Absolute beginner on a budget - Help!!

[chris1978uk]

So I've taken delivery of my new Brilliant Black A3 Sportback. The sun shone on its first day and on arriving home I found out its absolutely covered in swirl marks . My last car was a bright green Fiesta and after 7 years showed no swirls or scratches, in the last 4/5 years I mostly let the local £5 hand car wash do the cleaning for me and only washed it myself a handful of times. Needless to say I'll be throwing out the old sponges and chamois and starting from scratch (I've got plenty of them!) with the A3 and won't be going near a car wash.On the A3 section of the forum I've been recommended some products to rectify the swirls, so now I'm putting together an order on Slims website and hope someone can advise what I need to get started.

Please bear in mind that I'm a careful but basic car washer and an absolute novice at any kind of polishing/waxing/detailing, so I want options that an idiot can easily manage!

The dealership gave me a kit of 8 AutoGlym products (from memory - shampoo, wheel cleaner, glass cleaner, leather and interior cleaner and a couple of others i forget), and it included a few microfibre cloths and a sponge (I'm new to this but I have seen enough so far to know I should bin the sponge and get a wash mitt). I'll be getting a a second bucket and also need a pressure washer as before I've just used the hose or occasionally borrowed my dad's Karcher - I'm thinking a Karcher K2 Car (comes with a foam lance) from Amazon/Halfords/Somewhere else.

So far I have the following in my basket:
Auto Finesse Avalanche Snow Foam
Meguiars Lambswool Wash Mitt
Martin Cox Microfibre Drying Towel
Poorboys Black Hole
DodoJuice Purple Haze
(CarPro Reload out of stock - suggestions?)

Is this too much for a beginner? Or what else do I need? I know I'll need (separate) applicator pads for the Black Hole and Purple Haze, but microfibre, foam or terry towel?! Are these applied and left on, or buffed off?

Any (basic!) hints or tips and advice greatly welcomed!

(PS I did try downloading the detailing guide at the top of this forum but I'm on a work computer and their security blocks it!)

 

[StevieS3]

Well done you have just arrived at the top of a very slippery slope!! Lol

What you have is a good start, although I would probably ditch the snow down and use a pre cleaner instead you can get Valet-pro citrus cleaner 5ltr for about £15 mix at around 4:1 ratio and apply using a pump sprayer will remove just as much dirt as snowfoam but it's a cheaper option. As for waxes and final touches I'm using All autofinesse at the moment. You can get everything you need. Get some Rejuvanate (pre-wax cleanser) follow that up with ultra glaze then one of there signature waxes. As an i between washes product they have a quick detailed or Glisten which is a spray wax which will help keep protection topped up.

The other option is to save money have the car professionally detailed/polished then a ceramic coating applied. Lots of these products on the market now and offer much longer lasting protection than a coat of wax some also protecting against swirl marks. For this you could be looking at anything between £500-£1000 for good quality work. Then a simple wash and rinse is all that's required for around 2years most coatings will last.

 

[SPIKE_]

Did you get the new facelift A3?

In relation to your basket, I would only suggest you go for DoDo purple haze pro - it's suppose to be much better than the standard purple haze.

 

[chris1978uk]

Yeah it's the facelift A3 SPIKE_S1, had it 2 weeks now and loving it, but the swirl marks when I picked it up were quite a shock! Time will tell, but I don't think I'll buy a black car again. Thankfully(?) the weather hasn't been so good since and the car now has a good layer of dust over it so I cant see them now!

Thanks for the tips StevieS3. Sadly a ceramic coating is beyond my budget, as is even having the car professionally detailed at the moment, even if it might save time and money in the long run. Short/medium-term I just can't afford it and will have to do what I can myself.

So I've been out today and done some shopping. Went to Homebase and got a Kärcher, then I took a trip to Halfords with low expectations and was not disappointed! A huge range but nothing that seemed like what I needed, not even a decent lambs wool mitt, only a "sheepskin" that felt horribly synthetic. I did get two new buckets though. I then went to a local autospares shop who I knew stocked Poorboys. They were thankfully very helpful and (to me at least) seemed to know what they were talking about so I have gone with a snow foam as they didn't have the pre-wash you'd mentioned. I got the Poorboys Black Hole as recommended here and since they don't stock DodoJuice Ive ended up with Poorboys EX sealant instead, and some applicators. Now I just need to get a wash mitt and drying towel from Slims, maybe a grit guard, and hopefully next weekend I can have a play and get to know every inch of the car a bit better!

