Think Blackcircles were bought by Michelin a while back.
**Unofficial Tyre Thread**
- Thread starter rossk26
- Start date
I've had an immensely frustrating experience at Formula One Autocentres recently and it still isn't over. I've now had 3 visits, with a 4th planned to resolve issues...
Ordered 4 PS5 tyres on their website and booked an appointment.
Visit 1: Took car in, guy changed front tyres but complained the rears couldn't be done because he couldn't get the nuts off. I asked him to try with a breaker bar instead of his battery powered gun and he obliged, eventually getting them off. He said that "whoever fitted these last needs their head looking at". Whilst there I noticed that the front tyres he fitted were Primacy 4 tyres, not Pilot Sport 5. This obviously displeased him but he didn't check them before fitting, so not sure what he wants me to do about it. He finishes fitting the rears and tells me to contact customer service on Monday, as they're shut over the weekend. I call them Monday, they agree to send the correct tyres out and book me a slot for Wednesday.
Visit 2: I go back on Wednesday and there is a different person there. They took the car in and said "we can't get the front wheels off, we're going to break your locking wheel nut key". "You need to drive it to another branch to see the first guy as he has a special tool to get them off if the key breaks". I drive to the other site and he immediately starts complaining about how useless the other staff are and that he didn't put them on that tight. He used a torque wrench, apparently. He then proceeded to snap my locking wheel nut key clean off inside the bolt using a breaker bar. He tells me he doesn't have the special tool to get them off so I need to come back Saturday. He'll have the tyres and the tools and he'll get it sorted. He'll also buy a new pack of locking bolts and a key from BMW for me, as he broke mine. Fair enough, he's having a bad day but wants to make it right.
Visit 3: Today I went back expecting all the to resolved only for him to tell me that he needs a special drill that a member of staff has taken home and he can't use his special tool until he's used the drill to get the small amount of locking wheel nut key that broke off inside the bolt. So I'm now booked in again for Monday, when he should have the drill. I noticed that he'd put lots of wheel weights on various areas on the inside of one of the wheels and asked him if that was normal, as I've only ever had them on the inside lip before. He said yes as he has to balance both sides of the wheel, or something. Anyway, on the drive home I go on the motorway and found that there is a noticeable vibration at 75mph that wasn't there before I had the 4 new tyres put on, so it seems at least one of the wheels isn't balanced properly. I'm sure this will make his week when I tell him.
I'll be going back Monday for him to attempt to resolve again, but to be honest, I'm tempted to immediately drive it somewhere else to get them to check everything he's done, as I have very little confidence. The whole time I was interacting with him he was moaning that he hates working there and hates tyres and can't wait to be done with everyone and go somewhere else. The language used was far more colourful than this, but this is a family friendly forum.
In the same week I had my service at a BMW specialist where I requested an oil change, brake fluid change and transmission fluid change. When I collected the car they'd forgotten to do the oil change but had done the other bits, so I had to go back to them another day to do the oil change, where it then took them over an hour to get the digital service history updated... It's not been my week.
I've been very patient but I'm getting to the end of my tether and I don't think I'll ever use Formula One again. They may be the cheapest, but I've never had such grief with tyres on any car I've owned. If they'd fitted to correct tyres to begin with...
Ordered 4 PS5 tyres on their website and booked an appointment.
Visit 1: Took car in, guy changed front tyres but complained the rears couldn't be done because he couldn't get the nuts off. I asked him to try with a breaker bar instead of his battery powered gun and he obliged, eventually getting them off. He said that "whoever fitted these last needs their head looking at". Whilst there I noticed that the front tyres he fitted were Primacy 4 tyres, not Pilot Sport 5. This obviously displeased him but he didn't check them before fitting, so not sure what he wants me to do about it. He finishes fitting the rears and tells me to contact customer service on Monday, as they're shut over the weekend. I call them Monday, they agree to send the correct tyres out and book me a slot for Wednesday.
Visit 2: I go back on Wednesday and there is a different person there. They took the car in and said "we can't get the front wheels off, we're going to break your locking wheel nut key". "You need to drive it to another branch to see the first guy as he has a special tool to get them off if the key breaks". I drive to the other site and he immediately starts complaining about how useless the other staff are and that he didn't put them on that tight. He used a torque wrench, apparently. He then proceeded to snap my locking wheel nut key clean off inside the bolt using a breaker bar. He tells me he doesn't have the special tool to get them off so I need to come back Saturday. He'll have the tyres and the tools and he'll get it sorted. He'll also buy a new pack of locking bolts and a key from BMW for me, as he broke mine. Fair enough, he's having a bad day but wants to make it right.
Visit 3: Today I went back expecting all the to resolved only for him to tell me that he needs a special drill that a member of staff has taken home and he can't use his special tool until he's used the drill to get the small amount of locking wheel nut key that broke off inside the bolt. So I'm now booked in again for Monday, when he should have the drill. I noticed that he'd put lots of wheel weights on various areas on the inside of one of the wheels and asked him if that was normal, as I've only ever had them on the inside lip before. He said yes as he has to balance both sides of the wheel, or something. Anyway, on the drive home I go on the motorway and found that there is a noticeable vibration at 75mph that wasn't there before I had the 4 new tyres put on, so it seems at least one of the wheels isn't balanced properly. I'm sure this will make his week when I tell him.
I'll be going back Monday for him to attempt to resolve again, but to be honest, I'm tempted to immediately drive it somewhere else to get them to check everything he's done, as I have very little confidence. The whole time I was interacting with him he was moaning that he hates working there and hates tyres and can't wait to be done with everyone and go somewhere else. The language used was far more colourful than this, but this is a family friendly forum.
