Tyre Blow Out!
Watch in HD here!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh3WEUWL0kM&fmt=22
4 New Nokian W+ tyres, driven less than 40 miles/60km and a risky blowout!
After fitting, I didn’t adjust the pressure from what the fitter prescribed and drove from Sandyford, to Dun Laoghaire, then from Dun Laoghaire to the applegreen on the N7 just passed Rathcoole (less than 50km total) where I got fuel and checked the pressure and adjusted to the recommended pressure for my Opel Astra G 2004 Van. 2.3bar at the front and 3.2 at the back, but I put in 2.5 at the front.
I then drove another 10 or so KM when all of a sudden the above happened.
The tyres themselves came from eiretyres.com and are Nokian W+ 175/70 R14 84T M+S marking (Wi), one for each corner. I received them around the 27th of September and got them fitted the 29th of October, in the time between they were stored in a shed in a pile of 4 and weren’t rotated in this time.
I’m not sure how it happened, brand new tyres (less than 40 miles on it when it happened), pressure checked 5 minutes before it happened and a speed within their rating. I called the AA as soon as I pulled in, I took the tyre off and waited for the AA to arrive to just check to make sure everything on the axle was ok. Took the rest of the journey handy enough but I did notice there is a considerable noise increase from the tyres when you go from 110kmph to 118kmph.
Quite disappointed after taking so long to decide on which winter tyres to go for and these were supposed to keep me out of trouble for the winter, not get me in trouble 😛
I’m also a bit apprehensive about going any kind of speed with them, overtaking etc in fear of it happening again so I’m not sure if I should buy another of the same type, or replace the whole set. I also don’t know how far I’d get with getting a refund/replacement. Did I do something wrong or are the tyres themselves not safe I wonder?