Snail trails on my wheels

[Bopo]

I've searched for this topic and found a few from last year; thought I'd check if things have moved on a bit or if DC wheels with gloss black & bare metal lacquered finish on the faces where always a **** idea.

The wheels were pretty much perfect when I got the car just over a year ago. Now I'm getting those lovely snail trails across the surface. Funny enough, I get the same on the brake & gear levers of my push bike, only they have lasted 5 years rather than 1.

I am now assuming that the wheels had been (cheaply) tarted up before I got the car at 3.5 years old.

There's a chance it was my fault as on one occasion in summer I accidentally used some of that aggressive Wonder Wheels stuff by mistake then got distracted and allowed it to dry. Alternatively, the lacquer is just awful.

Worth paying for a decent lacquer, if such a thing exists? Going at it with sandpaper and redoing myself (guaranteed to look crap) or just pay the money and get the wheels stripped and powder coated?

Side question regarding fashion rules: car is pearlescent white with night edition bodywork and a black full length sun roof. Gloss black is probably the only way to go. And NO, I am not painting the calipers. :-D

 

[John Laidlaw]

If you can post a picture please do so but I think I know what you mean
If it’s the dried on smear it can be removed by either WD40 first, if that doesn’t work then some very fine wire wool, just make sure to get some wax on after removal and drying

 

[Bopo]

I think this is corrosion under the lacquer on the wheels. You can't scrape it off without using something metal. As mentioned, it looks like a fatter version of the corrosion trails I get on my brake and gear levers on my lacquered alloy bits on the push bike... only they are sweated on many times a week and are just pushbike components (admittedly rather high end Shimano, but anyway).

So, from the pics attached you can see the corrosion under the lacquer, the lacuer peeling in places, and the hand-snading marks that make it look decidely NOT diamond cut.

Question: are these AMG wheels supposed to be diamond cut, or did the previous owner have them hand sanded to get the look?

Anybody recognise the wheels? AMG badges on them, 18" front and rear with the rears wider than the front.

 

[Bopo]

Found them... genuine AMG Night Edition wheels. The code A2124010400 comes up a lot as well as ET54 and others.

They were originally diamond cut, or surface polished, or something to give the shiny-front face look.

Example here: Flea-bay

At £400 a go I'll be looking after them, then.

Suggestions for wheel refurb? Give a decent company a go at restoring the DC finish or just sod it and get them coated?

 

[Flyinspanner]

Just get them powder coated, better in the long run.
You could go for black chrome if you like the dark & shiney finish.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Thanks for the pics , definitely corrosion and typical of MB wheels, especially diamond cuts- as above bite the bullet and powder coat them

 

[Kev555]

A lot of car alloys from different brands seem to suffer this, Think a lot of its to do with water getting under lacquer iirc. I had a 2 Kia Sportages bought new and both got a set of replacement alloys under warranty for this reason within the first two years. My current Santa Fe got a new set of alloys for same reason last year just as an example. As recommended above powder coating seems the only long term move to keeping alloys in shape these days

 

[Gazwould]

Why on earth do they keep making this fragile bling finish if it costs the industry money .

They had DC decades ago , learned and everything became powder coated , now back to the mistake !

No need for this rubbish with modern finishes such as hyper silver and shadow chrome etc .




W211 Vs W212 wheels .

 

[DREAMER NO2]

Bopo I know for a fact your wheels will need striping off,,polishing , re painting ,,and lacquered, that spiders web is alloy corrosion . I would go for the carbon look .I did mine my self but i only have the plain silver wheels .The specks you see, are rain water i just lifted the car cover to take the pcture last year .

 

[Ricardo_e220]

Yep diamond cut finish is a nightmare....

I took mine off for winter and had picked up some tatty but not horrific 18” Amg ones...these now look utterly horrendous... and really need doing before next winter, but putting my lovely amg turbine type 19”s back on have noticed the garage I got mine from at 2 years old had lightly sanded some areas to remove dinks...no clear coat...and now they’ve corroded too but not massively...

given I’m on furlough and not sure about my role starting back up I’m going to live with it for now...if all ok then I’ll have the winter 18s done over summer and have the 19s done next winter when they are swapped again...

but such a massive annoyance

 

[DREAMER NO2]

Dont worry its only money .And to keep up appearances you will need to part with a little cash .I was lucky, my old girl was an easy fix for me .Well easy on the pocket , but hard work to strip them off ,,prime and rattle can them ,then to finish with paint and lacquer. .These were done in the spring of 2014 so lasting very well .Might change the center caps for ones with blue in them.