Odd Wheel Dirt

[tbird]

Not sure about this, maybe someone can clear this up for me.

Lord knows I have washed many a rim. I have had easy ones to clean, and difficult ones. But for the most part, when you look at the composition of the crud on the rims, it is road dust or brake dust, and an even dispersement of the dust.

On my 135, even with no rain and not driving through any puddles, I get dirt that has a liquid consistency. It literally looks like I drive through oily puddles all the time, that is how the wheel dirt dries on the rim.

With the amount of liquid marks, if it was leaked brake fluid, my MC would be drained every 20 miles that I drive, let alone that my brakes are fine, tight as always.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Thanks.

[Lester]

Do you wax your wheels, or use any tire dressing? It could be residue from wax or tire treatment/dressing mixing with the brake dust. I notice a little of this when I wash my wheels, and I use both wax and tire dressing.

[tbird]

I wash and wax the wheels, but I buff the wax. I also let the car sit so the rims fully dry. As for tire dressing, I thought that too, so I didn't put it on the last couple of times, and the "liquid dirt lines" still appear.

Plus, I have done all the same stuff to numerous other cars, and not had the same effect, so I don't lean towards those.

But thanks for the info.

[Lester]

I see the same thng, but I just wash the marks off.

[bman6074]

Isnt' that just brake dust and condensation? Do you have pics of the dirt you speak of?

[BlackjackMulligan]

Pics?

[tbird]

No pics of the dirty wheels, and I just cleaned them last night, hence my post.

Imagine if you had clean rims, and you took a bucket of water with dirty motor oil and splashed it on the rims. It's not a "different" type of dirt. It is just as if you squirted dirty oil on the rims.

It happened right from the start. So I initially thought that maybe there was some protective solution sprayed all over things down there to protect the car while it sat at the dealership, but it has been three months and 2000 miles, I think the stuff would be gone by now if there was such a thing.

[F0Bman]

Hmmm. Get that check out as that can be some type of leak!

[scorcherjf]

When I let my rims get pretty dirty eventually I do see some liquid marks like someone walked up and splashed some dirty water on it or something. I just figured it was normal...

[1ThirtyFive]

If this is a new car, often the cars are shipped with a coating of protective material which seems to run down the car. This often appears on the running boards, but I imagine it could also happen on the wheels. This should go away after a while...after a few months I no longer noticed it on my side skirts.

[lannypoffo]

Originally Posted by bman6074

Isnt' that just brake dust and condensation?

yes. every 135i has that issue and its just excessive brake dust. sometimes looking like liquid streams.

[raisemyrent]

tbird, are these the stock wheels? my winter wheels are graphite grey or so, so they look better as they get dirty! haha (and I can't remember if I ever noticed it on the stock 261s)

[italiantank26]

does the brake dust get better as the car gets older, in other words, is there always going to be an excessive amount of break dust on my rims!

[tbird]

I have the SP rims, not sure what the number is on them. I certainly hope that whatever protective material that's on there will finally wear off soon.

Brake dust never gets better, on any car. All I see as hope is that they now have white brake pads, so they give off white dust. That would be nicer.

[tbird]

Oh, and scorcherjf, I have a post in the USA-Southeast forum. It seems like there are no BMW meets down here in South Florida, despite us being the top selling BMW region. We need more meets. If ever someone starts up a meet down here, try to attend. Thanks.

I'm trying to spark up some attention for one.

[scorcherjf]

Originally Posted by tbird

Oh, and scorcherjf, I have a post in the USA-Southeast forum. It seems like there are no BMW meets down here in South Florida, despite us being the top selling BMW region. We need more meets. If ever someone starts up a meet down here, try to attend. Thanks.

I'm trying to spark up some attention for one.

I'd def be up for meets. When I lived in NJ I went to quite a few, and they were always a blast. I'm pretty sure most BMW buyers down here are old retired folk, though =)

[warmtoes]

Is it a gooey texture? If so it might be what I had initially. When I first got my car I had splatters of what looked like silly string on the side of the car that came from the wheels as it was on them too. I'm not sure it's the same thing as you're finding but I was told it was potentially the excess goop they put on our cars for shipping on the sea.

After about a month or two it didn't show up again.

[tbird]

Originally Posted by scorcherjf

I'd def be up for meets. When I lived in NJ I went to quite a few, and they were always a blast. I'm pretty sure most BMW buyers down here are old retired folk, though =)

To paraphrase the old saying, "This ain't your father's BMW anymore!" Down here in S.FL., eeeeeeeeeeverybody has to drive a BMW. Everybody and their brother drives a BMW. So, you get a wide mix, not just the old fogies. Although, just today I mentioned the infamous old Abbott&Costello bit of "Who's on first" routine to a coworker in another dept, and he had no clue. Maybe I am an old fogie
Here in Broward, it is more of the 20's to 40's age range, and mainly 3Series and 6Series, and a fair amount of Z4's. 5's and 7's, not so much, those are more of the old fogie models.

It just would be cool to get 30 or 40 owners out there, maybe get some local "custom shops" to come out and show off their wares, things like that. To me, it doesn't seem like much, but I don't see anything.

There supposedly is that "EuroSunday" next Saturday in Hallandale. I plan on going to it, see what it is like.

[tbird]

Originally Posted by warmtoes

Is it a gooey texture?

Thankfully, no. Just more like dried dirty oil water.