Hey everyone, my newly purchased 2006 350Z apparently has some serious water spots on the rims.

I didn't notice these before purchasing because its winter time and the car was always wet/dirty (never buying a car in winter again!)

Some cell phone pics after a wash and a quick polish..



Any help on how to remove this would be hugely appreciated!

I have some polish / paint cleaners / rubbing compounds around the garage but I just want to know what is safe on these rims. They are the stock 18inch 2006 base model rims.

Thanks,
Joe

 

I don't think those are water spots. I think they are caused by brake dust sitting on the wheels too long. You might try rubbing them with a clay bar and see if the stains will come out.

 

hmm okay yeah your right it does look like that. ill try some clay and see thanks!

 

Agree. This is not water spots. This is etching from brake dust. OEM wheels are paint plus clear coat. Once the clear coat is gone it is gone. No getting it back.

 

well then im guessing my only option is to sand down then re clear?

 

Or have them painted by a wheel shop. Figure $400/4.

 

Not sure what it is but you should be able to buff that out with a quality metal polish. The Optimum Metal Polish (on sale!) will help deep clean the surface and leave a little bit of protection on the wheel. Put a few drops on a small cloth and buff it on with medium pressure and then buff off the excess with a clean cloth. The process takes time but I'm confident you can fix the problem or at least make a big improvement. Make sure you try this before visiting a wheel shop. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

Maybe I'm wrong..... but it look more like etching from an inappropriate / acid wheel cleaner. And Yup, once the clear is gone... its gone.

 

Ive read about the wheel acid problem etc egc. but this is completely smooth to touch, so I would find it odd if the clear coat had been eaten away

 

You would think.... but I have seen it first hand. Cant feel it. It damages the clear coat and the alloy begins to oxidize.

 

Hmm well that sucks. I didnt plan on buying new rims yet but this may be a good excuse...hmmmmm

 

I had this problem. Worked at night, so my Z didn't get washed very often. I wasn't planning on buying new wheels either, so I broke out some sand paper, wheel paint, and some clear... lol. Took the cheap route, but I plan on getting some wheels when I get back from deployment though...