Hi. I'm trying to get some grime off the wheels, far back on the edges toward the inside of the car. The thing is, I don't know if it's grime or if the clear coat is coming off. I own an 04.

Would it be okay to rub the grimey areas with a Brillo pad to see if it comes off? Could this damage the wheels' surface?

 

A brillo pad is steel wool. It will scratch the finish. Eagle One A to Z wheel cleaner or P21s wheel cleaner and a soft bristle brush is about as much as I'd go.

 

I have no problems dusting brake dust off with an old T-shirt. No water, cleaners etc. My S2.2K is an '05 model; perhaps there is a different sealant on the wheels than earlier models.

HTH
ric
Proverbs 19: 17

 

I like to clean rims with a clean white sock and some 303. I put the sock on my hand and spray the 303 on the sock and then rub off the grime, etc., on the rim. Has worked well for me.

 

I'm hearing some interesting methods for wheel cleaning in this forum . . . old socks . . . old t-shirts . . . interesting. Anyway, I like to use Zymol wheel cleaner with a soft bristle wheel brush followed by Zymol wheel coat. Using steel wool would be a really bad idea unless you want to refinish your wheels afterward. For tough grime I might try some bug and tar remover or if it's really baked on brake dust maybe a good metal polish which is safe for clear coated metal. I believe these wheels are clear coated although I'm not 100%. So, just in case I basically try to treat the wheels as I would the paint on my car.

 

Try Wheel Wax.