Hi there, I have a diesel 2017 XV with directional all season tyres, I also have a spare tyre of the same make, model and size which I would like to use as a full size spare. As they are directional tyres, it would be a direct replacement on one side but tread pattern would be reversed for other side, with a 50/50 chance of a puncture passenger/driver side. Would this be ok for short term use on wrong side until a puncture was repaired like a space saver? Is there a danger of diff damage or other problems? Or would a space saver be a better option.

Hi Larks , Thanks very much for this info. I've got the same problem on my 2011 Outback. You say you ripped it out but how?. It looks very tight Did you have to disassemble anything like suspension ,wishbone and drive shaft , or did you use long spanners bars, and brute strength!. Many thanks for you post but please help me understand how you ripped it out. I need to do the same!.

yeah, could be its pick up knock at high revs, tbh sounds like it my be worth a run on a dyno to see whats going on.

The heat in the cabin comes from the heater matrix which is heated by the engine coolant. So its basically adding additional cooling, which gets rid of the extra heat thats overwhelming the cooling system when its just the normal rad. When the headgasket goes it can cause gas to seep into the coolant from the cylinder, that gas is hot, which is what causes the heat to rise. so basically failed headgasket, add temp to the coolant system, cabin heater takes that extra heat out of the system. hopefully that makes sense. you can try a sniff test that looks for exhaust gases in the coolant, although its not always 100% reliable.

Thanks mate I will. I think it's a sign not to overload it but treat it with care.