Collected my A3 Sportback Sport yesterday, but after 150 miles return trip home in foul weather it was a little less than 'new' looking. Oh well time to break out the cleaning kit. It was a real overcast gloomy day and I was plagued by frequent light showers, nothing too serious but a pain having to wipe panels down all the time.
A few before shots, nothing too dirty but under the traffic film i dare say there will be a few little issues..
nice bit of polish/wax residue from the dealer prep - in fairness the front a pillars were the only area..
And so we begin.
Wild Cherry snow foam to loosen the traffic film..
and after ten minutes, some shine starting to show..
Usual 2BM wash. using some Autoglym body shampoo (trying to use up Xmas presents !), nooks and crannies and rubbers brushed with a detail brush to remove residues.
Wheels were cleaned with bilberry wheel cleaner, diluted 1:5, and jet washed the lot off. Then on with the Iron-Out...
and the only small particle the iron-out found on the lower half of the body..
jet washed the iron out off and treated the lower half of the bodywork and the wheels to some Tardis to soften any tar. Nothing much was evident, although meteor grey isn't the easiest colour to spot tar spots on !.
washed with the 2BM method again. On with the claying, my softest clay and some Meguiars quick detailer, didn't pick much up. the near side front wing and passenger door being the main areas and even they were pretty minimal. The clay after the whole car (having been turned a few times)..
then rewashed with 2BM again to remove the detailer and ensure a nice clean surface for the polishing.
The weather really dictated a one hit polish. As much as I'd liked to have gone with a full correction type method to remove all the light swirls it just wasn't going to happen , especially having to work outside. So out with the rotary and a Scholl blue polishing pad and Scholl S30+ compound. Audi paint is notoriously hard and this was never going to achieve much but lets see.
So a few marks were evident...
small scratch (ring?) behind the drivers door handle..
now gone...
another scuff middle of the same door..
and gone..
an attempt to capture the flake in the paint (lol on a gloomy day ??)..
front bumper, a few light marks..
all tackled in the same way with success.
a few light marks on the rear bumper..
and after..
another attempt at a flake shot..
At this stage the neighbour's started to think I'd lost the plot, especially taking photos too, so I just got on with the job !
So after polish stage I was left with this...not too bad.
Windows, headlights and tail lights treated with Rain-X. Interior wiped over with Aerospace 303 protectant. Wheels treated to Swissvax Autobahn wax.
Wax of choice for the bodywork was Zymol Ital - I love the wet look this gives and the protection of carnauba.
Almost finished pics..
Tyres dressed and time for a coffee - 7 hours since I started.
A few before shots, nothing too dirty but under the traffic film i dare say there will be a few little issues..
nice bit of polish/wax residue from the dealer prep - in fairness the front a pillars were the only area..
And so we begin.
Wild Cherry snow foam to loosen the traffic film..
and after ten minutes, some shine starting to show..
Usual 2BM wash. using some Autoglym body shampoo (trying to use up Xmas presents !), nooks and crannies and rubbers brushed with a detail brush to remove residues.
Wheels were cleaned with bilberry wheel cleaner, diluted 1:5, and jet washed the lot off. Then on with the Iron-Out...
and the only small particle the iron-out found on the lower half of the body..
jet washed the iron out off and treated the lower half of the bodywork and the wheels to some Tardis to soften any tar. Nothing much was evident, although meteor grey isn't the easiest colour to spot tar spots on !.
washed with the 2BM method again. On with the claying, my softest clay and some Meguiars quick detailer, didn't pick much up. the near side front wing and passenger door being the main areas and even they were pretty minimal. The clay after the whole car (having been turned a few times)..
then rewashed with 2BM again to remove the detailer and ensure a nice clean surface for the polishing.
The weather really dictated a one hit polish. As much as I'd liked to have gone with a full correction type method to remove all the light swirls it just wasn't going to happen , especially having to work outside. So out with the rotary and a Scholl blue polishing pad and Scholl S30+ compound. Audi paint is notoriously hard and this was never going to achieve much but lets see.
So a few marks were evident...
small scratch (ring?) behind the drivers door handle..
now gone...
another scuff middle of the same door..
and gone..
an attempt to capture the flake in the paint (lol on a gloomy day ??)..
front bumper, a few light marks..
all tackled in the same way with success.
a few light marks on the rear bumper..
and after..
another attempt at a flake shot..
At this stage the neighbour's started to think I'd lost the plot, especially taking photos too, so I just got on with the job !
So after polish stage I was left with this...not too bad.
Windows, headlights and tail lights treated with Rain-X. Interior wiped over with Aerospace 303 protectant. Wheels treated to Swissvax Autobahn wax.
Wax of choice for the bodywork was Zymol Ital - I love the wet look this gives and the protection of carnauba.
Almost finished pics..
Tyres dressed and time for a coffee - 7 hours since I started.
