Degreaser Got On My Fuchs - Fix?

mca · 04-22-2006, 05:11 PM

I just got my car back from the shop yesterday - they had powerwashed the engine in order to trace an oil leak. I believe that the degreaser elements found their way onto my Fuchs and ruined the finish.

Before I approach them on Monday, I'd like to know what options are available for restoring the finish and possible costs involved.

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

Emission · Emission's Garage

Have you cleaned the wheels and attempted to re-wax the finish? What does it look like then?

Degreaser should only remove the wax/oil, not destroy the finish.

tonypeoni · 04-22-2006, 05:41 PM

wax them with Vaseline

anthony · 04-22-2006, 05:44 PM

What part of the finished is ruined? The paint or anodizing? Wheels are easily repainted.

mca · 04-22-2006, 06:24 PM

I just discovered the damage ... it is to the anodized finish and not so much the paint. Degreaser at 100% will certainly damage the finish - especially if it sits on the rim for a while. Don't try to prove me wrong by trying it - just trust me on this one.

I did clean the wheels and I did use vaseline (I usually do this anyhow every couple of months). No dice ... except that it temporarily makes it look 20% better ... vaseline washes off easily plus it collects road dirt.

tonypeoni · 04-22-2006, 06:27 PM

wow its not gonna be cheap to anodize that wheel i don't think you'll have much luck getting them to fix it

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

There is no "fix" for when the anodizing is stained. The vaseline will reduce the appearance of the streak but only for a short while and then it has to be redone.
If the wheels were in excellent shape the shop should do the right thing (if they are reputable) and pay to have them refinished. If the wheels were just OK, then offer to split the cost.

SLO-BOB · 04-22-2006, 07:27 PM

A good shop that cares about it's rep will take care of you. My shop damaged my drivers seat. They offered to pay for the damage, but as the seats weren't perfect, I suggested we split the repair cost.

Send them down to Al Reed and get the look you've always wanted.

Btw-degreaser will absolutely etch the anodizing. Been there.

Emission · Emission's Garage

Wow, I stand corrected!

SLO-BOB · 04-22-2006, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Emission
Wow, I stand corrected!

You weren't necessarily wrong. It depends what's in the degreaser. My previous statement actually should have included that proviso. However, just to be sure, I would avoid getting any harsh cleaner on the wheels such as degreasers or tire cleaners.

89911 · 04-22-2006, 09:09 PM

More reason to polish them. I know many don't like the look of the polished wheels....but....the are much more easier to take care of. Hit them with a good metal polish and they are back to where they were. Anodized metals, at least for the fuchs, seems to have more problems then benefits.

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

Wow, you learn something every day. I did not know this...

-Wayne

Vipergrün · 04-22-2006, 09:23 PM

Brake fluid does the same thing to a recenly done RSR rinish on Fuchs

mca · 04-23-2006, 05:16 AM

Sebring77 - thanks for the pic! That is EXACLTY how my wheels look!

Thanks to all for the advice. I think that I will see if I can get them to split the cost with me and maybe provide me with some temporary wheels while mine are being refinished/polished.

Netspeed · 04-23-2006, 07:50 AM

I think one of the big factors on how fast the wheels etch is based on the temperature of the wheel. If the degreaser/tire sidewall cleaner gets sprayed on while the wheel is still warm from a drive, it will cook the finish off almost right away.

turbo6bar · 04-23-2006, 07:54 AM

Westley's Bleach White (tire cleaner) will also damage anodized fuchs. I felt like an idiot. Fortunately, vaseline will cover the streaks, and it lasts a long time.

Cdnone1 · 04-23-2006, 08:42 AM

Same thing happened to my wheels. If I want to polish them myself how and what would you recommend?
Thanks
steve

William930t · 04-23-2006, 03:46 PM

Sorry to see the stains. What is a Fuchs safe engine degreaser? I am in need of some underside cleaning as well. I could mask the wheels if necessary.

Halm · 04-23-2006, 04:52 PM

I have been following this thread with interest in that my Fuch’s are stained with something too. Here is an experiment I tried this afternoon.

I rubbed them Vaseline, let them set 15 minutes or so and then wiped off the excess. I finished with a layer of One Grand Blitz wax. The improvement was pretty amazing with the streaking much harder to see. However, they still had a long way to go.

Next, I tried polishing with 3M hand Glaze. When that made no impact, I added a dab of P21S Multi Surface Finish Restorer. This really didn’t help much either. As a last try, I moved to Mother’s Aluminum Polish. I know that it is much more abrasive than anything else I have tried, so I was very light with my touch and didn’t work any single area more than another.

This looked the best I had seen yet. So I went back to the Vaseline, followed by Blitz wax and the wheel now looks amazing! I only did one of the four because of time constraints and I am going out of town for the coming week. I will be very anxious to see how it looks in 5 days when I get home. If it stays the same, then next weekend while the wife and sister-in-law are at Merelfest (BIG annual bluegrass event about 40 miles from here), I’ll take before and after pictures as I do the other three.

mca · 04-23-2006, 05:11 PM

Excellent ... please do let us know how it works out. I have used Mother's polish too and it seems to help a little. But you may be on to something with your specific routine.

I am quite surprised to see so many others with the same problem. Before my mechanic streaked ALL of my wheels, I had made the same mistake on one of my front wheels (one day when I was cleaning the tires). It made me SO angry b/c I had just purchased the car a week prior to the incident - and they were in excellent condition.

Maybe polishing is more forgiving than the anodized?? Any thoughts?