Stains on rims

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SightHound01

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I have a fairly new car - about 900 miles on it and about five weeks old. I went to work on the rims this last weekend and noticed some stains. I tried a number of products to try to remove them: swirl remover, a more aggressive swirl/cut remover, clay, rim cleaner (Griots), bug and tar remover, and aluminum polish. The aluminum polish didn't turn black, so they must be clear coated? The polishing I did was by hand and in one test area. The stains are on the front rims only.

Please see the attached images - the stains are on the aluminum colored parts (not the black parts) - they don't jump right out but they are there - the drip mark looking things.

Any suggestions for how to remove them?

The car is a 2016 Subaru Outback.

View attachment 48819View attachment 48820
 
Did you ever spray an acidic or abrasive wheel cleaner on them and have it dry too fast cause the wheels were hot or something?
 
Buy the looks of those rotors I would see damage from a cleaner on a hot wheel.cant see the imperfections but understand your scenario.If so there is no fix,other than conceal with silicone.
 
GSKR said:
Buy the looks of those rotors I would see damage from a cleaner on a hot wheel.cant see the imperfections but understand your scenario.If so there is no fix,other than conceal with silicone.
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Good call...didnt even notice rhe rotors the first time i looked at the pics
 
GSKR said:
Buy the looks of those rotors I would see damage from a cleaner on a hot wheel.cant see the imperfections but understand your scenario.If so there is no fix,other than conceal with silicone.
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Rotors discolor like that with just water. I have seen it a million times. OP probably took pics of the wheels right after he tried detailing them on his own so they have been sitting awhile. Once you move the car and apply the brakes that discoloration disappears. However, it does appear some sort of caustic cleaner/ or maybe perhaps even hard water stains could have caused this. These wheels aren't bare metal. So using products for bare metal finishes is not a good idea obviously. Depending on how deep the BSD's go you can try a normal compound that you would use for body paint. Because that is the same thing you are essentially correcting. They are not anodized and I doubt they are powder coated. So you are dealing with painted wheels. I think Meguairs sells their water spot remover OTC. You can try picking up a bottle and applying it on the affected areas. You can apply by hand but for faster better results machine application is best. But you can really damage the finish with this product too if you aren't careful that's why I would still recommend a professional handle this as you have already created enough damage. And you are literally throwing everything at it pissing in the wind. Happy detailing
 
Thanks everyone for your comments.

The stains did not happen from this last wash (when the pics were taken) - it was from some previous time, and I see stains on the rims of our other car as well (was not washed this last time). On the other car, most of it comes out with some Fine Cut Cleaner by hand with a sponge (but not all of it).

I don't think heat was an issue - I wash in the morning and don't do much car work in the direct sunlight.

With the pics - I washed that morning and the pics were taken late afternoon, so I think the rust on the rotors is from sitting all day after being wet.

I've used the wheel cleaner multiple time before without a problem. I guess I left it on too long one day. I didn't know it could cause that much damage.

What I used when this happened: Black Magic No Scrub Wheel Cleaner.

What I just started using as of this last wash: Griot's Garage HD Wheel Cleaner

Is the Griots more mild? Yes I will definitely be paying attention to dwell time now.

As for the rims in the pics, I don't think I am going to mess with them any more myself - the issue is very slight, and I don't want to mess them up worse than they are.

View attachment 48853View attachment 48854
 
My guess besides those horrible rotors,is that the cleaner that you used got trapped in the lug nuts from not rinsing good then you took off and the residual got baked onto the wheel.A very light apc is all that's needed for those wheels,what ever you are spraying stop those rotors are very bad looking.
 
That black magic product implying that use only on chrome and no other wheel finishes.I would suspect there is some acid in that product.Those rotors are etched from a chemical when there dark orange like that.
 
It does look like staining from a cleaner left to dry on the rim.

Could it be water spots? Any sprinklers near where you park at home or work?

Do you notice anything similar on the paint?
 
SightHound01 said:
Thanks everyone for your comments.

The stains did not happen from this last wash (when the pics were taken) - it was from some previous time, and I see stains on the rims of our other car as well (was not washed this last time). On the other car, most of it comes out with some Fine Cut Cleaner by hand with a sponge (but not all of it).

I don't think heat was an issue - I wash in the morning and don't do much car work in the direct sunlight.

With the pics - I washed that morning and the pics were taken late afternoon, so I think the rust on the rotors is from sitting all day after being wet.

I've used the wheel cleaner multiple time before without a problem. I guess I left it on too long one day. I didn't know it could cause that much damage.

What I used when this happened: Black Magic No Scrub Wheel Cleaner.

What I just started using as of this last wash: Griot's Garage HD Wheel Cleaner

Is the Griots more mild? Yes I will definitely be paying attention to dwell time now.

As for the rims in the pics, I don't think I am going to mess with them any more myself - the issue is very slight, and I don't want to mess them up worse than they are.

View attachment 48853View attachment 48854
Click to expand...


The products you used should not have caused that. They are safe to use on coated surfaces.
GSKR said:
My guess besides those horrible rotors,is that the cleaner that you used got trapped in the lug nuts from not rinsing good then you took off and the residual got baked onto the wheel.A very light apc is all that's needed for those wheels,what ever you are spraying stop those rotors are very bad looking.
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Again that is nothing abnormal. Water causes that reaction as well. Any fluids to the rotors will cause that look except for oil, but I would not recommend you put oil on your rotors if you plan on stopping lol. His rotors are made of cast iron therefore rust easily occurs when it comes in contact with moisture. It is not some abnormal chemical that is the culprit that affect on cast iron can be easily caused by just tap water.
paul_g said:
Griot's Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner is not the culprit. It's safe on all wheels and is PH Balanced and non-acidic.
It's the only wheel cleaner I use because of that... (risk mitigation).
Click to expand...

There are others with those properties you know? But if you like the Griots product then great!
 
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