On the M6 tonight East Bound near J1 when they shut the motorway today due to the weather conditions! If thats not bad enough sitting there for an hour without moving the guy in the Golf GTi next to me shouts across to tell me the front tyres low..."Yes low profile tyres its Ok" says I but checked anyway only to find a flat. Eventually get to the hard shoulder across 3 lanes of unhelpful drivers and get the kit out to change my nice 20 spoke front wheel and then struggle for 10 minutes unsuccessfully with the crappy clip to prise off the caps without scratching the wheels. A very nice man form the AA kindly pulls over to help and pulls the caps off with a pair of long nose pliers..apparently its not the first time....so anybody have a tip on best removal tool, or replacement caps? By the way the AA guy refused payment...probably because all I had was Euros..great bloke, sent an email to the AA with his number. then travel the next 100 miles at max 50mph on the skinny!
AA to the rescue - So how do you remove wheel nut covers?
- Thread starter BrianM
- Start date
Actually this post got me thinking so I've just gone and checked...
I don't appear to have the clip in the new car! The locking wheelnut key is there but I'm damned if I can see the clip. Can I ask where others have found it in theirs? There's a space next to the wheelbrace that looks very much like that's where it's supposed to go.
I don't appear to have the clip in the new car! The locking wheelnut key is there but I'm damned if I can see the clip. Can I ask where others have found it in theirs? There's a space next to the wheelbrace that looks very much like that's where it's supposed to go.
Prongs?? Mine is just a curved clip which only allows you to hook under one side at a time...could be the clue I think? Certainly nothing else in the tool kit. Thanks for the tip.
You mean the silver coloured wire think with a loop and a sticky out bit? That's the tool!?
My last car had a really useful "U" shaped piece of plastic which clipped under each side of the cap and pulled straight off. I'm going to ask the dealer if they've got one knocking about anywhere I can nick as that silver thing is a joke!
My last car had a really useful "U" shaped piece of plastic which clipped under each side of the cap and pulled straight off. I'm going to ask the dealer if they've got one knocking about anywhere I can nick as that silver thing is a joke!
Well as yours isn't much older than mine I think they're all supposed to come with this and they've just left it out of mine. Popping to the dealer today to have words about TMC so I'll bring it up and ask for one.dandle said:
BrianM said:
Is the the wire thingy which is like a loop with a hook on the end?
If so I thought that was for removing the towing eye cover in the bumper...
Me too, and it's definitely part of the spare wheel kit. I've used it a couple of times without any problems; once to rotate my wheels and also when my 17s were fitted. You just carefully push the open end over the cover until you hear a small click, then pull it out. Refitting is simply a case of pushing them back on.dandle said:
alanjonesbath
VAGOwners.co.uk
Isn't the wheel nut cover removal tool the bit on the end of the screw driver? I'm sure I read that your just meant to push the end of the screw driver handle down onto the caps, and then pull to remove them? I could be wrong and don't have the car here to test at the moment, but I'm sure I spotted that when I was flicking through the manual.
Thanks guys, took another look in the wheel kit and no plastic "u" shaped tool but there is a an empty space so guess its missing. Also looked at the offending alloy and it has some nice scratches around the wheel nut area where I tried in the dark to remove the covers with screwdriver and clip.
The socket on the end of the screwdriver is apparently to enable you to spin off the wheel nuts after they have been loosened and the funny shaped clip is to remove the centre cap on some alloys that covers the nuts. Solved but still no clip.
The socket on the end of the screwdriver is apparently to enable you to spin off the wheel nuts after they have been loosened and the funny shaped clip is to remove the centre cap on some alloys that covers the nuts. Solved but still no clip.
Mine doesn't look like that. The arrangement is different - the silver wheelbrace is nearer the edge and the locking wheelnut key is on the inside of the "bend" in the wheelbrace, i.e. in the position your "U" clip is.
I have a space which looks suspiciously like it's where the "U" clip goes but there's nothing there - going to have words with the dealer as this omission is rather important - for the sake of a 2p piece of plastic I'd be totally unable to change a wheel if I needed to!
I have a space which looks suspiciously like it's where the "U" clip goes but there's nothing there - going to have words with the dealer as this omission is rather important - for the sake of a 2p piece of plastic I'd be totally unable to change a wheel if I needed to!
Spoke with Audi Huntingdon who suggested it may have been lost when tyres were changed...until I mentioned they changed them. Still they have put one aside. Alternatively old pair of long nose pliers.
