Wheels damaged at manned car wash.

dylbert

I'm pretty particular about washing my car so usually do it myself but sometime when I don't have the time I use a manned car was at a local garage. I've used these guys about 5 times in the past year with no issues until today.
After getting home I noticed that the paint on the wheels was damaged, it's pretty obvious that whatever chemical was used was either not appropriate or mixed too strong.
I went back over to complain to the lads there, I showed them the damage and said that the wheels where not in that condition before the car was washed. They said that they could not have caused the damage. I asked them to show me what was used to clean the wheels and the guy pointed out an old unlabelled 20L jerry can which they water down and use in a pressure sprayer.

Just wondering where I stand, what's my chances if I take this further? Has anybody any experience chasing something like this up?

I'm going to put a letter of complaint together and send it on but doubt it will have much impact.

I'm fuming over this, I should have gave the car a good check over before and after the wash.
You can see the damage in these pictures.










Here's a picture of the car taken on the 29th of June, it's clear that the wheels were not damaged then.

Stanford

Have you established who these guys are and who is the head honcho?

Stanford

tbh the before and after pics show considerable damage to the alloy lacquer?? Its doubtful anything that doesn't affect car paint could cause this level of damage

Toyotafanboi

Seen that happen a few times and sometimes to the bodywork not just the wheels of the car from using certain cleaning products. I think generally when this happens it's because the product has hit a warm/ hot surface and has had a chance to dry in.

Is the car wash fairly well established with a premises etc or are you feeling with cowboys?

Maybe post a pic in the detailing forum, I wonder could they be polished back good somehow or is the finish ruined.

Stanford

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Seen that happen a few times and sometimes to the bodywork not just the wheels of the car from using certain cleaning products. I think generally when this happens it's because the product has hit a warm/ hot surface and has had a chance to dry in.

Is the car wash fairly well established with a premises etc or are you feeling with cowboys?

Maybe post a pic in the detailing forum, I wonder could they be polished back good somehow or is the finish ruined.

Looks like the lacquer was fairly damaged BEFORE the car wash

dylbert

Stanford wrote: »

Have you established who these guys are and who is the head honcho?

No, I think that's the next step, all I have to go on is a facebook page. When I went back down I aske for their bosses details but they wouldn't give me any.

Stanford

dylbert wrote: »

No, I think that's the next step, all I have to go on is a facebook page. When I went back down I aske for their bosses details but they wouldn't give me any.

If they are on the garage premises you could ask the garage owner who they are

colm_mcm

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=103693737&postcount=4455

Maybe it’s an issue with the refurb? Assuming it’s the same car

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

frozenfrozen

go back to whoever painted those wheels

dylbert

colm_mcm wrote: »

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=103693737&postcount=4455

Maybe it’s an issue with the refurb? Assuming it’s the same car

Really? They where refurbed a year ago, they've been in perfect condition until today, you can see from the picture taken last month that they were not damaged.

Stanford

Those wheels were clearly damaged BEFORE the car wash, the lacquer is clearly pitted

Visconti

Cant imagine any watered down cleaning product doing that, it looks like the laquer is lifting off the alloy it happened me on a toyota Camry years back they were famous for it.

dylbert

Before picture.

frozenfrozen

get a better close up picture where you can tell what way the paint was layered on, are they a matt finish?

they were hardly painted and not clear coated?

dylbert

frozenfrozen wrote: »

get a better close up picture where you can tell what way the paint was layered on, are they a matt finish?

they were hardly painted and not clear coated?

They were powder coated satin black.

Kristopherus

dylbert wrote: »

They were powder coated satin black.

Can you edit out your reg. no?

colm_mcm

Kristopherus wrote: »

Can you edit out your reg. no?

Why?

dylbert

I'll take better pictures when I get a chance, you can see streak marks of whatever caused the damage.

The paint on all four wheels would hardly fail all of a sudden in the space of a couple of days to this extent.

dylbert

Stanford wrote: »

Looks like the lacquer was fairly damaged BEFORE the car wash

They're not damaged in the before pic, it's a satin finish.

Del2005

dylbert wrote: »

Before picture.

Your before pictures aren't showing in either post

dylbert

Del2005 wrote: »

Your before pictures aren't showing in either post

Anything now?

EPAndlee

My first thought was they used a caustic wheel cleaner that dried in, diluted too strong or even used neat something like auto smart smart wheels. Did you try cleaning the wheels again? Or a polish with some abrasive qualities might help

Visconti

dylbert wrote: »

Anything now?

Very clear the wheels look perfect. Could brake dust have affected the powdercoat ? Look up powdercoating faults etc something has damaged your wheels and when they got cleaned the powdercoat lifted there is no doubt. I still think it is more related to an original coating defect than a cleaning product but i could be wrong.

_Brian

Stanford wrote: »

Have you established who these guys are and who is the head honcho?

This !!

Two places locally and the head guy is only about once a week and I guess never washed a car in his life. You need to get talking to the owner of the car wash.

dylbert

I tried cleaning them with some all purpose cleaner but it had no effect. I think I’ll drop by A wheel refurb specialist and get their opinion on the cause.

Jack Moore

When was that pic taken?

dylbert

Jack Moore wrote: »

When was that pic taken?

