Register Log In Home Forums Detail and Wax Power Washing Rims/Wheels?
So recently acquired Acura has some crud/brake dust on wheels, not on all 4, but definitely on 2 of them.
Not going to mess with brake dust, was wondering power wash or something similar can be done?
Has anyone tried it or can share some feedback?
This stuff is considered one of the top wheel cleaners. Sonax Wheel Cleaner Full Effect.
Those wheels are polished and then protected by wax. Watch the water on the surface of the wheel. Power washing with soft pressure on a dirty rim without any protection will only remove the superficial dust and dirt. Not the stained grime. Also do NOT pressure wash your brake calipers unless you are going to take them apart for service in the very near future.
I used a similar product by Sonax, may have been the older version. It still went on green then turned blood red. Interesting to watch, but I guess I was expecting a miracle. Elbow grease was still required.
Also do NOT pressure wash your brake calipers unless you are going to take them apart for service in the very near future.
What exactly gets affected in there? I usually give them a once over from the front.
Power washing anything with a seal, can be bad news. The high pressure water can make it's way past the seal, and contaminate whatever the seal is meant to protect. In the case of a brake caliper, the caliper piston seals keep road contaminants out, and the brake fluid in. If water is forced past those seals, the boiling point of the brake fluid will be reduced, and the piston and bore (assuming they aren't made from exotic materials, which most cars brakes aren't) will start to corrode. The contaminated brake fluid will perform poorly, and eventually the caliper will require a rebuild or replacement.
What condition are your wheels in? Meguiar's Wheel Brightener is second to none but can damage any exposed aluminum. Sonax Full Effect as mentioned above works well. Iron X is another quality product.
I pressure wash my wheels every wash and they come clean with the assistance of one of the above products.
Think I have Meguiar's laying around, will use it with regular water from a hose and see what happens.
I purchased some of this at the Toronto Auto show recently. Works great on the steel wheels. A bit of scrubbing is needed. Can't wait to see what it does on Alloys.
Have you tried white vinegar? I used it once on a very caked up rim and it really works but I was told if done to often it will destroy the coating.
My favorite way to approach this is a wheel brush, an old piece of carpet cut in a square shape and Sonax wheel cleaner. I liberally spray down the wheels and wheel wells with the Sonax, and let it sit until it turns dark red. At that point, using the cut carpet, I clean the wheel wells until they are spotless and use the brush on the outer side to clean the spokes. Once it's all nice and dandy, pressure wash it off and repeat the process with Dawn dish washing soap. Has yielded pretty good results for me over the years.
Working as a Master Tech on consumer cars, I dealt with many instances of seals that had been breached by water directed at them from a pressure washer.
It is common knowledge among those that design or repair components with such seals.
Last edited by 02SE; 03/21/18 11:22 AM.