I have an Acura RDX 2008. Over the past year I've noticed part of my rims are rusting. I've attached a pic for you to look at. Is anyone else seeing this? Is this something you think I can ask the dealer to replace?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45064891@N06/4823990870/

 

Need better link or password. I went to my yahoo account (that's where your link took me) signed in, and voila:

This photo is private.

Oops! You don't have permission to view this photo.
Here's a link back to your home page.

 

Sorry about that. Below is the link to the image.

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/6711/rdxrim.jpg

Any thoughts on the rusting?

 

Looks like it's just the weights to balance out the wheel/tire that are rusting. You can take them off and have the wheel re balanced and they will throw new weights on.....If that's all that is rusting.

 

That is strange that the weights are rusting. I thought they were lead? Don't worry about it for now or do what Stylinhonda suggested.

 

Thanks for sharing the photo. It's something I need to be aware of!

 

Thanks for the advice. Next time I take the car in I'll have the dealer look at it. I was wondering what the function of it was. Good to know now. It's been like that for about a year but I just never remember to say anything when I take my car in for service. I'll let you know what they say next time.

BTW, yes, that is all that's rusting thankfully. The rest of the rim is fine.

 

BTW-The hub of the wheel where it mates to the rotor is also prone to some light rusting and that is normal as well.

 

Wheel is aluminum so it cannot rust, although it can 'corrode'. The center of the rotor is rusting, not the wheel. To prevent difficulty removing wheel after awhile passes, I put a thin smeer of aluminum anti-seize around the center of the rotor hub, where it fits into the wheel.

There are some models of VW where the rusting center of the brake hub prevents removal of the wheel. VW makes a special spray wax to be sprayed onto the brake rotor hub center, to prevent this rusting.

A thin smeer of anti-seize on either the rotor hub center, or the back of the wheel, will further prevent rust on the rotor hub, and corossion (sp) of the wheel back. Not too much anti-seize, or it can 'fling' onto the rotor braking surface - bad as that would prevent proper braking.

And do not get confused by my comments. I do NOT mean to put anti-seize on the rotor braking face, just the hub center where it meets the back of the wheel, around the wheel mount studs. And not on the studs themselves either. That would affect the proper torque of the wheel stud lug-nuts.

After a few years in the snow belt, an aluminum wheel can corrode where it meets the brake rotor hub, and become so 'lumpy' that it no longer fits flat. Sometimes it is so bad the wheel must be replaced.