Hey guys,

I took my car to the Chevron 100% hand wash, and it looks like whatever they used on my rims stripped them, left haze, and what kind of looks like water spots all over my rims.

These are my rims.


I talked to the manager and complained to him, and he keeps saying that it was not the product they used that damaged my rims. I am fairly confident that the spray they used damaged my rims. I found that they use "red magic" that can be found on carwashsupplies.net.

Is there any way I can prove that the spray damaged my rims besides buying a new one, and having him spray that one with the solution.

Can someone help me find more info on Red Magic? I am trying to find out who makes it, so I can contact them directly. The carwashsupplies.net refuses to even speak over email, and will only speak over the phone.
Thanks guys. I am pretty furious right now.

J

 

We might be able to scour the internet and find the chemical make up of Red Magic, but not sure how much help that wound be. 99 percent of car wash products are safe. Consider that the products are tested on hundreds of vehicles. Problem is 99 percent safe "if used properly." And properly means

Rinse before spray
Correct proportions of mix
Soak time

Any of the above improper uses may result in damage. Unfortunately "proving" damage is often fruitless. Good luck.

 

I did a search for "Red Magic MSDS" and came up with this:
http://www.prairiewest.info/products...egreasing.html

Is this the same product?
If so, then the car wash used a "strong degreaser" on your rims and without diluting the degreaser it very well could have damaged the cc on the rims (which is davidv's primary point - "if used properly").

Perhaps you could ask the car wash how much they dilute the "Red Magic" and go from there.

 

It sounds like this cleaner is probably not pH neutral which may not be safe for un-coated, polished, etc. wheels. Using this type of cleaner can cause a hazy appearance and stains on the lip. It most likely would not strip off the clear coat or part of the surface though. I would suggest using a pH neutral cleaner in the future like the Chemical Guys Diablo Gel Rim and Wheel Cleaner Concentrated Suspension or the P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner. To remove those stains you can usually remove them with some elbow grease and a quality metal polish like the P21S Finish Restorer. Just put a toothpaste sized drop on a soft cloth (preferably microfiber towel) and wipe with light to medium pressure. It should remove those stains and make the wheels look more vibrant. If you have any other questions please let me know.

Greg @ DI

 

You are welcome.