Apollo

Hi

I thought I would share an experience from someone I know.

He has a 2001 sedan c class with alloys. 10 at night he had a puncture, took out steel spare wheel and changed and put in the alloy bolts. Screwed into brakes and had to be towed away. £300 damage and car off road. Apparently dealer said he was not the first.

The spare wheel has some specific bolts included that must be used, they are shorter. The new cars now have a big warning sign on the spare.

Just a word of warning for anyone who has to change a tyre.

JeT

I thought that was obvious considering the spare lugs are sitting right next to the jack and lever...but I guess in the thick of the moment its easy to forget.

shtatc

Yeah...last Friday morning, I got a flat and changed to the spare. I took out the spare tire lug bolts, but accidently grabbed one of the original ones...it just did not fit all the way. I tightened it by hand first, but the regular ones are longer. Caught myself before I tightened it with the lug wrench. But, I dont tighten the bolts with the wrench until all the bolts are in first.

Lockbuster

I read that in my owners manual and I could see at night you might not remember the short bolts especially when you are upset getting a flat. Last week I had a flat and before I was able to get to the side of the road I damaged the wheel and rim. I was lucky that it was in my 2001 chevy work van and the rim was not to expensive (I was still very upset) .

shtatc

There is also a decal on the spare showing you to use the smaller bolts....I did not see it when I put the spare on initially, I saw it when I took it off today to check out if I did anything to the brake assembly when the tire went flat. I believe it is on the inner portion of the spare.

bagwell

I dont understand why they don't go with new gen run flats !!!????

DSMIT

CALL ROADSIDE ,,THEY WILL COME OUT AND DO IT RIGHT FOR YOU ,,,INSTEAD OF HAVING TO PAY FOR PARKIGN BEAKE SHOES AND LINKAGES AND STUFF.
OR JUST READ THE OWNERS MANUAL .
RUN FLATS ON ALL OF THE CARS WOULD BRING THE PRICE OF THE CARS UP.
BESIDES ,ROADSIDE IS AVAIABLE FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR TO THE OWNERS


sorry for caps ,again

Apollo

Somehow I am not sure if I would call them out to just change a wheel

shtatc

I did not feel like calling roadside service just for a tire change - it took less than 15 minutes to do the whole thing. If I called roadside service, I would have still been waiting there.

taylor192

I think this thread needs a RTFM comment. I read it and noticed that there are actually 2 sets of bolts in the spare compartment, one short and one long.

I was impressed by the spare, nicely finished rim unlike the spares I've seen in past cars... kinda unsure how it expands when inflated... might be intesrting to see... but I'm not looking forward to getting a flat anytime soon.

I this topic of wheels, I was dirivng and all of a sudden my car seemed to just want to turn to the right... I was so surprised... guess its the wider tires, just follow the groves in the road, I had gotten stuck in a kinda rutt on crappy pavement in a construction zone ....thought I had a flat... weird.

shtatc

Taylor192,

It is even more basic than RTFM - there is a decal on the spare that tells you to use the smaller bolts. And it is also written on the package that the spare bolts come in. What more do you need to read?
I guess in frustration, people just assume to use the same bolts. I wonder how many MB owners actually change their flat vs call roadside service? To start, I am now assuming that most people on this forum would be able to change their own.

Apollo

It is very easy to take the p*ss out of someone who makes this mistake, but imagine 10pm at night, dark, crap weather and in a hurry to go somewhere. I can see this happening especially if you have not really looked at the spare in any detail before.

shtatc

Not trying to take the p*ss out of anyone - I almost did the same thing, but caught myself before I tightened the lug bolt with the wrench. And realized I brought out the spare bolts after I already had one long bolt in. It was 7am; sun was out; no reason not to have seen the differences - I think we just do stupid things in frustration, before thinking first.