Wheel Corrosion

[Anton8]

Hi

E -Tron GT now 6 months old and the alloys have started to corrode already. Took the car to my Audi dealer and they agreed they need refinishing. The car has gone in today and I now have a new E-Tron SUV as a courtesy car. Audi have been very good and it should be ready on Friday. After driving the SUV, nice car but prefer my GT.

Tony

[Stevey Y]

1 hour ago, Anton8 said:

Hi

E -Tron GT now 6 months old and the alloys have started to corrode already. Took the car to my Audi dealer and they agreed they need refinishing. The car has gone in today and I now have a new E-Tron SUV as a courtesy car. Audi have been very good and it should be ready on Friday. After driving the SUV, nice car but prefer my GT.

Tony

Hi they have cut down on the quality of parts for the new electric cars and this includes alloys, I was told by a Ford uk accountant just last week that all car producers are euphoric over how much money they can make out of electric vehicles as they all use the same drive train and globalised parts therefore they can cut down on the quality of most other parts that were expensive, looked inside an E Tron one of the other cabbies has bought, the seats are cloth which looked very much like a sixties settee, remember thicker lacquer costs more money.

Steve.

[Magnet]

Hello Tony,

In addition to Steve’s comments, and appreciating the car is only

 6 months old, what is your cleaning routine with the car? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Anton8]

Hi Gareth

I have never washed it. I take it to the hand car wash close to me every couple of weeks.

Tony

[Magnet]

Thanks Tony,

Apologies for being pedantic, but does ‘hand’ wash include a pressure washer, and an application of wheel cleaner? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Anton8]

I would imagine so.

[Magnet]

Thereby probably lies your answer Tony. 
Application of a high acidity wheel cleaner, followed by blasting that acid solution into the (thin) wheel lacquer coating is highly likely to result in perforation of the lacquer, and subsequent degrading. 
To be honest, it wouldn’t have surprised me if Audi (unfairly due to the age) would have refused to rectify the issue. 
Pessimistic probably, but I wouldn’t like to put any guarantee on this not happening again. 
Appreciating, the cleaning regime may not have changed from earlier models, but as Steve says, coating thicknesses probably have. 
Everyone to their own, but I stay well away from anyone aiming a pressure washer at my cars - seen too many with subsequent lacquer degradation following that route. 
Anyone who has used these blue plastic 40 gallon drums as water butts will know the concentrated dregs left in the bottom will literally take your skin off, and it’s easy to be concerned about how accurate their dilution rates are. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Anton8]

Well thanks for that Gareth. I will talk to Audi and see what they suggest. I used to clean my A6 myself but now being over 80 if I get down to clean the wheels I may never get up again. 

On that note though, I had a job getting some sort of reasonable insurance for the GT. I suppose 80 year olds aren't supposed to have £90k GT's. I was quoted anything up to £4.5K per year with full NCB. I eventually got it for £1.2K with Esure. Does put you off a bit from owning the car of your dreams.

[Magnet]

Thanks Tony,

I qualify for your club, although I do still wash and polish our cars by hand - always have. 
Insurance! I just sorted cover for my mid 80s elder brother, and as with yourself Tony, he has had max. NCB for yonks, but it hasn’t stopped his premium increasing by 80% this year - and his last year’s insurers worked out the best bet, despite that. 
We are now in this reversed-young - drivers group, where our premiums will increase significantly year on year, as the young drivers decreases with age. 
Keep on motoring Tony, but tell those car cleaners not to squirt anything on your newly refurbished wheels. I wouldn’t mention anything to Audi. 
Good luck and kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Anton8]

Thanks for your replies Gareth.

I can make Cardiff on one charge, but, I would have to stop at Chieveley Services on the way back to recharge. So, when the GT needs cleaning again I'll pop over and leave it with you while I go to lunch if that is OK.

Tony

 

[Magnet]

Taking me for lunch after cleaning your car sounds a much more acceptable arrangement Tony! 

p.s. Beckenham - interesting. Google ‘ Winterbourne’s Austin Sixteen ‘ when you have 10 mins to spare. Overbury Avenene (street number evades me at the moment - 18 from memory)  but not reliable!  It would be useful to know whether said property was in multiple occupancy between 1947 and 1965. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Anton8]

18 Overbury Avenue is a victorian house that has been converted into flats. Haven't got a clue about 1947-1965

I don't see the connection between Winterbourne Austin Sixteen and Beckenham.

Tony

[Magnet]

The connection should be meaningful Tony, once you’ve read the article.

Sounds like a visit to the Kent Archives for me then, to view the Electoral Registers for the period of interest. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Anton8]

Sorry Gareth only sped read it. I now see the connection with Beckenham.

Tony

[Anton8]

Hi Gareth

Just looked on The Electoral Register for Beckenham. The was a Hetty S Holloway living in somewhere Beckenham in 1965.

Tony

 

[Magnet]

It takes me 23 years to renovate it, and you take 2 minutes to read it! 
Only joking Anton. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Barthog24]

Why not try some wheel protection after sorting. I have used Gtechniq for 6 years. They do a C5 wheel armour, easy to apply and makes cleaning easy.

many other brands available, you can try a detailing web site for help.

[Anton8]

Hi Andy

 Thanks for your reply. The wheels have been completely refinished by Audi under the warranty nearly a year ago now. They are now perfect. I did look at your suggestion and it sounds like a very good product, but, unsure how it would react with the lacquer that has already been put on to the wheels. As the car is still under warranty I think I will give it a miss. But, thanks anyway

Tony 

[cliffcoggin]

As a mere stripling of 73 I have only been jet washing my cars for 25 years and they have never suffered any damage, though I must add two caveats:

1/ I use only water, never any additives.

2/ Car cleaning is done religiously twice per year, whether it needs it or not!

[Anton8]

I get the car hand washed at my local Tesco. They do a very good job, but I do ask no additives for the alloys. 

Tony

[Magnet]

Twice a year Cliff! 
It puts me in mind of a late friend of mine who was telephoned by another friend of his. His wife said ‘he’s having a bath’ to which the retort was ‘Is it that time of year already!? 
We are all different, but I wouldn’t put a pressure washer near paintwork - even only twice a year. If you see how it cleans your patio, you will know why - with or without chemicals. Really bad news in my book.

Kind regards,

Gareth.