Powder Coated Wheel Stain

[R'Audi]

So I took my car into the local dealership Tuesday morning to have my engine cleaned under the 10yr/120k warranty for the secondary air port injectors. All fine and the car runs great. However, when I went to pick the car up that afternoon they told me they had washed it (how nice)...until today, I noticed that my powder coated rims had these streaks all over them. I thought it was probably just wheel black that had slung off during driving....Nope, it is some type of water stain.

I've tried denatured alcohol, white vinegar, and my usual wheel cleaner at the moment (Chemical Guys Diablo- which does a decent job, not great).

The coating was done in June of '18 by a very reputable company in Northern Kentucky and the car is garage kept all the time and only cleaned by hand, maybe 3 mechanical washes ever.

Anyone have any recommendations how to get it out? Do I go back to Audi and be like what do you use in your car wash and how are you going to fix it?

[2by2handsofblue]

So I took my car into the local dealership Tuesday morning to have my engine cleaned under the 10yr/120k warranty for the secondary air port injectors. All fine and the car runs great. However, when I went to pick the car up that afternoon they told me they had washed it (how nice)...until today, I noticed that my powder coated rims had these streaks all over them. I thought it was probably just wheel black that had slung off during driving....Nope, it is some type of water stain.

I've tried denatured alcohol, white vinegar, and my usual wheel cleaner at the moment (Chemical Guys Diablo- which does a decent job, not great).

The coating was done in June of '18 by a very reputable company in Northern Kentucky and the car is garage kept all the time and only cleaned by hand, maybe 3 mechanical washes ever.

Anyone have any recommendations how to get it out? Do I go back to Audi and be like what do you use in your car wash and how are you going to fix it?

I've been told not to have dealership to wash a car.
Damn hopefully someone can chime in

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

[R'Audi]

I've been told not to have dealership to wash a car.
Damn hopefully someone can chime in

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

Yea, I never go to the dealer for service, so I didn't even think of it.

[Richmond718]

I use to work at a dealership, they spray acid on the wheels so it probably ruined the powdercoat.

[2by2handsofblue]

Oh damn. That would suck if they used acid.
I would stop by the steallership and c what can be done. Probably nothing.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

[PR.138]

Oh damn. That would suck if they used acid.
I would stop by the steallership and c what can be done. Probably nothing.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

Make them pay to have them refinished if that’s necessary. Don’t let them just throw their hands up and say “oh well”. Their wash people should know better than to use that stuff on non-stock looking finishes.

[rrated]

I use to work at a dealership, they spray acid on the wheels so it probably ruined the powdercoat.

+1 used to work for more than one dealer and we used acid on wheels but most of us knew better than to use it on certain types of finishes.

A proper dealership should pay to have them professionally refinished.

Sent from my LYA-L0C using Tapatalk

[LYKUNO]

I believe you're going to have to get your wheels refinished to resolve the staining. You could consider asking one of the wash bay attendants what they use to clean wheels at the dealership, and maybe they'll even show you the container/bottle for the product used. See if you can get the name of it to research its application instructions and precautions. It's possible that it's a "clear coat safe" product, but if the wheels were hot when it was applied, or it was left to dry on the wheel before being removed, it could have caused the staining.

I had a similar issue when I (regrettably) used a nearby GM dealer to install a new set of Michelin PSS tires on my HRE wheels. When I carried the wheels in, they gave me a tour of the shop and had the latest Hunter mounting and road force balancing equipment, so I decided to have them do the job. I had to leave the wheels overnight and picked them up the next morning. When I got them home I decided to wash off the shop dirt and the excess tire installation lube that was on them. I then discovered one of the wheels had staining similar to yours (see pic below).

I confronted the service manager, his boss, and the tech about what happened, and the tech admitted to "wiping off one of the wheels with a rag that was lying nearby". My guess is that it was brake fluid or some other caustic product. No admission from the tech as to using any chemical(s), or as to what residue may have been on the rag, but apparently he recognized the finish got damaged and didn't use the rag on the other 3 wheels (thankfully). I can't fathom how they would let me pick up the 4 wheels/tires and take them home without mentioning the problem to me. In the end, they agreed to pay for the wheel to be stripped and re-powdercoated by HRE, including shipping. I will never do business with them again after that fiasco. I've always used Sonax or P21S gel to clean my wheels and have never had an issue. But I've learned that you can't trust just anyone, even Audi dealers, to clean your wheels or car. I hang a "Do Not Wash" tag on the rearview mirror whenever the car is in for service, and also have "Do Not Wash" written on the service order document.

