General Mags Discoloured

[kat]

Hi, I have a 2002 5 door Abarth with chromed 17" mags. Been noticing the electroplating on one of the mags has been coming off in places. On the left side of the vechicle, one mag has two discoloured areas and the other showing some slight signs. Almost looks as though something has been spilled on them. The two on the right side of the car are fine. Any ideas?
Kat

 

[Koa]

Hi Kat.. it could well be the brake dust has got under the layers, this happens quite often on alloys if you don't clean the wheels really thorough.

The brake dust is extremely corosive and if a wheel has a stone chip it will get under the paint that way.
Do you have any pictures of the wheels with the damage ?
your best bet is to get them refurbished which can cost (in the UK) anything from £10 per wheel up to £100 depending on the extent of the damage.

 

[kat]

Hi
Picture attached
Thanks
kat

 

[Koa]

Thats weird because it looks as if they are damaged in the same place on each spoke. Symetrical damage like that would suggest to me that something was on the wheels before they got their paint done, especially the position of the damage, because if something was spilt onto the wheel it would have got onto the front and also behind where its damaged..
In my opinion, I think they were picked up with something in the factory before they had the paint job and its contaminated the alloys, therefore causing the paint to not hold.
There's probably a lot more people on here that could help you with this as im not a paint expert, it just seems like the most likely cause.
Maybe if this thread was moved to the bodyshop section, some of the modders may be able to shed some extra light on this.

 

[kat]

Hi
Considering that the ones on the drivers side are in excellent condition and the other one on the passenger side is also OK, it lead me to think it may be a manufacuturing issue. The colour under the silver paint is grey, not metal but like the grey finish on the grey option for similiar mags - as if a grey mag has been oversprayed by silver. Stll under warranty so will raise it with the dealer.
Cheers, kat