1 Week of Ownership... Mixed Emotions... (Not the RS3's fault!)

[MB RS3]

Hmmm.... had my first experience of a motorway blowout on Sunday afternoon or shall i say the rear offside tyre having a mind of its own and going for a wonder...

Was travelling along the M20 from Folkestone to Ashford (approx 75-80mph) when the car stepped out (luckily enough managing to catch it and avoiding a Mercedes and Lorry in the process) looking in my rear view mirror could see the Conti tyre rolling across the motorway from fast lane to slow and a lorry driving straight through it! Was a really strange sensation, not enjoyable! However manage to get to the hard shoulder and await recovery...

I have a couple of pics (not the best quality, apologies)







East Kent Audi informed me this evening that the wheel hasn't actually sustained any damage apart from a bit of cosmetic which i will get them to rectify in due course. Luckily i have Tyre & Alloy Insurance so it is all covered.

I have to admit it has woke me up to things like this and the fact that they can and do happen, obviously doesn't take anything away from the car, which is a stunning piece of understated machinery but it does raise suspicion again over the quality of these Continental tyres...

All in all i feel happy that the car, myself and the passenger are all okay, it was a very close call.

On a positive... can't wait to get her back... very strange first week of ownership indeed!

Mal

 

[MB RS3]

PS: John - Look how awful that rear hub looks! Will be sorting that out soon too lol!

 

[hades-]

not nice when that happens
i had a front blowout last night on the M1 where its down to one lane at 2am.
fully loaded 44T

 

[MB RS3]

not nice when that happens
i had a front blowout last night on the M1 where its down to one lane at 2am.
fully loaded 44T

Definitely mate, not fun.
Hope everything went/is all ok.

 

[Mr_Freeze]

Nice colour Mal.
Glad you came out of that ok, could have been way worse.

Were the satin black wheels a factory option or an after market job?

 

[hades-]

Definitely mate, not fun.
Hope everything went/is all ok.

was ok i get paid by the hour night rate
so the 6 hour it took to sort out was all paid

 

[MB RS3]

Nice colour Mal.
Glad you came out of that ok, could have been way worse.

Were the satin black wheels a factory option or an after market job?

Thanks mate, i know could of been a lot worse indeed.

It was a after market job matey from Alloy Wheel Refurbishment & Repair Experts | Lepsons down my way :thumbsup:

 

[Phil-1]

And I was going to get a pair on Conti's

Glad your ok it could have been a lot worse

 

[MB RS3]

was ok i get paid by the hour night rate
so the 6 hour it took to sort out was all paid

Ahh ok! Could of been a lot worse for you then mate lol!

 

[MB RS3]

And I was going to get a pair on Conti's

Glad your ok it could have been a lot worse

Thanks mate, appreciated.

Don't get me wrong.. Conti's can't be that bad... otherwise why would Audi use them in the first place (I know for costs etc) but i think if your budget stretches to it.. from people's opinion's and reviews its hard to look past Good Year or Michelin.

 

[NHN]

You got the car already, thought it wasn't for a while mate, damn look at that tyre, unreal & when cars new to you aswell.

PS. No need to shout mate, bold text is considered this on forums

 

[shady-ninja]

contis are good tyres.
that normally happens when you inject the temporary sealant to repair a slow puncture.
the sealant is only meant to be a temporary measure to get you home.
prolonged use usually results in this kind of incident.
looks like the previous owner injected this stuff.

 

[45bvtc]

Thanks mate, appreciated.

Don't get me wrong.. Conti's can't be that bad... otherwise why would Audi use them in the first place (I know for costs etc) but i think if your budget stretches to it.. from people's opinion's and reviews its hard to look past Good Year or Michelin.

You're right not to blame the tyre Mal, a failure like that could be a small piece of motorway debris that has proved catastrophic at motorway speeds; fortunately you're ok and a wheel and tyre is replaceable.

I'm still on Continentals and shall stay that way for some time; I have driven a number of RS3's on Goodyear's and am content to stay with the Continentals for the use I put my RS3 to, that said the Vredestein Wintrac Xtream's will be on before the end of the month.

