[Thad E Ginathom]

It surprises me that people expect tires without punctures, or replacement of those that have them.

Drive over a nail, screw, etc: puncture. It's life, not tire quality.

[sandeepmdas]

Dears, I have this 2018 EcoSport with 16" tyres, Goodyear Assurance OE. The right rear tyre has developed three punctures in one go. The FNG tyre shop has tended them all; but advised me to put the spare one in duty and retain the punctured one in its place as spare. The EcoSport spare tyre is full-sized, as you know. I told them this can be done after the year 4 service, which is due by 19 OCT.

The problem is, the spare tyre is an untouched one; it has never been used since 2018 for not even a single kilometer. I am worried about the condition of its compound after all these years of unuse. What should I do, follow the tyrewallah's approach and put it in use? or continue to use the current one as it is? I am not very keen in buying a new single GY Assurance tyre as AFAIK these are just average tyres in every department.

[RubberGuru1113]

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

The problem is, the spare tyre is an untouched one; it has never been used since 2018 for not even a single kilometer. I am worried about the condition of its compound after all these years of unuse. What should I do, follow the tyrewallah's approach and put it in use? or continue to use the current one as it is?

4 year old tyres are still ok. Check the tyres thoroughly for any weathering cracks on the tread and sidewall portion. Refer the below post and images to identify weathering cracks. If there are none, you’re good to go. Most likely if you have used the plastic cover provided for the spare and the tyre is not open to the elements, there won’t be any.

Originally Posted by RubberGuru1113

Check for weathering cracks on the sidewall and tread portion.
Attaching a reference image so you get an idea -

Weathering crack -
Attachment 2358622

[Dracoon]

Originally Posted by RubberGuru1113

Did you have a chance to check the number of sidewall plies on your tyres? That would explain a lot if you could check and post it here.

I checked, its single sidewall plies, so that explains a bit. Attaching picture, hope I am reading it right

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

It surprises me that people expect tires without punctures, or replacement of those that have them.

Drive over a nail, screw, etc: puncture. It's life, not tire quality.

I would agree, but to get a sidewall puncture in 1st month of ownership, driven less than 300km (<1% of tyres life) and being asked to pay 10k for the new tyre. That does make you think if going for tyres with unconditional warranty is a better choice.

On the tyre sealant or puncture guard tyres, the thought came because more cars are now coming with space saver tyres (which in my opinion is not very safe to drive) or worst no spare tyre at all. Considering our road conditions this trend is worrying. So, why not go for more resilient tyres so that chances of getting stuck with puncture is minimized. That way we can enjoy bit more time of our life

[RubberGuru1113]

Originally Posted by Dracoon

I checked, it’s single sidewall plies, so that explains a bit. Attaching picture, hope I am reading it right

Hi yes you’re right, it’s a single ply tyre and it’s a big no-no for this profile (205/55) which is having a sidewall height of just under 113 mm. Do take care of this when you replace your tyres, in any case, most tyres of this size sold in the market (other than imports) will be of a dual ply construction, but do check once before you buy

[sandeepmdas]

Originally Posted by RubberGuru1113

If there are none, you’re good to go. Most likely if you have used the plastic cover provided for the spare and the tyre is not open to the elements, there won’t be any.

I checked, the tyre is in mint condition. Yes, I have a spare wheel cover.

Thanks!

[ishan12]

I don't understand, why such anxiety when your car comes with a spare tyre?
Punctures can always happen, so can accidents, heart attacks, and earthquakes. That's just life, isn't it?

I would advise against adding tyre sealant, your tyre will never get balanced with sealant in it.
From what I know, the space saver tyres are good for driving upto 80kph. That should be good enough to reach the next puncture/ tyre shop. I can still suggest following options.

- Do not run on soft compound or slim profile tyres, they are more prone to sidewall damage
- Keep a tyre inflator and learn to fix a puncture (quite easy for tubeless tyres)
- If you really want to avoid using the space saver, buy a cheap steel rim/ alloy that can fit your car and a full size tyre. Boot floor may b raised after keeping the full size wheel, but you need to prioritize what would cause you greater anxiety, using a space saver or a ugly boot floor.
- Side wall cuts/ damages are quite rare if you are careful over bad roads. I haven't had one in 1.5 Lakh kms of driving.
- Keep an idol or any other object of your faith on dashboard and pray for good luck every time you start your car

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by ishan12

I don't understand, why such anxiety when your car comes with a spare tyre?
Punctures can always happen, so can accidents, heart attacks, and earthquakes. That's just life, isn't it? ...

Furthermore, although people like to talk about dramatic tyre blowouts, the most that has ever happened to me when having a puncture is someone getting my attention and telling me one tyre is flat. That's maybe two to three times in a lifetime, plus one or two or seeing the flat before driving.

I'm not saying dramatic blow-outs don't happen, but, like brake failure, they are often a fictional excuse for human-error control loss. Most punctures involve no drama whatsoever, and it is sadly possible to drive on a flat tyre long enough to ruin it, without realising: I did that just once.

[Roadside-Friend]

Interesting post and thread while was surfing about punctures and tyres side wall issues. I recently came across a product from New Zealand called MaxTT. They claim to be a preventive solution to all puncture related issues and have been in the business for more than 2 decades! For the love of me, someone cannot survive that long, if they are not good enough, I am thinking logically! But like the gentleman from the tyre industry mentioned they haven't been proved well. So I am wondering what these all about and why the newer models of EVs are coming without a spare tyre but with these sealants and inflators. So is it a con by the manufacturers or is there any truth in the sealants actual abilities, time to explore and find out?