If the swirls are visible again after washing I'll get before and after shots of my first attempt. Now I know what products I'll be working with, any other advice or tips on method/technique?

 

[Ruhel]

I used a similar setup to you just today to get my car prepared for AITP8. I was expecting a detailer to come but unfortunately he didn't show up so I tried as best to remove the swirls myself.
I used:



Used K2 pressure washer with foam lance.





After polishing and waxing.




I want to invest in a Meguiars Dual Action Polisher but at £299 it is a big initial outlay and I don't know if I will be able to use it correctly. The guy that was supposed to come today was going to be using that so would have seen how good it is.

 

[Sandra]

@Ruhel the car is looking awesome. You have done a fantastic job.

 

[Ruhel]

@Ruhel the car is looking awesome. You have done a fantastic job.

I finished about 4pm. By 9pm I could see a slight layer of dust

 

[Sandra]

I finished about 4pm. By 9pm I could see a slight layer of dust

It will get more dust on the road so not to worry

 

[Ruhel]

It will get more dust on the road so not to worry

I'm prepared now. On the way home from AITP8 missis was feeling generous so got me all these!!

 

[Sandra]

I'm prepared now. On the way home from AITP8 missis was feeling generous so got me all these!!

Generous Missus. So dinners on you tonight.

 

[Scottyg]

What are you using to take the swirls out?? The Poorboys Blackhole topped with Purple haze was my choice when I had a black car. Top that with Reload and you're onto a winner. But without taking the swirls out first they'll just come back after 2/3 washes.

Megs Ultimate Compound will get most of these out by hand. You'll look like Popeye by the end of it but it's done.

Take a look at CarPro CquartzUK. It's approx £35 for the product which is very easy to apply. Plenty YouTube clips on it. Also look at Junkman clips on YouTube, very good for starting out.

I'd ditch the lambs wool mitt for a Microfibre noodle mitt. Will last longer and it's easier to wash in the washing machine.

You may need to look further afield for your products but it'll be worth it.

Good luck.

 

[Ruhel]

What are you using to take the swirls out?? The Poorboys Blackhole topped with Purple haze was my choice when I had a black car. Top that with Reload and you're onto a winner. But without taking the swirls out first they'll just come back after 2/3 washes.

Megs Ultimate Compound will get most of these out by hand. You'll look like Popeye by the end of it but it's done.

Take a look at CarPro CquartzUK. It's approx £35 for the product which is very easy to apply. Plenty YouTube clips on it. Also look at Junkman clips on YouTube, very good for starting out.

I'd ditch the lambs wool mitt for a Microfibre noodle mitt. Will last longer and it's easier to wash in the washing machine.

You may need to look further afield for your products but it'll be worth it.

Good luck.

Will invest in some purple have and sometime next week. But honestly couldn't believe I got the swirls out as the paintwork doesn't look like it has been cared for. I will have a look at CarPro Cquartz UK. Found a kit I will get, but will have to research how to do it properly first.
Thank for the tips man. Keep them coming.
Ruhel

 

[AlexA4Avant]

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/index.php?posts/2800005 luck boy @Ruhel I get the odd treat one in a while but don't need to buy a lot as a little goes a long way. How was the meet anyway

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

 

[Ruhel]

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/index.php?posts/2800005 luck boy @Ruhel I get the odd treat one in a while but don't need to buy a lot as a little goes a long way. How was the meet anyway

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

Thanks
Meet was amazing. Got to meet some members!!

 

[AlexA4Avant]

Same can people post up when meets are going on as I don't know until there are pics after its happened

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[Pinky1959]

Hi
Have you considered going back to the dealers and complaining about the swirls and ask what they intend doing about it especially as you have spent a load of your hard earned on the car and you are not happy .
They may offer to give it another clean and polish then again they may offer to pay to have it done by a pro detailer .Or they could always refuse to help but they should nt do that .

