Fun and Games

[Micholas]

Just fitted a set of winter tyres. Absolutely ate the ice and snow we’ve had so highly recommend as they work well on LS430’s. 
 

 

I’ve also booked in with Lexus Tunbridge Wells for a major service on Weds. They're still doing it for £400 which is great as it seems a lot of other dealers are now charging the full £700 odd quid! They’re even doing a collection and delivery for £9. 
 

In other news.. my smart lock gremlins have returned and the car no longer locks.. and the heater blows cold air 95% of the time. 
 

Isn’t it great having an LS430 😃

 

 

[Las Palmas]

Good with the tyres.

Not so good with cold air where you live. Here A/C is keeping temperature down to 22 Celsius.

Hope you have your car in garage when it will not lock.

A/C must have a good filter here as it is only needed to clean inside of front screen once or twice yearly. All other cars we have had needed that at least once monthly, to have a clean look out.

Yeah, a CT is fine.

[BigBoomer]

In my opinion we don't get enough snow to warrant the use of Winter or even "All Season" tyres here in the South East.
Most of the tyres sold here are Summer or "Standard" tyres and they are adequate on snow if you are smooth and cautious.
Even in the recent snow I only ended up driving on the snow for about 2 hours (M11 > M25 > A127) and at no point did I feel out of control despite a few minor twitches.
The following day all the roads around here (except for the estate side roads) were clear and gritted.

If I lived where it snows regularly then I'd have Winter tyres ready on a spare set of cheap wheels.
When I was a kid in Sweden everybody had 2 sets of wheels/tyres with the winter set fitted with studded tyres, but then the winter snows are guaranteed every year where we were (Kiruna). Winter or Studded tyres are mandatory there from Dec-March at a minimum.
Many people even had winter cars, mostly old Volvo Amazons & PVs with raised suspension.
These days I imagine most up there have off-road capable SUVs.

[Rabbers]

Whether or not to buy winter (or perhaps all-seasons) tyres in areas with infrequent snow is largely a question of how much you are willing to pay for increased peace of mind. To have them is much the same as insuring against events that are not likely to happen but whose negative repercussions for you and your property might be serious.  Also, although good winter tyres aren’t cheap, the mileage you get from them directly translates into a longer life for your normal ones with an evident partial compensatory benefit.  

[BigBoomer]

Each to their own. 
I look at the cost of investing in a 2nd set of wheels and tyres, the hassle of changing all 4 twice per year, and the considerable space needed to store them vs the fact that I have driven in snow for a grand total of 2 hours since I bought my LS430 in Jan 2018,.... and I simply do not consider it worth it.
In 2018 we had the "Beast from the East" in Feb/March but I simply worked from home on the snow days.

If I lived in Scotland or anywhere that it snowed heavily enough to cover the roads for more than a couple of days every 5 years or so, then I would almost certainly feel different about it, but I would also probably have a 4x4 and carry snow-chains too.

[Malc1]

On 12/17/2022 at 8:55 PM, Micholas said:

and the heater blows cold air 95% of the time. 

have you simply got an air lock in the system that needs bleeding out ..... bleeding air lock

 

AND as for that snowmode stuff and wheels and tyres, well, my 56 plate Honda Legend 3.5 ltr is an automatic with simply

ALL WHEEL DRIVE              and is purported to be brill in the snow whenever we might get some, or indeed any more that I won't be staying indoors to try to simply AVOID 

I don't need an SUV but do acknowledge that my beloved Ls400 is simply pathetic and all over the place in ice and snow 

Malc

[Supafly]

I have gone through a few sets of all season tyres now.  Michelin and Goodyear across different vehicles.

I've yet to face any significant amount of snow in them.  However, the key is that they perform better in <5 degree Celsius temperatures.  I spent a lot of time researching and watching tests to conclude that it is a worthwhile investment.  You can get around safely in almost all the weather conditions we face in the UK on one set of tyres.

Are they as good as a dedicated summer performance tyre in summer? No, but close enough for the majority of drivers not pushing the envelope on public roads.

Are they as good as dedicated winter tyres in the depths of winter? No, but enough to get you around and not spinning everywhere.

[Micholas]

20 hours ago, Supafly said:

I have gone through a few sets of all season tyres now.  Michelin and Goodyear across different vehicles.

I've yet to face any significant amount of snow in them.  However, the key is that they perform better in <5 degree Celsius temperatures.  I spent a lot of time researching and watching tests to conclude that it is a worthwhile investment.  You can get around safely in almost all the weather conditions we face in the UK on one set of tyres.

Are they as good as a dedicated summer performance tyre in summer? No, but close enough for the majority of drivers not pushing the envelope on public roads.

Are they as good as dedicated winter tyres in the depths of winter? No, but enough to get you around and not spinning everywhere.

This is the key. It isn’t about snow it’s about temperature. Once you go below 7 degrees your summer tyres harden up and essentially lose a massive portion of their grip. Winter tyres are made from a different compound that stays soft in cold temperatures thus keeping good tread. 

The flip side is that once you’re in the realms of 12 degrees like today, they wear very fast. But with the changing environment and the more harsh winters we’re going to get, I think it’s going to become more and more necessary. 

 

 

[Supafly]

On 12/20/2022 at 12:46 PM, Micholas said:

The flip side is that once you’re in the realms of 12 degrees like today, they wear very fast. 

