[J00PTv]

hello,
by the center caps I see like a plastic see through film kind of peeling off. rims are literally scratch free never seen a side walk. how is this happening? is this covered under warranty?
car is a 2016 340i with 19 inch rims.

[Billfitz]

Make sure it's not a protective layer that the dealer neglected to remove when he delivered the car.

[njdangelo]

what kind of rims? have you had the car since new? if not chances are the previous owner or dealership that sold it to you had the wheel repaired and typically it gets sanded, painted, clear coated. Could be a failure in the clear coat.

[Desertnate]

It could be a failure in the clear coat even if it wasn't a refurb wheel. Which wheel is it? the 442Ms?

Every car I've owned from three different OEM in which there is a clear coat applied over a bare, brushed metal surface has failed at some point in the wheel's life. Some sooner rather than later. What I've seen on my other vehicles is the clear coat will get a really tiny chip from something like a strike from road debris. This allows a bit of moisture to get between the clear coat and the metal surface of the wheel and it's all over from there. I've never had this happen on wheels which are fully painted and don't have a bare metal surface covered by clear coat.

Two of my 442M wheels are starting to show signs of of something going on around the hubs too.

[J00PTv]

if you see the center cap it's almost like an air pocket see through plastic peeling.

[J00PTv]

it's not rusted or anything under just really annoying. I bought the car CPO last year and only put on it 3k in miles over 11 months. other than this rims are brand new looking.

[njdangelo]

Is it on the center cap itself or the rim? If it's on the center cap just grab another set. They are pretty cheap. The pics are hard to see. If it's coming out from the center cap then yea, it seems you got road salt or water under the clear coat. It'll start to turn yellow and really bother you. I refinished all four of my wheels because of that. Took me all winter.

[tardboi]

Looks like diamond cut wheels aka corrosion starting.Cant be cleaned or stopped; only cut down.

[Orion4]

Center caps are plastic with an overcoat or overlay that does breakdown over time based on the environment and wear and tear. No surprise, especially if out in the elements like Chicago winters. Kind of like a "consumable". Just buy another set

[J00PTv]

it's not the actual center caps. it's the part of the rim closest to it. this is horrible. car only has 26k miles and did not see the snow last winter here in Chicago. dealer would probably say I did it lol...

[Orion4]

if there is not abrasive damage to that area and it is just becoming delaminated, I would push the dealer to address it. Have you taken it to them?

[yyzwagon]

Originally Posted by J00PTv

hello,
by the center caps I see like a plastic see through film kind of peeling off. rims are literally scratch free never seen a side walk. how is this happening? is this covered under warranty?
car is a 2016 340i with 19 inch rims.

it's likely just the clear coat peeling.

happening on my 2016 as well.

[njdangelo]

IIRC tires and wheels are excluded from the manufacturer warranty. Thats why they offer the tire/wheel warranty when you purchase too

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by J00PTv

if you see the center cap it's almost like an air pocket see through plastic peeling.

Typical issue on diamond cut rims. Clearcoat has lifted, usually due to moisture/salt in winter. Seems to start on the sharp edge in most examples.

We've had lots of users over here in the UK with the problem, our climate doesn't help.

[J00PTv]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

Typical issue on diamond cut rims. Clearcoat has lifted, usually due to moisture/salt in winter. Seems to start on the sharp edge in most examples.

We've had lots of users over here in the UK with the problem, our climate doesn't help.

what's the fix? cheap?

[Orion4]

Not necessarily cheap, but Powdercoating Clear works well

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by J00PTv

what's the fix? cheap?

Some users have qualified for replacement rim(s), under warranty. Some have had the rims recut and clearcoat finished. Other users have decided to forget the diamond cut finish and gone for refurbishment with a powder coat finish.

A few have had (or DIY) localised repairs, but it's hard to match the original look and get a good and durable finish.

[CrumbyButter]

Originally Posted by J00PTv

what's the fix? cheap?

from 'cheapest' to priciest:
tell BMW to replace if still under warranty, bring to a wheel shop, or buy an oem replacement rim (much cheaper on ebay .

'fixing' clear coat on a rim isn't any different than trying to fix something with the paint on your car - it has to be done right by a professional.

look on the bright side though - if you buy a new rim, you can use this one for a full sized spare if/when you get rid of run flats