# Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING!



## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

This JUST started happening the other day. My 45k mile Wolfsburg BBS wheels are starting to pit around the rim of the wheel. Has this happened to anyone else? I thought these wheels were clear coated, which it seems like they are b/c you can't "feel" the pitting - it's underneath the clear coat.
Since my car is out of B2B warranty... I'm







and








EDIT - I'll take some pictures tonight.


[Modified by pooz01wolfsburg, 11:48 AM 3-17-2003]


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

E-mail from BBS: 
_Being a O.E. wheel they are NOT covered by any BBS warranty. They are only 
covered by the VW warranty. 
John Lewis 
BBS of America, Inc._


[Modified by pooz01wolfsburg, 11:51 AM 3-18-2003]


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## f1forkvr6 (Jun 10, 2002)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

How often to you wash your wheels?


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (f1forkvr6)*

In the spring/summer/fall time - every week.
In the winter - about every other week, or as often as I can.
I spoke to my dealership, and they advised me to call VWoA. I spoke to VWoA, and they opened a case, and they want the dealership to physically look at the wheels, then call VWoA back and have them follow up with the dealership. So as of now, I'm not *totally* SOL.


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## f1forkvr6 (Jun 10, 2002)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

Should be often enough ... what brake pads are you running? I've heard that some can be more caustic to wheel finishes than others.


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (f1forkvr6)*

I have the original pads still, knock on wood


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

Well, the guy at the dealership was a complete D!CK. (Not mentioning which dealership.) So, he insisted that since the car doesn't have the original tires that the changing of the tires cracked the seal on the wheel, letting moisture attack the wheels thus pitting them. I said that's ********. When you change a tire (which these tires are AT LEAST 4 months old now BTW), the only thing that comes in contact with the wheel (besides the tire) is the tool to help get the tire onto the wheel initially, then the tire machine DOES NOT COME IN CONTACT (the machine that turns the wheel as it helps the tire onto the wheel) with the wheel, just the rubber from the tire does. He's saying that any one of those things did this damage. I said to him that you don't know what you are talking about. Even if that tool cracked the seal on one part of the wheel, that doesn't explain how there is pitting all around the wheel. Then I told him to feel the edge of the wheels - there are no rough edges at all - all smooth. No signs of damage what so ever.
He then said, "I'm just going to report what I see." I said, "You're going to report what you think. You'll say what you just told me." He had no comment after I explained how a tire is mounted. I then called VWoA right then to update the case. He went back inside to jerk off to the hot service writter inside. I told VWoA what the the service guy said, and that I am disputing it. I admitted that I am not a trained technician, but this other guy shouldn't be working in the service dept. either. The lady at VWoA took down every word I said, repeated it back to me, and told me to call again tomorrow (today now) around 3pm EST to get an update, if I don't hear from them first. 
Now here's the money shots:
















































And that's just a few sections.


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## ab8349 (Jul 18, 2002)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

dude, that sucks. having the same wheels, i'm curious to see what happens with vwoa. your wheels look kind of all-around rough though, do you keep a good coat of wax on them? on a side note, i can't believe you replaced the crappy goodyears with more crappy goodyears.....


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (ab8349)*

quote:[HR][/HR]your wheels look kind of all-around rough though[HR][/HR]​Daily driver, every day, through all weather, will do that. And what exactly do you mean "rough"? But it *shouldn't* hurt the clear coat. Some "marks" you see is dried up water, since I hit a ton of puddles on the way in to work that day. But other marks come from the crap on the roads, etc.
quote:[HR][/HR]do you keep a good coat of wax on them[HR][/HR]​In the winter time, it's next to impossible.
quote:[HR][/HR]i can't believe you replaced the crappy goodyears with more crappy goodyears[HR][/HR]​These _crappy_ tires treat me well in dry/wet/snow weather, that's why I got the same ones again.

