Color Wheel Crest Problems?
 

Hi,

Having two problems with my color wheel center crests:

1) Hazing of the clear finish covering them - white residue of some type?

2) While rubbing one with a cloth and a little plexus (which seemed to make it look better), the crest came off in my hands!

Anyone else have similar experiences? I use P21S wheel cleaner, which I hope is not causing the haze issue? The part coming off just seems to be bad epoxy (a second one is feeling loose now too).

I believe I'm still under warranty, so I'm back to the dealer on this soon... would like to know if this is common. My car has very few miles and is a garage queen, so it is not due to harsh conditions or treatment.

I have seen a number of crests in poor condition; I don't think they are the most durable parts. Same goes with the hood crests, which I think are made the same way.

I do not have them but like Charles I have seen them in poor condition. The crest is covered with some type of clear plastic which turns yellow and sometimes cracks. I removed the plastic on a guy's car. The crest itself is plastic if I remember right. I have also seen caps where the crest has come off. Jeff

P21s wheel cleaner should not effect the crests ( I have used it for 2+ years on present car and several years on another car).

Plexus should also have no effect since I have sprayed it on the paint of my car (by overspray) and it seems to wipe off fine.

I wonder if the paint on the crests is defective? I do not believe it is an epoxy based, but it may be.

Can you sacrifice one of the crest? If so, send it to me and I will get some chemical analysis on it to determine the paint type and compatability with cleaners/solvents (Plexus and wheel cleaner). If interested, send me a email with some specifics.

The color underneath the clear coating on the crests appears fine - the hazing appears to be on the surface of the epoxy or whatever the thick clear coating is over the crest's outwards surface.

The crest base is apparently Aluminum (metal, but non-magnetic) with some sort of finish like a gold anodizing.

See photos below. The hazing shows best in the upper right quarter of the front picture. "Swirls" areas on the backside is the corrosion/oxidation outline where the adhesive (epoxy?) originally secured the crest to the wheel center.

Ed, I may take you up on the clear coating analysis offer, once I know what the dealership will want to do with the part when I make my warranty claim (if I can keep it, you're on...).