Damaged alloy wheel

[icestorm81]

Had an unexperienced tyre fitter at my place of work take the copper paint off the edge of the wheel while putting new tyres on. They have offered to repair the damage for free, but am I right in saying that they will never get a perfect match as Seat will never release the paint code for the r st wheels etc.

 

[jiraffe]

tough one to take, but why would they get a unexperienced person to do it?

 

[icestorm81]

tough one to take, but why would they get a unexperienced person to do it?

Dunno, I did warn them beforehand as they are expensive wheels.

 

[Cuprabenwytm]

Oh dam poor wheel id want more than a free repair want some ps4s aswell haha

Sent from my MRD-LX1 using Tapatalk

 

[SRGTD]

@icestorm81; Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Your experience highlights one of the reasons why I don’t like diamond cut alloys - easily damaged by inexperienced tyre fitters or poorly maintained tyre changing equipment.

I wouldn’t be agreeing to the tyre fitting place repairing the damage - I’d want to get it repaired at a wheel refurb company of my choice and then get the tyre fitting place to pick up the cost of the refurb.

The copper colour is actually a tinted lacquer rather than copper coloured paint. l’d be asking whoever you get to do the refurb to confirm they’ll be able to accurately match this copper coloured lacquer tint on the machined face of the wheel. If they can’t, then depending on how OCD you are about your car, you’re then left with getting all the wheels refinished so they all match, colour-wise, or getting a new wheel to replace the damaged one and for the tyre fitting place to agree to pick up the cost.

Good luck with getting this sorted. Please keep the forum updated on progress.

 

[icestorm81]

Thanks for your reply, I will find out tomorrow morning what they plan to do and will post on here.

 

[BigJase88]

Wow they have made a right arse of that

 

[Seriously?]

Ouch! That sucks
BTW could just be the way it looks in the photo, but is that tyre seated properly?

 

[icestorm81]

Yeah the tyre is seated properly, the other tyre place struggled to change the other 3 due to the copper plating being so soft. Going to have all 4 refurnished in paint of the same colour and my place of work will pay for the wheel they damaged.

 

[queen]

I think the copper color code is L27A.

 

[Cuprar17]

Did you by any chance find a place to get it repaired? I recently damaged mine and I’m have a tough time finding anyone to repair it.

 

[stu_007]

I too had a tyre repairer cause damage and after two unsuccessful attempts to match the colour they bought me a new wheel. Today I’ve found damage from a pot hole and would love to know anyone that can fix these as two places I have used before, cannot match the colour!

 

[SRGTD]

I too had a tyre repairer cause damage and after two unsuccessful attempts to match the colour they bought me a new wheel. Today I’ve found damage from a pot hole and would love to know anyone that can fix these as two places I have used before, cannot match the colour!

it makes you wonder if fitting a car with wheels that are difficult - if not impossible - to get refurbished in the original OEM finish is a deliberate ploy on the part of the manufacture, as some customers will feel compelled to buy a brand new replacement wheel, which won’t be cheap! I personally don’t like diamond cut alloys - IMHO they’re more trouble than they’re worth.

If you own the car rather than lease or PCP it, options to consider are;

• getting all four wheels refinished with a ’conventional’ diamond cut finish (i.e. with the machined faces covered in a clear lacquer, rather than a copper tinted finish).
• dispense with the diamond cut finish altogether and get all four wheels refurbished with a powder coated finish, which will be a much more durable finish, and cheaper / easier to repair in future - this would be my preference. The only downside is that IMHO certain wheel designs don’t look good in a single colour powder coated finish (usually wheels with thicker, wider spokes powder coated in a dark(er) colour).

Either of the above options should be cheaper than buying a brand new replacement OEM diamond cut alloy for a Cupra.