Bringing dull clearcoated wheels back to life?

silvergray · 03-14-07, 07:24

Hello again,
It seems like the wheels on my 325i are getting dull - they just don't seem as rich and vibrant as when they were new. Granted, they are spotless, but they just don't look *right*. Claying has not helped this either.

Any recommendations? I don't know how the heck I'm going to get a PC pad in those spokes!! Maybe a little Z-AIO by hand? Meg's Wheel Brightner?

Thanks guys!

(I can take pics if that would help)

BigJimZ28 · 03-14-07, 07:40

polish by hand
they are clear coated so do them the same as the paint
clay, polish , wax/sealant

smprince1 · 03-15-07, 04:45

Polish by hand and terry towel or Powerball if the shape allows it. I've have good luck with something like Poorboys Pro Polish or even Klasse AIO. Then apply a good sealant.

Cheetah · 03-15-07, 10:15

When I got my 2003 325i the wheels were really dull. I used a wheel cleaner, clay, then cleaner wax and know I maintain it with a sealant. They look great so I'm sure you can do it!

velobard · 03-15-07, 10:55

I'd say try the AIO by hand. I'll bet you're happy with the results.

Accumulator · 03-16-07, 11:36

Might take some pretty aggressive polishing. I use stuff like 3M PI-III RC 05933 on wheels pretty often and that's on ones that look nice to start with.

3fiddyz · 03-16-07, 06:26

i was in a similar situation just recently when i bought a used M3 that had been car washed with acidic soaps for a good year. My clear over polished wheels were dull, and the wheel caps had yellow'd

i removed each wheel and polished them by hand with Menzerna Final Polish (PO85RD). I spent a good hour on each wheel and this still didnt remove all scratches but made a very big improvement. I then cleaned them with Z-AIO, applied 3 layers Z5-Pro to minimise remaining swirls and then applied wheelwax to make washing/dust buildup more manageable. I also replaced all wheel caps with newbies