 

[chris1978uk]

Hi
Have you considered going back to the dealers and complaining about the swirls and ask what they intend doing about it especially as you have spent a load of your hard earned on the car and you are not happy .
They may offer to give it another clean and polish then again they may offer to pay to have it done by a pro detailer .Or they could always refuse to help but they should nt do that .

I did mention it when I completed Audi UKs satisfaction questionnaire online. Obviously Audi's feedback channels work quickly as I received a call the next day from the dealership. Quick to react, but not offering any solution.

They asked what they could do, and I did say really the car needs a detailer to correct the swirl marks, but he said they wouldn't do that. I told him I'd be trying to rectify it myself with advice from this forum and was told that really its just one of those things and happens to all black cars (and apparently red ones too). He did say again that if there was anything they could do to help I should get in touch but, having refused to help, I dont know what else they can do to help?!!!

The annoying thing is I had read about the curse of black paint and had had a bit of a wobble over my colour choice. I phoned and visited the dealership and spoke to a couple of their people about it and was reassured that it wouldn't be an issue and there was no need to change my order. Given that I was considering a change that would make them more money (I was considering changing to vegas yellow, nano grey or mythos black), I felt reassured that they were being honest and so stuck with the Brilliant Black. I'm not completely naive and expected to see swirls on the car at some point, but to see so much on the day I got it home was a real disappointment. Thankfully I'm delighted with the car in every other way, I just wish I'd changed the colour when I had my wobble!

 

[S32B]

Valet-pro citrus cleaner 5ltr for about £15 mix at around 4:1 ratio

You doing that 4 parts VP to 1 part water? Strong mix.

I've been doing 1:8 250ml of VP in a 2lt spray then filled with water.

Never got my head fully around mix ratios, some do it 1:4 others 4:1 so which is the right way to avoid confusion???

 

[Ruhel]

Are swirl marks on delivery grounds for rejecting a car? A bit extreme but then they might offer a detail to repair the swirls.

 

[Pook]

Woul

You doing that 4 parts VP to 1 part water? Strong mix.

I've been doing 1:8 250ml of VP in a 2lt spray then filled with water.

Never got my head fully around mix ratios, some do it 1:4 others 4:1 so which is the right way to avoid confusion???

Would that not make your mix 1:7 not 1:8.... (Unless of course you're overfilling the sprayer)

 

[S32B]

Yeah I see what you are saying! Maybe mix for 1lt in a 2lt bottle or mix for 1/2 litre in a 1 litre bottle. I didn't know the citrus prewash deteriorates if left, normally I do a 2lt mix and it lasts a good few washes, think I'll just mix on each use now.

I did have a chart off the net somewhere...I'll try and find it to make life simple

EDIT* Found it:

 

[Pook]

Yeah I see what you are saying! Maybe mix for 1lt in a 2lt bottle or mix for 1/2 litre in a 1 litre bottle. I didn't know the citrus prewash deteriorates if left, normally I do a 2lt mix and it lasts a good few washes, think I'll just mix on each use now.

I did have a chart off the net somewhere...I'll try and find it to make life simple

EDIT* Found it:

View attachment 100476

That table is stupid and wrong. If you use a 2l container and put 250ml of solution in, that leaves 7 parts water space. It would be correct if it said add 250 ml solution AND 2L of water, that is 1:8.

 

[S32B]

Yeah that is what confused me when I first starting mixing it, I was thinking your way, but then saw that chart!

As I have a 2lt spray, I'm just going to do 1ltr of water + 125ml of CPW from now on giving me the 1:8 mix

Thanks for clearing it up

 

[Pook]

Yeah that is what confused me when I first starting mixing it, I was thinking your way, but then saw that chart!

As I have a 2lt spray, I'm just going to do 1ltr of water + 125ml of CPW from now on giving me the 1:8 mix

Thanks for clearing it up

That's the exact mix I use, it just about covers my saloon for one coating. If it's real dirty sometimes I struggle though, once you've done wheels, wheel arches, roof etc it's quite a bit to cover. Glad I cleared it up, I wasn't a maths teacher for nothing haha

 

[S32B]

That's the exact mix I use, it just about covers my saloon for one coating. If it's real dirty sometimes I struggle though, once you've done wheels, wheel arches, roof etc it's quite a bit to cover. Glad I cleared it up, I wasn't a maths teacher for nothing haha

Should do me fine on the hatch then, I do my wheels with bilberry juice at a 50/50 mix, anything less I find you have to go over with either a brush or cloth which defeats the point of it!