[R'Audi]

I believe you're going to have to get your wheels refinished to resolve the staining. You could consider asking one of the wash bay attendants what they use to clean wheels at the dealership, and maybe they'll even show you the container/bottle for the product used. See if you can get the name of it to research its application instructions and precautions. It's possible that it's a "clear coat safe" product, but if the wheels were hot when it was applied, or it was left to dry on the wheel before being removed, it could have caused the staining.

I had a similar issue when I (regrettably) used a nearby GM dealer to install a new set of Michelin PSS tires on my HRE wheels. When I carried the wheels in, they gave me a tour of the shop and had the latest Hunter mounting and road force balancing equipment, so I decided to have them do the job. I had to leave the wheels overnight and picked them up the next morning. When I got them home I decided to wash off the shop dirt and the excess tire installation lube that was on them. I then discovered one of the wheels had staining similar to yours (see pic below).

I confronted the service manager, his boss, and the tech about what happened, and the tech admitted to "wiping off one of the wheels with a rag that was lying nearby". My guess is that it was brake fluid or some other caustic product. No admission from the tech as to using any chemical(s), or as to what residue may have been on the rag, but apparently he recognized the finish got damaged and didn't use the rag on the other 3 wheels (thankfully). I can't fathom how they would let me pick up the 4 wheels/tires and take them home without mentioning the problem to me. In the end, they agreed to pay for the wheel to be stripped and re-powdercoated by HRE, including shipping. I will never do business with them again after that fiasco. I've always used Sonax or P21S gel to clean my wheels and have never had an issue. But I've learned that you can't trust just anyone, even Audi dealers, to clean your wheels or car. I hang a "Do Not Wash" tag on the rearview mirror whenever the car is in for service, and also have "Do Not Wash" written on the service order document.

Spoke with my guys who originally coated the wheels and they agreed that they will need to be refinished.

Good news, I went to the dealership this morning and they said they are going to take care of fixing them. They mentioned a coating company they work with, so sounds like they have a place to get them refinished.

[jsh139]

Glad they're stepping up and fixing them for you! 👍

[Nor_Cal_Driver]

Good dealer

[2by2handsofblue]

Spoke with my guys who originally coated the wheels and they agreed that they will need to be refinished.

Good news, I went to the dealership this morning and they said they are going to take care of fixing them. They mentioned a coating company they work with, so sounds like they have a place to get them refinished.

Sweet. Keep us updated

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

[2by2handsofblue]

Ask what company that will be doing the refinishing. And look them up if u can.


Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

[2by2handsofblue]

How much does it cost to get wheels powder coated?
And how durable is powder coating

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

[R'Audi]

How much does it cost to get wheels powder coated?
And how durable is powder coating

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

My original coating I had done was $475 cash for everything (dismount, strip, coat, remount).

The place I would like to use down here (Prince Wheels) is charging around $155 a wheel plus more for balancing and TPMS. So will be close to $700.

However, I'm taking the car to the dealership on Thursday so "his guy" can try to remove stains with some magical chemical solution which isn't going to work to be honest. Powder coat cannot be touched up or fixed without retaining its pencil hardness not to mention my wheels have a flat finish, so no removing clear coat and reapplying. (I work in an industry that deals with metal coatings, so I know a little bit about the process).

[fstr n u]

powder coating or any finish done after the fact seems not to be as durable as stock. I've had many a wheel damaged by caustic substances or dealer cleaning. Like a member said before, when you've paid money after marker to tint/color your wheels, don't let anyone else clean your vehicle. I don't let anyone:
1. change my oil
2. swap my wheels/rims over between seasons
3. clean my car's exterior/interior
4. etc

Essentially..i do as much as i can before letting anyone touch anything on my car, house, etc. We are capable human beings....and with google/forums at our disposal, we can save a ton of money and establish pride in a job well done by ourselves.