18" Sportclassic 2 Wheels

Hi can anyone help me please with following problem? I purchased a 99 996 C4 from a Porsche dealer down south in Sept last year and we had agreed that before collection the alloys would be reconditioned.After having the car for only 10 months and only covering 3500 miles i noticed that the alloys where starting to corrode around near the split rim.I contacted my suppying dealer and emailed some pictures of the problem.He contacted me back and I suggested that could i take it too my local dealer too be done.I arranged with them a time and date and took the car to be seen and the alloys reconditioned.His alloy wheel specialist then informed me that he did not want too touch them and that Porsche would not allow them to be split. I then tried to contact back my supplying dealer who at first would not return my calls but eventually i got through to the aftersales manager.Too cut a long story short he then offered as a good will gesture a new set at cost. I have since found out that this seem to be a common problem? Has anyone come across this before? If i get in contact with Porsche UK will they admit too it? What happens if I buy the same alloy again and it reoccurs? How do I get in touch with Porsche UK? Thanks Ross

Not much use to you if you live "up North", but Greg at http://www.amazingalloys.co.uk does refurbish 18" Sport Classic split rims.

Hi Thanks for the reply, sorry fogot to mention the fact that it six years old now and out of manufactures warranty,but even still it sounds as though there is a problem with them. Thanks Ross

unfortunaltey its an inherent problem with split rim designs of any manufacturer - had soe replaced by BMW in the past, and told if i ordered split rims again i was on my own. Found a place in Birmingham the other night who were recommended by the LOtus Esprit forum for split rims - http://www.lap-tab.co.uk/alloywheels.php

Mine have done exactly the same, apparently they will all do it eventually. Something to do with putting a laquer on aluminium + heat from hard driving = knackered rims in short period of time. Porsche don't want to know about it!!

Also, small chips (often virtually invisible) in the laquer allows water under, then the alloy corrodes, lifts more laquer and so on. Looks as though the corrosion (pic in post #1) has been caused by the split rim damaging the laquer slightly when the screws were tightened instigating the process described above. (?)

A few days before my C4 spontaneously combusted I had it serviced at my local OPC and they noticed whilst it was there that one of my Sport Design alloys was exhibiting this fault and took pictures to send to Reading for a warranty claim - (the car was a year old) - don't know whether they accepted responsibility for the wheel because they ended up having to reimburse me for the fire!

Hell....what happened Dave? don't remember reading about this.

Concept, There were a series of threads started last August the first entitled "now its caught fire!!!" - basically it was a series of unfortunate, and probably unique, circumstances whereby a design fault with the wiring loom connection was highlighted when water collected in the plenum chamber - due to a blocked drain hole. The water then seeped into the loom an thence into the fuse box. It was exaserbated by my driveway being at a sharp angle and the water level then coming above the point at which the loom is jointed. The scary thing was that it had been parked for two days and just caught fire all on its own - the firebrigade were called and probably did more damage than good by breaking the screen and hence destroying the interior - it took until December for the engineers from my insurance co, the dealer's insurers and Porsche with an independant forensic engineer to determine fault - In summary my insurers got reimbursed and I bought a new GT3. I'd love to know whether the car has been rebuilt - it was an '03 C4 in Guards Red with a great spec. Regards Dave

Dave, that's incredible...a totally unimaginable scenario or what?[&:] All's well that ends well though I see [ ]