 

[Pook]

Should do me fine on the hatch then, I do my wheels with bilberry juice at a 50/50 mix, anything less I find you have to go over with either a brush or cloth which defeats the point of it!

Ah k cool, my wheels have the Gtechnic stuff on when I had it detailed from new, best thing I ever done was that, muck just falls off them.

 

[Pinky1959]

Chris 1978uk
I would go onto www.detailingworld.co.uk and get photos of black cars properly cleaned and turn up at the garage when its really busy and start moaning about how your new car should be like new but isn't .and take it to the dealers boss .
I would also contact Audi customer services and complain to them as the garage will hopefully get a bad report if you complain you could always threaten them with going to the papers about the shoddy way the car was delivered .and tell them you are on facebook and various forums .
There is threads on detailing world about this sort of thing .
Good luck and keep us informed

 

[Ruhel]

@Scottyg What would you recommend to use to clean the car in between washes? Due to the windy weather today I don't want dust blown on to the car. I have seen people using quick detailers at the Audi Meet. Is that a good thing to in between washes.
Cheers

 

[Scottyg]

I've used QDs in between washes for a while. I use Simoniz QD, you can get it out of Wilko for £4.50. Just a spray and wipe.
However, some don't like QDs!! There are loads of these types of products out there. In essence they all do the same thing and are also at different price levels. The Simoniz is at the lower end of the pricing scale but I've found it extremely effective. Also leaves your paintwork nice and glossy.

Here's a link
http://www.wilko.com/car-cleaning/simoniz-wax-quick-shine-500ml/invt/0344887

 

[Ruhel]

I've used QDs in between washes for a while. I use Simoniz QD, you can get it out of Wilko for £4.50. Just a spray and wipe.
However, some don't like QDs!! There are loads of these types of products out there. In essence they all do the same thing and are also at different price levels. The Simoniz is at the lower end of the pricing scale but I've found it extremely effective. Also leaves your paintwork nice and glossy.

Like gonna have to invest in some. Got rid of the majority of swirls by hand so wanna keep the paint looking nice if possible.

 

[Scottyg]

@Ruhel Impressing getting rid by hand. I've done it before on a black car and I can sympathise with you, it ain't easy. But as you say, once you've got rid you want to keep it this way.
Think I've said to you before, I'd invest in some CarPro Reload. I love it and gives that extra layer of harder protection over your normal wax.

 

[Scottyg]

I used a similar setup to you just today to get my car prepared for AITP8. I was expecting a detailer to come but unfortunately he didn't show up so I tried as best to remove the swirls myself.
I used:



Used K2 pressure washer with foam lance.





After polishing and waxing.




I want to invest in a Meguiars Dual Action Polisher but at £299 it is a big initial outlay and I don't know if I will be able to use it correctly. The guy that was supposed to come today was going to be using that so would have seen how good it is.

Go on eBay for a DA. I have the Kestral DAS6, think it's now the DASPRO6. It'll cost you approx £80. Just get some pads, approx £20 and away you go. Much cheaper than the Megs Package. Mines is still going strong nearly 4 years down the line.

 

[Scottyg]

Here's a full kit. Pretty much all you need to start off with.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/19193155827...86&_trksid=p2141725.c100338.m3726&_mwBanner=1

 

[Ruhel]

Go on eBay for a DA. I have the Kestral DAS6, think it's now the DASPRO6. It'll cost you approx £80. Just get some pads, approx £20 and away you go. Much cheaper than the Megs Package. Mines is still going strong nearly 4 years down the line.

Yeah sounds a lot cheaper. Gonna have a look now.
Cheers

 

[Glarhzilla]

Fusso99 is a winner and cheap. Very good bang for your buck.

Sent from my SM-N9208 using Tapatalk

 

[chris1978uk]

Thanks for the help and advice all. My last bits and pieces arrived from Slims on Thursday and today was forecast to be cloudy and dry so I finally set to work.

