Scout alloy wheels

[IBN]

Greetings out there!
Just returned from discussions with a dealer about the flaking paint on one of the wheels of my Octavia Scout. Apparently it's due to stone chips and not a manufacturing defect! Hmmm, interesting. Thought these cars were meant to be able to handle dirt roads.Wonder how Subaru Forester and Outback owners cope. Bit disappointed. If the wheels are so fragile, it would require replacing the original alloys with something more robust as the car has probably done 100kms on dirt at most. I somehow don't like the idea of getting the alloys refinished every year as part of the annual service
By the way, does anyone know of a good wheel refinisher in Melbourne.
Cheers.

[brad]

Greetings out there!
Just returned from discussions with a dealer about the flaking paint on one of the wheels of my Octavia Scout. Apparently it's due to stone chips and not a manufacturing defect! Hmmm, interesting. Thought these cars were meant to be able to handle dirt roads.Wonder how Subaru Forester and Outback owners cope. Bit disappointed. If the wheels are so fragile, it would require replacing the original alloys with something more robust as the car has probably done 100kms on dirt at most. I somehow don't like the idea of getting the alloys refinished every year as part of the annual service
By the way, does anyone know of a good wheel refinisher in Melbourne.
Cheers.

I recall something about flaking alloys & warranty over at BriSkoda - have you looked there?

Maybe powdercoating might be the answer. Or DIY?

[IBN]

Thanks for the hint. I'll have a poke around in there. It is interesting that a car that is advertised as being an all-roader can't be used as such because the alloys aren't tough enough. Go figure.
Cheers, Ivars.

[mikinoz]

Mind sharing a photo of how they have held up?

[IBN]

Umm.... Bit embarrassed - haven't joined the digital age properly. Here's a picture I took earlier with the "wireless" phone Quality is as is.

[Tim]

if im looking at that pic correctly that looks like some serious flaking!
The paint shouldnt come away like that even if it has been chipped by a stone.

[IBN]

Agree that the lacquer should not flake like that, but there you go......... Had a look at the Briskoda site and the forums are full of complaints from owners whose alloys are experiencing flaking and bubbling of the finish. In some ways I could possibly understand problems with the harsh conditions - hard winters, salted roads and so on. The difference over there seems to be the attitude of the dealers. Some are prepared to help. For others it appears to be too hard.

[brad]

What do you wash / clean your wheels with?

[IBN]

Ahhhh..... lazy me, Seeing that you can't wash a car at home in Melbourne any more, it goes to a hand wash place. Caustic/acidic substances? Dunno. I'd suggest that if something really nasty were to be used, they'd get a whole line of complaints from assorted prestige car owners. I am planning to get the wheel fixed and I'll be mighty interested to see what the repairer will have to say about the finish. To my mind, it looks as the metal where the paint has peeled has not been prepared correctly before painting- whatever was left after the casting process was not cleaned out of the corners of the spokes. The car has been washed maybe 4 times. Water/moisture ingress under stone dings? On one wheel only?
On a side note, just crawled around the car to have another look. None the wiser. However got a couple of paint flakes and measured them with a micrometer - 0.04mm. Seems a bit thin maybe? Pity I don't work in a lab anymore. Anyone have a paint thickness gauge out there?