Orange Peel on a week old car

[audigex]

Hey guys

I've just spotted what I think is orange peel on my A3 - I've never really heard of it before so I hadn't really seen it. I've had the car a week and a couple of days at this point, and considering she was the best part of £30k and she's done about 500 miles, to say I'm a bit annoyed is an understatement.

The area in question is at the base of side, as the body work starts to curve under the car. I only spotted it on my way out so I've not had the chance for a proper inspection, so it may be elsewhere, but it only seemed to be along that strip between the wheels.

Is this a common problem? Will Audi deal with it without much of a fuss? I'll be taking the car to a dealer which wasn't the original seller, if that makes a difference?

I'll get a picture or two up later if there's enough light when I get home.

Cheers

 

[audicruiser]

That's normal, mine is the same. It's like a roughness to protect the underside against stone chips etc...

 

[audigex]

I thought it could be deliberate at first - it seemed a bit too precisely placed... but when I went up the street and couldn't see it on anyone else's cars I started to worry. Thanks for the quick reply, though - maybe once I've checked every A3 I can find I'll be happier.

 

[rOb_A]

me thinks it totally normal. its underseal, i think, mines the same. your £30k beauty is safe

 

[1inchpunch]

A3's have a kind of rough paint on the sills so it is indeed normal.

Orange peel effect isn't something that occurs over time anyway. It is something that is present in most finishes nowadays due to the way cars are now dipped and the fact that paint no longer contains lead which gave it a much smoother finish. Some manufacturers are better than others at preventing the effect. Audi and indeed VAG in general are quite good at minimising the effect. If you want to see really bad orange peel then go to a BMW showroom. Most of their cars look like they have been finished using hammerite.

 

[audigex]

Thanks guys, panic over - I'd only just heard the term on here a few days ago, so when I found something that matched the description on my new baby then I got a bit jumpy. I dread to think what I'll be like if I ever got a real baby.

"It's chest is moving, call an ambulance!"
"She's just breathing, Jon, relax"
"Oh"

 

[1inchpunch]

Haha, I was like that when my son was born. I used to wake him up when he was sleeping to check he was still alive

 

[paddy]

My last girl friend used to do that to me. she swore blind i would stop breathing when asleep but i always seemed to wake up so its not a problem

 

[plezz]

" oh my god! its guts are coming out of its bum! and they're brown!!"
"no Jon, thats poo."
"oh."