Help !! Look at the state of my alloys....

andy69 · 11-19-2007, 04:01 AM

I'm really pi**ed off, bought some alloy cleaner recently and look what its done to my 162's

i have since bought 'wonder wheels' when i was in the UK recently, but it didnt make any difference. What the hell can I use to get rid of this mess ?

when i put the original cleaner on, i thought it was strong stuff as i was nearly overcome by the fumes

Dave_3 · 11-19-2007, 04:08 AM

Is that stained ? Or just baked residue ?

If it hasn't penetrated the paint you should be able to lift almost all of it with some good cutting polish, then feed with some wax. failing that, as a last resort you coould get them repainted. I got 2 of my wheels repainted (perfectly) for about £50 a wheel.

I NEVER apply those wheel cleaner fluids - If they are effective then they are VERY, VERY caustic - and most state NOT to leave them on for any length of time (usually minutes).

Personally, I have applied Swissöl shield wax to my car's Alloys and the brake dust just simply washes off.

D.

andy69 · 11-19-2007, 04:10 AM

its stained, the wheels were actually cleaner before i put the bloody stuff on

i will probably have to have them re-furbed as i cant see really see anything getting it off...

Dave_3 · 11-19-2007, 04:12 AM

Worth trying a good cutting polish first - T-Cut ? You'll soon see if it makes any difference.

D.

andy69 · 11-19-2007, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_3

Worth trying a good cutting polish first - T-Cut ? You'll soon see if it makes any difference.

D.

im willing to try anything, it cant make it much worse...

cheers

silverbmwz3 · 11-19-2007, 05:18 AM

I'm with Dave although I don't know how abrasive T-cut is. I had some fairly bad scratches on my alloy (courtesy of a nice wheel brush!) and some polish removed them to the point where they are invisible.

That doesn't look like it would have got through to the paint from the photos and could just be etching on the 'clear coat' of the wheels.

Obviously test on a small area but I'm pretty confident from the pics that a polish would remove. Might take a lot of elbow grease though - it isn't just wax-on-wax-off unfortunately.

If anyone is reading this and is in any doubt.....don't use anything that isn't ph-neutral on your alloy wheels! I use menzerna wheel gel, as infrequently as possible and it is fine. Soap and water regularly should be enough.

beemerbird · 11-19-2007, 05:33 AM

Try autosol metal polish, it is a very fine, non abrassive metal cleaner & polish that can remove some scratches as well as marks. Just make sure you use a damp cloth to apply sparingly and rub gently in the same direction. It then just buffs off. It worked very well on one of my alloys.

silverbmwz3 · 11-19-2007, 05:38 AM

Which is also good stuff to have for your exhausts to keep them shiny I believe

beemerbird · 11-19-2007, 05:43 AM

Definately is - did that yesterday

dxb335d · 11-19-2007, 05:44 AM

i bought sme autosol, but on the back it says it harsh or something liek that? can it scratch my end or not? i dont want a scratched end

silverbmwz3 · 11-19-2007, 05:51 AM

I thought it was relatively abrasive. I use Meguiars Nxt All Metal Polysh (I think they actually spell it like that) and it is great. Smells like blueberry bubblegum and brings my "end" up a treat.

What you put on your end is your business Mr F.

beemerbird · 11-19-2007, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dxb335d

i bought sme autosol, but on the back it says it harsh or something liek that? can it scratch my end or not? i dont want a scratched end

Carlos, you know the different grades of emery cloth you can purchase. Well autosol metal polish is in a similar vane. Moisture is essential love and be gentle. Like alot of things, used dry and it's too harsh. Capire?

andy69 · 11-19-2007, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverbmwz3

I'm with Dave although I don't know how abrasive T-cut is. I had some fairly bad scratches on my alloy (courtesy of a nice wheel brush!) and some polish removed them to the point where they are invisible.

That doesn't look like it would have got through to the paint from the photos and could just be etching on the 'clear coat' of the wheels.

Obviously test on a small area but I'm pretty confident from the pics that a polish would remove. Might take a lot of elbow grease though - it isn't just wax-on-wax-off unfortunately.

If anyone is reading this and is in any doubt.....don't use anything that isn't ph-neutral on your alloy wheels! I use menzerna wheel gel, as infrequently as possible and it is fine. Soap and water regularly should be enough.

