Chrome trim damaged after car wash....

[Alarm Engineer]

Hi,

So i've just taken our 1year old Audi A3 into a hand car wash place and 20minuites later noticed that the chrome trim around the offside windows has splash shaped corrosion marks under the surface of the trim all the way around this one side, picture attached. Anyway car wash has given us the run around and i've almost decided to cut my loses and sort myself at my expence. Does anyone know what would have caused this and if the chrome can be restored with any kind of product? The chrome is compleately smooth still and the corrosion appears to have happend under the surface???

Any help please?

 

[Belle427]

Looks like some form of acidic cleaner has got on there, maybe from the wheels.
You could try a car polish, is it plastic or metal?

 

[Burnerman]

Very common I'm afraid, this happened to mine on the front grille. The detergent gets under the plastic top cover and corrodes the alloy beneath.
There's no way of curing it but Audi may consider replacing the trim.....of course you swear blind the car has never been near a car or jet wash of course
John

 

[JohnD]

on my car, that bit of trim is chromed (on the back) plastic. So there is nothing to polish up if it is damaged (but you can shine the plastic with Armorall if it goes dull)

From the pic it looks like your plating has been eaten away.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I wont use the hand car washes, too many horror stories of damage to vehicles. Took my old Rover 45 in for a once over before a show last year, drove it out and turned the radio back on, to find it wouldn't work. Spun the car round and went straight back in, they didn't want to know. Car is 16 years old, never had an issue with the radio, all of a sudden its doesn't work after they've cleaned the car. Coincidence? They say so.

 

[DaveHerns]

Is this an "immigrant"/slave labour type of car wash? Wouldn't use one under any circs. Heard tales of them using brick acid to clean alloy wheels. You can bet your life they have no public liability insurance

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You spend a fiver getting a £20K+ car cleaned? What could possibly go wrong! Like taking a Rolex to a market trader to get the battery changed.

 

[Alarm Engineer]

I know, but where else do you get a car washed now days?

 

[Avocet]

As Burnerman says, it's the detergent. The "Chrome" is actually polished aluminium with a coating. My boss had an S8 a few years ago - exactly the same thing happened. I knew a good metallurgist at a university at the time and he wrote a report on it, but we still got two fingers from Audi when he sent it to them in an attempt to get them to cough-up for it.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You do it yourself or pay more, there are plenty of decent mobile car valets but not for a fiver.

 

[Nozzle]

I know, but where else do you get a car washed now days?

Do you own an bucket and sponge?

Nozzle

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Do you own an bucket and sponge?

Nozzle

Actually two buckets if you wanna minimize damage.

 

[motorbiking]

Check the car's corrosion warranty - Its not the car wash's fault unless they have used something inappropriate on the car. Personally I don't wash my cars. Maybe once a year tops

 

[DaveHerns]

Do you work on the theory that the layer of dirt protects the paint?

 

[Alarm Engineer]

Tbh i cant be bothered to wash the car but will defo consider mobile valet firms.