[Modified by pooz01wolfsburg, 11:48 AM 3-21-2003]


[Modified by pooz01wolfsburg, 11:48 AM 3-21-2003]


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## ab8349 (Jul 18, 2002)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

hey no offense....i like your car, we have almost identical mods. i do wish you the best of luck with this issue, in case others (like me) face it in the future. and i agree, it is almost impossible to keep wax on wheels in the winter, but i took mine off and brought them inside and gave them a good wash and wax, inside and out, which seems to help a lot. call me







....
edit....i can't take back the goodyear remarks though, those things were terrifying in the dry, rain, snow, hot, and cold, not to mention loud when they wore....try some Bridgestone Potenza RE950s, you will think you died and went to tire heaven!


[Modified by ab8349, 5:37 PM 3-21-2003]


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (ab8349)*

Sorry to snap at you like that. I'm just really pissed about the whole thing - didn't mean to get you upset!








I wanted to do the same thing you did, even purchase a winter set of wheels/tires, but I couldn't afford it.
I think I'll go have some







and see what happens.


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## I3oxrocket (Aug 8, 2002)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

no offense, but those wheels look like they've been through hell and back. _I_ wouldnt warrantee those wheels.
sorry, just my 2 cents


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (I3oxrocket)*

Must be nice to live in California where you have great weather which includes no snow, which means no salt dumped out on the road every, which means wheels stay nice all year long.


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## I3oxrocket (Aug 8, 2002)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

quote:[HR][/HR]Must be nice to live in California where you have great weather which includes no snow, which means no salt dumped out on the road every, which means wheels stay nice all year long.







[HR][/HR]​what does that have to do with why it looks like their cleaned with a brillow pad?


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (I3oxrocket)*

quote:[HR][/HR]what does that have to do with why it looks like their cleaned with a brillow pad?[HR][/HR]​Because that's what I use.














There are some areas of the wheel that had dried up water on them, which makes it looks like [email protected] in those pictures. Who knows how that happens - the wheels are in everyday NJ environment. That doesn't mean that the "brillow pad" cleaning (as you put it)







had anything to do with the pitting.
Listen, I'm not going to argue with you. This thread wasn't posted for a debate, or to get opinions. If you don't have anything constructive to say, don't say anything. I wasn't asking for a "How do my wheels look" opinion.
Thanks, but no thanks.


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## f1forkvr6 (Jun 10, 2002)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

quote:[HR][/HR]Must be nice to live in California where you have great weather which includes no snow, which means no salt dumped out on the road every, which means wheels stay nice all year long.







[HR][/HR]​Steel wheels ($35 each) ..... Alloy's should never see winter.


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (f1forkvr6)*

I agree, but some people just can't do it for their own reasons.


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## f1forkvr6 (Jun 10, 2002)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

quote:[HR][/HR]I agree, but some people just can't do it for their own reasons.[HR][/HR]​Agreed ... guess it's all about priorities ....


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (f1forkvr6)*

quote:[HR][/HR]Agreed ... guess it's all about priorities ....







[HR][/HR]​


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## f1forkvr6 (Jun 10, 2002)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

quote:[HR][/HR]Agreed ... guess it's all about priorities ....






















[HR][/HR]​Just looking at the mods you've done. I waited a bit to upgrade some stuff so I could afford steel wheels/snows for winter. I figured it was $$$ well spent to protect my wheels, and my ass in snowy/icy weather ....


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (f1forkvr6)*

quote:[HR][/HR]Just looking at the mods you've done. I waited a bit to upgrade some stuff so I could afford steel wheels/snows for winter. I figured it was $$$ well spent to protect my wheels, and my ass in snowy/icy weather ....[HR][/HR]​I understand what you are saying. But this is the case for me:
1. I am leasing this vehicle.
2. I can reverse all the mods I have done.
3. The mods I've done give me everyday fun








If I was buying this car, things might have been different.


