due to surgery, I had not washed my cars for over 6 months. Can brake dust that's bee

[SpaceSilverX1.]

due to surgery, I had not washed my cars for over 6 months. Can brake dust that's been accumulating on the wheels cause any kind of permanent damage to the wheel surface?

prior to this, I have ALWAYS washed/waxed my own cars, so I was hesitant to let anyone else wash them.(or god forbid, go to an automatic carwash, even if it's a brushless one)

thanks!

[spazzz]

Yes
BMW baked in brake dust is no joke to clean. It will etch the paint if left on wheel.
Are you able to clean them now?

Start with a mild cleaning tool, microfiber cloth or wheel woolie.
Hit them with some iron remover of sorts, rinse and wash once again with car shampoo and see where you are at.

Shouldn't be too bad on a newer car.

[SpaceSilverX1.]

Originally Posted by spazzz

Yes
BMW baked in brake dust is no joke to clean. It will etch the paint if left on wheel.
Are you able to clean them now?

Start with a mild cleaning tool, microfiber cloth or wheel woolie.
Hit them with some iron remover of sorts, rinse and wash once again with car shampoo and see where you are at.

Shouldn't be too bad on a newer car.

that's what's freaking me out right now.... everything that I've read seemed to suggest that BMW brake dust was bad....

the last time I left a car unwashed for an extended amount of time was on my Mercedes. The front wheels had a ridiculous amount of brake dust for probably 3 months. I simply hosed all the wheels with pressure washer, then foamed them for a few minutes... then washed with a microfiber glove by hand. wheels looked as good as new again.

or are BMW and Mercedes brake dust different?

[spazzz]

I wouldn't imagine there is much difference in the dust.
Are you able to spray anything now or does the surgery still have you down?

A mobile detailer might be able to help you with just the wheels.

[SpaceSilverX1.]

Originally Posted by spazzz

I wouldn't imagine there is much difference in the dust.
Are you able to spray anything now or does the surgery still have you down?

A mobile detailer might be able to help you with just the wheels.

no... I'm fine now... will get started 6AM tomorrow.

will report back... worst case, I'll finally have an excuse to get those new 20-inch wheels I always wanted?

[Tejas1836]

Yeah, just get some new HREs and be done with it

[SpaceSilverX1.]

Originally Posted by Tejas1836

Yeah, just get some new HREs and be done with it

I never really looked at HRE prices... holy sweet Moses chariot wheels.... a set of HRE wheels plus tires costs more than the MSRP of my very first new car in the 1980s.

as for my dirty wheels... got up at 6AM and fired up the pressure washer. Decided not to use wheel cleaners and only sprayed a thick layer of Chemical Guys mega foam. Used my Sonax microfiber gloves and worked each wheel inside and outside. After an hour, all wheels were nice and clean. When it's cooler after sundown this evening, I'll apply a nice ceramic coating to them.

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by SpaceSilverX1.

due to surgery, I had not washed my cars for over 6 months. Can brake dust that's been accumulating on the wheels cause any kind of permanent damage to the wheel surface?

Not likely.
Anything is possible, but unless the last time your drove was on track using metallic track pads, the brake dust isn't THAT much of a big deal.

Worst case scenario - if it caked on solid, got rained on, started rusting and pitting wheel clear coat. This usually takes years or neglect, not months.

Originally Posted by SpaceSilverX1.

prior to this, I have ALWAYS washed/waxed my own cars, so I was hesitant to let anyone else wash them.(or god forbid, go to an automatic carwash, even if it's a brushless one)

If you are super worried, taking a car through an automatic wash (scratch) service is better than nothing.
Unless your car is a true collectible or you made a mistake of covering it with PPF, some wash is better than none.

Originally Posted by SpaceSilverX1.

the last time I left a car unwashed for an extended amount of time was on my Mercedes. The front wheels had a ridiculous amount of brake dust for probably 3 months. I simply hosed all the wheels with pressure washer, then foamed them for a few minutes... then washed with a microfiber glove by hand. wheels looked as good as new again.
or are BMW and Mercedes brake dust different?

