mrsmith

Hey, I just got my first Audi and while cleaning up the interior I noticed that the wood surrounds and appliques are very dry. There is no shine at all!

Any remedies? I tried polishing it with polishing compound and it did nothing. I'm pretty sure it is a veneer, but I figured I'd give it a shot.

Will it need to be removed and refinished?

PS - Out of the 12 cars I have owned this is the most refined car ever. It screams quality. I am very happy with my decision so far.

mikeh

Welcome to the forum. Tell us more about the car such as model and year. After you have had a few more posts put up some pics of your car and the wood problem. I am sure you will get a better response with more information.

Welcome and enjoy.

mikeh

Also, I want to make you aware of the search feature at the top. There are years worth of information buried somewhere.

a4audi4fun

Might not be anything wrong at all - my 1998 A4 had Mahogany wood trim and it wasn't shiny; I liked it a lot and prefer that more natural finish, to the more polished/shiny look that seems to be on current model Audis with wood trim.

mrsmith

here is a picture.

ps - what colour is this interior? brown cow?



see what I mean, it is flat.

a4audi4fun

What year is your car? That finish does look like what my 1998 wood trim was like - it's real wood; you really felt the grain of the wood when you touched it. The new models with a clearcoat, feel like plastic in my opinion.

Don't know the name for the interior colour but there's info on other aspects of your car at this link - AudiWorld - Model Guide

mrsmith

yeah it is a 98. and you can feel the grain!

adamstasiak

I would want to kick the ****er previous owner on the butt a couple of times so she/he jumps on the roof of the local KIA dealer to purchase the next car.
I need to establish what they used on it.
Did you buy it from a woman? If so I expect acetone.

cheeba

Mrsmith, if there is no finish on the wood at all, and you want a shiny finish as your post alludes, I would remove the trim and treat as you would any other wood. Give it some light sanding, and coat it with a urethane several times. Proper prep and application - Google for info - will yield a deep shine. Obviously, wood doesn't actually shine, so if there's no coating on your trim, it will just look like, well, wood.

mrsmith

I'm assuming they used armor all. on everything.
I'm going to take a direct shot tomorrow. The wood piece that hides the cd deck/radio is a lot darker than the rest and has a nicer feel. The rest is faded and dry. I guess Ill go to a home hardware and look for something that moisturizes old dry wood.