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## a2lowvw (Dec 17, 2000)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

to tell you the truth every clearcoated wheel that is driven on will on day do this, its not just being driven through winter or not cleaned enough. any nicks in the clearcoat will eventually do this i have a set of oettinger wheels that are they have 20k miles on them and are a year old, i wash then every week of driving on em, and wax em every 5-7 weeks. i cleaned em, waxed em, and put them in the back room where i work when i puled em out to put them on i had a couple small spots on each wheel that were doing this. i plan on stripping the clear polishing the lips and having them re cleared because its worth it not to have to polish them every week to keep the pitting and staining away. live with it. nothing is going to happen to keep this from getting worse and steel wheels are an option for less than $200 you can have a set of steel wheels, we sell the NB wheels for $29.95 each


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## Kain420 (Dec 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (a2lowvw)*

Hey you might consider getting them repaired by a shop. they can machine the edges and recoat the rims. It may cost a little but its better than buying new rims. that is if money permits but as stated before your best option is to get some beaters for the winter I have a friend down the street with a wolfsburg with the same rims and he had the same problem and he used his tax money to machine his and buy winter rims.







nice car though.


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## spaceman_spiff (Sep 7, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (Kain420)*

well, here's my once-every-6-months post... i have the same wheels and am amazed at how well they are holding up compared to the stock aluminum 5-spokers on my first jetta. here's a thought: ever have your tires replaced?
the wheels themselves look okay, it just appears to be the lip. now if you had some ass-monkey doing a tire change with the wrong tools (like a big metal screwdriver), it would chip the clearcoat around the lip, and allow contaminates in. once you let stuff in under the clearcoat, it spreads from there -just like rust bubbles on your hood from a tiny stone chip.
just my $.02


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (spaceman_spiff)*

quote:[HR][/HR]well, here's my once-every-6-months post... [HR][/HR]​Hahahaha - thanks for posting here!
Yes, the tires have been changed, but it was done by a well respected shop, Tire King. (Do you think they know tires?! Haha) Anyhow, I know what you are saying, and if they don't use the machine that doesn not come in contact with the lip of the wheel (and or used a screwdriver as you mentioned!) then this could happen. I've seen it happen to aluminum wheels before, and I thought about it. BUT I thought it would have happened sooner since the tires where changed around last November.


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## spaceman_spiff (Sep 7, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

well, after a winter of salt eating away, this is my official guess. they wouldn't necessarily show up earlier -different metals corrode at different rates, you know. not to mention road grime can really hide problems well.
again, just my thoughts. remember -it's _nowhere_ else on your wheels. awfully suspicious unless you ran her with the tires off a couple times. i'd be calling the 'king' -it only takes one newbie shop monkey to make you his first learning lesson...


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## 87A2GTI (Dec 20, 2000)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (spaceman_spiff)*

My cousin and myself both have wolfsburgs. I have snows on mine, so my RXII's (which I am selling) are perfect and have seen no winters yet, so no issues. My cousin's rims look similar to yours, and actually look a bit worse. He runs them year round. We live up in Ma, so the roads and salt are somewhat similar. He has the stock tires and pads, so that's a crock as far as what the dealer told you. I'll be speaking with him today to get an update, because he is working with the dealership as well. Should be interesting.


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## 87A2GTI (Dec 20, 2000)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (87A2GTI)*

I forgot to say, he has only 35,000 miles on his rims.


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## spaceman_spiff (Sep 7, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (87A2GTI)*

Mine have 40k on them and have now seen 2 Wisconsin winters. (They like salt here. If you're not careful, you'll get stuck in a pile of it.)
It's just my opinion and experience that these wheels can handle salt and brake dust. I didn't hose them off more than twice the whole winter.


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (87A2GTI)*

Whoa, that's some interesting news. I knew VW was busting my balls about it, so I'll have to see what happens. Right now, the car is in for coil pack failure (







- at least it's covered from that special warranty).


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## 87A2GTI (Dec 20, 2000)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

Yep, they're talking out their *ss for sure. I spoke with my cousin earlier and nothing has happened yet.







Hopefully anyone with this issue will have some resolve.


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## elgo (Feb 25, 2003)

what have u done to the wheels ? d*** boy if it continues like that you r going to have to buy new ones


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (elgo)*

quote:[HR][/HR]what have u done to the wheels ? d*** boy if it continues like that you r going to have to buy new ones





















[HR][/HR]​Have you read the rest of the posts? It's from nothing that I've done personally.