Started off with the Auto Finesse Avalanche snow foam and a power rinse, then a two bucket wash using AutoGlym Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner (came free with the car, along with a load of other AG stuff) then a microfibre towel dry.

As I took a break it threatened to rain but was only 5mins of very fine drizzle so gave it a quick buff before I started with the Poorboys Black Hole. Let that haze the polished it off with microfibre then applied the Poorboys EX Sealant and left it for about 20mins before polishing off. Final step was a bit of AutoGlym Fast Glass (including removing the dogs nose marks from the inside!) and as I was doing that the drizzle was back again. It's been 20 mins and hasn't stopped so my beautiful car is nicely soaked now!

The good news is that with my limited expertise and working by hand the swirls (there was a brief period of sunshine after the Black Hole stage so I managed a good look) are not gone but certainly vastly improved, thank you to everyone who's offered guidance to get me here

I have two questions now about what to do next! First off, cleaning the cleaning materials. The lambswool mitt says hand wash only, but doesn't mention detergent, should I use any or just rinse it and let it dry? The microfibres go in the machine with no fab softener, but what temp, and can the ones used for removing the Poorboys be safely washed together with the drying towel? What about the foam applicator pads, can these even be washed?!

Secondly, assuming I've done a good enough job with the sealant and it lasts a couple of months, what do I do in between? Snow foam? 2 bucket wash? or both? or just the QD that Ruhel asked about?

i do have a couple of pics but they're not uploading from the mobile so I'll add them later. Thanks again all!!

 

[sixlargebeers]

To the OP (Chris) - i would not accept a black car delivered with a load of swirl marks. You are entitled to a car with perfect paint on delivery. It may not stay like that but it it's not good enough to say "they all look like that" - utter nonsense. In my opinion, it is not a ground for outright rejection (yet) as they haven't had an opportunity to rectify it.
I would take this up with the dealer principal failing which kick up a stink with Audi UK. The dealer should be paying for a full correction if their prep/bodyshop people aren't up to the job. Not trying to be Johnny big baws here but I say this with confidence as a solicitor who would be very confident of success if i took this up on behalf of a client. Go for it !!

 

[alFR]

I have two questions now about what to do next! First off, cleaning the cleaning materials. The lambswool mitt says hand wash only, but doesn't mention detergent, should I use any or just rinse it and let it dry? The microfibres go in the machine with no fab softener, but what temp, and can the ones used for removing the Poorboys be safely washed together with the drying towel? What about the foam applicator pads, can these even be washed?!

Secondly, assuming I've done a good enough job with the sealant and it lasts a couple of months, what do I do in between? Snow foam? 2 bucket wash? or both? or just the QD that Ruhel asked about?

i do have a couple of pics but they're not uploading from the mobile so I'll add them later. Thanks again all!!

Lambswool mitt: either just rinse in warm water or use a bit of detergent suitable for wool.
Microfibres: 30 degree delicates cycle is what I use for mine, seem fine so far, I'd avoid putting them in with the towel though, as I did that once and my towel wouldn't absorb any water afterwards until it'd been washed a few times...
Foam pads: usually wash in same way as microfibres or just hand wash.

Maintenance washes: I usually foam then 2 bucket method and then top up with QD if I feel like it. I personally wouldn't use a QD on its own for cleaning (too much risk of marring the paint IMHO), butI know many people do. Depends how dirty the car is I guess.

Polished Bliss have a good set of guide articles here if you fancy a read.

 

[steeve]

Dont try and correct swirls on your own.

The car should not have been presented to you in that condition. I wouldn't accept the fact a new car is covered in swirls, me? I'd take it back and reject it, if only to push them into fixing it. It just isn't acceptable.

As soon as you try to remove them your going to prevent any remedial work at the dealer / Audi's expense.

As far as ceramic coatings the Nanolex system is fabulous and easy to apply. If you do it yourself its quite low cost.

 

[StevieS3]

You doing that 4 parts VP to 1 part water? Strong mix.

I've been doing 1:8 250ml of VP in a 2lt spray then filled with water.

Never got my head fully around mix ratios, some do it 1:4 others 4:1 so which is the right way to avoid confusion???

No no no 4 parts water 1 part VP never seen a ratio written a 1:4 always the other way round with larger number being the water.