Rusty Wheel Nuts

We have a Peugeot Boxer based Symbol, just over one year old.  The wheel nuts are now very rusty - not just little spots but seriously rusty to the point where I think if it goes on much longer, I will need to replace them.  Never seen this before, and I have had a lot of cars & vans!  Anyone else seen this?  Had any luck with Peugeot on warranty?  Or should I just paint them with something like hammerite and be happy?
PS: Did see a similar post in Jan 13 - but no replies.

Sleepy wrote:We have a Peugeot Boxer based Symbol, just over one year old.  The wheel nuts are now very rusty - not just little spots but seriously rusty to the point where I think if it goes on much longer, I will need to replace them.  Never seen this before, and I have had a lot of cars & vans!  Anyone else seen this?  Had any luck with Peugeot on warranty?  Or should I just paint them with something like hammerite and be happy?
PS: Did see a similar post in Jan 13 - but no replies.

Hi there,

Sorry you had no replies.  

I can't help on the wheel nuts (after 16 years "Petal's" are still okay) but you have done the right thing posting again.   

Hope you get a suitable response from a Pug Owner.   

Best regards,
  

PS  With regard to Hammerite I think by the time you have costed in the price of the paint, the brush, the thinners and your time it will be very near a new set of nuts!  

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More comment in the thread above.

Its not an uncommon problem with Peugeot. I am aware of an instance where the supplying dealer replaced the nuts and of another when neither the supplying dealer or the local Peugeot agent would address the problem but Peugeot customer services did and had them replaced by another Peugeot dealer.

The bolts on my Mercedes wheels were dotted with rust when it was new but I wasn't too concerned about it. In 2.5 years they are no worse and the rust is not obvious from a distance.

Peter

I have the same issue with  a 2012 Warwick, interested to know what Peugeot have ha to say.

Hi , never seen badly rusted wheel nuts.
Have you steel wheels or alloy wheels?
I doubt if it is serious only cosmetic.
A zinc spray would suffice.
regards

Mike

Hi Mike,
My wheels are alloy, don't think they should be rusting though, the van is only 14 months old.

The wheel nuts on my alloy wheels (Mercedes) are rusted; the same happened with my Mercedes car - it's a common problem.  The best thing is to paint them and forget about it.

Hello there

I could be wrong but as a boat mechanic in scandinavia it appears that around your wheels thier are several different metals (steel,aluminium ect) and these connflict with each other.(This is why boat engines have aniods to prevent corrosion becuse of the different metals) I think that your wheel nuts are basic steel and I suggest that you change them or tell to your dealer and they can change them if it still has a warrenty. Make sure the new ones are coated so to stop oxidisation.

Hi very true. Dissimilar metals in contact with moisture form a weak corrosion cell.
A protective coating will be needed to reduce this.
Zinc is sacrificial in this respect, and is widely used.
regards

Mike

The van has alloy wheels - see pic - and the wheel nuts were originally zinc plated, I think, because there is still some zinc visible on some of the nuts.  My Mercedes Vito nuts are also no longer pristine after 3 years - but even my old van, after 12 years, didn't get as rusty as this Peugeot has after 1.  I will probably paint them or treat them with something - that's probably easier than entering into a battle with Peugeot.
Here's a picture: I would say very rusty rather than just cosmetic!

That's far worse than I imagined - If the Peugeot bit is still under warranty I would send a picture to their customer services and ask for them to be replaced.

Peter

Flipping road salt. Nightmare. They salt even if there is the slightest chance of a frost even though there would be very little chance of the road temp dropping enough to develop ice just in case some numpty skidded. Once upon a time we could suss there might be the chance of ice and drove accordingly. Obviously no more and we suffer the consequences of our vehicle dissolving  

I think I would sent that photo to Peugeot even if the vehicle is out of warranty.

Obviously not going to fall apart, but something definitely wrong with the plating procedure.

PB

Good lord it looks like peugot have found another use for water colours!! (makes your bolts look pretty until the first rain fall) Anybody know what the french word for zinc is?. I would change them, and soon as they may freeze on to the hub. And something tells me you will sweat like a french man just trying to open them  

Just painted my steel wheel bolts with Hammerite smooth silver paint, what a difference.
Fortunately they weren't as bad as the ones sleepy had photographt.
Vans all polished and ready to roll.
Boaby

The bolts on my 2009 Broadway (alloy wheels) were also rusty, the rust wasn't too heavy but they didn't look very good.

I bought some 21mm hex chrome alloy wheel nut covers on e bay at a cost of £13.50 for 20. I had to clean the rusty nuts

first and the covers slid on easily.

David