In the same week I had my service at a BMW specialist where I requested an oil change, brake fluid change and transmission fluid change. When I collected the car they'd forgotten to do the oil change but had done the other bits, so I had to go back to them another day to do the oil change, where it then took them over an hour to get the digital service history updated... It's not been my week.
I've been very patient but I'm getting to the end of my tether and I don't think I'll ever use Formula One again. They may be the cheapest, but I've never had such grief with tyres on any car I've owned. If they'd fitted to correct tyres to begin with...
@Skilid sounds like an absolute nightmare. And a massive waste of your time. This is the reason I won't use a garage that I don't already know someone at.
I use protyre and Costco. Protyre as I have a contact there or Costco as they're generally professional and have CS in place to deal with an issue.
I use protyre and Costco. Protyre as I have a contact there or Costco as they're generally professional and have CS in place to deal with an issue.
Yes you can take the wheel off and move it away from the car no issues. We'll I can on my Mini so should be fine with yours. May just need a quick reset on the OBC.
Lesson learned. Don't go with the cheapest.
They damaged 3 of my alloys, fair play to the manager, he agreed it was caused by their tools and I did get paid for the refurb. But if I hadn't have noticed it after their 'work' I'd have been none the wiser. Never again.
I still am not sorted. They've ruined one of the locking wheel nuts and I have a specialist coming out today to remove all 4, then they're going to foot the bill. I still have to go back afterwards to have the correct tyres put on and all the balancing checked again.
Also found out they are torquing the wheel bolts to 150 ft/lb, when it should be 100. Their computer system shows them it's 150, but that's far too tight!
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Nightmare mate. It's not really about the financial costs being covered, it's all the extra faff you have to go through and have to deal with.
There's a tyre place local to me who are usually a little bit more expensive than the rest but they take real good care of the cars. Iin 10+ years of using them I've never had an issue. I'll be using them again, until our Costco opens.
It took the specialist less than 5 minutes to get all 4 locking bolts out and replace them with standard bolts. 3-4 swings of a hammer on each wheel. Very impressive and terrifying at the same time. Makes you realise just how pointless locking nuts are if someone knows how to use the tools. Booked in to get the correct tyres put on tomorrow. Fingers crossed that'll be that. I expect I'll have to chase them for payment for the specialist, too.
I'm not sure where I'll go for tyres next time to be honest.
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Place I have to use when ordering from Black Circles, unless I have them ordered to me to have fitted, their balancing to be fair is good but they just gun the bolts on not even close to spec and the tyres are all random from like 30-40 PSI - I do wonder how many people use them and drive around with significantly different tyre pressure per wheel without knowing and/or caring if they have monitoring.
Yeah fortunately no one really bothers stealing alloys these days but I've seen before how quickly someone with the right tools can get them off. I still leave mine on though.
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Caporegime
- Joined
- 22 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 29,268
- Location
- Boston, Lincolnshire
I had a new set of fronts fitted on my daughters car yesterday. I went around loosening the track rod ends on Sunday evening and made sure they would turn before taking it in. Most of these places have kids in them who are nothing but fitters unfortunately. I was watching the kid doing my alignment and the look of surprise on his face when the track rod end nuts were finger tight was hilarious.
Well, I’ve just received the below email from Camskill. Very annoying as Michelin had an £80 off promotion for 4 tyres which ended in October.There are according to the Michelin website. Have managed to order some from Camskill which popped up this morning
Michelin UK have informed us that there has been a quality issue upon inspection of the new batch of Michelin Pilot Sport 5 PS5 255/35 R19 96Y XL (*) , they have removed them from their stock and now have no date for anymore due in.
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Just silicone spray you can get in a spray can. Spray it in my key holes and in my boot and bonnet latches too. Works well. Also spray a bit on a rag and run it up and down my wiper blades.
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Looks like I’m going to need a new set of tyres for my mk8 golf r-line etsi soon. The fronts are near the limit and the rears are starting to crack. Can’t really complain on a 5 year old car still on the factory Bridgestones (Low mileage car, 20k miles)
Any recommendations for 225/40 R18s? We have an Eden tyres in town who fit for back circles (heard mixed things about them) or we have a local independent tyre place
Any recommendations for 225/40 R18s? We have an Eden tyres in town who fit for back circles (heard mixed things about them) or we have a local independent tyre place
Add the Goodyear AS6 to that too, and you have 3 tyres you can't go wrong with. Had several sets of AS6 on the GTI and they are bloody great on the road.
Saying that, I've just ordered 4 new PS5's for mine, figured I'd try them as I've not had them on the Golf yet.
Saying that, I've just ordered 4 new PS5's for mine, figured I'd try them as I've not had them on the Golf yet.
I have PS5's all round on my 428i. I cannot fault their grip, both wet and dry, nor their longevity. Fitted in Feb 2023 and they're still going strong and seemingly plenty of tread too.Add the Goodyear AS6 to that too, and you have 3 tyres you can't go wrong with. Had several sets of AS6 on the GTI and they are bloody great on the road.
Saying that, I've just ordered 4 new PS5's for mine, figured I'd try them as I've not had them on the Golf yet.
Now, having said that, Is anyone running the new Michelin Cross Climate Sport all seasons yet?
Associate
- Joined
- 11 Dec 2012
- Posts
- 1,744
- Location
- Bangor - Northern Ireland
My Honda Accord Tourer is currently running 225/50/17s
Looking at new tyres and something decent is £100 Each
However, if you go for same Brand ttyre 225/45/17 they are £80 Each . Would be a no brainer to change to the Cheaper more popular tyre size?
Looking at new tyres and something decent is £100 Each
However, if you go for same Brand ttyre 225/45/17 they are £80 Each . Would be a no brainer to change to the Cheaper more popular tyre size?
I use Abus PS88 on locks. It works great. I've had combination locks go from seized with rust to smooth as butter using it.