Is having a diamond cut wheel refurbed reliable?
Is having a diamond cut wheel refurbed reliable?
Author
Discussion

un1corn

Original Poster:

2,143 posts

167 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Meant to be picking up a 2019 G30 today. M Sport with the 19 inch wheels.

Dealer phoned me to say the valeter has kerbed the thing this morning causing damage to it.

I asked them to nick one off another car and swap but no can do, so they are going to send it away for a refurb.

It's a 6 month old car with 7k on the clock and i'm a bit miffed about this. Is there anything to be worried about with regards refurbing? I dont want the thing looking st, or peeling in 12 months time etc.


helix402

7,913 posts

212 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
If it’s done well it should be fine.

matt666

450 posts

234 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
The proper way to do it is put it on a lathe and skim the surface of the alloy flat then relacquer. You can only do this a certain number of times.

The cheap way is to grind the kerb mark flat and blend it in. It's ok but you can see it if you look closely.

You'll be wanting the first method and I'm sure that's what a main dealer would do


itsnotarace

4,685 posts

239 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Diamond cut wheels in this country are a bad idea. They will always end up corroding due to the salt

steveo3002

11,225 posts

204 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
make sure the finish /sheen matches the other wheels

and yeah not fit for use on uk roads , they will be festering after a couple of years

anonymous-user

84 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
itsnotarace said:
Diamond cut wheels in this country are a bad idea. They will always end up corroding due to the salt
You say that and I tend to agree. But my daughter has a 7 yo Hyundai with DC wheels and my son just sold a 5 yo Qashqai With DC wheels, none of which were at all corroded, despite living outside and being generally ignored.

On the contrary, my wife’s SLK had to have a full new set of wheels at under 3 yo, after 16k miles and always garaged.

All DC wheels are not the same it seems.

To be honest, I doubt a refurb would last anywhere as well as even a poor OE finish.


FlyingPanda

675 posts

120 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
I had 2 diamond cut alloys refurbed on my 530 and I'm really not happy.

They started to grow the white corrosion marks within less than a year and now they look far worse than the original damage that I had refurbed. general consensus amongst wheel refinishing experts was that 'that'll always happen" which is why many of them offer a much shorter warranty for refurbished diamond cuts than regular powder coated.

They could skim them again, but that will be it (twice maximum) and it will keep happening, so if I keep the car I'll be having them powder coated instead.



Edited by FlyingPanda on Tuesday 14th July 18:00

DanL

6,589 posts

295 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
un1corn said:
It's a 6 month old car with 7k on the clock and i'm a bit miffed about this. Is there anything to be worried about with regards refurbing? I dont want the thing looking st, or peeling in 12 months time etc.
Yes, there’s something to worry about (sort of). My wheels started to corrode on an AUC BMW. A quick Google suggested they might refurb or replace under warranty, so I chanced my arm and asked the dealer about it... They would have done, I was told, except they’d been refurbished.

Now, I assume they were refurb’d before I bought the car so they looked nice, and I didn’t mind at the time, but it bit me later. Paid to have them redone, but it’s not lasted - they’re showing corrosion again a couple of years later. It’s just something I’ve come to accept, but I’ll be cautious about diamond cut wheels on the next car!

anonymous-user

84 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
They never last long after refurb - even when done well. Better to powder coat like the rest of the rim and forget them.

DanL

6,589 posts

295 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Discombobulate said:
They never last long after refurb - even when done well. Better to powder coat like the rest of the rim and forget them.
Have to say, if I get them done again I’ll do this! Perhaps in two tone if possible to mimic the diamond cut look a little...

Muzzer79

13,198 posts

217 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Just had 3 of the same rims as you replaced on my 2017 G31 under warranty due to corrosion. Very minor, around the wheel bolts, but still there nevertheless.

Mine have never been refurbed.

I have heard on other 5 series forums that they won’t replace them under warranty if they’ve been re-furbed and they did a very thorough inspection. It may be different if they are refurbing them themselves. Get it in writing if so

un1corn

Original Poster:

2,143 posts

167 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Muzzer79 said:
Just had 3 of the same rims as you replaced on my 2017 G31 under warranty due to corrosion. Very minor, around the wheel bolts, but still there nevertheless.

Mine have never been refurbed.

I have heard on other 5 series forums that they won’t replace them under warranty if they’ve been re-furbed and they did a very thorough inspection. It may be different if they are refurbing them themselves. Get it in writing if so
That's what i was thinking, getting something in writing to confirm work was done prior to me getting the car. If it goes st in 12 months time, it's back to BMW who hopefully cannot accuse me of getting a st refurb done.

I've still got bad memories of my st220 looking st, like they all did after a few years. still, i dont want to reject the car based on a wheel.

if push comes to shove in a couple of years and it starts to go to st, i'll just buy a new wheel i guess.

Pioneer

1,351 posts

161 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Most of our cars have/had dc alloys. Once a couple have been kerbed I just get all 4 powder coated. Waste of time, esp. BMW ones for some reason

8Tech

2,212 posts

228 months

Wednesday 15th July 2020
quotequote all
Diamond Cut wheel finishes never last, especially for some reason on German cars. I now have them refurbished using a chrome look paint on the previously DC areas and they will last until you kerb them or a stone chip breaks the surface.

mcg_

1,454 posts

122 months

Wednesday 15th July 2020
quotequote all
Probably worth asking for them both on the same side to be done? Maybe be a slightly different finish to factory.

Have to also remember that it is used, and if it had been refurbished when you went to look at it initially, you probably wouldn't have noticed and still bought it.