When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Good afternoon.
We did a tire fitting on a new car and found this inside a carbon disc, tell me, is it changed under warranty or is it possible to drive like this? Or do you need to cover up something?
That appears to be a carbon fiber WHEEL. Further, the white chipping seems to be the special heat reflective ceramic coating on the barrel of the wheel. As for OK to drive? I'd never touch that question from a single photo and improper description. This is a warranty issue that must be resolved by a dealership.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
C4 of Year Winner (performance mods) 2019
It was specifically mentioned in several videos that the white ceramic coating was there to protect the CF wheels from the brake heat. I'd bet you're probably fine to drive it on the street, but definitely not on track. You should take it to your dealer asap to get them to get one on order for you for replacement.
I would say that the caution in the manual appears to say it unsafe. There is damage to the thermal finish. And the warning says that could lead to overheating and cracking. It already looks like there are cracks - in the thermal coating at least - if not in the wheel.
Carbon Fiber Wheels
If equipped, carbon fiber wheels have a high
performance white thermal coating on the
rim and back of the spoke. The thermal
coating provides a functional purpose and
performs best when clean. See “Wheels and
Wheel Trim” section above for cleaning
instructions. However, even with regular cleaning, it is expected that brake dust and
road grime will darken the high performance
thermal coating over time. {Warning
Altering, removing, or painting over the
white thermal coating on carbon fiber
wheels can cause the wheels to overheat
and become damaged. Damaged wheels
could cause a crash. To prevent property
damage, personal injury, and/or death,
do not change the coating on the carbon
fiber wheels.
One single post from this member and it's kind of calling out the carbon wheels. Also misidentifies what is in the image as a 'disc' so I doubt they were present/took the picture, etc. Sounds like a troll to me. That said, IF this is legit and your shop or whoever "we" is saw this after a tire change, I'm willing to bet somebody was really careless with a $4000 wheel and chipped the **** out of it on either the rotor or lower control arm.
One single post from this member and it's kind of calling out the carbon wheels. Also misidentifies what is in the image as a 'disc' so I doubt they were present/took the picture, etc. Sounds like a troll to me. That said, IF this is legit and your shop or whoever "we" is saw this after a tire change, I'm willing to bet somebody was really careless with a $4000 wheel and chipped the **** out of it on either the rotor or lower control arm.
Interesting. I wonder what was meant by "cover up something".
One single post from this member and it's kind of calling out the carbon wheels. Also misidentifies what is in the image as a 'disc' so I doubt they were present/took the picture, etc. Sounds like a troll to me. That said, IF this is legit and your shop or whoever "we" is saw this after a tire change, I'm willing to bet somebody was really careless with a $4000 wheel and chipped the **** out of it on either the rotor or lower control arm.
The problem is that the car is from the USA, and I'm on another continent, and there are no dealers here. Hence the question, what kind of coverage is this and can I restore it myself?
or what is the best way to do it?
Something that small won't cause any problem any time, soon. That said, you'll need to get it fixed eventually. Hopefully someone would know what kind of a coat/paint it is, so you can fix it before it chips more.
The OEM coating is some kind of ceramic. I imagine any place that ceramic coats materials for high-heat applications could properly repair that. Probably nothing more than scuffing it up to remove loose bits and spraying a couple of coats.
Unrelated to your current issue, this is yet another reason why the carbon wheels, while cool, are just not for me. Way too many issues.
Something that small won't cause any problem any time, soon. That said, you'll need to get it fixed eventually. Hopefully someone would know what kind of a coat/paint it is, so you can fix it before it chips more.
Yes quite incredible that one would not look at the possibility of underlying causes. Protective coatings don’t just fall off randomly.
Agree. "Questionable" means someone who knows what the are doing and is experience with carbon fiber wheels with a thermal coating should inspect it - and I agree. And it is the reason that the OP asked the "question". The caution statements in the Owner's Manual make it clear that the coating is not just paint but has a functional purpose. I would consider what is in the picture to be both an "alteration" and partial removal of the thermal coating. The wheel could become overheated and damaged (or maybe already has been damaged).
"Altering, removing, or painting over the
white thermal coating on carbon fiber
wheels can cause the wheels to overheat
and become damaged. Damaged wheels
could cause a crash. To prevent property
damage, personal injury, and/or death, do not change the coating on the carbon
fiber wheels."
Agree. "Questionable" means someone who knows what the are doing and is experience with carbon fiber wheels with a thermal coating should inspect it - and I agree. And it is the reason that the OP asked the "question". The caution statements in the Owner's Manual make it clear that the coating is not just paint but has a functional purpose. I would consider what is in the picture to be both an "alteration" and partial removal of the thermal coating. The wheel could become overheated and damaged (or maybe already has been damaged).
"Altering, removing, or painting over the
white thermal coating on carbon fiber
wheels can cause the wheels to overheat
and become damaged. Damaged wheels
could cause a crash. To prevent property
damage, personal injury, and/or death, do not change the coating on the carbon
fiber wheels."
Here here. Appropriately constructive embellishment to my post👍