Tyre plugs for repairing punctures now illegal?

[LovemyGTI]

I got a puncture over the easter long weekend.

Kmart Auto & Tyres says the puncture is in a place that can't be repaired. However, when I looked at where the puncture is, it's about an inch from the edge. Hmmmm... anyway, the dude says it can't sealed and they've made it illegal to use an old method of plugs.

Thoughts???? The wear is light (I've only done about 10kms) so I don't really want to replace it. My girlfriend took her car there and they said the same thing ("puncture is in a place that can't be repaired").

Anyway, if this is true, I need a new tyre: Bridgestone RE050 225/45/R17 ~ 91W load/speed rating. This is an OEM tyre. Kmart are quoting $260.

Can anyone suggest a better place/price?

[Brendan_A]

I'd be going to another tyre shop and see what they say. My Wife's Jetta has had 3 punctures since new and never had any problem with getting them repaired.

[dylan8]

I had two punchers repairer in stock wheels.
dunno what each method is, but mine it looks like they stuck a piece of rubber straight through the holes.

[ian]

I had two punchers repairer in stock wheels.
dunno what each method is, but mine it looks like they stuck a piece of rubber straight through the holes.

Depends on who you ask my brother put his Subaru in for a service and was told there was a screw in one tyre which could not be repaired due to it being close to the edge of the tyre, But the said they could sell him the same tyre for half price as quite often new buyers dont want the standard tyres on the Subaru,any way he took the casing to a large tyre retailer who repaired it with out question.

[brad]

Apparently they don't use the "insert from outside" dog turds anymore. You can still buy them yourself though.


They still use the "insert from inside with glue" rubber mushrooms but it's preferable that the base isn't subject to flex.

I'd seek a second opinion. A lot of the places are very conservative now & seem to prefer to sell a new tyre rather than risk a repair for $20 income.

[LovemyGTI]

Just an update... I left Kmart Tyre & Auto that day and took the tyre to Ultratune. The manager happily used the tyre plug (dog turd) method and charged me the princely sum of $25.

It's been a few days now and everything seems to be okay. Saved myself the cost and annoyance of replacing the tyre. Apparently, the OEM tyre is tricky to order aftermarket.

[brad]

$25? Good Lord!

Why on earth are you going to a tuning & servicing specialist to get a tyre repaired?

(and no, I don't consider KTAS to be a specialist in anything - they are a retailer that happens to sell tyres & automotive services next to Playstations, manchester & kitchen goods)

[Brendan_A]

$25 is about the price I've paid from a tyre shop.

[brad]

For a proper internal mushroom plug - $25 is top dollar.

External (dog turd) repairs take <5mins & should be about $10. $15 tops. There's a guy near Liverpool my mate goes to & if you bought the tyres off him & the tyre/rim is already off the car, he does them for free & fits it back onto the hub for you.

The whole kit can be had on eBay, SCA or Bushranger products for $20 or less

[ian]

Just an update... I left Kmart Tyre & Auto that day and took the tyre to Ultratune. The manager happily used the tyre plug (dog turd) method and charged me the princely sum of $25.

It's been a few days now and everything seems to be okay. Saved myself the cost and annoyance of replacing the tyre. Apparently, the OEM tyre is tricky to order aftermarket.

Ive gone to the local tyre retailer a couple of times and all ive ever paid was $16, ive even bought a repair kit myself and repaired a couple of punctures in my navara with out any drama and its not that difficult to do your self .

[brad]

Ive gone to the local tyre retailer a couple of times and all ive ever paid was $16, ive even bought a repair kit myself and repaired a couple of punctures in my navara with out any drama and its not that difficult to do your self .

+1

The good thing about doing an internal repair is that you can inspect the insides for any other damage due to being run while flat or if a 4" nail has gone in through the tread area and looks OK but has started to gouge into the sidewall.

[Brendan_A]

For a proper internal mushroom plug - $25 is top dollar.

External (dog turd) repairs take <5mins & should be about $10. $15 tops. There's a guy near Liverpool my mate goes to & if you bought the tyres off him & the tyre/rim is already off the car, he does them for free & fits it back onto the hub for you.

The whole kit can be had on eBay, SCA or Bushranger products for $20 or less

Mine was a remove the tyre off the rim job and internal mushroom plug. About $22 from memory. Every tyre shop is going to charge different from one to another.

Who really cares how much the OP paid for the repair to his tyre. Better than paying $260 for a new tyre.

[LovemyGTI]

Mine was a remove the tyre off the rim job and internal mushroom plug. About $22 from memory. Every tyre shop is going to charge different from one to another.

Who really cares how much the OP paid for the repair to his tyre. Better than paying $260 for a new tyre.

Yep, I'm v. happy it's not a new tyre. Dunno about you guys but $25 is pretty reasonable for 20 minutes of work in Sydney (and I live on the rip-off North Shore). Bob Jane quoted me $31 over the phone.

Anyway, the moral of the story isn't so much "Don't pay $25 to repair a tyre and instead drive across town to pay just $16" but "Don't always trust a tyre shop when they say your tyre can't be repaired.". A bit like asking a real estate agent if you should renovate your current house or sell and move.

The other lesson I wanted to share is that GTI Mark 6 OEM Bridgestone tyres are tricky to order aftermarket so even if money isn't the issue, I don't really like driving on mismatched tyres.

[mikinoz]

For a proper internal mushroom plug - $25 is top dollar.

I think it is fair for the effort of splitting the rim and the insert. It is 15 minutes, so I call that a justified price.

[brad]

Who really cares how much the OP paid for the repair to his tyre.

Probably the same people that discuss how cheap they can get an MDI cable for, or how much they should pay for a wheel alignment.

It's a forum. One of the great things about forums is being able to find out whether you got a good deal & whether you should return to a service providor or not.

I guess this thread would have been a lot shorter if everyone had replied "tuff luck. you're up for a new tyre."