What are they and how do I get rid of them?

I washed the rims with dishwashing soap to get the brake dust off, and this is what I found underneath. Tried claybar, didn't work. Tried scratching them off with my nails, didn't work.

Looks like they're only present on the front rims.

 

water spots maybe...
i hope they are not etch spots (can you feel the edges with your fingernail?)-

have you tried a non-acid wheel cleaner?
do not use acid on the wheels cause they are clear coated...

 

It's hard to tell from the photo, but what wanabe said - can you feel the edges? If so, then I'd be inclined to think that the clearcoat has been compromised somehow. If you can't feel these spots, try a non-abrasive cleaner polish like Klasse AIO with a soft cotton rag (after washing the wheel) and see if that helps any. Either that or clay.

 

Looks like etching. Even the rest of the finish looks weird. Are these 04-05 oem wheels?

 

I'll give the AIO a try. I can't feel any edges on the spots. They just look like rusty water spots.

And yes, they're the 04 oems.

 

Just wait a week and they'll be covered up with break dust

 

the finish on your wheels looks kind of dull. Did you take this picture in a dark garage or at night using the flash on your camera? I'm think if you took the picture in the dark the flash might have "washed out" the picture.

 

It's just the pic.. the finish is

 

I got some similar spotting off my wife's '04 RSX using Mothers chrome polish. The bottle looks like this :


Of course, if those really are deep etches in the clear coat, this probably won't fix it permanently, but should at least get you cleaner looking for a bit.

 

i don't know about using chrome polish, since the wheels are clearcoated. I wouldn't imagine the chrome polish would do much...