HELP! Tyre problem

Flights; transfers; trains; ferries; routes; getting to and from the PO; lifts offered or wanted; motoring and biking matters.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
carol sheridan
Rank 5
Rank 5
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri 12 Oct 2007 11:29
Contact:

HELP! Tyre problem

Post by carol sheridan »

I wonder if anyone knows of a tyre-fitting place where I can get my tracking put right, and new tyres fitted, somewhere around Perpignan - Argeles. My wheel has been making a funny noise for some time and my grand-daughter's boyfriend said it was probably the tracking. This morning, one tyre was flat as a pancake. He has put my spare on, but I need to get the tracking fixed and I will have to buy two new tyres (ouch!). The two front tyres are worn very badly on the inside - so much that one has actually split. What a good job I had a fit young man staying with me when it happened.
Does anyone know the French for 'tracking' - it is not in my dictionary?
User avatar
blackduff
Rank 5
Rank 5
Posts: 850
Joined: Sat 30 Dec 2006 11:32
Contact:

Post by blackduff »

http://www.familycar.com/alignment.htm

This might be easier to find in the French dictionary. Plus, you can see exactly what happened to your tyres.

I just had a car alignment two months ago but I can't remember the name in French.

Blackduff
User avatar
opas
Rank 5
Rank 5
Posts: 1290
Joined: Thu 13 Jul 2006 09:31
Contact:

Post by opas »

Parelisme (sp)

You will not get that done today.
If you look in pages jaunes for Pneus , usually the garage will do all that sort of thing. If not they know a man that can,

Going up and down all the bumpy dirt tracks that you do on a regular basis I am really suprised that you have been here this long and not needed this service already.
I borrowed a little Seat Arosa off a friend for a week or so, the car drove lovely, about 2 weeks after I had used it he invited us to see another piece of land he owned.....we followed him in the Xantia and Outie cursed him fit to burst all the way there, when we arrived we had a picnic and a walk, a few hours later when we were getting ready to leave we gasped when we saw the state of the tyres on that little car.......they were bald on the inside (he had parked with the wheels turned) I whispered to Outie , that I was sure they wern`t like that when I had used his car for a couple of weeks) he mentioned to our friend that they wee illegal and well worn, he said they went up that path and others similar about 3 times per week.
Fortunatly for you your little car will not cost the earth for tyres but the tracking bit here seems to cost about double to UK prices.....probably about 45 euros.
DaveM
Rank 3
Rank 3
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun 15 Jul 2007 22:48
Contact:

Post by DaveM »

The tyre shop in Prades advertises on its frontage équilibrage (wheel balancing), géométrie & parallélisme (yer tracking).
Good luck
DaveM
carol sheridan
Rank 5
Rank 5
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri 12 Oct 2007 11:29
Contact:

Post by carol sheridan »

Thank you, folks. I knew I wouldn't get anything done in France on a Sunday, but Mark put on my spare and we had a good drive around Corsavy.
Yes, I know my travels are not ideal for a car, but my motto in life is 'Take what you want and pay for it'. What I want is to drive around remote places, and if it takes some car maintenance , so be it.
I could go back to the Nissan dealer at Espace Auto in Perpignan where I bought the car, but I am going to try a couple of local garages first, now I know the right word for tracking.
User avatar
PaddyFrog
Rank 5
Rank 5
Posts: 222
Joined: Sat 21 Jan 2006 18:03
Contact:

Post by PaddyFrog »

Carol,
Most of them do tracking!
I have used the chap by the Blue Elephant Car Washing, opposite CAF on the old road from Canet to Perpignan, so do a lot of my neighbours.

When I lived in the Conflent I was lucky if my Front Tyres lasted a year.
The Nurses and Doctors were lucky to get 4 to 6 months.
Michael
carol sheridan
Rank 5
Rank 5
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri 12 Oct 2007 11:29
Contact:

Post by carol sheridan »

Thanks, Michael, I will do a bit of ringing round in the morning. Ideally, I need to be somewhere where I can leave the car and either get a taxi home or find something to do while they fix it.
In spite of my rough travels, my car has cost me very little since I bought it five years ago, and I have been pleasantly surprised at the cost of servicing and the CT. New tyres seem to be more expensive than in England, though.
User avatar
Roger O
Rank 5
Rank 5
Posts: 746
Joined: Tue 20 Dec 2005 19:10
Contact:

Post by Roger O »

carol sheridan wrote:In spite of my rough travels, my car has cost me very little since I bought it five years ago.
Another Nissan fan!!
My Primera is 10 this year and I wouldn't change it nor has it cost me much in maintenance over the years!! Never had to have the wheels realigned though (Never heard of the term "tracking" - thought that was for hunters and scouts - must be a post 1970 term!)
User avatar
PaddyFrog
Rank 5
Rank 5
Posts: 222
Joined: Sat 21 Jan 2006 18:03
Contact:

Post by PaddyFrog »

Roger O wrote:[! Never had to have the wheels realigned though (Never heard of the term "tracking" - thought that was for hunters and scouts - must be a post 1970 term!)
Roger,
I used to run Standard 10's in my Prime, pre 1970!!
they needed tracking, mounting pavements caused most wheel alignment probs.

I suppose living in Devon you never had that problem..............................
No pavements to hit only dried clotted cream

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Michael
User avatar
Santiago
Rank 5
Rank 5
Posts: 1290
Joined: Tue 27 Dec 2005 12:19
Contact:

Post by Santiago »

You could try the Speedy garage on the Route d'Espagne, also Feu Vert do tyres and tracking and are probably the cheapest. I'm not sure if it's true here but in the UK I always found the Tyre/Exhaust Kwikfit-type outfits better for those jobs than the dealership or small local garage.
carol sheridan
Rank 5
Rank 5
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri 12 Oct 2007 11:29
Contact:

Post by carol sheridan »

Job done! My tyres are an unusally small size and the first place I went in Argeles (on the ZA) could not get them before the 25th June. I then went to the Point place and they did the tracking and fitted two Michelin and two Continental for 418 euros. I had had a quote of 311 euros from the first place but I suppose they would fit an inferior brand, and I couldn't wait anyway.
Obviously, it is a blow to have to spend so much unexpectedly, but I have spent very little on my car so far, and I know that having good tyres is essential for safe driving.
User avatar
PaddyFrog
Rank 5
Rank 5
Posts: 222
Joined: Sat 21 Jan 2006 18:03
Contact:

Post by PaddyFrog »

Carol, do not mix types on the same Axle, What is your spare??
Michelin should never have a conventional Tyre used with it!!
You would be better to buy another Michelin to be used as a spare.
Michael
User avatar
Roger O
Rank 5
Rank 5
Posts: 746
Joined: Tue 20 Dec 2005 19:10
Contact:

Post by Roger O »

PaddyFrog wrote:I suppose living in Devon you never had that problem..............................
No pavements to hit only dried clotted cream
Never had a car in Devon. The only one in our family who had a car was my uncle. Devon General did all our transport. First time I had my own car was in 1981 - er actually it was Annaïck's. My first very own car is this Primera 97 model. By the way, our Devon clotted cream never dries - it gets eaten!!
carol sheridan
Rank 5
Rank 5
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri 12 Oct 2007 11:29
Contact:

Post by carol sheridan »

Michael, my spare matches my Continental. I am afraid I am not prepared to buy ANOTHER spare to match the Michelin! I am assuming that the tyre fitters knew what they were doing.
If I had a puncture on my brand new guaranteed Michelins, my breakdown service would have to get me to the nearest garage.
Post Reply