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howie43
Cruiser Newbie
Posted: May 26, 2008, 4:23 PM
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Corroded & discolored chrome wheels
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I just spent several hours cleaning the wheels on my '04 PTC. The driver's side front wheel was terrible. I finally removed each of the wheels to make the job easier. When I removed the driver's side front wheel I noticed an electrical wire that goes through a grommet in the wheel well to the engine compartment and is fastened to the wheel / brake area. The one on the passenger's side was not broken and that wheel was in much better shape. Since I have, also, had this car to the Goodyear shop many times for loss of air pressure and the cause was corrosion; I am wondering if that is (was) Chrysler's way of trying to minimize the electrolytic caused corrosion. Anybody know anything about this wire's function? Since I do have the tires rotated, each of them has some degree of damage - the center hub for one of the wheels is gone; the center hub on two others is trying to leave; the chrome finish is bubbling off of the wheel around the center on two of them. Quite disgusting for an otherwise smiley-faced car.
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Posts: 1 | From: illinois
| Registered: Jan 14, 2006, 10:31 AM
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mean green
Cruiser Addict
Posted: May 26, 2008, 4:55 PM
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Re: [howie43] Corroded & discolored chrome wheels
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Combination of expensive, but cheaply made wheels and brake dust from OEM pads that eventually destroys the cheaply made rims. 
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2005 Stone White SRT4
2004 Graphite Auto
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Posts: 830 | From: Oregon
| Registered: Feb 19, 2002, 12:00 AM
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GSKTech
Cruiser Buff
PT Cruiser Club Member
Posted: May 27, 2008, 3:17 AM
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(230 views)
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Re: [howie43] Corroded & discolored chrome wheels
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Do you have ABS brakes?
If yes it could be the ABS sensor wire.
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Glen
black '04 Ltd turbo
39800 km's and counting
22.03 mpg (avg)
--New Features--
Hood lifts
Aftermarket Radio
Shock Sensor
Rear spoiler
Subwoofer
6.5" Door speakers
3.5" tweeters
5x7 rear speakers
4 channel Amplifier
sound deadener
Freedom strut bar
-Not yet installed - hyper-flex energy bushings.
-Brand names removed so we don't offend anyone ...
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Posts: 60 | From: Greenfield Park, Quebec, Canada
| Registered: Feb 26, 2006, 12:26 PM
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GT Bruiser
Cruiser Expert
Posted: May 28, 2008, 11:24 AM
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Re: [howie43] Corroded & discolored chrome wheels
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The wire you are questioning is a simple ground strap bolted to the strut and into the inner fender. It doesn't actually run through the inner fender to attach anywhere else. If you remove the grommet/plug you'll see it terminates at the plug and the plug itself simply holds the wire's end against the inner fender via friction fit. That ground strap is there because the struts and all other suspension components are painted to prevent rust. Paint makes for a poor conductor and the electrical current needs a path to follow to return to the battery AKA ground.
Could it have helped your wheels to corrode? Yes and no. Considering the rotors had a heavy and unmarred coating (rust or zinc-dip), then it's possible your wheels were not grounding thereby creating the catalytic occurrence of salt, water, and electricity combining to effectively corrode the plating off the wheel's alloy base metal.
But I doubt that is the case. More likely than not, your wheel's plating is simply peeling away from the base metal. The Chrysler OEM wheels are not plated all the way around. Since the plating ends at approximately the region where the tires bead sits, the de-plating probably started at the inside of the rim (brake-side) and went unnoticed by you or the car's former owner because it was buried under brake dust. Once the plating begins to chip or curl off there's just no stopping it. Re-plating is also out of the question as the base metal is likely pitted and oxidized.
For whatever it means, the plating is peeling off my wheels and I've been faithfully maintaining them since I purchased the car. As I live in Minnesota and there's no lack of winter salt still laying on the road's shoulders come mid June, not much for me to do other than drive them and replace them when I deem them too damn ugly to look at anymore, or when the plating begins to lodge itself under my nails during wash & polish.
Regards!
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Intense Blue Pearl... Yeah, Baby! 2003 GT - 5 Speed Getrag - Factory Loaded W/Ghost Flames, Borla Cat Back Dual Exhaust. "I Suck At Electric".
(This post was edited by GT Bruiser on May 28, 2008, 11:25 AM)
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Posts: 318 | From: Twin Cities, MN
| Registered: Dec 15, 2004, 3:52 PM
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