I do have a pair of original rear wheels with Continental tyres if you need; I am/was just keeping them as spares, I guess having 10-original wheels in the garage is a tad excessive.

Maybe you could make a start on de-rusting that rear brake disc bell; that sure looks bad.

Happy that you and your passenger are safe… :thumbsup:

 

[LukeTripod87]

I saw it when it came in dude (I work at EKA) didn't look very nice at all! must be quite hair raising having a blow out! I hope the service dept are looking after you, if not let me know and I'll sort them out for you! oh and I know the weather's been crap but god it needs a good clean!

 

[MB RS3]

You got the car already, thought it wasn't for a while mate, damn look at that tyre, unreal & when cars new to you aswell.

PS. No need to shout mate, bold text is considered this on forums

I know mate, bit unlucky but that's life!

Lol! I'm not shouting Nige! Just find it clearer to use bold!

 

[MB RS3]

contis are good tyres.
that normally happens when you inject the temporary sealant to repair a slow puncture.
the sealant is only meant to be a temporary measure to get you home.
prolonged use usually results in this kind of incident.
looks like the previous owner injected this stuff.

Hmm, they may be a decent tyre, however i believe there are better quality tyres out there for the RS3.

I can rule out that sealant theory as i bought the car off my best mate and know the ins and outs of it.

 

[NHN]

I know mate, bit unlucky but that's life!

Lol! I'm not shouting Nige! Just find it clearer to use bold!

Yeah but allot do find it as shouting mate on forums lol.

Lucky its just a wheel & tyre tbh mate, you'll be back flying again soon

 

[MB RS3]

You're right not to blame the tyre Mal, a failure like that could be a small piece of motorway debris that has proved catastrophic at motorway speeds; fortunately you're ok and a wheel and tyre is replaceable.

I'm still on Continentals and shall stay that way for some time; I have driven a number of RS3's on Goodyear's and am content to stay with the Continentals for the use I put my RS3 to, that said the Vredestein Wintrac Xtream's will be on before the end of the month.

I do have a pair of original rear wheels with Continental tyres if you need; I am/was just keeping them as spares, I guess having 10-original wheels in the garage is a tad excessive.

Maybe you could make a start on de-rusting that rear brake disc bell; that sure looks bad.

Happy that you and your passenger are safe… :thumbsup:

Thanks mate and very true points John, I'll be in touch via email soon.

I know the rear hubs are shocking lol.. needs some proper attention!

 

[MB RS3]

I saw it when it came in dude (I work at EKA) didn't look very nice at all! must be quite hair raising having a blow out! I hope the service dept are looking after you, if not let me know and I'll sort them out for you! oh and I know the weather's been crap but god it needs a good clean!

Yes mate, wasn't the most enjoyable experience if I'm honest lol.

Everything has been fine so far thanks bud and cheers for the offer!

Fully agree with you! It needs a CLEAN alright, very dirty indeed... the joys of living out in the sticks!

 

[MB RS3]

Yeah but allot do find it as shouting mate on forums lol.

Lucky its just a wheel & tyre tbh mate, you'll be back flying again soon

Ok matey, i'll bear that in mind :thumbsup:

I know, was a spot of luck in that regard! Hope so mate, its great fun!

 

[monkeyboy_marcus]

Yeah but allot do find it as shouting mate on forums lol.

Lucky its just a wheel & tyre tbh mate, you'll be back flying again soon

I THOUGHT THIS WAS SHOUTING?!

Anywho, glad you walked away from that one...

 

[NHN]

So is BOLD

 

[kwistof]

Sad to read this and also a sorry state to see the wheel in

Main thing is, everyone's okay and not a huge amount of damage done to the car and you should be back on the road in no time to carry on enjoying her

I've had a rear blow out on my car before on the same stretch of the M20, albeit travelling the oposite direction though from Ashford to Folkestone. Can't say I lost my tyre though, so could imagine seeing it roll into a lorry was very surreal! Chunks of rubber and bellows of smoke from the tyre was enough for me

(Throughout my Internet posting history of 15+ years bold has always been applied to highlight key points and words, whilst typing in CAPITAL LETTERS IS SHOUTING - if this is not the case then that Sandra lady is a very shouty person! lol)

 

[T-800]

Blimey !! A close shave indeed there ! Glad you and the car are ok though, that could've been a lot worse.

