Detailing/cleaning brand new s3

I_am_pilgrim

I_am_pilgrim

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Hi everyone,

I picked up my brand new s3 on Friday and I couldn’t be happier with it :thumbs up:

After the rainy Friday and Sunday that we saw in Birmingham, it’s quite dirty already.

I can’t jet wash the car myself (I live in an apartment) so I’ll have to take it to be cleaned.

Is it worth getting the car detailed/coated as it’s brand new? I was just wondering what other people did as I want to keep the paint looking its best.

As an add on, if anyone could recommend somewhere in Birmingham that they have used in the past then that would be a real bonus!

Cheers
 
I_am_pilgrim said:
Hi everyone,

I picked up my brand new s3 on Friday and I couldn’t be happier with it :thumbs up:

After the rainy Friday and Sunday that we saw in Birmingham, it’s quite dirty already.

I can’t jet wash the car myself (I live in an apartment) so I’ll have to take it to be cleaned.

Is it worth getting the car detailed/coated as it’s brand new? I was just wondering what other people did as I want to keep the paint looking its best.

As an add on, if anyone could recommend somewhere in Birmingham that they have used in the past then that would be a real bonus!

Cheers
Click to expand...
Congrats on your new S3! :icon thumright: Personally, If you want to keep it swirl mark free then I would NOT recommend taking it to a hand car wash.
 
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What colour is your S3. If it is a dark colour, a professional detail job is well worth paying for and they are not inexpensive. As far as washing the car do you have a friend who will let you use his driveway for washing, cleaning etc.
If it is a light colour a professional detail job again is still worth it but really it comes down to the dealer pre delivery detailing. A lot of dealers are rather lax, incompetent or do not have the skill to do a decent job, especially on dark colours. I suggest you somehow hand wash your car and then look at it, if possible in the sun for swirl etc. and then make a decision for professional detailing.
Do not take this the wrong way but you stated power washing the car. This would suggest to me you are not too fussy about your car's paintwork and therefore commercial hand/auto car washes may be okay. There are some pretty decent hand car wash shops in my area but they are pricey....30-40 quid, average ones are 15-20 quid and I would not use them.
I also live in an apartment, but I am fortunate, as it has a dedicated car washing area
 
Flying Scotsman said:
What colour is your S3. If it is a dark colour, a professional detail job is well worth paying for and they are not inexpensive. As far as washing the car do you have a friend who will let you use his driveway for washing, cleaning etc.
If it is a light colour a professional detail job again is still worth it but really it comes down to the dealer pre delivery detailing. A lot of dealers are rather lax, incompetent or do not have the skill to do a decent job, especially on dark colours. I suggest you somehow hand wash your car and then look at it, if possible in the sun for swirl etc. and then make a decision for professional detailing.
Do not take this the wrong way but you stated power washing the car. This would suggest to me you are not too fussy about your car's paintwork and therefore commercial hand/auto car washes may be okay. There are some pretty decent hand car wash shops in my area but they are pricey....30-40 quid, average ones are 15-20 quid and I would not use them.
I also live in an apartment, but I am fortunate, as it has a dedicated car washing area
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for your reply, that’s really helpful :thumbs up:

I opted for Daytona Grey so it is a dark colour.

It’s not that I’m not fussy about the paint (I want to keep it in as good condition as I possibly can and I definitely don’t want any swirls) it’s just that I wasn’t sure how to go about this.

Any idea how much should I look to pay for detailing? Just want to make sure that I dont get ripped off.

Thanks again
 
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The only problem with having a car detailed, is that if you can't clean it yourself the way it should be cleaned with all the correct stuff, then it becomes a bit of a pain having to book it in to your detailer for a wash every time.

No more, it's a sunny morning, I'll get it washed and go for a drive.
 
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Have a look at the worx hydroshot, it is somewhere in between a hose and a pressure washer.
Can be used with a bucket and it's battery powered so really handy if you can't use a hose or have access to power.
It's expensive but no doubt you will recoup the cost of saving having to drive and pay to get the car washed.
 
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wab172uk said:
The only problem with having a car detailed, is that if you can't clean it yourself the way it should be cleaned with all the correct stuff, then it becomes a bit of a pain having to book it in to your detailer for a wash every time.

No more, it's a sunny morning, I'll get it washed and go for a drive.
Click to expand...

