Faded wheel nut covers

[PeanutButterFromTheJar]

This morning my Astra went in for a service and the wheels looked like this:



When it came back, they looked like this:



Any idea what could have caused all of the colour to have been lost from the wheel nut covers? The cover on the locking wheel nut seems to have got away unscathed. It's the same on all of the wheels (some to a lesser extent), and some of the tyre valve caps too. At first I thought it was some kind of wax, but it's definitely not coming off.

Acidic wheel cleaner? Going a bit mental with a pressure washer? I'm baffled.

[Summit_Detailing]

The dealers idea of a 'complimentary wash'...including an acid wheel cleaner or high strength TFR - probably not diluted to the correct dilution ratio

[paintman]

IME it was usually acid wheel cleaner.
VW ones sometimes turned a pinky white.
I was asked a couple of times by customers if I could repaint them but as replacements were cheap I declined!

[PeanutButterFromTheJar]

Thought as much. There’s a reason I didn’t tick the “FREE wash and vac” option...

To be fair, they vacuumed it pretty well and have offered to replace them. If they’ve caused any other damage by using something nasty on them, how long would it take to show?

[steveo3002]

did the calipers still have shiney plating on them? will have most likley dulled that /ruined it

[PeanutButterFromTheJar]

Yeah you’re right, the callipers aren’t looking their best anymore either.

It’s a lease that’s (hopefully) going back in December anyway, so more worried about damage that will be picked up / I’ll be charged for when handing it back.

If I owned it, or I was keeping hold of it for a lot longer I’d be fuming!