I suppose we take our tyres for granted really not realising the amount of stress and strain (not to mention ****** UK roads and their state) they go through daily.

As john says i find the Continentals perfectly fine for the way i use the RS3, when they wear out i'll look at what the options are then.

 

[45bvtc]

Hi Mal, not sure as to the mileage of your car but looking at the photo of your rear brake bells then if you want 'em looking anything like 'good' then you need to consider replacing them as it's gonna take more than one coat of POR-15 to bring those blighters back to looking anything like reasonable.

You'd (ok, I'd) change both rear brake discs in the hour, while POR-15 takes 3-hours to dry (on a good day).

You'd still need to POR-15 (clear or black, your choice) those rear disc bells mind if you wanted 'em to stay looking good.

Consider…

 

[MB RS3]

Sad to read this and also a sorry state to see the wheel in

Main thing is, everyone's okay and not a huge amount of damage done to the car and you should be back on the road in no time to carry on enjoying her

I've had a rear blow out on my car before on the same stretch of the M20, albeit travelling the oposite direction though from Ashford to Folkestone. Can't say I lost my tyre though, so could imagine seeing it roll into a lorry was very surreal! Chunks of rubber and bellows of smoke from the tyre was enough for me

(Throughout my Internet posting history of 15+ years bold has always been applied to highlight key points and words, whilst typing in CAPITAL LETTERS IS SHOUTING - if this is not the case then that Sandra lady is a very shouty person! lol)

Cheers Chris, yeah looking forward to getting her back!

Yeah as i said previous mate, its not the most enjoyable experience (as your aware) but it can happen to anyone at anytime, this is life lol!

Fingers crossed she'll be back for the meet this Sunday :icon_thumright:

 

[MB RS3]

Blimey !! A close shave indeed there ! Glad you and the car are ok though, that could've been a lot worse.

I suppose we take our tyres for granted really not realising the amount of stress and strain (not to mention ****** UK roads and their state) they go through daily.

As john says i find the Continentals perfectly fine for the way i use the RS3, when they wear out i'll look at what the options are then.

Thank you mate, much apprecitated.

This is so true we do take tyres for granted and they do deal with alot of stress, horses & weight in our cars.

I'm not blaming the Conti's for this incident could of been any tyre manufacturer in all honesty, they are more than adequate for the job once all 4 are worn i will possbily look at the other options namely, Good Year F1's & MPSS.

 

[45bvtc]

Thank you mate, much apprecitated.

This is so true we do take tyres for granted and they do deal with alot of stress, horses & weight in our cars.

I'm not blaming the Conti's for this incident could of been any tyre manufacturer in all honesty, they are more than adequate for the job once all 4 are worn i will possbily look at the other options namely, Good Year F1's & MPSS.

BUT your ONLY contact with the road is those black rubbery things at each corner and that's why I employ high-silicon winter rubber on BOTH my cars, and have done for 10-years and more!

Blimey, my life and safety of family and friends (not to mention Bluey and/or Sandy) are too much to risk on summer rubber on cold/frosty/icy/snowy roads!

I kid you not, I've driven several RS3's shod with standard (Continental and Goodyear) tyres in cold damp December/January conditions on the Hednesford to Rugeley road and have been amazed how easy it is to loose traction both when accelerating and braking... ok, mainly accelerating, sorry

 

[T-800]

BUT your ONLY contact with the road is those black rubbery things at each corner and that's why I employ high-silicon winter rubber on BOTH my cars, and have done for 10-years and more!

Blimey, my life and safety of family and friends (not to mention Bluey and/or Sandy) are too much to risk on summer rubber on cold/frosty/icy/snowy roads!



I kid you not, I've driven several RS3's shod with standard (Continental and Goodyear) tyres in cold damp December/January conditions on the Hednesford to Rugeley road and have been amazed how easy it is to loose traction both when accelerating and braking... ok, mainly accelerating, sorry

Winter wheels and tyres are going on the Red Arrow this weekend in readiness for the colder weather that must be imminent, first though i shall be sealing them to protect against the harsh environment they live in.