That is true for ceramic coatings but a professional power polish and wax will just require hand washing and cost a lot less. I think the OP should look at the paint finish right now in the sun and base his next step from there. If it is full of swirls and he did not note that on delivery, his only option will be to take it to a pro for evaluation and discussing what are the best options with his lack of ability to hand wash.
There must be some forum members who live in the Birmingham area who can point him to their approved detailing shops. As there are detail shops and there are detail shops!!!
 
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392 said:
Congrats on your new S3! :icon thumright: Personally, If you want to keep it swirl mark free then I would NOT recommend taking it to a hand car wash.
Click to expand...
Especially this one:
Lol
 
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In between my pressure washer giving up and getting a new one I used the local petrol stations pressure washer to keep on top of it. I already had a 5L pressure sprayer that I use for citrus pre wash and a 1L for wheel cleaner so took them down with me. Sprayed the car with them when I got there, left to dwell whilst I paid for the pressure washer then gave it a blast. I finished with a good blast to dry it off :racer:

Not the best solution but for a quick wash and to keep on top of the grim it might work for you. You could always do that to get the thick off then back home for a little more tlc.
 
I would never/will never take my car to one of those conveyor belt hand car washes. Sometimes I sit outside my local Tesco’s waiting for the missus and am often gobsmacked at the way they clean cars, some often very nice cars too.

If you can’t do it yourself mate then detailing is the way to go.
 
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S3Baz said:
Have a look at the worx hydroshot, it is somewhere in between a hose and a pressure washer.
Can be used with a bucket and it's battery powered so really handy if you can't use a hose or have access to power.
It's expensive but no doubt you will recoup the cost of saving having to drive and pay to get the car washed.
Click to expand...

This was really helpful, I ordered one today and went and got the cleaning basics.

For anyone interested i bought:
- 2 buckets with grit guards
- Autoglym bodywork wheels & interior collection
- Meguiars lamb wool wash mitt
- Meguiars glass cleaner
- Cone wheel brush
- Tyre brush

I already have enough microfibres cloths to sink a ship but if anyone thinks I’m missing anything then let me know.

Thanks again for the help folks!
 
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Autosol or similar to keep the exhaust tips clean! Especially if the car is brand brand new, don't let them get ruined :)
 
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Ditch the lambs wool wash mitt and get a chenille microfibre wash mitt, also buy Meguiar's gold class car wash shampoo and conditioner
 
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The chenille microfibre is way better...will not trap dirt like lambswool will.

MIC_493-2T.jpg
 
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Flying Scotsman said:
What colour is your S3. If it is a dark colour, a professional detail job is well worth paying for and they are not inexpensive. As far as washing the car do you have a friend who will let you use his driveway for washing, cleaning etc.
If it is a light colour a professional detail job again is still worth it but really it comes down to the dealer pre delivery detailing. A lot of dealers are rather lax, incompetent or do not have the skill to do a decent job, especially on dark colours. I suggest you somehow hand wash your car and then look at it, if possible in the sun for swirl etc. and then make a decision for professional detailing.
Do not take this the wrong way but you stated power washing the car. This would suggest to me you are not too fussy about your car's paintwork and therefore commercial hand/auto car washes may be okay. There are some pretty decent hand car wash shops in my area but they are pricey....30-40 quid, average ones are 15-20 quid and I would not use them.
I also live in an apartment, but I am fortunate, as it has a dedicated car washing area
Click to expand...

You don't have to accept the dealer detailing the car on delivery. I instructed my dealership to leave all transportation packaging on, and not to touch the paintwork. I drove it that way 30 miles to my detailer in that manner and he was the first one to touch the paint unadultered.
 
audi upgrades
Does not really how much you 'detail' a car the next time it goes out in the rain on dirty roads it will be just a dirty as all the rest.
 
I_am_pilgrim said:
This was really helpful, I ordered one today and went and got the cleaning basics.

For anyone interested i bought:
- 2 buckets with grit guards
- Autoglym bodywork wheels & interior collection
- Meguiars lamb wool wash mitt
- Meguiars glass cleaner
- Cone wheel brush
- Tyre brush

I already have enough microfibres cloths to sink a ship but if anyone thinks I’m missing anything then let me know.

Thanks again for the help folks!
Click to expand...
Best wash mitt on the market is the incredimitt by microfibre madness buy yourself some car wax and a quick detailer Maguirers quick detailer is very good, then take it from there mate oh.... A quality drying towel cost about £15
 
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h5djr said:
Does not really how much you 'detail' a car the next time it goes out in the rain on dirty roads it will be just a dirty as all the rest.
Click to expand...
@h5djr - You could say the same about the clothes you wear
Just saying ... :D
 
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Bristle Hound said:
@h5djr - You could say the same about the clothes you wear
Just saying ... :D
Click to expand...

