what is this nasty substance haunting my rims and how do I eliminate it!

R

redfarsi

New member
I wanted to clean my rims so I washed them with some CG citrus wheel gel. They looked pretty clean but then I looked closely I ran my hand down them and they were smooth in some areas and rough in others. So I inspected further and I found that there is this super thin coat of some stuff covering like 50% of my rims, mostly just on the outer sides. That little bit I was able to remove with my nail in the first pic.



#0000 Steel wool + polish?

Clay?

Polishing Compound?



Help! I have also found some weird discoloration.



img1618q.jpg




img1619.jpg
 
No doubt about it. Clearcoat failure. The only option is to have the wheel sanded down and refinished. That's tinted clear (hence the color change where it's flaking off) so it'll probably cost a bit more to fix but once it starts it only gets worse until you fix them right.
 
Can someone elaborate on clearcoat failure? How is it failing lol. This is a 2008 Infiniti G37s. Those are 19" Enkei rims.
 
It's failing becuase it's flaking off. Think of clear coat as a complete seal. Once you break the seal it just keeps breaking off. Those rims were clear coated with a tint to the clear coat to give them that color. You'll notice the completely different color in the places that the clear has flaked off. In essence the rims are now junk and need to be refinished to get back into any sort of decent shape.
 
Ahh I understand now I just did some searching and seen more examples and stuff. Is this by any chance something that would be covered by warranty since it was painted wrong?
 
Could very well be covered. Definatly worth looking into at the very least. Most companies have a 5 year warrenty on paint and clear coats. Not sure if rims are covered but it can't hurt to ask.
 
And I thought I would say bye to car problems when I was buying a new car....boy was I wrong. I'll ask them and see what they say.
 
have you been cleaning the wheels with an aggressive cleaner and/or brush? if so, don't tell the dealer and just let them warranty it.
 
armoredsaint said:
have you been cleaning the wheels with an aggressive cleaner and/or brush? if so, don't tell the dealer and just let them warranty it.
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only what I stated. I tried steel wool with polish and it cleaned a small area but that took like 30 minutes. Other places like I seen in the picture can be peeled with a nail.



citizen arcane - since I bought the car, around 7 days ago, this was my first time cleaning it.
 
redfarsi said:
only what I stated. I tried steel wool with polish and it cleaned a small area but that took like 30 minutes. Other places like I seen in the picture can be peeled with a nail.



citizen arcane - since I bought the car, around 7 days ago, this was my first time cleaning it.
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Wait, wait, WAIT! I thought you were only CONTEMPLATING the use of that stuff...30 minutes of steel wool could be your problem. Are you saying the car is new, or it's used?
 
The car is 2008 preowned. It was really dirty when I picked it up. I used microfiber, clay, and my nails, and then I tried the steel wool to clean it. I cleaned one area perfectly fine. Then I gave that problem area like one pass with the steel wool and I thought steel wool was working fine since it worked perfectly fine for like half the rim. it revealed that black spot that you can barely see behind the spoke in the second pic. So I don't understand why the steel wool cleaned one area SOO nicely but another area is coming out bad. The clear coat must have been uber thin in that area or that breakdust,clearcoat failure, or whatever the hazy stuff is revealed it. Its really small its not a big deal but the fact that its there and I know its there is what bothers me. Someone that doesn't already know about it probably wouldn't notice it.



It looks like I increased the damage on an already damaged rim. Should I even bother cleaning the other rims? They have that hazy discoloration on them too and I still haven't washed them but if its clear coat failure then it seems pointless to even wash them and expose it even more.
 
I'm just a novice detailer and very new to it, but if I were you I would stop. Go back to the dealership and tell them that they sold you a car with damaged wheels and that you want them to change them out for something else comparable. Don't take no for an answer. Show them where the failure is and tell them that the problem will only get worse in the future. It just might be more cost effective for them to change them rather than trying to fix them. Good luck and keep us posted on what happens.



Oh, by the way, take the solid advice that another member gave you about what cleaning steps you took, when dealing with the dealer.
 
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