 

[Mr_Freeze]

Got a winter set arriving tomorrow for the wife's motor. What do you recommend as the best to seal alloys with?

 

[45bvtc]

I use Auto-Glym Alloy Wheel Seal Neil BUT I've have cut-and-polished the rim first to give a good surface, applied a good quality wax, and then applied the Auto-Glym Wheel Seal.

And I've tried Poorboys and have 80% of a full pot left... (free to collect)

 

[T-800]

I use Auto-Glym Alloy Wheel Seal Neil BUT I've have cut-and-polished the rim first to give a good surface, applied a good quality wax, and then applied the Auto-Glym Wheel Seal.

And I've tried Poorboys and have 80% of a full pot left... (free to collect)

 

[DAYTONA 500]

I use Auto-Glym Alloy Wheel Seal Neil BUT I've have cut-and-polished the rim first to give a good surface, applied a good quality wax, and then applied the Auto-Glym Wheel Seal.

And I've tried Poorboys and have 80% of a full pot left... (free to collect)

After using different products over the years Ive done exactly the same as John on the RS3 and find it to be effective and easy to apply being a spray.

 

[MBK]

Glad you are ok Mal, only had one puncture on the motorway and that was much more controlled than a blow out.

I was just wondering if, like Pirelli in F1, you now get a man from Continental round to your house to explain how you were driving on the wrong sort of road or that the kerbs were too sharp? Then after telling you the tyres were fine they switch back to the 2011/12 compound for 'no reason'.

More seriously, I'd imagine there must have been something on the road to cause the problem I've seen plenty of people wear modern tyres to the canvass and beyond on track days - often on purpose just to use them up and not suffer blow outs like yours.

 

[L1ARR]

I saw it when it came in dude (I work at EKA) didn't look very nice at all! must be quite hair raising having a blow out! I hope the service dept are looking after you, if not let me know and I'll sort them out for you! oh and I know the weather's been crap but god it needs a good clean!

You must know my brother in law Julian, he also works there?

 

[LukeTripod87]

lol er nope no-one called Julian who works here?

 

[45bvtc]

Glad you are ok Mal, only had one puncture on the motorway and that was much more controlled than a blow out.

I was just wondering if, like Pirelli in F1, you now get a man from Continental round to your house to explain how you were driving on the wrong sort of road or that the kerbs were too sharp? Then after telling you the tyres were fine they switch back to the 2011/12 compound for 'no reason'.

More seriously, I'd imagine there must have been something on the road to cause the problem I've seen plenty of people wear modern tyres to the canvass and beyond on track days - often on purpose just to use them up and not suffer blow outs like yours.

BUT Mark, forgive me BUT the primary cause of the F1 tyre failures this year were due to teams: 1) fitting them the wrong way round (the are of a directional construction), and 2) running them under design pressure (at Silverstone teams (including Red Bull) were 'told' to increase tyre pressures to the minimum recommended mid-race) and over-heating causing delamination. Each and every failure was nearside rear on clockwise circuits... Those teams deserve an for putting drivers and marshalls at risk.

 

[MBK]

Ah ok John I didn't know that was the final outcome I'd only seen the Pirelli guy making excuses. I was just using the point for fun.

I'm not a fan of F1 being controlled by fake tyre wear/life however they achieve that. I'd rather see them flat out for the whole race and bring back multiple tyre manufacturers so they compete and as a result we all gain on the road. At the moment, for me, Michelin have the best race to road appeal from the Le Mans series to the road. Race on Sunday sell on Monday still works for cars and tyres.

 

[L1ARR]

lol er nope no-one called Julian who works here?

My bad, he is Maidstone Audi.

 

[kwistof]

My bad, he is Maidstone Audi.

We may well see him on the Sunday then, as ASN are having a meet there and hopefully Mal can bring his lovely RS3 along all clean and fixed

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/south-east/201621-asn-17th-november-meet-maidstone-audi.html