Alloy Refinishing - Painting / Powder-coating / Chroming

Almetal · 10th November 2019, 16:06

Hi,
I'm taking delivery of the Octavia Onyx (Race Blue) edition in the coming week and have a query about the alloys (Premia black 16 inch).
The thing is that the blue shade of the car just doesn't go well with the black alloys.
The dealer says that the warranty will be void if I change my alloys to after market alloys. That leaves me with only one option - Get the alloys painted in silver colour.
My question is - Where to get these alloys painted in Delhi/ NCR? And is the paint long lasting?

Don't want to end up painting them every few months.

RohanDheman · 11th November 2019, 14:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Almetal

My question is - Where to get these alloys painted in Delhi/ NCR? And is the paint long lasting?

Don't want to end up painting them every few months.

Any good workshop close to your residence should be able to do it for you. In fact check with the dealer if he can do it for you before delivery.

If all fails, i have the silver 16' wheels on my Octavia which i would be happy to exchange with the black ones on your car!

Almetal · 11th November 2019, 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by RohanDheman

Any good workshop close to your residence should be able to do it for you. In fact check with the dealer if he can do it for you before delivery.

If all fails, i have the silver 16' wheels on my Octavia which i would be happy to exchange with the black ones on your car!

Yes, I was considering the option of bartering/swapping with someone who might be interested.
Could you P.M me your number, we could discuss the modalities in detail.

RohanDheman · 11th November 2019, 15:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Almetal

Yes, I was considering the option of bartering/swapping with someone who might be interested.
Could you P.M me your number, we could discuss the modalities in detail.

Looks like i cant send you a PM just yet.

Please drop me an email on rohandheman at the rate gmail.com or a message on Instagram. My id is rohandheman there as well and we can have a chat around this. Cheers.

yash2424 · 16th December 2019, 17:34

I purchased a GLS400 at the end of 2017 and have driven the car for around 8000 km only. One day randomly some cracks appeared on the rims around the hub area. I thought maybe it was due to someone using an improper tool but on further inspection the rim is smooth and the cracks are underneath the clear coat. A third party garage said that it is a manufacturing defect as the rim wasn't prepared before the clear coat correctly. Also, these cracks are only on two of the four rims.
I contacted B U Bhandari Pune and told them of the same, they explicitly refused to look at the car for a warranty claim and even without looking at the rim they said it's not covered. They are asking me to put a false insurance claim to get the job done even before looking at the rims. The car is just 2 years and 1/2 months old. Barely driven 8k km and always serviced with them, what should be my way forward? I just want to know if they are right denying warranty for this. The cracks are slowly appearing on the front two wheels too but much lesser than the rear. I don't think they affect the functionality but they look really bad on a 1 crore car. Attached are pics of the rims, the one with the least cracks is the front rim, the other front rim also has very small cracks.

2000rpm · 16th December 2019, 17:45

I seriously respect people buying cars at 1 Cr price and maintaining such cool with dealers when they do not get the right support.

When you say a false insurance claim, what do they mean? That you mention that the car met with an accident and damaged the wheels in those spots?!!

I would recommend against the same. I think if it doesnt work out, you can get it painted for a very reasonable cost (which may be near to your loss of NCB) and get the peace of mind. No point spending time and blood behind dealers.

yash2424 · 16th December 2019, 17:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

I seriously respect people buying cars at 1 Cr price and maintaining such cool with dealers when they do not get the right support.

When you say a false insurance claim, what do they mean? That you mention that the car met with an accident and damaged the wheels in those spots?!!

I would recommend against the same. I think if it doesnt work out, you can get it painted for a very reasonable cost (which may be near to your loss of NCB) and get the peace of mind. No point spending time and blood behind dealers.

Thank you. I have dealt with dealers before and they are mostly crooks and fighting with them is of no use unless you have a political background or some reason for them to fear you. Also, this car is owned by a group that has purchased over 50 cars right from Maybachs/G63 AMG's to C classes from them and they are still indifferent.
The problem with painting is that I will have to get a solid color and the OEM finish cannot be recreated at least that's what my mechanic told me.

Nilesh5417 · 16th December 2019, 18:09

Somehow i'm worried about what if this is not superficial discoloring given that it kinda seems to be close to the hubs. It would be really dangerous for any of these rims to have a structural issue and not hold up given how fast this car can move.
What does the warranty document state when it comes to rims? Maybe raising the issue with MBIL will help once you check what the warranty document states.

84.monsoon · 16th December 2019, 19:25

Are you sure there are no pets (dogs/cats) in the vicinity who may be scratching at the wheels? With my previous car (which used to be parked on the street), a small street puppy fell in love with the rims and would play with it some night last, scratching it and stretching itself up with the front paws on the rim (maybe sharpening its nails!) . I had lots of scratches on the rim (though not cracks) and only on one side.