Thanks Silver, i will try with some polish and give it a go

andy69 · 11-19-2007, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beemerbird

Try autosol metal polish, it is a very fine, non abrassive metal cleaner & polish that can remove some scratches as well as marks. Just make sure you use a damp cloth to apply sparingly and rub gently in the same direction. It then just buffs off. It worked very well on one of my alloys.

Hi BB, nice to meet your acquaintance at long last

will have to grab some of that when im over next....

cheers

silverbmwz3 · 11-19-2007, 07:00 AM

You could probably find a supplier prepared to ship to you Andy if you aren't soon? Let me know if you need some suggestions (supplier wise)

Neema · 11-19-2007, 07:04 AM

good excuse to buy some new wheels all together though haha, wouldnt you say?

mjh93sa · 11-19-2007, 07:06 AM

Solvol isn't that much more agressive than toothpaste, though is obviously a bit stronger than some of the pre-wax polishes put there these days.

You haven't got much to loose Andy so give it a go. You might find that basically have to remove the laquer before you get a good result, so it might be worth thinking about a refurb.

You could also try contacting the supplier of the stuff. If you've followed their instructions it might be worth a quick punt to see if they'll take any responsibility for what could be a bad batch of product.

creepy coupe · 11-19-2007, 07:10 AM

Look's like it's just the clear coat that's discoloured, try some of this, it's worked for me.

andy69 · 11-19-2007, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverbmwz3

You could probably find a supplier prepared to ship to you Andy if you aren't soon? Let me know if you need some suggestions (supplier wise)

nice one thanks, i'll let you know. i was planning on coming in the next 2 weeks but have seen the weather over there and thought better of it

thanks again

andy69 · 11-19-2007, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjh93sa

Solvol isn't that much more agressive than toothpaste, though is obviously a bit stronger than some of the pre-wax polishes put there these days.

You haven't got much to loose Andy so give it a go. You might find that basically have to remove the laquer before you get a good result, so it might be worth thinking about a refurb.

You could also try contacting the supplier of the stuff. If you've followed their instructions it might be worth a quick punt to see if they'll take any responsibility for what could be a bad batch of product.

well, probably my fault for going for a car centre's own brand and not doing my homework on here before hand

i know some products do say not to use on wheels from German cars but in this case it didnt.....i'll get some of the stuff thats been recommend to me and let you know the results.

cheers

mjh93sa · 11-19-2007, 07:23 AM

www.detailingworld.co.uk is a great place to find loads of advice and info.

Serjames · 11-19-2007, 07:53 AM

So come on as I'm in denial about cleaning the car at the moment, What's your opinion on a cheapo steam cleaner for the wheels ?

I'm finding these 225's to be a RIGHT pain and Carlos, Bless his cotton Railway issue socks is right about the 230's they are DODDLE to clean.

So anyone tried steam ? how close, what temp is safe, will it knacker them ?

