Anybody had a puncture recently?

[blackburn_stevie]

What a blooming nightmare.

The Dragon Lady and I had to pay a visit to the hospital yesterday (that bit becomes important later in the tale) so we set off with me driving her Mobility car, a Citroen C3 Picasso. We parked up in the hospital car park and got back to the car about 2 hours later to find that the front/nearside tyre was flat. It's not just your standard slow puncture, there's a hole in the side of the tyre that you can stick three fingers into.

So I got her sat in the car while I had a look round for "stuff". I found the special nut that fits on the locking nut jobbie but there was no sign of a spare wheel of any kind, nor was there any kind of spanner for getting the wheel off or even a jack to lift the car. We were well and trully snookered.

OK, no need to panic. I ordered us a taxi to get us home for a brew and a think and, while waiting for the taxi, I had had a good look round inside the car for details of which Breakdown Service we were with but, as with everything else, no info found. So the first thing I did when we got home was get on the phone to the local Citroen dealer who leased us the car and he explained that, as far as tyres went, Kwik-Fit had the contract as far as Mobility vehicles went. He gave me the number and I phoned them. After a lot of, "Press 1 for this, 2 for that, etc" I got through to a real person who asked for the vehicle reg number and the 11 digit code from the edge of the tyre. I explained that the car was 3 miles away in a hospital car park and we couldn't just open the front door and have a butcher's. He wasn't interested. "I can't do anything without those numbers." he said. "I'll keep these details on record for the next 24 hours in case you can get the details for me." ..... and put the phone down. So I got a taxi out to the hospital and the driver was very good. It's pitch black by now and pouring with rain but he parked up so that he could shine his lights on the tyre and I copied the number down.

Back home we trundled.

Back on the phone to Kwik-Fit.

They will try to get to the car either today or tomorrow, giving us a call half an hour before they expect to be at the car park so we can be there with keys etc.

OK, here's a question. What would have happened if one of the tyres had died in the wilds of Scotland or Wales? What if it was 20 miles from the nearest cottage and there was no phone signal? It doesn't bare thinking about.

[xtf70]

One of the hazards of being in the wilds I'm afraid.

Like hill walking, the short answer is to let someone know where you're going and when you expect to return so they can raise an alarm if you're not back

I once saw an AA box on a lonely road in Sutherland with a sign hanging on the door which read "Box out of order. Next box 22 miles".

[**bustysinclaire**]

Hi Stevie,

I am so sorry you have had trouble with a flat.

We like you have a flat before out in th wild so know how inconveniet it is.

If you and your wife are on the motability scheme like we are then it should have caused you very little trouble. You must call the RAC and you get rescued no trouble to yourself at all. They will change you wheel with the spare and send you on your way for you to get to Kwikfit asap.

As for the spare wheel, and correct tools, we had a C3 picasso for 3 years from new in 2010. our spare and tools were under the base of the boot. inside. You have in the C3 a artifial bottom that you can remove that increases the size of the boot and then another bottom that when lifted reveals your spare and tools. These came standard with our C3 picasso. and as far as I know still do. Although we went for a C4 picasso last year as it is slightly bigger. You then get, 4 new tyres through out the 3 years you have the car.

You should not have had the trouble you did, considering the your disabilities, If I were you I would get on to motability if you are one of their customes and explain what happened. Somewhere along the way things went wrong for you and motability do pay people to give you a good service so they have perhaps paid for something you didn't get that you were entitled to.

Hope that helps.

Aka Golden*nugget.

[blackburn_stevie]

G.N. wrote ..... "You must call the RAC and you get rescued no trouble to yourself at all."

That's how it should work but just not the way that it did.

[blackburn_stevie]

Good news ...... A guy came out to the car, changed the tyre and we all went on our merry way.

[mustard-tree]

Steve, is it worth having a mobility car.

I am on high rate mobility so am entitled to it, but as far as I can see, the sums dont add up.

OK, I get a brand new car, but I lose the mobility component of my DLA which is about £55 a week.

I believe that it includes comprehensive insurance and breakdown cover

If I bought an older car for around £1000, insurance in my case would be around £40 a month and breakdown cover £20 a month

Over the 3 years I would lose £8580 DLA with mobility car

With own car, over 3 years would cost me £4600

I would still have to buy fuel either way, and I am entitled to free road fund licence, so neither of those comes into the equation.

Have I missed something, are there any other benefits of having a mobility car?

[blackburn_stevie]

Did you miss anything?

Just the fact that at the end of the 3 year lease, the car that you bought is still yours but the one that you leased from DLA goes back to them and you are left with nothing.

Try explaining that to 'er indoors and you might just as well bang your head against a wall. I gave up with it ages ago.

[al**bear]

When you get a new car - DEMAND a spare tyre & tools ( after you've settled on a price.)

Tell them to keep the car , and threaten to go to another Dealer, if they won't give you one

It is an essential part of a Car, that essential, it's now in the driving  test

That is the advice of Car Journalists and Which, to combat car makers cost cutting practice of not supplying one

[dark_castle1]

Another thing they have in some cars Stevie is the can of you put on the valve to repair a normal puncture from the inside and a small compressor to blow the tyre up again.

Only problem with that is in my opinion the tyre is ruined and cannot be repaired properly so it costs you a new tyre.

[**forum-decorum**]

It is not mandatory though, many cars are not being supplied with a spare, only a can of puncture repair.

Some cars now are not even designed with the facility to carry a spare.........    Or so I believe.

[tommy.irene]

carry a good car jack..