Took the XF Premium up to Mount Rainier last week (just a few days before the shooting tragedy) and had a great drive. The rangers were being very cautious and required chains for the climb up to Paradise, although there was no need for them and as soon as we got on top they changed their minds. I had not chained up a car in at least 15 years and was a bit out of practice. I did OK on the left side but on the right rear I was too loose on the inside of the wheel, so when the outside was tightened it pulled down off the sidewall and onto the spokes of the wheel. I now have very faint scratch marks about 3/4 inch in from the rim on every spoke of that wheel (19" Artura). They cannot be seen with even a light coating of dirt or brake dust but can be seen faintly when the wheel is newly cleaned. What is the best way to rub these faint marks out?
Pics later when I figure out how to shrink them to fit.

2011 XF Premium, Bowers & Wilkins, heated wheel and windshield, umbrella holder, Lunar Gray/Warm Charcoal

Swimref
Everett, WA

 

I'd try the scratch remover stuff the big detailing suppliers like Meguiars sell. I have used it on body paint which is more delicate than the tough stuff they paint alloys with.

Basically, this is a polishing compound formulated for scratches rather than just swirl marks. If the marks are very faint I'd try the ordinary paint polishing compounds first. Basically, detail the wheel as you would the bodywork and only break out the scratch remover if the marks remain.

 

I picked up some polishing compound yesterday and tried it out on the wheel. A very small dab on the applicator and a few seconds of light polishing did the trick beautifully. You cannot see any imperfection now from any angle in any light. Thank you to Jagular for the excellent information.

 

Now for what seem like deep scratches resulting from curb contact don't despair immediately. I clipped a curb very gently and thought I'd marked up the rim quite deeply. However, I decided to sand the horrible looking scuff marks very lightly with fine emery cloth. This on the nothing to lose theory. Much to my surprise the "gouges" were just in the paint. I was able to sand off the high spots and the scuff is now hardly noticeable. This is not a repair, a wheel repaint is the only way to repair these scuffs, but it does more or less eliminate the unsightly scuff mark deferring the cost of a proper repair until you really ding the alloy itself. They use thick coats of wheel paint to protect the alloy from corrosion.