GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Ibdrew on 03 May 2017, 13:38
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Shocked to discover whiteworm corrosion on various spots one of my Santiago wheels at the weekend, car is out of warranty at the end of the month so I contacted the dealer jct600 this morning to be told over the phone that wheel are generally only covered for 6months/6000 mls but to bring the car in for inspection to confirm, having read previous posts some members have had mixed success in a warranty claim,
Any experience or advice would be most welcome before I visit dealer tomorrow. My car has 20,000 miles on the clock and been very well cared for,.
Thanks
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I would take it in and if they dont offer to replace the wheel dont let them refurb it .and get on to VW head office and create a stink .
I got 3 of my Tiguan wheels replaced after about 2 years and the one they didnt replace now has white worm but I havent been in to see about it , I dont think they would replace it now though .I have a really good relationship with my dealer so that helped I think too .
Good luck .
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I would kick up a fuss as I got 4 wheels replaced about 2 and half years after having the car, when I got white worm around the centre caps.
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Got two of my centre caps replaced at two years old and two of the diamond cut alloys replaced at two and a half years old on my mk6 GTD, although the replacement wheels were also damaged when they arrived at the dealers, so they had to be re-ordered again. Dealer had to order a total of nine new wheels before they got two undamaged ones, although I think they damaged some of these themselves when they put the tyres on.
A little off topic, but I really don't understand why VW (and other manufacturers) persist in fitting diamond cut alloys to many of their models;
- a high proportion succumb to white worm corrosion.
- they're more expensive to refurbish than powder coated alloys and there's a limit to the number of times they can be re-cut on a diamond cutting lathe.
- they're easily damaged by careless tyre fitters.
I dislike them for the above reasons, and after the white worm episode I fitted a set of much more durable powder coated alloys to my last car and I've also done this on my current car. I've got a set of pristine diamond cut alloys in storage that will go back on when the time comes to sell my car.
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Completely agree about diamond cut wheels.
I love my Austin's but having had a dealer damage one recently, I dread the thought of getting another puncture :cry:
If I kerbed a couple I think I would have them all powder coated.
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Thanks for the replies, I will see how I get on tomorrow,tho I'm expecting to be knocked back.I'd previously had two alloys repaired and a tyre replaced at the same dealers recently due to kerbing, when I took delivery of the car took the wheel and tyre damage insurance which more than paid for itself., had a really close look at all the wheels at that time and can't believe how quickly the corrosion has developed.
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If your wheels are damaged or if there is evidence of a repair then there is less chance of a successful warranty claim.
I had 3 of my painted alloys replaced under warranty on my Mk5 after the lacquer started to peel. But the dealer did check all the wheels for damage before they agreed to replace any of them.
So far my diamond cut wheels have stood up OK at nearly 2 years old, but i've been ultra careful not to kerb them. This is one of the reasons I prefer the standard 18 inch alloys over the optional 19's. The extra little bit of rubber makes them just that bit more forgiving in tight situations.
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Fully understand your point Santiagos look great but are a bit of a pain,
The two wheels went to an approved vw repairer, but the wheel that has the whiteworm was not one of them. Years ago I had a Honda type r 04 plate (Great car) which at three year old had corrrossion on all 4 alloys, Honda replaced them all no bother.
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If the whiteworm wheel clearly isn't damaged then as others have said, I would be pushing for a new wheel rather than a refurb. If you don't get what you think is a fair outcome then I would be trying VW customer services or another VW dealer. Some are more helpful with warranty claims than others.
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I had a wheel replaced 2½ years into my warranty. A couple more have got it but there are tiny stone chips at the source so they would not replace them when I took it in a week before my warranty expired.
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Yes, I hate diamond cut wheels, just for this reason. They really should be protected better, after all the experience of corrosion that we and VW have had over various models through the years. I had all four wheels changed by VW on my Mk5, after 2 years and about 30K miles. They also had to replace the centre caps. My dealer was very helpful and never questioned the need for them to be replaced.
The Titanium paint finished wheels on my Audi TT were still as good as new after 4 years and 45K miles.
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Fully understand your point Santiagos look great but are a bit of a pain,
The two wheels went to an approved vw repairer, but the wheel that has the whiteworm was not one of them. Years ago I had a Honda type r 04 plate (Great car) which at three year old had corrrossion on all 4 alloys, Honda replaced them all no bother.
I had the same (Type R 53 plate) it was a known issue so all 4 replaced. IIRC the newer wheels they supplied were a slightly different shade of grey so they had to replace all 4 even if issue was with 1 or 2.
Funny you mentioned that, as it was only about a week ago I read somewhere they had only painted the outsides of the wheels (to save money) hence the corrosion/bubbling of paint on the inside of the spokes.