It depends on what OEM brake pads BMW vs. Mercedes put on any given model. I would assume they are same or similar, unless someone wants to invest time into a detailed comparison.

Just wash the car (or pay someone to do it for you), and you should be fine.
Don't fret he small stuff!

a

[Tobster3]

Originally Posted by Tejas1836

Yeah, just get some new HREs and be done with it

I’ve got a new excuse for my wife. Honey the brake dust has eroded the OEM wheels so I need something a little better lol

[SpaceSilverX1.]

Originally Posted by Tobster3

I’ve got a new excuse for my wife. Honey the brake dust has eroded the OEM wheels so I need something a little better lol

I was yelling at my old 50" TV: "stupid YANKEES! lost again!!!???" and threw the remote into the screen, cracking it.

she said "oh dear, don't get upset, it's just a baseball game, we'll stop by Costco this weekend and pick out a new TV"

3 days later, I hooked up a new 75" OLED TV.

true story. (and no, I didn't really care if the Yankees won or lost that day... in fact, I had no idea which team the Yankees was playing against when I threw the remote into the old TV... just had to find a way for a "legitimate" upgrade excuse)

[SpaceSilverX1.]

Originally Posted by afadeev

Not likely.
Anything is possible, but unle
Just wash the car (or pay someone to do it for you), and you should be fine.
Don't fret he small stuff!

a

washed both cars today. now my arms are sore.

on the other hand, I forgot how relaxing it was to spray the cars with a nice thick layer of foam with my pressure washer. It's like a snow wonderland in August. (Adams' MegaFoam + MJCC foamer = joy)

[Emily172013]

My M340i (mainy sits in garage unless used for trips) has gone almost a year w/o being washed. No problem.

[M-technik-3]

Originally Posted by SpaceSilverX1.

I was yelling at my old 50" TV: "stupid YANKEES! lost again!!!???" and threw the remote into the screen, cracking it.

she said "oh dear, don't get upset, it's just a baseball game, we'll stop by Costco this weekend and pick out a new TV"

3 days later, I hooked up a new 75" OLED TV.

true story. (and no, I didn't really care if the Yankees won or lost that day... in fact, I had no idea which team the Yankees was playing against when I threw the remote into the old TV... just had to find a way for a "legitimate" upgrade excuse)

You could have just moved the tv to the garage or basement.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by SpaceSilverX1.

I was yelling at my old 50" TV: "stupid YANKEES! lost again!!!???" and threw the remote into the screen, cracking it.

she said "oh dear, don't get upset, it's just a baseball game, we'll stop by Costco this weekend and pick out a new TV"

3 days later, I hooked up a new 75" OLED TV.

true story. (and no, I didn't really care if the Yankees won or lost that day... in fact, I had no idea which team the Yankees was playing against when I threw the remote into the old TV... just had to find a way for a "legitimate" upgrade excuse)

I'm glad to see the Yankees are good for something!

[SpaceSilverX1.]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

It's good to see the Yankees are good for something!

Instead of watching the Yankees, I decided to watch Little League World Series instead.

Edit: on second thought, maybe not. Watching the Yankees in the last few days was just like watching Little League games.

[rezadue]

This:

[SpaceSilverX1.]

Originally Posted by rezadue

This:

Thanks! I love Sonax products. They have 3 or 4 different wheel cleaners. So you recommend the one you mentioned in the above post? https://sonaxusa.com/wheel-tires.html

[rezadue]

Hi,

Yes I do. I find it works wonders for the wheels that have brake dust. Only caveat when I use it is that I don't let it dry on the wheel. I also use their fallout cleaner to get rid of oxidation marks that drop on the car surface and bake on (very visible reddish dots) on my daughter's silver Civic