The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!!!!!

Just been informed that Toyota Australia totally forgot to include the space saver tyre in the I-Tech model vehicle when they did the crash testing on it & as such cannot include it with the vehicle, as the crash testing would be voided!!
They will be now be crash testing again later this year, at great expense, with the space saver included, so that it will be offered with the model

What idiots!!

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

Funny, if you're going to crash head on and set off the 10 air bags, what good would a spare tire do?

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

Yeah, I didn't remember how many airbags so I made up the #, unless you want to count the human natural airbags (particularly female's).

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

In another thread, the comment made was that the reason for the missing spare was a weight issue - that is, with the spare, even a space saver, the tare weight of the car exceeded Australian axle loads. Basically saying that you can have a base model with space saver, or an iTech with sunroof and no spare.

Makes me wonder what the true reason is

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

7 air bags + 2 dirty pillows + 1 beer belly = 10 in ultimate protection

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

The space saver spare on the ITech is a factory option for Oz.

As the car comes with a jack and wheel wrench, and standard with an air compressor and can of tyre fixing gunk I wonder what the weight penalty of a space saver would be. The weight issue was the excuse I was given.

Now I have the car I have had a look at the tin of puncture repair gunk and the compressor, plus have read the owners manual about how to use it. Searching the internet to see if I can buy a space saver spare to put in the back when we go on our long trips.

I have mine as a company car and if I have to replace a tyre I have a limited list of tyre sellers I can use. Not sure what level of service I would get from the local RACV/NRMA etc if I get a hole in a tyre which is bigger than they say can be fixed by the included kit.

David

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

I'm confused. If you were to get a rim and full-size spare, what is the risk? Could you keep the useless kit and just say, "I'm transporting this spare tire to my destination and found this great storage locker."

In Austrailia, is there a master equipment list that has to match the vehicle at all times? Just trying to understand the Aussie traffic regulations.

Bob Wilson

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

I haven't gotten around to it yet but I'm going to ditch the space saver and get a real tire. I don't know how many people have had to use space saver tires but they go flat after about a day - even if you're parked. Think you're going to put one on, drive to wherever you need to go, then drive home, then replace the tire the next day? Think again. Twice I've had space savers in apparently good condition go nearly flat in 24 hours, once on a Tercel and once on a Civic. Get a real tire for emergencies, even if it sticks up a bit.

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

No it isn't. You cannot get it as an option.

There are two ways you can get:
1) Buy it as a spare part through a Toyota dealer. For the vehicle to be roadworthy, you have to buy a tie down bolt for it as well.

2) The way I will be getting one is from one of the taxi companies in Australia who have Priuses on their fleet. Taxi regs are such that they cannot have space savers as spares, so they had to get a full size tyre & cut out the moulding that the space saver fitted into, to be able to fit the full size tyre.

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

Ahh, so the hook is the dealer can only sell what was crash tested. Individuals can still buy what they need ... just not from the dealer.

The reason I ask is my practice is to replace the 'space saver' when I buy my first set of replacement tires. I get a rim and have the best of the worn out tires mounted to become my new, full-size spare. The 'space saver' goes away.

Bob Wilson

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

I don't know where you will fit a full size spare, I couldn't get the flat tyre in the wheel well when I had to use my space saver on my Gen II.

Reason I was told there was no spare was weight. If the Prius had a spare tyre in the iTech it would not be able to carry 5 mythical standard size adults and a fixed amount of luggage and remain within the gross vehicle mass specified by the manufacturer. With a spare out of the factory the iTech would have only been a 4 seater.

I personally am not a fan of the solar/moon roof, it adds weight up top (read body roll), reduces head room and contributes little but prestige.

iTech

You see your iTech can only carry 385kg as it is, with no spare.

Base Prius

Standard Prius can carry 435kg and a space saver spare.

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

I'll have to check the 2010 when the time comes.

Bob Wilson

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

Hi, patsparks,

In the 2G/Gen II USA models (I don't know about those of any other country), that's why we got a web type strap in the tray along with the jack, tow hook, lug wrench, etc. The full size flat won't fit in the well where the space saver goes, so you must stow everything after the flat removal & close up the cargo floor back to normal. It would be a good idea to get a large trash bag or leaf bag or go by your neighborhood tire dealer & ask for one of their tire bags (and store it ahead of time in the tray along with the other tools) to put the dirty flat into (to keep your cargo area floor mat clean).

After you put the wrapped tire on top of the cargo floor, you're supposed to put that webbed strap over the tire & secure its hooks to the METAL loops (found in the 4 corners of the cargo area), then cinch the strap tight to prevent any movement of the heavy flat tire until you get to where you can remove it for repair (you wouldn't want it flying around loose in case of a violent collision avoidance maneuver or an actual collision).

Ken (in Bolton,Ct)

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

I've only had to used a space saver in anger once. My previous cars always had full size spares (even if they were steel rims rather than alloys). Came out late at night from work to find a tire on my Vauxhall was 1/3 flat (in fact a helpful individual had left a note pointing it out as it was dark and I wouldn't have noticed otherwise).

To late to get the mobile tire service out but my company car providers warned me that I couldn't drive on the motorway as I wouldn't be able to achieve a sustained high enough speed. Now, that may have been just them covering their arses,, but it was reasonable sensible advice as I had a hour and a half journey on the motorway to get home, on a tire which had a speed restriction of, IIRC, 40 mph.

Ended up with staying with some old friends locally - luckily I had my sports kit with me which, because of a busy day, I hadn't used so at least I had toiletries and a clean (even ironed) shirt to wear.

Turned out to be a nail through the outer tread which, as the tire had slowly deflated was wearing a hole out of the inner tire wall. The chap who came around the following day to replace the tire reckoned I wasn't far off a full blow-out.

Re: The reason why Toyota Australia don't offer space saver tyre on I-Tech model - major stuff up!!!

Re "space saver spare" being unusable over multiple trips, I have watched (over a period of a week) a neighbor do so, driving each day to and from work. I've seen this at least 5 times with different neighbors. In fact, there is a Camaro with a "space saver spare" on the right front sitting on the street in front of my house. You DO have to keep 80 PSI in them to keep them alive, and you DO have to keep below max. speeds of 80 km/hr.

Do check your "space saver tire" tire pressure! One of the things that bugs me is you have to actually -remove- the spare in order to check/replenish the tire air. Dumb! Design the mounting so it will mount with the valve -UP-!

A nail in the sidewall of a radial tire means "new tire time"!