Anyone know where to get this? I've used Wurth aftermarket spray and clear coat to recondition a wheel. The paint goes on oddly (many small flakes that require buffing out) and the end product color is NOT the same as the paint on the car. Vehicle is a 2003 E46 330i. Is there a BMW paint code for the paint or what? Thanks in advance...
I believe the German auto manufacturers all have their wheels painted with the Wurth stuff, or something with the same exact color. I recently sprayed a wheel with Wurth silver and it looked pretty stock to me.
It's not supposed to match the car. BMW's Wurth silver wheels are all the same color and none is the same as a body color. If your paint was not uniform, I'd say it probably wasn't warm enough or thoroughly shaken up before application.
Or it was too humid at the time of application. I try to avoid painting when the humidity is above 80%.
Obviously I meant the wheels on the car. Possibly. It was very hot at the time. The wheel as painted is a shade or two darker than the rest of the car. I have some paint left over, I may try and repair another wheel, then paint the wheel inside the house this time. Thanks for the replies.
I would advise against painting inside as the vapors may be extremely harmful to your health. If you must, then be sure that the house is very well ventilated. I painted outside and our windows were open, so I still got complaints about it smelling strong, so I don't think painting inside is what you want to do. The paint coming out darker makes sense if it was very humid. The paint wasn't distributed evenly or dried at a different rate than other parts because of the humidity. Is there any possibility of there being a day with around 70% or less humidity? That's the kind of day you want, with plenty of shade available. And remember; you can always start over, so don't fret! It's just a bit more difficult with Wurth paint because 1) it has to be ordered, and 2) it's not cheap! Use what you have wisely.
The colour code for BMW wheel silver is 144. Most paint shops should be able to mix it for you, either in a pint pot or a rattle can. I haven't tried Wurth and 144 side-by-side so I can't say how close the Wurth product is.
Several of the BMW specific body shops here in the Seattle area have told me BMW does not use the Wurth silver on BMW wheels. And it depends on what year and model silver they used. For example many BMW Z3's used a "shadow chrome" finish and I have been told that it is next to impossible to match that color. Either way find a reputable shop and have them paint/touch up your wheels.
Thanks muchly for the additional info. I've not seen the paint code before - thanks. Makes sense about the fumes, I don't want to have health problems.
