It's the first time I cleaned the rims in 3 months. I noticed speakles of tar that's hardened onto them. What products can I use to remove them without damaging the rims?

 

I had the same problem.

After cleaning completely with soap & water, used Klasse All-In-One, and it completely removed all of the tar spots (easily).

 

I used a bit of petrol on a cloth the tar come of fine

 

That's not tar. That is brake dust that has started to become part of the wheel since you left it on there so long. A good strong wheel cleaner should work, but the longer it stays on there, the harder it is to remove. You need to get to a car wash more often, if you're not willing to clean it yourself more than once every 3 months.

 

If you wax your rims, the dust will be a little easier to get off.

 

It's too late for that now. The tar/brake dust is hardened onto the rims. What stuff do you recommend to take it off?

 

Even if the brake dust is baked in, try the Klasse All-In-One. It'll just take a little longer.

My wife's Passat has the worst brake dust problems. Somehow this stuff just seems to clean anything (it's also fantastic at getting bug residue off of the front of the car, including the chrome grill).

Be certain to turn your cloth often, so that you're not polishing your rims with the brake dust you just removed. It'll work.

 

In addition to my comment on waxing your wheels... When cleaning, you can use a soft brush. Just spraying the wheel cleaners on, waiting, and then flushing with water is a waste (of cleaner, time, and water).