Re-Furbed Alloy Wheel Paint Issues

[dr_gn]

All, I had my E46 BMW wheels re-furbed in late 2017. They looked great, and I've had no problems until this year when Inoticed what looked like severe blistering. On closer inspection, the surface isn't really blistered, rather discoloured and micro-cracked under, or within the clearcoat. It looks to me like theres something under the paint surface pushing up through it and cracking the paint/clearcoat:









I phoned up the place that did them (they specialise in wheel re-furbs) and from my description they said its common with old alloys (these are 2002) - something to do with once they're blasted, there's a corrosion or some other kind of process that causes accelerated corrosion. The only thing they told me when I collected them was not to use alloy wheel cleaner - which I haven't. I sent the pictures and they've asked me to take the car in to have a look.

Has anyone else had this kind of issue, and is the explanation a load of guff?

[Chris32345]

Exactly what I was going to say it the alloy coroding under the paint


Common in wet climates like the UK

[dr_gn]

Chris32345 said:

Exactly what I was going to say it the alloy coroding under the paint


Common in wet climates like the UK

Isn't paint supposed to stop corrosion to to external moisture?

[Chris32345]

It only takes a stone chip or two to let water back into the metal unfortunately

[dr_gn]

Chris32345 said:

It only takes a stone chip or two to let water back into the metal unfortunately

That's a hell of a lot of stone chips on mine then!

Are you saying that any re-furb will only last a couple of years?

[stewies_minion]

dr_gn said:

That's a hell of a lot of stone chips on mine then!

Are you saying that any re-furb will only last a couple of years?

IME - yes

[dr_gn]

stewies_minion said:

dr_gn said:

That's a hell of a lot of stone chips on mine then!

Are you saying that any re-furb will only last a couple of years?

IME - yes

Can of Smoothrite it is then...

[dr_gn]

Took them back and they said they'd never seen anything like it before. They still use powder coat, but have recently changed their clear coat system.

Bottom line is £50 per wheel to re-do them. There is some light kerbing and general wear and tear, and they are now 3 years old so 20% discount is fair enough I suppose all things considered?

[Mark V GTD]

Fair enough after three years I suppose.

[stewies_minion]

I'd say that's very decent of them.