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## COP TZR (Aug 29, 2002)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

I'm having the same problems with my wheels too! I'm convinced there is some sort of defect from the factory. If you look at the aftermarket BBS RXII wheels, they dont have a clearcoat finish on the edge of the wheel.
Has anyone been successfull with there claims or warranty????
THanks


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## HollywoodCD1 (Feb 26, 2003)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (COP TZR)*

Take this in the spirit that it is intended. Gorgeous rims and excellent mods. The pictures of the rims show a consistent amount of scratches and superficial trauma. The most peripheral edge is where the salt, acid rain, spilt beer, etc, can access the underlaying alloy material. That is why you have the pitting on the peripheral arena. If the whole outer rim was manufactured in an inappropriate way, you would have pitting in the middle and more towards the inside as well. Thus it looks as though the elements are getting into your alloy from the most outside area. No question it is one of two things: "someone" has been a little aggressive with these puppies "or" the clear coat was not full of integrity at the most peripheral edge. Cheers and good luck, keep your new rims looking wicked man, you drive an excellent car and certainly are passionate about your VW, ....I'm on your team bud. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## vwiscrap (Jan 20, 2003)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

im sorry to tell you this but that looks like road salt. i am in the wheel business. living in the southern states where they dont use salt on the roads i never seen this until i moved to Wash DC. i have seen many cases of what you have pics of. even my wheels now have pits from the salt. but from what i read the tech should have told you their are 2 different tire mount machines.
the old types ride on the lip of the rim ussually causing mild damage to the lip
if not mounted properly. the new machines are TOUCHLESS they dont even touch the wheel. the old machines were imfamous for damaging the clear. the clear is wraped to the inside of the wheel bead to keep what you have from happening. if the machine that was used to mount the tires touched the bead of the rim, this could have cracked the clear and caused what you see now. and that is what i see as well. the outer edge looks trashed! and does look like it was damaged by a tire machine. if i were you i would visit the place where you got your tires.. they would ultimatly be responsible for the damage to the wheels...
A WORD OF SUGGESTION: DONT try and save money on this process! as wheel designs become more advanced so do the tire mounting process..
if your going to use an outside source for tires make sure you find someone with the NEW HUNTER MACHINES!!!!!!!!! they dont touch the wheels.

[Modified by vwiscrap, 11:03 AM 3-30-2003]


[Modified by vwiscrap, 11:05 AM 3-30-2003]


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## bigbwoy (Apr 29, 2000)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (vwiscrap)*

I have to chime in here after what I saw today when I was detailing my car. I have the same wheels, and today I noticed that I have this pitting on mine also. The thing is, the pitting is in one place only, on one wheel only. Guess what, this was where it was previously damaged when the tire was being fixed. When trying to take off the tire, the guy struck the edge of the rim with a tool he was using. This being the case, I agree that damage to the clearcoat at the edge of the rims probably caused your pitting.
Also, I live in the Caribbean, so no road salt...ever.


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (vwiscrap)*

quote:[HR][/HR]"someone" has been a little aggressive with these puppies [HR][/HR]​What exactly do you mean? Not trying to start anything, but just so I know what you mean.
quote:[HR][/HR] the new machines are TOUCHLESS they dont even touch the wheel. the old machines were imfamous for damaging the clear.[HR][/HR]​Yes, I know about both machines. That is what I was trying to explain to the service rep at my dealership b/c I assumed (yes, I know what that does) that the tire place was using the new machine style. I have to find the records on my purchase with them. I paid via debit card, but I have no clue where the hand written receipt is. 
It seems like this is happening to more than one climate region - winter-salt roads, and non. So far, no response back from my letter to VWoA. Next step will be to call the tire place that changed the tires and see what they say. But, since the car is leased, and I might make it on the mileage, and VW says the problems are not due to "customer neglect", I might be able to get off without damage charges.
In other news.... VWoA did warranty my coil pack failure, and replaced all 4 coils, and took the towing under warranty as well. Chalk one up for my dealership on this one!