I found that the Michelin Crossclimates I had (first version) did chunk a little during summer but lasted me a long while.  Just had a set of the new michelin cross climates fitted to our other car so looking forward to seeing how they do.  However we barely do 4000 miles a year on that so expecting them to last several years.

The goodyear vector four seasons have gone through this summers heat and so far are doing brilliantly with minimal wear too.

[Micholas]

So since this post, a month? I’ve had nothing but trouble with these tyres!

I had a long screw/nail stuck in one of these winter tyres.. which left me on the side of the road with a flat NSR. I got it repaired but the hassle and aggro was immense.   

Then late this afternoon I drove over one of the many potholes on our roads at the moment (I use the word pothole loosely, this was more like a cave) and it completely blew out my NSF tyre!! Felt like my whole suspension had blown. I had to continue driving for a little while as there was no where to stop and it’s pretty much destroyed the alloy in the process. 
 

Now I know this is no fault of the tyres but they have literally jinxed me! I’ve had the occasional flat over the course of my life but nothing like this in the space of a month.. and at £170 a tyre you can imagine how annoying this is. I’m now driving on one summer wheel and 3 winters until I can get someone to supply and fit a replacement! 
 

Never again! 

[LenT]

On 1/21/2023 at 11:04 PM, Micholas said:

Then late this afternoon I drove over one of the many potholes on our roads at the moment (I use the word pothole loosely, this was more like a cave) and it completely blew out my NSF tyre!! Felt like my whole suspension had blown. I had to continue driving for a little while as there was no where to stop and it’s pretty much destroyed the alloy in the process. 

You should check with the local authority to discover if that pothole has been reported.  If so, then the fact that it is still unrepaired could mean that they become liable for the damage that pothole has caused.

The guy who did the detailing on my car had two wheels on his Porsche badly damaged by hitting two unreported potholes on separate occasions- and the LA had to reimburse the cost of the damage.

[steve2006]

I would be driving like “Miss Daisy” with mixed types of tyres on.

Only had to fit my “Space Saver” once, about 1/3 the width and a weird tread pattern. This combined with “ how tight are the wheel nuts” put me into Daisy driver mode for the 2 mile drive to the tyre depot.

Many years ago I had a Rover 216 GTI and I was unaware that the LA had installed road humps on a nearby street I occasionally used. The road is straight and I hit the first one around 30 resulting in the front spoiler being ripped off the car.

I successfully claimed for the damage off the LA as they had not marked the humps or put up warning signs, the fact that the humps matched the original road colour didn’t help spotting them either.

The next day lines were on and the signs up!

[Malc1]

Tyres not being effective treadwise at low low temps ......  this hadn't really hit my memory bank until last night driving back from Newmarket to Kent with some outside temps at MINUS 6 c and the loonies driving like they were on a race track, weaving in and out of slower and sensibly moving traffic being aware of the likely pitfalls of irreverent driving on the M11 and M25 in likely " hazardous " conditions 

Thankfully almost 100% of the drivers were being sensible and there were zero plie-ups BUT there were some breakdowns littering the roads ......  my usual 2hr journey I did n 2.5 hrs and all ok too .........  brilliant comfortable and thankfully safe Ls400 limo style and knowing that ice and snow would have sent me to eternity as I just know this beautiful car is just totally PATHETIC in such challenging conditions 

NOW for my morning swim .  no NOT breaking the ice but the ( hopefully ) well heated local indoor pool 😆

Malc

[Micholas]

On 1/22/2023 at 11:28 PM, LenT said:

You should check with the local authority to discover if that pothole has been reported.  If so, then the fact that it is still unrepaired could mean that they become liable for the damage that pothole has caused.

The guy who did the Detailing on my car had two wheels on his Porsche badly damaged by hitting two unreported potholes on separate occasions- and the LA had to reimburse the cost of the damage.

Tbh for the cost it’s not worth the hassle. I’ve ordered a 7mm partworn of the same brand and type winter tyre. And it cost me £80. I tried to get my wheel off to Lepsons for a refurb this week but despite being one of their best customers they won’t take anything for a week or so. They’ve never been so busy apparently. I wonder why?!!! 

 

I’ve tried twice in recent years to claim from the council for damage due to potholes, and they’ve dragged it out for months and then refused it. Usually by that time you’re over it and let it go. I think the last time they took 8 months despite me chasing them up every couple of months. If I suffered serious financial loss I’d stick at it, appeal etc. but I’ve got enough on my plate at the moment. 

[BigBoomer]

If you see a dangerous pothole, report it here - https://www.gov.uk/report-pothole
Most people just can't be bothered and that leads to the pothole being ignored until someone gets hurt.

I report every single dangerous pothole I see because I ride motorcycles and if you hit a bad pothole at speed you are coming off and going to hospital, possibly to the morgue.
Once reported the relevant authority has 28 days to repair the pothole but dangerous ones should be dealt with within 24hrs, and a pothole that is smashing wheels is a dangerous one. As for compensation for damaged wheels, they won't pay out for a tyre and only pay out for wheels if they are high-value. They count on you not pursuing the claim which is why they get all bureaucratic and difficult/slow.

Even Rod Stewart had to resort to being filmed repairing potholes himself before the council got off their **** and fixed the road. 🤣
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-62602224