[kmac03]

Hey everyone -

I’m coming over from the X3 thread, but you all have a much better detailing presence. I just purchased a 23 X3 and have started to get into detailing. I live right next to an Adam’s store, so most of my products are theirs. Everything is going well except this weird orange dust on my rims.

I cleaned the car earlier this week and noticed that I did a terrible job on the tires, probably due to a sore back. When looking, I noticed this orange dust (photo 1.). I went to Adams and they have NO idea what it is, but said I probably just didn’t rinse it well.

Today I recleaned my tired with eco wheel cleaner and rinsed for a solid 2 minutes per wheel and then hand dried it. Photo 2 shows the finished product and I was so excited. However, I just looked (4 hours after cleaning) and the orange dust is back!! Photo 3 shows how much inside the rim well.

What could this be?! Driving me nuts.

[kmac03]

Photos attached.

[disintegrator66]

Rust from your rotors?

[PHXATC]

Rust from your rotors is the likely suspect. All those little spots, nooks, and crannies that water sits in and doesn't get blown out or slung out will eventually get some surface rust and parts will break free and get ground off by using the brakes and simply driving around.

Do you blow your wheels and tires off with a leaf blower after you wash and rinse your car?

Another question is if this dust can be blown/gently dusted off the rims after you wash it and it appears again?

If it is just dust and not sticking to the wheel surface, you're in a decent enough position to not have it doing any damage to the paint on the wheels. Just blow it off, dust it off and then go drive.

[kmac03]

Originally Posted by PHXATC

Rust from your rotors is the likely suspect. All those little spots, nooks, and crannies that water sits in and doesn't get blown out or slung out will eventually get some surface rust and parts will break free and get ground off by using the brakes and simply driving around.

Do you blow your wheels and tires off with a leaf blower after you wash and rinse your car?

Another question is if this dust can be blown/gently dusted off the rims after you wash it and it appears again?

If it is just dust and not sticking to the wheel surface, you're in a decent enough position to not have it doing any damage to the paint on the wheels. Just blow it off, dust it off and then go drive.

I don’t have a leaf blower, but could very well get one if needed. I don’t believe the dust comes back once removed and it’s not sticking to the wheel.

I only drove the car like 10 feel yesterday, but will drive it today to see if it comes off.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by kmac03

Hey everyone -

I’m coming over from the X3 thread, but you all have a much better detailing presence. I just purchased a 23 X3 and have started to get into detailing. I live right next to an Adam’s store, so most of my products are theirs. Everything is going well except this weird orange dust on my rims.

I cleaned the car earlier this week and noticed that I did a terrible job on the tires, probably due to a sore back. When looking, I noticed this orange dust (photo 1.). I went to Adams and they have NO idea what it is, but said I probably just didn’t rinse it well.

Today I recleaned my tired with eco wheel cleaner and rinsed for a solid 2 minutes per wheel and then hand dried it. Photo 2 shows the finished product and I was so excited. However, I just looked (4 hours after cleaning) and the orange dust is back!! Photo 3 shows how much inside the rim well.

What could this be?! Driving me nuts.

If the dust is coming from the car it's most likely from the stock brake pads. BMW uses several sources for their stock pads and most put out heavy gobs of sticky black dust. Sounds like they are using a different pad for your model. Maybe it will lessen after the pads break in.

Rust from rotors is unlikely if the car has been driven daily. Rotor rust typically forms if the car has been sitting and it's been raining.

If the dust is coming from the road, is there anything recently like heavy rains or construction that could have washed silt onto roads, or even from a local road that you frequently drive? I had something like that last spring that created this mud on the road that stuck to wheels and paint like Gorilla Glue.

I do NOT recommend ceramic brake pads (like Akebono) which people use to battle brake dust. They are no better than average in actual braking performance and they take too long to warm up and work after the car has been sitting overnight or during the day at work. (Hawk 5.0 are the best street pads by far)

I do recommend a thorough wheel cleaning followed by applying a ceramic coating to wheels. Keeps them much cleaner. Photos show products that I use.

Hope this helps!

[kmac03]

Originally Posted by johnung

If the dust is coming from the car it's most likely from the stock brake pads. BMW uses several sources for their stock pads and most put out heavy gobs of sticky black dust. Sounds like they are using a different pad for your model. Maybe it will lessen after the pads break in.

Rust from rotors is unlikely if the car has been driven daily. Rotor rust typically forms if the car has been sitting and it's been raining.

If the dust is coming from the road, is there anything recently like heavy rains or construction that could have washed silt onto roads, or even from a local road that you frequently drive? I had something like that last spring that created this mud on the road that stuck to wheels and paint like Gorilla Glue.

I do NOT recommend ceramic brake pads (like Akebono) which people use to battle brake dust. They are no better than average in actual braking performance and they take too long to warm up and work after the car has been sitting overnight or during the day at work. (Hawk 5.0 are the best street pads by far)

I do recommend a thorough wheel cleaning followed by applying a ceramic coating to wheels. Keeps them much cleaner. Photos show products that I use.

Hope this helps!

No rain, but I did just spend 1.5 hours washing them and I can’t get back there to dry them. Can only dry the face.

Any idea if the Adam’s Regular Wheel cleaner would be better?

[PHXATC]

Originally Posted by kmac03

I don’t have a leaf blower, but could very well get one if needed. I don’t believe the dust comes back once removed and it’s not sticking to the wheel.

I only drove the car like 10 feel yesterday, but will drive it today to see if it comes off.

I wouldn't run out and get a leaf blower, unless you really want one.

If the dust is disappearing and doesn't come back then I wouldn't worry about it too much, that means it is not sticking and etching your wheels.

johnung had a good point about the brake pad material(s) and how those will leave dust and maybe they are contributing to the flaky bronze/rusty colored dust. Oh, here in FL, yes you don't have to drive and it doesn't have to rain to get rusty rotors in about 10 minutes after you wash your car. True story. Backing the car out of the garage and back in will eliminate the surface rust on the rotor itself though, so it isn't an issue. With the OP in Denver though, I would think the air would be drier and not be prone to such quick surface rust as was my original thought process.

[The Airman]

When I noticed rusty stuff on my wheels, I pulled the wheels and found this nasty looking hub:


If you can't find the source, maybe pull a wheel or two.