Alloy damage when new tyres fitted on B7 RS4

[Tom Eggar]

Hi guys.

I have an RS4 B7 and just wanted to get your opinions on this: Had x4 new 255/35 ZR19 96Y XL Michelin PS3 Pilot Sports at a cost of £740 at Hi Q in Taunton on Saturday. Only noticed the damage shown after paying, as had kids with me! I know every inch of my car (even cleaned the wheels in the rain in the morning before fitting to check!) The manager, Gary, is saying always gets people accusing him of damaging wheels. Said it is a 10 year old car and his word against mine. Said those marks are expected when fitting tyres on old cars - breaking beads and cleaning up "bubbled laquer" - despite alloys looking unmarked apart from one kerbing from previous owner. Did not drive all the way to Milton Keynes to get a one owner from new Audi RS4 in great condition and FASH, just to have the alloys gauged, when fitting £740 worth of tyres! Really appreciate your comments, as I have limited knowledge of fitting process etc. He may get back to me, but does not sound promising....

Tom

[dhali]

Manager is talking rubbish especially '10yr old car ' .Is he implying all ' old ' cars have marked alloys etc and you should accept alloys being damaged when changing tyres ?? What you should ALWAYS do before having the tyres replaced is ' show ' each wheel to the fitter BEFORE he starts the tyre change and confirm your wheels are unmarked and can he assure you that they will remain that way . If not go to another tyre place . Not much help now I'm afraid.

[Tom Eggar]

That is exactly what he was implying - old cars will get their alloys damaged, when the tyres are replaced. It is such a shame to have to run over the car to show no damage, before work starts, it creates mistrust and accusation, even before work starts. But I agree, I probably will in future. I normally get all my work done by A M Cars in Ilminster (Audi Quattro specialists), who are impeccable and do a brilliant job. But was a little cheaper in HiQ and thought just tyres should be fine as a national firm. I have spoke to head office and they are not happy, asked me to send an email etc. Will report back if I get anywhere!

[Nige_RS4]

I always used to take photos of my alloys before fitting new tyres, but I now take it to the same place and they know now to check them before starting work.

[rs user]

sadly it is all too easily to remove paint when tyres come off if wheels have been repainted-even if they dont touch the wheel with the tyre equipment
although not a professional tyre fitter i have removed and refitted tyres and been present witnessing damage such as that above simply by removal of tyres

[Covkiller]

Have your wheels been refurbushed as I have had experience of chipping paint when tyres have been fitted, due to a flakey paint finish.

[Nige_RS4]

Looking at the last photo, I can see what looks like a line where the paint / lacquer stops. Have they been refurbished on the cheap, by a dealer / previous owner?

[Tom Eggar]

Thanks guys. The previous owner did everything through the Audi dealership from new. So I doubt he would have done anything, let alone the wheels on the cheap - but don't have a record on the service history, albeit it a full service history. I think that line will just wipe away - it is just residue from the tyre paste, or whatever it is called. I spoke to A M Cars - Audi Quattro specialists, who do all the work normally on the car and they said this should not have happened if using the right tools, time, care and skill. I won't be using a "Highstreet" tyre fitter again.

[Shoppinit]

I always used to take photos of my alloys before fitting new tyres

I do this. They think I'm mad. Recently I had some alloys scuffed when having some tyres fitted. They manager tried to bullshot me but the photos don't lie and he was there when I took them. No doubt in my mind that if I didn't have the photos he would have weaseled out of it.

Why is it so hard to find somewhere to do such a basic job well?

[GrahamS4]

I am running on two of my spare wheels this week due to two of my immaculate wheels being scored from new tyre fitting. They were cleaned before visiting so they could see just how as new a condition the wheels were.

I went to a local Audi specialist that looks after a lot of nice cars all with big wheels so though I was in safe hands. I was not.

They just fitted the wheels, said nothing and left me to discover their butchery.

The only positive note is when challenged they put their hands up and the wheels are at Pristine now, at their expense. I won't benefit from this as the wheels started immaculate anyway, but putting a problem right properly is better than not.

I genuinely dread having to have new tyres fitted. Car and wheels get photographed outside any garage it goes to.

[Shoppinit]

I genuinely dread having to have new tyres fitted.

Ha. I feel the same. And not just because of the potential for damage but for all the times (seems like every time) I have to go back again to get wheels balanced properly. I've come to the conclusion that most wheel balancing machines are not fit for purpose. I watch them do it (when I can) and even when they've put the weights on and it reads zero-zero frequently they are still not balanced properly. Watch them put the same wheel back on the same machine and it'll no longer be zero-zero. Makes me tear my hair out.

Recently we had a tyre come off the rim at Bedford Autodrome just after 140mph straight. It turned out, when we got the tyre off to look at it, that the bead had been damaged when the tyre was put on. The fitter must have known, but stayed quiet about it. Could have been fatal.

I'm seriously thinking of buying the gear to do my own tyres! Anyone do this? I had a mate who used to do drag racing who balanced his own wheels but his method seems to involve bits of string.

[MikeFish]

Just under £2k and you can do your own
https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Dra ... gJgi_D_BwE

[N13LXC]

So as much as I'm with you on people's disregard for property and the annoyance that this causes (it's akin to some <beep> pranging you in a car park and driving off), the effort that you'll have to make to get this fixed far outweighs the cost in fixing it (if you even chose to).

I think you'd be looking at roughly £50 to fix that. You could just leave it (annoying as hell and will stand out as you clearly, like most of us here, like to look after your car) and save yourself the money or you can pursue it and make them pay. I think that'll take at least 2-3 hours of your time, not including the fix for the wheel, so in essence leaving you not very much better off than spending the £50 to fix it...

I'd still be in the same boat as you though...raging and chasing them down!

[Ian_C]

I am running on two of my spare wheels this week due to two of my immaculate wheels being scored from new tyre fitting. They were cleaned before visiting so they could see just how as new a condition the wheels were.

I went to a local Audi specialist that looks after a lot of nice cars all with big wheels so though I was in safe hands. I was not.

They just fitted the wheels, said nothing and left me to discover their butchery.

The only positive note is when challenged they put their hands up and the wheels are at Pristine now, at their expense. I won't benefit from this as the wheels started immaculate anyway, but putting a problem right properly is better than not.

I genuinely dread having to have new tyres fitted. Car and wheels get photographed outside any garage it goes to.

You've not had much with those bloody 19" segments! Lacquer peel on the first refurbishment, then gravel rash on one shortly afterwards, and now this!

If they have only been sent the two, just hope they are not directional tyres............

[GrahamS4]

Indeed, having got all four spot on and cared for meticulously since, I certainly didn't need a careless fool damaging two in a row. Blatantly scored by the machine, down to the metal around the rim. Only paint damage though. So unnecessary.

My spare wheels are better than most people best set though

Moving from PS3 to PS4 on the tyres.