Metal tyre valve dust caps - beware! : eBay Guides

Are you proud of your car? Do you like to make it look nice?

There are metal dust caps dotted around on Ebay to replace the black plastic ones. They look quite nice - usually with the car manufacturers logo on the top and (on the face of it) seem like a cheap mod to buy for your four-wheeled pride & joy. They're advertised as being made of either stainless steel, alloy or chrome.

All well and good if the seller is telling the truth. What happens if they're not? Well... the dust caps will rust. At best they'll look awful, at worst they'll seize onto the thread of your tyre valve and you can't get them off. As this process will take several months you will have little or no recourse against the seller.

Now I'm not suggesting that ALL metal dust caps are sub-standard quality but if you're thinking of getting some I would urge you to buy from a reputable seller and ask exactly WHAT material they're made from. Simply checking a sellers feedback will do you no good because...

They arrive safely. They look good. You leave +ive feedback. It's only months down the line that you realise.