29th of June.

babi-hrse

I had that too but in my case the entire wheel paint stripped off all my alloys. I explained to the owner and didn't kick up a massive fuss
He found a person who does resprays at a reasonable rate was a friend of his. Got them repainted for me and came by to check and see I was happy with the effort. The guy who resprayed them did it privately and explained that the wheels likely were sanded down to the primer and repainted without the proper laquer. As a result the detergent ate right through. The car had a sticking brake caliper issue that caused the alloys to heat up and crack the paintwork it's likely the previous owner repainted them to hide this as I could see heat releated creases in the alloy paint after a few weeks of taking ownership of the car. After the respray I've had no issues.
I can give ya the number of a lad that did mine in Dublin for less than 150E

godtabh

dylbert wrote: »

After getting home I noticed that the paint on the wheels was damaged, it's pretty obvious that whatever chemical was used was either not appropriate or mixed too strong.

It was only when you got home you noticed it? If it as you say it is surely you would have noticed straight away?

dylbert

babi-hrse wrote: »

I had that too but in my case the entire wheel paint stripped off all my alloys. I explained to the owner and didn't kick up a massive fuss
He found a person who does resprays at a reasonable rate was a friend of his. Got them repainted for me and came by to check and see I was happy with the effort. The guy who resprayed them did it privately and explained that the wheels likely were sanded down to the primer and repainted without the proper laquer. As a result the detergent ate right through. The car had a sticking brake caliper issue that caused the alloys to heat up and crack the paintwork it's likely the previous owner repainted them to hide this as I could see heat releated creases in the alloy paint after a few weeks of taking ownership of the car. After the respray I've had no issues.
I can give ya the number of a lad that did mine in Dublin for less than 150E

I got them done at a fairly reputable place, sandblasted and powder coated.

A stiking calliper might explain one wheel, but all four?

dylbert

godtabh wrote: »

It was only when you got home you noticed it? If it as you say it is surely you would have noticed straight away?

I didn’t get out to check the car, doh, kicking myself

snowcat

dylbert wrote: »

I didn’t get out to check the car, doh, kicking myself

Most of those car wash guys use an acid to clean the wheels (sulphuric) and washing up liquid to clean the paintwork. Both work brilliantly in the short term but the acid and salt in the washing up liquid will destroy your wheels and bodywork in no time.

JoeA3

Too late now but my advice is never use €10 public car washes. You’re asking for trouble. They’re using strong acidic cleaners and crap techniques (gritty sponges) - a deadly combination. Modern paint finishes and wheels (especially diamond cut wheels which are so common now!) will not tolerate that kind of treatment for too long.

You’re actually far better off leaving a car filthy dirty until you have time to do it carefully yourself.

Jack Moore

dylbert wrote: »

29th of June.

Your tax and insurance were out of date! Was the car off the road

dylbert

Jack Moore wrote: »

Your tax and insurance were out of date! Was the car off the road

That’s strange, tax and insurance were renewed in March but this photo is dated June on my phone.

colm_mcm

The plot thickens!

Jack Moore

dylbert wrote: »

That’s strange, tax and insurance were renewed in March but this photo is dated June on my phone.

Hey I’m just playing just don’t show that photo as proof without a little croppage.

demanufactured

snowcat wrote: »

Most of those car wash guys use an acid to clean the wheels (sulphuric) and washing up liquid to clean the paintwork. Both work brilliantly in the short term but the acid and salt in the washing up liquid will destroy your wheels and bodywork in no time.

Usually a strong tfr and some wheel cleaner

babi-hrse

I didn't notice mine till I got home. Went to look at the car in the driveway and everything sparkled but the wheels were grubby and grey. I then noticed a strip of paint still left on the alloy where diesel had trickled over a couple of days before

MetzgerMeister

Due to the recent drought, I brought mine to a local car wash out of desperation to see what way they worked. I watched them do 1 car and was gone immediately. TFR all over the car (strips any wax/coating on the car), wash mitts in a big bucket of dirty water, Autosmart wheel cleaner and worst of all a badly maneuvered water blade to remove excess water before drying with leather chamois which damage paint also.

Went home and did it myself. A dried-up well is less of a worry for me than a dirty car

OP - when you rub your finger along the paint, is it chipped? If so whatever they used to clean the wheels (i.e. brush) did some damage. If the surface is still smooth I would guess it was one of/a combination of the following:

- Wheel was hot to the touch when product was applied
- After product was applied it was allowed to dry too long before removal
- After product was applied it was left in direct sunlight
- Product was very acidic (not pH neutral as it should be) and because it was left on the wheel for the given time it started eating into the top coat

My guess is that these places use products that are ok for factory finishes but for the job you had done on the wheels it was just too acidic.

Stallingrad

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Due to the recent drought, I brought mine to a local car wash out of desperation to see what way they worked. I watched them do 1 car and was gone immediately. TFR all over the car (strips any wax/coating on the car), wash mitts in a big bucket of dirty water, Autosmart wheel cleaner and worst of all a badly maneuvered water blade to remove excess water before drying with leather chamois which damage paint also.

I'd need therapy after watching that!

MetzgerMeister

Stallingrad wrote: »

I'd need therapy after watching that!

I got therapy - doing my own car the correct way counteracted all the evil I had seen a few hours previously.

Self medication works

dylbert

I pop into a wheel refurbish place on the way home from work to get their opinion. He said it looks like the laquer was chemically removed, the cleaner used was either too acidic or caustic, it looks like wheel that was partially dipped in their acid bath. He said that when laquer fails normally it starts to chip away, the laquer on my wheels looks like it was burnt off.

babi-hrse

dylbert wrote: »

I got them done at a fairly reputable place, sandblasted and powder coated.

A stiking calliper might explain one wheel, but all four?

I'd say he painted it as close as he could then realised it didn't quite match and did the other 3 if it's gonna be off let em all be off together. Now I'm only speculating but it made sense. Like the OP my alloys were powder coated too. I literally watched the acid bubble up the remaining paint when I brought it back the following day he mistakenly assumed I said the car was not clean enough and sprayed the wheels again