My car had some metal dust cap covers which have been on for tears and have not caused a problem, until the other day. Went to check my tyre pressures and the front offside dust cap would not budge, it was stuck solid and no matter how hard I tried with pliers and grips to get hold of it, it was on solid. So this morning I popped around to my local independent tyre fitter (Total Tyres) who are not in anyway connected to any of the big chains and I explained what had happened. No problem they said, we will look at it as quickly as possible (there were about 3 or 4 others in front of me) so I was happy to wait. 10 minutes later, car is being jacked up, wheel is off. 15 minutes later, valve cut off and replaced, tyre refitted and rebalanced and put back on the car and when I asked if they had some plastic dust cap covers I could replace the metal ones with, immediately 3 were put in my hand. I said give me a minute to fit these and I will be in to pay my bill. "Oh there is no cost" I was told, glad to help. I was gobsmacked. I was happy to pay for the service I had just received, but they did it as a PR gesture. I know I use them for all our car tyres and my daughter comes up from Basingstoke to use them as well, but the guy who did the job did not know me from Adam so it cannot be because they recognised me as a regular customer (which I am) So, a big shout out to some good old fashioned customer service where profit was not the consideration but customer service was. You don't get that very often these days Anyway, if anyone is within easy travelling of Woodley in Berkshire and wants good service, then go to https://www.blackcircles.com/garages/england/reading/total-tyre-co-woodley Unfortunately, they only do car tyres, no bikes (at the moment)
Great customer service indeed and a great result !! Little tip i learned after using ally dust caps and the same thing happened to me.....a little vaseline on the thread inside the cap applied with a cotton wool bud, works a treat and will never seize on even in the worst salty wintery conditions!!
In nearly 50 years of driving and riding and having used metal or ally dust cap covers throughout this was the first time I have ever had a problem. It was only one that was an issue, the other 3 came undid without any problem. But, lesson learnt (50 years late mind )
Vaseline and cotton wool buds - the mind boggles! I think I’ll just screw a plastic cap onto my valve. Crikey, that sounds even more kinky. Maybe I should leave my valve end bare?
3 messages in and we're off on a tangent If you can fit a plastic dust cap on the end of yours you'll be no match for @Lozzy
As usual i couldn't possibly comment but valve end bare and vas leaves the mind open to all sort of suggestions