[Modified by pooz01wolfsburg, 10:22 PM 3-30-2003]


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## BoraDub (Aug 6, 2002)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

My BBS stock rims are my winter babies. They went through one wionter in Minnesota with salt and sand, and lots of crap. Now my second winter is in Colorado, I live right next to Breckonridge if anyone knows where thqt is. Its right in the Mtns. I have tpo drive through tons fo sand. My BBS rims Look Spectacular. Wash once a week sometimes every other week. Waxed at beginning of winter, and 1/2 way through. No problems for me yet...Knock on wood. Maybe it is a defect in your rims. Rule of thumb: Dont use any sort of scrubber on your rims that you wouldn't wipe your arse with. Use something Nice and soft, just klije you use on your arse. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## COP TZR (Aug 29, 2002)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

whats the story on your wheels? Is VW gonna cover the refinishing or are you stuck paying for it yourself? Mine are under investigation too, but it sounds like I'm going to be forking the bill.
VW is soooooooo cheap when it comes to claims!!!


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (COP TZR)*

Well, nothing new yet. The finance manager I know there said to come in and we'll all talk with the GM of the dealership. I have to do that during the day, since he comes in late and leaves early, and isn't there on the weekend (must be nice!).


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*


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## KingTurbo (Aug 8, 2002)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*








my WE wheels look like sh*t. they are off my car right now. If they can't be replaced by 
the dealer, I'm just going to powdercoat them for winter.


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## Marty (Jul 14, 2000)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

Damn, my WEs look fine. But I'm in Cali...


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (Marty)*

Yeah, I'm coming to realize it doesn't necessarily mean where you live that affects the wheels, but it does help.


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## mlf149 (Mar 15, 2003)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

Glad I found this post. 2 of the 4 wheels started this in the last 2 weeks. I know because I washed them 2 weeks ago and they were perfect. The photos you posted look Identical to mine AND I have the original tires! I've already emailed BBS and got the same response as you. These are $468/wheel rims. I don't think we should have to live with it given the age of our cars. I've had 6 cars all /w alloy wheels and have never had this happen. Have I seen it before? Sure, on cares that have been completely neglected which mine has not been.
I was told by my dealer to take the care in on Wed. when the regional rep. will be there. They (the dealer) would not even come out to look at the rim.

I have 31K miles on the car, 1.5 yrs old, garage kept. This is complete BS. About the only thing the WE has going for it is those wheels. God knows it's not reliability!
I plan on taking your photos to the dealer /w me on Wed.
Anyone else who has this problem send me a note @ [email protected]
After the window regs, coil packs, rattles, int. "rubber" paint peeling, I have had enough /w VW.


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (mlf149)*

I was told by VWoA that since this problem is not "big" (meaning, they haven't received enough complaints about it







), they will "keep my case on file" if they decide to do "something" about it.















I found a place in Pennsilyania that sells and repairs these wheels, and if I'm reading their catalog correctly, they sell the WE wheel in 17" for $245! I wrote them an e-mail about it, but no response yet. I'm so anxious, I might call them today








EDIT - Just got off the phone with them, and the 17" is a mis-print. Figures








To fix the wheels is about 10 days. Didn't ask for the price, since they have (2) in stock to exchange (as long as your wheels are OK) for $250.00


[Modified by pooz01wolfsburg, 12:57 PM 4-15-2003]


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## mlf149 (Mar 15, 2003)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

Don't pay to get it fixed yet. The damage is already done, don't spend any of your money to correct it. Now VWoA is going to have another complaint about it. Please contact me /w your case number so I can reference it when I get turned down by the regional rep. 
To be honest, I love the rims, but I would not buy them again. The same thing will happen. The problem only affects the allow material on the outer rim. Different manufacturing process...
All I want is a $150/wheel credit to purchase another set of VW (Non-BBS) factory rims. There is no way they would cough up 2K for a set of new BBS.


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (mlf149)*

Check your IM - thanks
I agree, I don't think VW would spring for that amount either. I would like some compensation though.


