Something I did not know

EricW · Post by **EricW** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 8:34 am

Not strictly MX 5 but highly applicable.

I some how wrote off of one of the Bridgestone tyres on the BMW, I got a nail
through the sidewall, and it slowly went flat, (that's how I came to notice
it) so I fitted the spare, (the original Pirelli supplied with the car),
bought a new Bridgestone (ouch) to match the rest of the tyres on the car, but
left it in the boot until I had time to change it.

In the meantime, the car got taken in for a warrant, and failed because the
two rear tyres were of different makes.

Fortunately it was simply sorted by putting the new Bridgestone back on the
car, but if I had bought, for instance, a Dunlop, I would have been in the
nasty brown stuff.

Of course,the implication is that the car now becomes technically illegal
every time I need to fit the spare

Has anyone else experienced this requirement, or was I being had over?

Eric

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:28 am

This is correct. Tyres on the same axle must be the same make and type. I
assume those excellent safe spacesavers are exempt though! This has been the
case for some time now. There has been talk of making it mandatory that all
four tyres should be the same. Probably in the too hard bin as how do you
get on with different sizes front and rear?
At least they have relaxed the rules on reversing lights. I had to spend
$855.00!!! to get the selector switch in my Bighorn's auto gearbox replaced
because the reversing lights wouldn't work (Warranty people coughed up
fortunately). At the time if they were fitted, they had to work. Now the
rules are that they don't have to be working if fitted, but if one bulb
works and the other doesn't, then you will fail until either both work or
none. This is an obvious safety issue? Surely one is better than none.
Apparently to the LTSA, no.
Grant.

SLYDIT · Post by **SLYDIT** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 5:25 pm

Ah yes, youve just encountered the wonderful dislogic that is the LTSA.
I find it amazing that someone can go and buy 155 r13
retreads from India and put them on their (Add
applicable medium sized car) and everything is fine
and dandy. God help you if you try to actually turn a
corner or even stay on the road for that matter. Yet
two high quality tyres on a BMW will
fail.AAAARRRRGGGHH!!!
By the way. A friend found that the cheapest place to
buy his BMW tyres was actually from the BMW dealer! Go
Figure!! Worth asking them for a price before going to
the tyre place down the road.

Michael & Kate Cooper · Post by **Michael & Kate Cooper** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 6:46 pm

I used to get my WOF done at a testing station, and in four years, they
never tested the reversing lights. I would even offer to put it into
reverse so they could be checked, but was always told that it wasn't
necessary.

There is a tick-box on the WOF check sheet for "Other Lamps" so I assume
that they would fall into that category, but I can say for certain that mine
were not checked for any of the 8 warrants I got at the Chch testing
station. They still managed to fail me on lots of other things, but it all
seemed pretty fair.

On another matter, our MX5 had the visors removed soon after we purchased it
in 1998, as the drivers one sat a little low and partially obstructed
Michael's vision (he's tallish). We only failed the last 2 warrants - for
the previous 10 it had gone unnoticed! (Even though there's a special
tick-box for Visors) So we put them back in to get the warrant, and then
removed them again.

Kate Cooper

EricW · Post by **EricW** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 9:41 pm

Believe it or not, you are right, the tyre was cheaper from Team McMillan
BMW than anyone else I tried. (Still cost me $324+GST) The downside however
was that they did not specify that this was not the fitted price, so hooked
me another 70 bucks to fit and balance it! Mind you they valeted the car
"free" while they had it, so overall it was not so bad. I will be more
careful about building sites in future!

I just discovered that the new company who have moved in across the road
from my office in Penrose are the Kuhmo and Pirelli importers, I feel a
welcoming Barbeque coming on!

Eric

EricW · Post by **EricW** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:43 pm

It is, and you have done it for them now.

By the way, our MX5 runs on Kuhmo tyres, I have no idea how they would stack
up as a "performance" tyre, but they have been excellent for the general
running around that we give our car. They are quiet, have a reasonable ride,
last well and seem to stick like glue for as hard as I want to push the car
at my age. I we can buy them through the club at the right price, my
judgement would be that you could do worse.

Regards

Eric

jeff · Post by **jeff** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 9:35 pm

umm, OK thanks. (actually you did

Which tyre model do you have?

I'm hankering after the Kumho MX myself ...

--- Eric & Ann West <ericwest@internet.co.nz> wrote:

[...]

EricW · Post by **EricW** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:52 am

Sorry Jeff,

Had a blonde moment and forgot you replied personally,

Mine are Kuhmo "Powermax 769" As I said, they seem to be an excellent tyre.

Eric

Carl Shepherdson · Post by **Carl Shepherdson** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 5:45 pm

Eric

Dumb questions but how do we get them through the club ?

Carl

Eric & Ann West wrote:

[...]

EricW · Post by **EricW** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:41 pm

The importer is C.C. McPhail Ltd in Industry Rd Penrose, so I guess you
would ring them up and see what kind of deal can be done, but hang around
for a couple of days and I will wander across the road and have a chat with
them. They are literally straight across the road from my office.

You had better let me know what you are after and I willl get a price.

Regards

Eric

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