Spacesaver - predictable outcome?

[GeoffW]

I asked my local Honda garage for the spec for a spacesaver, but they couldn't tell me. I emailed Honda UK a couple of times - no response. There are plenty of mk3 ones on Ebay, but my worry was that the mk4 weighs about 200kg more than a mk3, and I particularly needed the spec for the tyre.
I gave up and found an original matching mk4 alloy wheel on Ebay (£50, v good condition), and when I had a pair of new tyres fitted to the car, I had one of the still legal old ones put on the used wheel. I put it in the car when going on a long, or important journey. 

[Lincolnshire Rambler]

Thank you . I’m going to just buy a full sized second hand wheel and tyre then!

[Lord Voltermore]

One further thought on domed wheel nuts.   The offiical Honda approved spacesaver may differ from some others  only in that it uses the original domed nuts.     There may be a much more commonly available , and maybe significantly cheaper model   which is identical in every important respect, other than needing tapered wheel nuts. Which dont cost much.       
You do see quite a few spacesavers  offered for sale that  have probably been sitting in a car boot for 10 years or more.  The tyre may have deteriorated. .     You can buy new tyres for spacesaver wheels but  IIRC they tend to be quite expensive. 

[5thcivic]

Will a spacesaver interfere with the tyre deflation calculations, or because just the right diameter not make a difference in revolution terms?

[Kremmen]

More than likely

[Lord Voltermore]

Definately. Spacesavers can be a  significantly different rolling circumference.     Its not a good idea to put one on the front.  Better to use it to replace a good rear wheel then use that to replace the front  .( Unless you know for sure you are only going a short distance  at very slow speed.) Double the work but safer.    Someone near me had her car on a spacesaver for nearly a year 

[coldstart]

Will a spacesaver interfere with the tyre deflation calculations, or because just the right diameter not make a difference in revolution terms?

Yes, it will - just recalibrate the deflation warning system (like you would do after any other change of wheel or tyre) and you are safe again.
Please keep in mind that spacesaver wheels are just an emergency stand-in and are not meant for prolonged journeys (hence better to have a full spare wheel on board if you want to carry a spare).

[Mike 55]

I've got a full size spare and tool kit for sale if anyone is interested.
Further details in the Marketplace forum.

[R2D3]

Our second car, a tiny Skoda Citygo manages to have room for a full size spare wheel inside the boot, whereas my previous car, previous to my Crosstar that is, a BMW X1, had no spare at all as, according to BMW, "There was no room for one".  Make of that what you will.

I suppose being older means I've experienced more punctures than the average (been driving for over 50 years) so personally I would always prefer to have a full size spare as none of my recent punctures has been repairable using the can of gunk. 

[Jazzik]

I have been driving for over 57 years now and until about 3 years ago I always drove around with a spare wheel in the boot.
In those 57 years I have used it exactly twice (Yes, indeed, twice. How often? Twice!).
I had my last flat tire in November 2010.
So for those two times I drove around (unnecessarily?) for 57 years with about 20, 25 kg too much weight...

[Kremmen]

I look at a spare wheel and tyre as insurance

Yes, you rarely need it but it's peace of mind knowing you can change the wheel and be on your way

For about £100 to £150 it's a small price for many years

[Will Once]

I look at a spare wheel and tyre as insurance

Yes, you rarely need it but it's peace of mind knowing you can change the wheel and be on your way

For about £100 to £150 it's a small price for many years

I tend to look at insurance as a calculated gamble. Do the costs outweigh the benefits? Usually, the financial cost of insurance isn’t worth it as the insurance companies need to take their slice. So we only take out insurance when the potential benefit is high, such as house and car insurance. For just about everything else we self-insure. If something breaks we pay to have it repaired or replaced. Average the savings out over all our household bills and self-insuring usually makes sense.

Not having a space saver tire isn’t really a financial cost or saving. It’s about the inconvenience and lost time of calling out the AA or whoever versus the inconvenience of giving up boot space for something that hardly gets used.

For me, the risk of a puncture is a close-run decision where there is no right or wrong answer. I’ve had cars with full-sized spares, cars with space-savers, cars with runflat tires and cars with nothing except a tin of gunk. And in each case I have accepted whatever the car manufacturer decided. All the options have advantages and drawbacks.

[richardfrost]

So for those two times I drove around (unnecessarily?) for 57 years with about 20, 25 kg too much weight...

I have been walking around for 40 years or so carrying about 20, 25kg too much weight!

[davejazz]

So for those two times I drove around (unnecessarily?) for 57 years with about 20, 25 kg too much weight...

I have been walking around for 40 years or so carrying about 20, 25kg too much weight!

So did that get you flat feet?  Ha!

[davejazz]

    Someone near me had her car on a spacesaver for nearly a year 

And I bet, she only changed it then, because the MOT was due!