[Modified by pooz01wolfsburg, 2:01 PM 4-15-2003]


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## spaceman_spiff (Sep 7, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (mlf149)*

okay, this is where i make people mad at me, but it's almost gotta be said. it may as well come from a *friend*.
yer nuts.
if you think registering a handfull of complaints is going to get vw to replace your wheels, or even give you a credit that would most likely overshoot their profit margin on said wheels, you're dillusional. look at the pics above and tell me that you could honestly agree they don't look beat up? i'm amazed you aren't raving mad at the scratches, myself. it looks like you were 2-wheelin' it down gravel country roads a-la the 'dukes of hazard. the problem seems clear as day in this instance... the people who put your new tires on scraped the everloving *piss* out of your lips, and thus wore the clearcoat off. it sucks, but it's a fact of life, men. if i were to post up saying i was going to yell at my local dealership about stone chips on my hood, i'd be laughed off the board. if you had the car a week and never drove it and this happened, i'd be totally behind you, but again... look at the pics. all complaining is going to get you is a note in your "file" saying that you're kind of a nutty prick. not my assessment, just the way things work when you get angry. i guess the moral is to choose your battles -this one's a losing one from the start. imho, the ONLY chance you have with ANYone, is going to the place that mounted your tires. i would be in there raving mad -especially if they do it for a living. they ought ot know better than to use the wrong machine on your rims. if you took your car for an oil change and the pan got stripped out, you wouldn't go back to vw, would you? your service manager would have the fruit squad come and put you in a padded cell...
besides, even if this were a quality-of-product issue, it'd be more of bbs's problem than vwoa. these aren't custom wheels -they're straight off their retail line with different center caps.
oh, and you want to buy stock vw rims instead of ones made by bbs because they'll last longer? seriously, man.... think about that. my vw rims from my '99 jetta pitted the second i signed the papers for the car. you want a wheel you're going to be bitchin' about, get the oem alloys. absolutely abysmal clearcoat job. seriously.... terrible.
just my $.02 meant to save you time and headache. i'm not trying to poop in anyones grape nuts.... good luck, but don't get your hopes up -you're trying to climb everest in a speedo.
oh, btw... my wheels have 2 or 4 miniscule examples of the damage yours do, but on the actual wheel itself -not just the rim. they appear to be tiny stone chips. what else can be expected of a daily driver?
spiff, the pisser of wheaties.


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (spaceman_spiff)*

quote:[HR][/HR]it'd be more of bbs's problem than vwoa.[HR][/HR]​Not true. If you had read my replied from BBS, you would see that they write it off their back b/c it came stock on the car, not purchased from a BBS dealer later on.
quote:[HR][/HR]what else can be expected of a daily driver?[HR][/HR]​That's how wheels get, sorry to say. Maybe not as bad as mine though. About the marks on the wheel though - I had explained that some of those "marks" are water marks - the heavier looking ones. The light scratches are from [email protected] on the road, and probably a little from me. I sometimes use the VW scrub brush to get at the brake dust on the wheel bolts around the rim. That would in no way cause the clear coat to crack. I've been using that brush since I've owned the car - July 01. I am blamming this all on A. defect or B. tire installer. 
I haven't called the tire installer yet, for a few reasons:
A. when I'm at work, I just don't have the time to have the conversation I'll probably have with them on the phone.
B. I have to find my paperwork on exactly when I had the tires done. Since I paid by debit card, I just have to look back at the bank statement.
I know you don't mean to "poop in anyones grape nuts", but there are a good handful, if not 1 1/2 handfulls of people who have spoke out about such problem. Who knows how they've been treating their wheels. It's very possible we all could have had grease-monkeys change our tires. But a few people said they are on stock tires as well.










