Alloy Rim Warning !!!!!!

[EVODAD]

Guys
I have purchased 2 new sets of alloy rims in the last 6 months from Bob Janes.
Both sets are now stuffed.
Why you ask.
Because corrosion has bled in under the clear coat on the outer machined lip of the rims.
I first discovered it on my Lancer.
They ( Bob Jane's ) said it was caused from stone chips.
Stone chipping was the reason I went for the polished alloy lip rather than
chrome or painted finish.
I then looked at the 3 month old ones on my Xtrail.
And guess what !
Same thing but no signs of stone chips.
I took the Xtrail back to the local Bob Jane store where I purchased them and the
manager said it looked very unusual to him.
He took photos and sent to PDW rims.
There response was that it was damage caused by car wash soap.
Yes car wash soap.
Apparently the stuff they used in automatic car wash bays is very high in acid and it eats through the thin clear coat allowing corrosion to form under the clear coat.
A bit like bug off removes bugs off the front of your car.
So I have been bug offing my whole car every time I go through the car wash.:thumbsdown:
What I said :fuuuuu:
Well its written in black and white that you can not take your brand new rims any where near a car wash or you void your warranty.
So read your warranty with any new rims you buy and don't say you were not warned.
The only choice I have now is to strip the clear coat off the rims by hand and polish the machined lip.
If I don't they will corroded away within 2 years at the rate they are going.
What good is a rim that you can not get the odd stone chip or quickly run through a car wash.
Just a note that the Xtrail has only been through the car wash once since the new rims were fitted.
That"s all it took to stuff them.
Cheers
Paul

 

[evo-gsr]

That sux, bigtime! Thanks for sharing the info and the warning....

 

[brettu26]

very unfortunate mate, but good info and thanks for the heads up.

 

[BMGTZ]

dodgy mongrels

 

[JiMi]

nasty.. thanks for the info though

 

[htgsr]

That sucks balls go to ACA or something!!!

 

[milkandoj]

That sucks. What a joke.
Also watch using wheel cleaner that is acidic.
For eg i love the meguires stuff, but you must get the non acid black bottle, the purple bottle (for factory coated rims) and especially the red one (only for chrome wheels) are acidic. And a lot of after market wheels don't like it.

 

[D3bb4]

acid won't do shit if it's rinsed off shortly after.

 

[CLuTZ]

There's a lesson I guess- don't buy anything from Bob Jane. FAIL.

 

[GSRSOL]

The issue you are talking about is actually caused by washing the rims with high pressure water. I have a set of em1 vtir civic machined/clear coat (from factory) rims that have the same issue. My old mans g6e falcon has the same problem, as did my PA Challenger, which was only 4 years old when i bought it.

The guy i go to for powercoating/refinishing wheels said that its the high pressure water from the car washes/karchers that causes the problem, as it gets under the edges of the clear coat and then slowly but surely lifts the clear coat off the machined finish as you have mentioned.

 

[VR-4Squid]

I'd question why anyone who is a car person would use an automatic car wash!

 

[EVODAD]

I'd question why anyone who is a car person would use an automatic car wash!

Yeh I know.
But when you live in the bush and need you car cleaned quickly cause your going out, you need to clean once you get to town.
I would never run a show car or new BMW through one.
I'm just pissed off that it has happened.
Thought I was doing the right thing by buying polished alloy.
Even told the guy of my concerns when I was selecting them.
No mention then of clear coats and car washes then.

 

[D3bb4]

if you asked the sales person about it prior to purchase and they said would be ok, they're liable.

 

[JiMi]

if you asked the sales person about it prior to purchase and they said would be ok, they're liable.

try proving it though

 

[D3bb4]

to an extent. in retail, most companies will favour the customer, else screws their business. spose it depends who you dealing with.

Have had bad experiences before with another wheel company starts with J. They were real quick too... they installed my friggin strut tops upside down in my runabout... then wanted to argue with me about it. cost me fair bit to get fixed, fukd my strut tower, etc. threatened dept. of fair trading, and got some money back at least (they refunded what they'd done... repairs cost mroe though)