Turbanator · 16th December 2019, 19:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by yash2424

One day randomly some cracks appeared on the rims around the hub area. A third party garage said that it is a manufacturing defect as the rim wasn't prepared before the clear coat correctly.
I contacted B U Bhandari Pune they explicitly refused to look at the car for a warranty claim and even without looking at the rim they said it's not covered.

It's hard to tell from the pictures if these are scratches or cracks and for some reasons, I won't buy the argument of Rim preparations unless the scratches are superficial and not Cracks. Ask Dealership to share their investigations in written and after that involve MB India. Manufacturers usually support customers if there is indeed some manufacturing defect. Also, search some MB forum for such examples. If these are superficial, there can be multiple reasons, something like corrosive properties of water that you are using for car washing. Do try to compare with some other GLS of similar year/ Month at the dealership or your circle.

You have done the correct thing by not filing a wrong claim. Even I was advised something similar by the local BMW dealership when I complained about scratches on this beautiful wheel.

It's better to stay with a scratched wheel than take a wrong claim. But in your case, if there is indeed structural damage, try to get the warranty. If it does not work out buy some better wheels and think as of a mid-cycle change.

yash2424 · 16th December 2019, 20:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Are you sure there are no pets (dogs/cats) in the vicinity who may be scratching at the wheels? With my previous car (which used to be parked on the street), a small street puppy fell in love with the rims and would play with it some night last, scratching it and stretching itself up with the front paws on the rim (maybe sharpening its nails!) . I had lots of scratches on the rim (though not cracks) and only on one side.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbanator

It's hard to tell from the pictures if these are scratches or cracks and for some reasons, I won't buy the argument of Rim preparations unless the scratches are superficial and not Cracks. Ask Dealership to share their investigations in written and after that involve MB India. But in your case, if there is indeed structural damage, try to get the warranty. If it does not work out buy some better wheels and think as of a mid-cycle change.

Well, the main problem is that these aren't scratches. This has formed underneath the clear coat on the rims. Cant be felt or anything, the wheel is perfectly smooth to touch. That is why I am concerned.

Sandeep500 · 16th December 2019, 20:14

Looking at the pictures it seems these are superficial cracks or discolouration. It is mostly due to dogs peeing on the rims and tyres of the car. Sometimes the pee or urine of dogs is acidic in nature and it may react with the colour of rims causing this thing. I too have faced this issue with two of my cars. On one car with aftermarket alloys the outer layer turned black in patches and on the second car it was like your car. It happened because the dog at home pees on the rims and when the car is parked on the streets the stray dogs also do the same thing to leave there mark. If the rims are not washed as early as possible then this discolouration happens. So not a case of warranty.

P.S This type of discolouration happens more on chrome alloys. And on my one car it was set right by rubbing or sanding by painter .

ajmat · 16th December 2019, 21:34

These are not cracks, these are corrosion due to the deterioration of the clear coat, happens due to a variety of things from the brake dust to the water hardness. My Jetta wheels are a mess. It is quite possible judging by the location and the marks, that a lot of abrasive action has happened to remove brake dust.

car_crazy1400 · 16th December 2019, 23:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmat

These are not cracks, these are corrosion due to the deterioration of the clear coat, happens due to a variety of things from the brake dust to the water hardness. My Jetta wheels are a mess. It is quite possible judging by the location and the marks, that a lot of abrasive action has happened to remove brake dust.

Agreed. These are not cracks at all. Very common in areas with hard water or where the wheels are washed every day after cleaning the car.

This is just surface corrosion. Due to the water stagnation in the holes where the lugs are tightened and the centre hub cap too.

Take off the wheel and feel the paint inside the wheel lug holes, paint is surely peeled off due to the wrench used for opening the lugs.

Your best option is to get the rims painted. Yes, you will not get the cnc machined finish again, however, the paint would be much long lasting than this machined (read diamond cut, in marketing terms) finish.

white_vdi · 17th December 2019, 15:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmat

These are not cracks, these are corrosion due to the deterioration of the clear coat, happens due to a variety of things from the brake dust to the water hardness. My Jetta wheels are a mess. It is quite possible judging by the location and the marks, that a lot of abrasive action has happened to remove brake dust.

+1
It is definitely result of hard water and dust. It just reflects more on this machine finished wheels. I had the same issue on my wheels too.