SJ

11-19-2007, 04:01 AM	#1
andy69 Second Lieutenant 13 Rep 286 Posts Drives: E90-320d Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Marbella, Spain iTrader: (0)	Help !! Look at the state of my alloys.... I'm really pi**ed off, bought some alloy cleaner recently and look what its done to my 162's i have since bought 'wonder wheels' when i was in the UK recently, but it didnt make any difference. What the hell can I use to get rid of this mess ? when i put the original cleaner on, i thought it was strong stuff as i was nearly overcome by the fumes Attached Images
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11-19-2007, 04:08 AM	#2
Dave_3 Brigadier General 652 Rep 3,445 Posts Drives: G22 M440D Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: CH / SCO iTrader: (0) Garage List 1973 Escort RS2000 MK1 [10.00]	Is that stained ? Or just baked residue ? If it hasn't penetrated the paint you should be able to lift almost all of it with some good cutting polish, then feed with some wax. failing that, as a last resort you coould get them repainted. I got 2 of my wheels repainted (perfectly) for about £50 a wheel. I NEVER apply those wheel cleaner fluids - If they are effective then they are VERY, VERY caustic - and most state NOT to leave them on for any length of time (usually minutes). Personally, I have applied Swissöl shield wax to my car's Alloys and the brake dust just simply washes off. D. __________________ Escort Mk1 RS2000 (2.1 2x44IDFS, BVH, Kent FR32, 5spd, 180 BHP) : M440D ¦ Previously : F32 435D : F32 430D M Sport sDrive, 335D E92 2006
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11-19-2007, 04:10 AM	#3
andy69 Second Lieutenant 13 Rep 286 Posts Drives: E90-320d Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Marbella, Spain iTrader: (0)	its stained, the wheels were actually cleaner before i put the bloody stuff on i will probably have to have them re-furbed as i cant see really see anything getting it off...
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11-19-2007, 04:12 AM	#4
Dave_3 Brigadier General 652 Rep 3,445 Posts Drives: G22 M440D Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: CH / SCO iTrader: (0) Garage List 1973 Escort RS2000 MK1 [10.00]	Worth trying a good cutting polish first - T-Cut ? You'll soon see if it makes any difference. D. __________________ Escort Mk1 RS2000 (2.1 2x44IDFS, BVH, Kent FR32, 5spd, 180 BHP) : M440D ¦ Previously : F32 435D : F32 430D M Sport sDrive, 335D E92 2006
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11-19-2007, 05:18 AM	#6
silverbmwz3 Colonel 48 Rep 2,022 Posts Drives: X5 g05 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Buckinghamshire, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2003 325 ci SE conv ... [0.00]	I'm with Dave although I don't know how abrasive T-cut is. I had some fairly bad scratches on my alloy (courtesy of a nice wheel brush!) and some polish removed them to the point where they are invisible. That doesn't look like it would have got through to the paint from the photos and could just be etching on the 'clear coat' of the wheels. Obviously test on a small area but I'm pretty confident from the pics that a polish would remove. Might take a lot of elbow grease though - it isn't just wax-on-wax-off unfortunately. If anyone is reading this and is in any doubt.....don't use anything that isn't ph-neutral on your alloy wheels! I use menzerna wheel gel, as infrequently as possible and it is fine. Soap and water regularly should be enough. __________________ Current: E90 335d (May 2007) \| Black/Black \| Prof Hifi \| Prof Nav \| 6FL \| Fully Electric Seats \| Xenons \| Folding Mirrors \| PDC Previous: 325ci Conv. Black/Black with lots of ACS Previous: z3 3.0 Silver with Black&Red Leather
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11-19-2007, 05:33 AM	#7
beemerbird Major General 172 Rep 7,953 Posts Drives: Merc diesel Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Yorkshire iTrader: (0) Garage List 2010 TTRS [9.00] 2007 Audi S5 [0.00] May 2007 Porsche 99 ... [0.00] March 2007 Porsche ... [0.00] Sep. 2007 E92 335d SE [0.00] July 2006 E90 330i ... [0.00]	Try autosol metal polish, it is a very fine, non abrassive metal cleaner & polish that can remove some scratches as well as marks. Just make sure you use a damp cloth to apply sparingly and rub gently in the same direction. It then just buffs off. It worked very well on one of my alloys.
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11-19-2007, 05:38 AM	#8
silverbmwz3 Colonel 48 Rep 2,022 Posts Drives: X5 g05 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Buckinghamshire, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2003 325 ci SE conv ... [0.00]	Which is also good stuff to have for your exhausts to keep them shiny I believe __________________ Current: E90 335d (May 2007) \| Black/Black \| Prof Hifi \| Prof Nav \| 6FL \| Fully Electric Seats \| Xenons \| Folding Mirrors \| PDC Previous: 325ci Conv. Black/Black with lots of ACS Previous: z3 3.0 Silver with Black&Red Leather
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11-19-2007, 05:43 AM	#9
beemerbird Major General 172 Rep 7,953 Posts Drives: Merc diesel Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Yorkshire iTrader: (0) Garage List 2010 TTRS [9.00] 2007 Audi S5 [0.00] May 2007 Porsche 99 ... [0.00] March 2007 Porsche ... [0.00] Sep. 2007 E92 335d SE [0.00] July 2006 E90 330i ... [0.00]	Definately is - did that yesterday
