06 M35 Wheel Problem

[337]

I have an 2006 M35 with 66K Miles. I bought the car used from a dealer that bought it at auction. One issue I see are the wheels look like the finish is coming off/fading. Can anyone verify that they have seen this before? Is it a matter of getting them re-painted/dipped? How costly is it?

I had to drive in the rain before I took the pics. The Black on the inside is not brake dust as I have tried to remove it...

Thanks for the help. I have a couple of other questions that I will post seperately.



Modified by 337 at 6:59 PM 2/2/2009
Modified by 337 at 7:00 PM 2/2/2009

[337]

[zozoka1212]

I think the black part is brake dust just got baked on the wheels. Most likely what happened is the previous owner ow the car did not care much to clean the wheels. If you don't clean it periodicaly it will be a biotch to clean. Probably the dealer tried to clean it before selling it and they used something like scratch pad to clean. Most likely they could not clean all the way or they thought that is good enough. That's where the fade is coming from also. Although the paint is a little more durable on the wheels but they are not miracle.

zozo

[M4T5]

NO, I do not think that is brake dust. That is the primer coat or the actual wheel alloy metal that is starting to show through. The finish on these wheels are not all that great. It is thin and of course painted on. If it was clear coated, then it would have been a lot more durable. This is just another area Infiniti skimps on quality.You need to either get them re-finished or get some more wheels. If you do re-finish them, have them chrome dipped. They will look so much better!

Good luck.

J

[NightWatch]

That wheel looks like it was refinished once already. It doesn't look like it was a very good job. Unfortunately you can't get the paint that Infiniti uses to paint the wheels in this country because it is lead based and canont be imported. (I know, I've tried before). Best bet is to have the wheels chromed by a shop that knows what they're doing. Choming is actually a 3 step process and the final step is actually applying the chrome finish as the final layer. Stay away from anyone that says they can chrome directly to the alloy wheel, because it will only peel off. There are some vendors on Ebay that have a swap program and you can get a set of 4 chromed wheels for about $750 by sending back your existing wheels. Without the swap they're about $1800. Make sure you read the reviews before buying... some are reputable, some are not.

[BassPilot]

I am having the same problem with the wheels on my M. The "hyper silver" finish that looks so good when new is, if I understand what I have read correctly, a silver paint coat over a black coat. Unfortunately, it seems that the silver paint on some of these wheels is pretty thin, and when it wears the black starts showing through. I just wonder whether this could be a warranty issue on a vehicle that still has some unexpired bumper-to-bumper warranty left. Any ideas, anyone?

[NightWatch]

I would think that if your car is still under warranty and there isn't any evidence of physical damage to the wheel (harsh brushes or cleansers) that this defect would be covered under the warranty.

[M4T5]

I want to bet you anything they will place cause on you and the products used to clean the wheels! Infiniti dealer and customer services are sub par to me at this time....

J

[NightWatch]

I'd like to think they'd be a bit more honest than that if they want to maintain brand loyalty. I've noticed that there is a wide degree of support from various Infiniti Service departments. In my experience with my dealership they have always bent over backwards to satisfy my service needs, they've even repaired a couple problems where one was clearly my error and one was when the vehicle had just passed out of warranty at no charge to me. Remember if the specific dealership denies your warranty claim you can always contact the regional service manager and get him involved as well. They tend to be a little less sensitive to a dealerships profit and loss and more concerned about customer satisfaction.

[337]

Good stuff. Thanks guys!

[BassPilot]

I would also like to thank everyone for their suggestions. I think I will contact my nearest dealer and see what develops from there.

[carcrazyinambler]

These two sources will refinish the wheels that you have to the original finish and yes, they are here in the good old USA! They are:

http://www.thewheelwarehouse.com/

and....

http://www.wheelcollision.com/

3 day turn around and approximately $250.00 to refinish my 19" dual 5 spoke powder coat silver hyperfinish wheel! Ship it! Dealer wants $937. for a new rim.