Volkswagen Polo Service & Repair Manual: Light Alloy Wheels, Care and Maintenance

Volkswagen Polo Service & Repair Manual / Whels, Tires, Whel Alignment / Rim Information / Light Alloy Wheels, Care and Maintenance

To maintain the decorative appearance of light alloy wheels for a long time, regular care is necessary.

In particular, road salt and dust from brake abrasion must be thoroughly washed off every two weeks. Otherwise, the paint of the light alloy wheel will be attacked.

Cleaning Agent

The following are appropriate cleaning agents:

Water or water and soft soap

Water and vinegar essence

Light alloy wheel cleaning agents without acids or harsh solvents

Do not exceed the soaking time of the cleaning agent.

The shorter the specified soaking time is, the stronger and more aggressive the cleaning solution is.

Paint Damage

Fix paint damage as soon as possible. Refer to → Chapter „Light Alloy Wheels, Preparing“.

Removing Adhesive Residue from Glued Balance Weights on Light Alloy Rims

Harsh solvents and acids attack the paint on light alloy wheels and the surface of the wheel becomes matte and milky. These agents therefore must not be used.

To remove adhesive residue on light alloy wheels, use light alloy cleansers or benzene-based cleanser. Do not exceed the soaking time of the cleaning agent.

After cleaning or removing adhesive residue on the tires, they must be rinsed again with water.

Composite Wheels

Composite wheels consist of various parts. The primary components are rims and wheel discs. These components are fastened to each other with special ...

Light Alloy Wheels, Preparing

WARNING Do not repair damaged rims by heating, welding or adding or removing material. ...

Other materials:

Tread depth and wear indicators
Fig. 147 Tyre tread: wear indicators First read and observe the introductory information and safety warningsTread depth Difficult driving situations demand the deepest possible tread depth for the tyres and the same tread depth for the tyres on the front and rear axles. This applies in pa ...

Lights and vision – functions
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings Parking light Depending on the vehicle equipment level, when the parking lights (left and right turn signals) are switched on, the headlight and the tail light on the corresponding side of the vehicle light up. The park ...

Snow Chains
Snow Chins, Assembly and Replacing Snow chains may be mounted only on the drive wheels. If the vehicle has AWD, then snow chains may be used on the front wheels only. Snow chains are not possible with all wheel/tire com ...