[Modified by pooz01wolfsburg, 6:54 PM 4-15-2003]


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## mlf149 (Mar 15, 2003)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (spaceman_spiff)*

Spaceman,
I aggree that his wheels look somewhat beat; however, I have the original tires /w NO scratches whatsoever. I've always used old 100% cotton teeshirts to clear the rims.
If you 99 VW rims pitted right away, maybe VW uses sub-par rims. I've always owned GM autos, all /w alloy rims. I have taken better care of my VW BBS rims because well, they are BBS. I never had my GM rims, peel, crack, or bubble - even after 70K + miles and 7-8 years.
To satisfy your concerns that his rims where abused and thats why the problem exists I will take pics of my rims. You will see small white "blisters" at the same locations as his only I have the orginal tires and NO scratches or nicks.
Will that satisfy you? 
My point is the alloy used for the "lip" is treated differently than the rest of the rim; hence the problem only exists there. You mentioned you have the problem on the entire rim but you also admit it was from stone chips.


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## mlf149 (Mar 15, 2003)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (spaceman_spiff)*

Another thought...
Wether or not VW makes good on my rims makes no difference. I will never purchase another VW/Audi product. It's a shame, no other mass produced car maker matches the look/feel of interal materials or the overal build quality. Even the paint is superior to others.
HOWEVER,
The constant problem or window regs, coil packs, seat rails (on Jetta), and now rims. VW can forget about repeat business and referrals. You can laugh that off and continue to piss away 20K+ every couple of years on the promise of "German" engineering.
Good luck and let me know how stupidity works out for you. Guess you pissed me off, but you may have responded differently if you saw my rims.


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (mlf149)*

I know mine "look beat". I'm not sure exactly what to say about it other than what I have already said.


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## spaceman_spiff (Sep 7, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (mlf149)*

okay... first in response to pooz01wolfsburg's mature reply:
quote:[HR][/HR]Not true. If you had read my replied from BBS, you would see that they write it off their back b/c it came stock on the car, not purchased from a BBS dealer later on.[HR][/HR]​agreed that bbs won't do anything for you. a good 'ol game of corporate finger-pointing, unfortunately. i guess my point was that if it were a defect thing it was more of a bbs blunder than vw's. unfortunately, vw is going to hide behind that warranty mileage thing.
quote:[HR][/HR]I sometimes use the VW scrub brush to get at the brake dust on the wheel bolts around the rim. That would in no way cause the clear coat to crack. I've been using that brush since I've owned the car - July 01. I am blamming this all on A. defect or B. tire installer. [HR][/HR]​aah, that tire "brush". they should call that thing a wheel raper... if it's like the one i have, it's a twisted wire holding a bunch of nylon bristles. a great concept if you're brushing your teeth. when it comes to getting in the crevaces like we have to with our *beloved* rxII's, pushing hard is part of the process. unfortunately, all that does is expose the aforementioned wire, making for one hell of an abrasive cleaner. i'm a toothbrush man now.
getting back to your situation, i think you got the royal screw from your tire installer. i wouldn't call them at all -i'd be beating on their door 5 minutes before they open demanding to see an owner/service manager. go armed with nothing short of a letter from your service manager at your vw dealer (if they were so cooperative as to help identify this as a possible problem) and possibly another tire shop alledging the same. hey, the pros should be able to see what's going on here, so i would think another shop would give you an honest assesment if you dangle the possibility of a little business their way.
quote:[HR][/HR]I know you don't mean to "poop in anyones grape nuts", but there are a good handful, if not 1 1/2 handfulls of people who have spoke out about such problem. Who knows how they've been treating their wheels. It's very possible we all could have had grease-monkeys change our tires. But a few people said they are on stock tires as well.[HR][/HR]​well, here's my grand thought on the whole "others with stock tires" thing. when i was sitting in my dealership, the adjacent table was a guy who was signing papers on his new jetta. he had a very odd request that i'd never even thought of. he wanted this one particular car, but he didn't want the michelins that were on it. he wanted the goodyear's that another car had. you know dealerships... they did it. so there in lies at least one possible rub. someone coveted the tires from your ride before you fell in love with it, someone was about to buy your car and had the tires on it changed, your car was a demo that someone smoked the rubber on, it got a flat in transit.... all sorts of things could have been done. yes, far fetched, but these things aren't unheard of in the auto *bidness*.
now for mlf149...
quote:[HR][/HR]To satisfy your concerns that his rims where abused and thats why the problem exists I will take pics of my rims. You will see small white "blisters" at the same locations as his only I have the orginal tires and NO scratches or nicks.
Will that satisfy you?[HR][/HR]​first off, relax. i'm not attacking you, nor do you need to *satisfy* me. all i'm saying is that these problems look to be the result of a loose nut behind the tire machine. actually, HIS look to be the work of a tire machine. you haven't provided pics for all of us, so assumptions and theories can only be made on the *evidence* given, no?
quote:[HR][/HR]My point is the alloy used for the "lip" is treated differently than the rest of the rim; hence the problem only exists there. You mentioned you have the problem on the entire rim but you also admit it was from stone chips.[HR][/HR]​and all i'm saying is that i think this is the work of a tire mounting machine. 
as for the rest of your posts, they don't even deserve a response. (calling me stupid was pure genius, though. i haven't seen such cunning debate skills since 3rd or 4th grade at least). you take things too personally. all i'm saying is i think you're going to be dissappointed. vwoa is a big egg to crack -you know how many coilpacks had to fail to extend a warranty on them?
best of luck either way.


