My wheels are covered with many small but hard to clean black specks. I wash th ecar regularly, and
                      the usual brake dust comes off easily, but these specks stay. I am sure some stiff brush + some
                      chemicals would clean them, but I do not want to damage that nice metallic enamel the wheel is painted
                      with. I have a feeling these specks are common and there must be some people on this great forum who
                      can help - how to clean the wheels from there hard specks and preserve the original paint?

                      Yuri

                      Those black specks could be road tar--the stuff they use to repave roads. The stuff is nasty and
                      impossible to get off. About the only thing that I've tried that worked was Turtle Wax's Bug & Tar
                      Remover. This stuff gets off tree sap and tar. Just be careful when you use it though, the label does say
                      to try it out on an "inconspicuous area" before going full forch with it on other, more visible, parts of the
                      car.

                      Bug & Tar remover is definitely the stuff. I have had success with a "Kitten" brand product obtained
                      here in Oz called "Tar & Spot remover" which is in aerosol spray on form. The substance is very fine,
                      clear and volatile - evaporates within a few seconds after spraying on to the surface.

                      I find that just a spray or two tends to break down whatever is foreign on the body or wheel paint. I use
                      a soft cloth to avoid scratching the paint. It's obviously quite powerful, so I soap wash afterwards so that
                      nothing residual is munching away at the paintwork. Perhaps this is just paranoia on my part as it says
                      that it is "completely harmless to all car finishes".

                      good luck

                      --
                      Michael from Sydney

                      No, the careful steps you've taken is definitely the way to go. Just because the bottle label says it is safe,
                      who are you going to blame if and when you find out the hard way that it isn't so "safe?" You know the
                      old saying: Better safe than sorry.

                      Have fun

                      I consulted with several aloy wheel repair specialists, and all agreed that WD-40 was the best thing to
                      use. They all told me that the finishes on volvo wheels are easily damaged by even the 'safe' wheel
                      detergents. The WD-40 breaks down any tar or grease, and leaves a residue that makes it easy to get
                      the stuff off in the future. Be patient. It may take a couple of tries to get everything off, but the result is
                      astounding. The residue fills any imperfections on the wheel, making clean up next time a breeze. I've
                      been cleaning my wheels with WD for over a year, and they always look great. Take care,

                      --
                      Tyler

                      I know the spots you're talking about. I don't think they're road tar since they're on the rims, but not on
                      the paint behind the wheels where you'd expect road tar to be kicked up. A polishing compound made
                      for clear coats, and some elbow grease usually does the trick.

                      Koz

one of those answers has to help!