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11-19-2007, 05:44 AM	#10
dxb335d The Tarmac Terrorist 945 Rep 29,345 Posts Drives: 997.2 GT3 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: ''Fandango Towers'' iTrader: (3) Garage List 2010 Porsche 997.2 GT3 [9.50] 2003 BMW E46 M3 [6.00] 2007 BMW E92 335D [5.50]	i bought sme autosol, but on the back it says it harsh or something liek that? can it scratch my end or not? i dont want a scratched end __________________ 997.2 GT3
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11-19-2007, 05:51 AM	#11
silverbmwz3 Colonel 48 Rep 2,022 Posts Drives: X5 g05 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Buckinghamshire, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2003 325 ci SE conv ... [0.00]	I thought it was relatively abrasive. I use Meguiars Nxt All Metal Polysh (I think they actually spell it like that) and it is great. Smells like blueberry bubblegum and brings my "end" up a treat. What you put on your end is your business Mr F. __________________ Current: E90 335d (May 2007) \| Black/Black \| Prof Hifi \| Prof Nav \| 6FL \| Fully Electric Seats \| Xenons \| Folding Mirrors \| PDC Previous: 325ci Conv. Black/Black with lots of ACS Previous: z3 3.0 Silver with Black&Red Leather
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11-19-2007, 07:00 AM	#15
silverbmwz3 Colonel 48 Rep 2,022 Posts Drives: X5 g05 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Buckinghamshire, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2003 325 ci SE conv ... [0.00]	You could probably find a supplier prepared to ship to you Andy if you aren't soon? Let me know if you need some suggestions (supplier wise) __________________ Current: E90 335d (May 2007) \| Black/Black \| Prof Hifi \| Prof Nav \| 6FL \| Fully Electric Seats \| Xenons \| Folding Mirrors \| PDC Previous: 325ci Conv. Black/Black with lots of ACS Previous: z3 3.0 Silver with Black&Red Leather
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11-19-2007, 07:04 AM	#16
Neema Major General 784 Rep 7,246 Posts Drives: a few BMWs Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: SoCal iTrader: (12)	good excuse to buy some new wheels all together though haha, wouldnt you say? __________________ LTMW Widebody+1M front bumper+Slek CF Lip\|M3 Hood\|StopTech BBK\|M-Sport Rear Bumper+DD CF Diffuser\|Custom Recaro Seats\|KW V2\|BavX LS3\|M3 Side Skirts+Custom CF Lip\|BBS CHR 19x10.5+BBS Lugs\|LCI Taillights\|RD Sport Anti-Sway Bars\|GIAC S2\|ER Intercooler+CF Shroud+Charge Pipe\|Tial BOV\|Injen Intake\|MS downpipes\|Custom Exhaust\|BMS Oil Catch Can\|M3 DCT wheel+TiD CF Paddles\|BMW CF Trunk Spoiler\|Aluminum Pedals
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11-19-2007, 07:06 AM	#17
mjh93sa Major General 145 Rep 5,080 Posts Drives: 530d Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Gloucestershire iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW M135i [10.00] 2011 Mini Countryma ... [5.50]	Solvol isn't that much more agressive than toothpaste, though is obviously a bit stronger than some of the pre-wax polishes put there these days. You haven't got much to loose Andy so give it a go. You might find that basically have to remove the laquer before you get a good result, so it might be worth thinking about a refurb. You could also try contacting the supplier of the stuff. If you've followed their instructions it might be worth a quick punt to see if they'll take any responsibility for what could be a bad batch of product. __________________ Gone: Fiesta - Focus - E46 320dSE - E91 330dMSport - E82 135iMSport - R55 JCW Clubman - M135i Now: 530d
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11-19-2007, 07:10 AM	#18
creepy coupe Lieutenant General 1867 Rep 13,043 Posts Drives: BMW M340I G20 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: UK iTrader: (2) Garage List 2015 BMW 435d [0.00] 2009 335i [0.00]	Look's like it's just the clear coat that's discoloured, try some of this, it's worked for me.
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11-19-2007, 07:23 AM	#21
mjh93sa Major General 145 Rep 5,080 Posts Drives: 530d Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Gloucestershire iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW M135i [10.00] 2011 Mini Countryma ... [5.50]	www.detailingworld.co.uk is a great place to find loads of advice and info. __________________ Gone: Fiesta - Focus - E46 320dSE - E91 330dMSport - E82 135iMSport - R55 JCW Clubman - M135i Now: 530d
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11-19-2007, 07:53 AM	#22
Serjames Colonel 128 Rep 2,426 Posts Drives: E93 335i M-sport Join Date: May 2007 Location: Surrey - UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 E93 335i M Spo ... [0.00] 2003 Nissan Primera S [0.00]	So come on as I'm in denial about cleaning the car at the moment, What's your opinion on a cheapo steam cleaner for the wheels ? I'm finding these 225's to be a RIGHT pain and Carlos, Bless his cotton Railway issue socks is right about the 230's they are DODDLE to clean. So anyone tried steam ? how close, what temp is safe, will it knacker them ? SJ __________________
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