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (spaceman_spiff)*

quote:[HR][/HR]if it were a defect thing it was more of a bbs blunder than vw's[HR][/HR]​I agree, and like you said - it's all "finger pointing". I got 3 responses from 3 different people at BBS stating the same reasons.
quote:[HR][/HR]pushing hard is part of the process.........i'm a toothbrush man now.[HR][/HR]​I never pushed real hard. I just stuck the brush in there, scrubbed a little, and moved to the next bolt. I actually used to use that (toothbrush) myself, but the brush got so black so quick, then it didn't clean anymore. I felt I was buying them every 2 weeks almost. 
quote:[HR][/HR]i would think another shop would give you an honest assesment if you dangle the possibility of a little business their way.[HR][/HR]​Since I've moved to my new town, I've been dealing with a new garage. Very nice people, HUGE place, and so far, I've been treated good. I even got a nice "thank you" note in the mail after my first time there. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
We were actually talking suspension after the last time I was there, so I'll have to see what this guy can do for me as far as these wheels are concerned.
quote:[HR][/HR]so there in lies at least one possible rub. someone coveted the tires from your ride before you fell in love with it, someone was about to buy your car and had the tires on it changed, your car was a demo that someone smoked the rubber on, it got a flat in transit.... all sorts of things could have been done. yes, far fetched, but these things aren't unheard of in the auto *bidness*.[HR][/HR]​Sure, it could be any one of those reasons, which some of them I didn't think of until you pointed them out. But I think we will both agree that I have a better shot with the tire-installer than one of the other possibilites.
quote:[HR][/HR]all i'm saying is i think you're going to be dissappointed. vwoa is a big egg to crack -you know how many coilpacks had to fail to extend a warranty on them?[HR][/HR]​I agree with you on this, but let's not discourage right away. You never know - he might get lucky, right? Possibly not, like me








I don't know if this applies to this topic or not, but "The squeaky wheel gets the oil."










[Modified by pooz01wolfsburg, 7:30 AM 4-16-2003]


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## JrodVW (Mar 9, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (pooz01wolfsburg)*

I've recently noticed the clearcoat flaking off two of my wheels. Much larger then in your pictures and a complete eyesore. 39,000 miles. Two years two months. Still on the O.E. tires. Will let you know what VW says


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## Pooz (Oct 8, 2001)

*Re: Wolfsburg BBS wheels PITTING! (JrodVW)*

I've decided not to deal with VW unless I have a 100k mile B2B warranty, or a 100% Powertrain warranty problem. It's just not worth it with them. I don't mean dealing with the dealership, but with VWoA (just want to clarify that). 
I have sourced a place near me that will (clear) powder coat the wheels (making the coating MUCH stronger than standard clear coat) and repair the pitting so they look 100% brand new for $150/wheel. If you want to have the wheel repaired, no powder coat, just resprayed with clearcoat, that is $90/wheel. 
I don't plan on buying any new wheels (larger, wider, etc.), and this is the cheapest and most effective solution, for me.


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