enough room to fit even a space saver in the storage compartment.

[MikeK]

We bought a brand new "space saver" spare wheel from Pit stop in Catalkoy for peace of mind. Our car came with the "puncture repair kit" and carry that in the car as well.

I’m interested in getting one if the price is right. Could you let us know approximate cost please?

Sorry Brazen, can't remember exactly, as we had 4 new tyres at the same time. £40.00 ish sticks in my mind. They had to pick it up from Lefkosa.

[benjaminbutton]

Depends entirely on the make of tyre. Two years ago we paid 40gbp for the Kia, but if you buy Dunlop as instructed by the Suzuki people it could be 200gbp and above. We won't be doing that, that's for sure.

I'd also be interested as to how many people buying Japanese and other foreign cars here in the TRNC, are actually handed a manual with the car. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, we managed to track down a translated copy in Hungary. Suzuki main HO in UK didn't have any!!

[Chriswright03]

As I said before our car is a Honda but imported from the UK so we have a manual. It is about 4" thick and weighs a ton and to wade through it to look for something is nearly impossible because it is so wordy. Except when you look for tyre pressures and it simply says ."Check label inside driver's door". OK so checked that and it simply gives 36psi front and rear with 4 occupants and all their luggage. Nothing if there are only 2 of you most of the time without any luggage. Mind you they are maybe taking into account the weight of the owner's manual! Needless to say ours isn't running 36psi all round.

I have also had a better look at the under boot compartment and now see it is wheel shaped at the front so I presume it would fit a spacesaver so may well invest in one but of course I would also need a jack and wheelbrace.

[benjaminbutton]

Glad to say the Suzuki manual is only about 2ins thick and 4 languages. Problem is, you start looking at the intricate drawings and then realise its either for LHD or a completely different model . And as for making sense of the media panel and all that entails, I give up. We still have an announcement from a very polite lady informing us that the sun is about the set, and we need to switch our lights on. We have the message 6.5 hours prior to sunset somewhere in Japan.

[alphamike]

I had the lady rabbiting on with same kind of thing, and warning of railway crossings ahead on mine. Couldn't get her turned off at all, so got the car sales place to turn her off. Now she just gives out some garb on start up and that's it.

[Chriswright03]

I tried Google translate to decipher what she said on start up in my neighbour's car and still couldn't make it out. I never have the radio turned on here at all. To be fair the music and chat in the UK used to do my head in but here most of our journeys are so short there really is no point in having it on. On a long journey we can use the usb stick for our own music but seldom do as we are used now to the peace and quiet.

[meldy]

On my return to UK I bought a Vauxhall Astra and it has no spare tyre or jack, just 'stuff' to put in the damaged tyre. There is also not a users manual, I had to download it onto my laptop. Tough if I want to look at it while in the car to see how to use some of the multitude of techy things! Give me printed manuals any day.

[benjaminbutton]

meldy, that's precisely why we were determined to track down a Manual that had an English section. As I said, we obtained one ordered in UK, via Hungary, via Germany and on to UK, finally being brought back here to TRNC to be introduced to the Susuki Belano.