MOT passed but severly pi***d.

[Turbo Lag FTW]

So here goes, I dropped the car off after giving her the once over and I thought she`d do very well, the one thing I didnt expect was the tyre on the drivers side to be at fault. Its a brand new tyre replaced after the damage received in January to the car. And guess what, its a directional tread thats the going the wrong way, the garage then check the spare and thats also directional and will not go on the drivers side. So they call me and tell me I need a new tyre and he will pass the car once I prove its got a directional tyre going the right way.

So I get myself down the garage, go to my local tyre centre and splash out another £75 for a Toyo to replace a perfectly sound tyre that was already on the car. Took the car back, got the MOT certificate, got the VAT knocked off due to loyalty to the garage Cushty!

So anyway due to the tyre I replaced being put on after the damage to my car and the fact that I paid an excess of £350 quid for the repairs and a loss of no claims bonus I was rather ****** off to say the least.
So I called my insurance company to complain about the garage that done the repairs, I explained to them that they replaced my driver side tyre with a directional tyre that was going the wrong way and that it would never pass an MOT with the way it was. My insurance company then asked what I expected them to do. I of course asked for them to reinburse me with the money I splashed out for a new tyre, they now have told me that they will contact the garage in question and will ask for reimbursement and that they cannot guarantee it being refunded which I think is total ****** to say the least. I have 2 young children, who are reguraly in the car with me and what would of happened if I lost the front end? So anyway to cut it short coz this rant is gettin rather long, I told the insurance company I wanted the money refunded or when it comes down to the renewal I wont be with them no more. Enuff said I think.

On a pleasing note, the garage commended my car for being so clean around the arches and engine bay

 

[Z82]

Thats a bit of a pisser, I'd be shouting at the place that put the tyre on as the insurance company will most likely do nothing.

 

[Blue_Thunder]

Why couldn't you just get the tyre removed from the wheel and refitted the other way round?

 

[Broken Byzan]

Why couldn't you just get the tyre removed from the wheel and refitted the other way round?

I wondered that??

 

[aragorn]

as did i...

ususally running them backwards just affects the water dissapation and wet weather handling as the tread wont usually push the water away from the road. Turning them round would fix that.

If the tyre has abnormal wear i'd suggest thats nothing to do with it being on backwards and more to do with something on the suspension being misaligned or bent.

 

[olds_kool]

ive never heard of any directional tyres that cant just be removed from rim and fitted the other way round? what tyres have you got?

 

[The Slug]

sorry to hear that dude, im suprised you didnt notice the tyre was wrong since the work was done in january...

 

[AndyMac]

Yes, for £5 you could have just got the tyre flipped over. There's no damage to running them the wrong way just a performance compromise in the wet. Having said that, the big arrow on the sidewall should have been a bit of a clue or haven't you cleaned your wheels since January?

 

[macca]

probably not the case but some tyres are also sided. very rare but i have some yokohomas that are sided.

 

[aragorn]

sided is the same as directional surely?

 

[mwarrey]

Nearly every time I have had directional tyres fitted I have had to remind\check with the fitter that they were on the correct way round. There is normally an arrow showing direction of rotation but they always seem to want to fit at least one tyre on the wrong way round.

I always keep a close eye on the fitters otherwise they will:-

1. Drop the rims on the floor.
2. Not use the plastic protector on the tyre levers.
3. Use hammer on weights instead of stick on.
4. Fit the wrong tyre or wrong way round.
5. Find some new way of damaging or marking your alloys.

 

[olds_kool]

and not wanting to balance rear wheels, thats another one

 

[brendan]

sided is the same as directional surely?

not necessarily. some yokohamas have (or used to have) an assymetric pattern, so that the half of the tyre nearest the outside of the car was almost slick, with holes rather than tread itself.

that was a few years ago, today they have something like this:

this one doesn't look to be "directional" as far as the tread pattern goes, but it's certainly sided.

 

[AndyMac]

I used to have all the above issues with the monkeys that tend to work in franchised tyre places. Luckily I now use a local independent tucked away on an industrial estate, who is not only the cheapest, but also has experienced fitters who actually give a toss about the quality of their work. Anyone going to Kwik Fit or similar really needs their head testing.

 

[S3Steve]

not necessarily. some yokohamas have (or used to have) an assymetric pattern, so that the half of the tyre nearest the outside of the car was almost slick, with holes rather than tread itself.

that was a few years ago, today they have something like this:

this one doesn't look to be "directional" as far as the tread pattern goes, but it's certainly sided.

They too can be fitted on either side of the car by simply flipping the tyre over. Asymetric tyres like the Yoko Parada have an outer side which is stamped on the tyre, in much the same way as directional tyres have an arrow to show direction of rotation.

 

[Turbo Lag FTW]

The tyre had outside written on it as does the replacement tyre. I know Pirelli have tyre brands that have a outside sidewall too. Also read somewhere that if the tyre is fitted wrong to the instructions given then your insurance can refuse to payout in the event of an accident being caused by it. Its a bit like the MOT system, you may have a certificate to say your car is sound but it does not guarantee it is.

And yes I discovered it a bit way too late but Ive had a lot on my plate with moving and with work commitments I havent had the time to clean the car to my liking until now, my work is busy during the cooler months compared to now. The one crap thing about working in the food industry.

Also forgot to add that I received a nice cheque and an apology from the repair centre.

 

[AndyMac]

"if the tyre is fitted wrong to the instructions given then your insurance can refuse to payout in the event of an accident"
How would they ever know?
But glad you got it sorted in the end.

 

[aragorn]

if the tyre was fitted wrong when you had an accident then they might try to pass the buck and use that to get out of it.

if you'd swapped the tyre round the correct way they'd never have known

i see what you mean by the sided/directional differences, however the result is the same, they can only be fitted to one side of the car once the tyre is mounted on the wheel. remounting the tyre the other way round would enable both sided and directional tyres to work on the other side of the car.

 

[jcb]

if it is truly sided AND directional then flipping it over will mean it is running in the worng direction.
think about it, spin paper wheel away from on the end of a pencil, flip it over and it is spinning towards you.
anyway off topic, sorry.

either:
a) screw the tyre company for fitting tyres incorrectly, threaten to park outside one saturday afternoon and tell every prospective customer what you think...usually does the trick!
b) screw the insurance company (more difficult)

 

[aragorn]

yer but i dont think there are sided and directional tyres in production?

sided or directional is fine, if its both then you'd need to specify which side you wanted it for when you baught it, and it'd be twice as much work for the tyre firm to have mirror images of each tyre in every size!