10th November 2019, 16:06	#211
Almetal BHPian Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Delhi Posts: 58 Thanked: 125 Times	Re: The official alloy wheel show-off thread. Lets see your rims! Hi, I'm taking delivery of the Octavia Onyx (Race Blue) edition in the coming week and have a query about the alloys (Premia black 16 inch). The thing is that the blue shade of the car just doesn't go well with the black alloys. The dealer says that the warranty will be void if I change my alloys to after market alloys. That leaves me with only one option - Get the alloys painted in silver colour. My question is - Where to get these alloys painted in Delhi/ NCR? And is the paint long lasting? Don't want to end up painting them every few months.
	(1) Thanks

16th December 2019, 17:34	#215
yash2424 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: New York Posts: 96 Thanked: 249 Times	GLS 400 Quality Issue I purchased a GLS400 at the end of 2017 and have driven the car for around 8000 km only. One day randomly some cracks appeared on the rims around the hub area. I thought maybe it was due to someone using an improper tool but on further inspection the rim is smooth and the cracks are underneath the clear coat. A third party garage said that it is a manufacturing defect as the rim wasn't prepared before the clear coat correctly. Also, these cracks are only on two of the four rims. I contacted B U Bhandari Pune and told them of the same, they explicitly refused to look at the car for a warranty claim and even without looking at the rim they said it's not covered. They are asking me to put a false insurance claim to get the job done even before looking at the rims. The car is just 2 years and 1/2 months old. Barely driven 8k km and always serviced with them, what should be my way forward? I just want to know if they are right denying warranty for this. The cracks are slowly appearing on the front two wheels too but much lesser than the rear. I don't think they affect the functionality but they look really bad on a 1 crore car. Attached are pics of the rims, the one with the least cracks is the front rim, the other front rim also has very small cracks. Attached Thumbnails
	(7) Thanks

16th December 2019, 17:45	#216
2000rpm Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2013 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,518 Thanked: 6,050 Times	Re: GLS 400 Quality Issue I seriously respect people buying cars at 1 Cr price and maintaining such cool with dealers when they do not get the right support. When you say a false insurance claim, what do they mean? That you mention that the car met with an accident and damaged the wheels in those spots?!! I would recommend against the same. I think if it doesnt work out, you can get it painted for a very reasonable cost (which may be near to your loss of NCB) and get the peace of mind. No point spending time and blood behind dealers.
	(7) Thanks

16th December 2019, 18:09	#218
Nilesh5417 Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 1,812 Thanked: 2,617 Times	Re: GLS 400 Quality Issue Somehow i'm worried about what if this is not superficial discoloring given that it kinda seems to be close to the hubs. It would be really dangerous for any of these rims to have a structural issue and not hold up given how fast this car can move. What does the warranty document state when it comes to rims? Maybe raising the issue with MBIL will help once you check what the warranty document states.
	(2) Thanks

16th December 2019, 19:25	#219
84.monsoon Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2010 Location: Chennai Posts: 2,262 Thanked: 10,103 Times	Re: GLS 400 Quality Issue Are you sure there are no pets (dogs/cats) in the vicinity who may be scratching at the wheels? With my previous car (which used to be parked on the street), a small street puppy fell in love with the rims and would play with it some night last, scratching it and stretching itself up with the front paws on the rim (maybe sharpening its nails!) . I had lots of scratches on the rim (though not cracks) and only on one side. Last edited by 84.monsoon : 16th December 2019 at 19:27.
	() Thanks

16th December 2019, 20:14	#222
Sandeep500 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Bathinda Posts: 233 Thanked: 412 Times	Re: GLS 400 Quality Issue Looking at the pictures it seems these are superficial cracks or discolouration. It is mostly due to dogs peeing on the rims and tyres of the car. Sometimes the pee or urine of dogs is acidic in nature and it may react with the colour of rims causing this thing. I too have faced this issue with two of my cars. On one car with aftermarket alloys the outer layer turned black in patches and on the second car it was like your car. It happened because the dog at home pees on the rims and when the car is parked on the streets the stray dogs also do the same thing to leave there mark. If the rims are not washed as early as possible then this discolouration happens. So not a case of warranty. P.S This type of discolouration happens more on chrome alloys. And on my one car it was set right by rubbing or sanding by painter . Last edited by Sandeep500 : 16th December 2019 at 20:20.
	() Thanks

16th December 2019, 21:34	#223
ajmat Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 14,866 Thanked: 27,981 Times View My Garage	Re: GLS 400 Quality Issue These are not cracks, these are corrosion due to the deterioration of the clear coat, happens due to a variety of things from the brake dust to the water hardness. My Jetta wheels are a mess. It is quite possible judging by the location and the marks, that a lot of abrasive action has happened to remove brake dust.
	(5) Thanks