Yes but we use a machine to wash our clothes. Washing them by hand went out of fashion a long time ago. As I am partially disabled and can not longer wash my car by hand even if I wanted to I also use a machine (car wash) to wash and clean my car with the extra bit of TLC by the car wash team one in a while. My car nearly always looks clean and being silver does not show any extra marks. Certainly this has been the case for my last three A3 and when I come to trade in the dealer always comments on how well my car has been looked after.
 
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From my experience, a new car will always need to be detailed...I have been detailing for years now, and just because a car is new, doesnt mean its already not showing signs of swirling...dont forget, dealers etc would have washed the car for you already in their preperation to get it ready for you, and it was more than likely washed after the car was built too etc...so it already has had a few cycles of being washed in what I would call 'not the best conditions'

We have just bought a S3 as well, in Sepang Blue, the dealer had it washed and machined before we bought it, it was in OK condition but the bonnet had some swirls in it due to the guy giving the car the once over using God knows what compound with a wool pad! Watching him do it, I felt like saying to him to please stop and leave it as it is lol

Anyway, bought the car, took it home, and the following week it recieved a full machine polish using Menzerna 2400 cut with a medium pad and then fully sealed with Gtechniq Serum Light and Evo V3! Now the gloss levels are insane! Paintwork is spot on. And with the Gtechniq combo, it should last for around 2 years...

Similar story with my fathers Bmw 335, I cant remember the name of the blue but its a lighter shade than the S3, and that had only covered 6k mules...I had to tell the dealer NOT to wash it and seal it with what they called life long protectants...which is just Autoglym Carbon Shield or something....basically a load of rubbish! Again, that wasnt too bad either, so the same pad/polish combo as above, this time sealed with Gyeon MOHS, it should be protected for 1-2 years

One thing I always try to say to people when they ask about detailing...if the car is mint already, then a cermaic coating will help it stay that way for longer...if the car needs a bit of work...then again, spend the time and money getting it done right, and protect it...

But if you wash the car with the automated car washes for example, or dont care and use dirty sponges (use the same sponge to do the wheels, under carraige, body etc), then no matter how much you spend on getting a car detailed, before too long, you will be back at square one
 
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Huge thanks to everyone for their help and advice.

Washed the car yesterday and had a good look afterwards. There aren’t any swirl marks and it appears to be all good except for one scratch that I’ve found on the rear bumper.

I must have missed it when I picked it up because I was extremely careful when washing so 99% sure I didn’t do it then.

I’ve contacted a couple of companies about getting it removed. One has said that they would be able to buff it out. Does this sound reasonable/ a sesniable thing to do?

Cheers
 

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q5man said:
Can someone suggest the best place to buy one from?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

A incredimitt that is


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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jassyo06 said:
Kent products fall apart after a few months all are of iffy quality , l have used a few drying towels including 3 in that test and best one l have used is the supernatural aqua deluxe towel and they only gave it a 3 ergo magazine's do get back handers
Click to expand...
My Kent one lasted all the time I had the S3...2.5 years. Bought a new one when I bought the A5 and it's just as good.
 
I_am_pilgrim said:
Huge thanks to everyone for their help and advice.

Washed the car yesterday and had a good look afterwards. There aren’t any swirl marks and it appears to be all good except for one scratch that I’ve found on the rear bumper.

I must have missed it when I picked it up because I was extremely careful when washing so 99% sure I didn’t do it then.

I’ve contacted a couple of companies about getting it removed. One has said that they would be able to buff it out. Does this sound reasonable/ a sesniable thing to do?

Cheers
Click to expand...

Obviously hard to tell from the pictures but I don't think it looks too bad and should buff out, or have a marked improvement at least. Stupid question but is it definitely a scratch, is not glue residue from the transportation film is it?
 
oli356 said:
Autosol or similar to keep the exhaust tips clean! Especially if the car is brand brand new, don't let them get ruined :)
Click to expand...
I used autosol on Sunday for the first time ( having seen lots of different posts recommending it) and I was so impressed with how easily it removed the black and the shine after buffing. Very easy to use and amazing results.
 
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Op , just to let you know if you do decide to get your car detailed get a ceramic coating as your final coat , then all you have to do is use the 2 bucket technique and if you do it right it will look as good as it did when you first picked it up from the detailers and the beads off water will happy just slide off the bodywork. the 4th pic is how she looks now and mnd the ceramic coating has been there since November 2017 and looked after properly can last up to 3yrs
 

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