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As expected I got knocked back by jct600 they said the corrosion was a result of stone chips damaging the lacquer and then moisture penatration, on all but one of the corrosion spots I could neither see or feel any damage to the lacquer but they just not interested, with tail between my legs I set of to another dealership nearby only to told exactly the same thing, despite insisting there was no damage to the lacquer they just said sorry but they could not help.
Being a bit cynical but I get the impression that they weren't interested because it would cost them money.
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I would take close up photos and e mail them to VW head office and ask how their dealers can state there is damage .And ask what their solution is and when you can expect new wheels .
Be a pain to VW and you never know it may help .
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Had the diamond cut wheels on my MK6 for 7 years now and no whiteworm. The wheels get checked each wash and any slight marks on the lacquer such as stone marks get treated as necessary with a lacquer coat to prevent water ingress. Only had to do this a few times in the 7 years and the wheels still look pristine. Damaged alloys get more corrosion from winter salt because of the chemical reaction than the old steel wheels so more likely to show up at the end of the winter if not sealed promptly.
Have picked up from the Leon forum that one wheel refurb company is using vinyl to give the diamond cut look and much cheaper to repair if stone damaged or curbed.
Worth trying Pinky 1959 suggestion. Good luck.
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Had the diamond cut wheels on my MK6 for 7 years now and no whiteworm. The wheels get checked each wash and any slight marks on the lacquer such as stone marks get treated as necessary with a lacquer coat to prevent water ingress. Only had to do this a few times in the 7 years and the wheels still look pristine. Damaged alloys get more corrosion from winter salt because of the chemical reaction than the old steel wheels so more likely to show up at the end of the winter if not sealed promptly.
Have picked up from the Leon forum that one wheel refurb company is using vinyl to give the diamond cut look and much cheaper to repair if stone damaged or curbed.
Worth trying Pinky 1959 suggestion. Good luck.
I looked after the diamond cut alloys on my mk6 like you do Joe - touched in any small marks with clear lacquer, regular sealing and waxing and two of them succumbed to whiteworm after around two and a half years. They were replaced under warranty, but it took quite a few weeks and seven 'new' wheels rejected before I got two that were in factory fresh condition.
The whiteworm on my wheels started around the centre caps. I suspect it might've been down to the actions of the dealer six months earlier - they replaced the centre caps (they'd developed whiteworm!) on two wheels under warranty when my car was in for it's second service. I suspect the dealer may have damaged the lacquer around the edge of the centre bore in the wheel by prising the centre caps off - any damage to the lacquer would've been hidden by the new centre caps once they were fitted.
In the light of dieselgate, VW will no doubt be looking to reduce costs in all areas, so may now be taking a firmer line on warranty claims and this seems to be what the OP is experiencing.
To the OP; agree you should pursue this as Pinky1959 has suggested - customers with genuine warranty claims shouldn't be disadvantaged because of the dieselgate costs VW are facing.
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I had 2 wheels changed last month on my GTD (standard Nagaros), which was about 3 weeks before the warranty was up, no problem, just showed the dealer, there was some worming on the rear wheels, very minor on the edge of the rims, and they were changed within a few days. Cant fault that at all.
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In most Euro markets where they salt the roads in winter you fit winter wheels which won't be polished.
In Southern Europe I guess it doesn't make much difference in winter unless you live in the mountains.
Which leaves the UK which just has 95% rain, 3% frost and an odd warm sunny day during the 'summer' and an odd day or two of snow unless you live somewhere a bit high up (geographically or topographically).
So nearly all manufacturers who import cars to the UK seem to have polished wheels as all year round wear and therefore nearly all manufacturers must get hammered with warranty claims from those that can be bothered to claim (which probably isn't a huge proportion of owners in reality judging by the state of the average car you see on the roads and the plethora of places you can go so you don't have to put your own sponge/mitt over your paintwork and whose owners wouldn't notice a bit of milky whiteness amongst the scratches and scuffs).
If you go on German aftermarket wheel supplier websites they state whether the wheels are suited for winter use, and guess what - yep, no polished designs...
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I'm going to be doing mine with Platinum Wheels when it arrives.... http://carboncollective.com/product/platinum-wheels-coating/
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I had mine powder coated anthracite
(http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w294/menzies007/IMG_4767.jpg) (http://s179.photobucket.com/user/menzies007/media/IMG_4767.jpg.html)
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I had mine powder coated anthracite
(http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w294/menzies007/IMG_4767.jpg) (http://s179.photobucket.com/user/menzies007/media/IMG_4767.jpg.html)
I think they look so much better than diamond cut, and they're much more durable too. :cool:
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Perhaps people could name the dealers that are sympathetic to replacing corroded wheels - that would help people such as the OP who are being turned away by their local dealer.