chshwong

I just got an A4, Quartz Grey.
I'm loving it.

I've never waxed a car in my life, but I really like to preserve this beautiful look of this A4.

Is waxing something easy to do? For A4, is it as simple as:
- Washing my car thoroughly
- Apply Wax, scrub
- Wash it off?

I've watched some on youtube, but i'm still not confident. And sometimes, they "clay" it?? My dealer told me once to never do that to an European car.

Or, do you guys know any inexpensive good shop that are great at waxing Audis?
I'm located in Mississauga.

Thanks!

OH9EH4

Why would you wash it off?

If you REALLY want a nice clean paint job do this:

- wash with quality soap. don't use dish detergent
- towel dry (i like to keep mine in the garage over night so all the water has been drained from the panels and moldings/mirrors. Get the Absorber from Walmart. Only $15 or something but well worth it.
- Clay Bar (not required but really makes the car slick)
- Polish to bring out the nice colour of the car
- Wax to seal in the great colour of the car
- Tire dress, wheel clean (some people wax their wheels too) and window clean.

I do this several times a year, otherwise just wash and use a quick detailer...

Joker

There will be instructions on the wax bottle but invent in a $50 random orbital buffer. I have a 10" that I can wax the whole car in less than an hr.

1. Wash car by hand to make sure it's hella clean) Wash rims, exhasut tips everything with a different cloth or when done waching the car with the same cloth)
2. Dry with a car drying towel that won't leave lint, scratch etc.
3. Claybar if it has a lot of road tar or sap, stuff that you can feel on the paint with your hand after you wash it. (Just rub the clay bar on the paint until the paint feels smooth)
3. Apply wax, usually in the shade if possible. Goes on quick with a buffer. You want a good hazey finish on all of the car.
4. Rub the wax in/off. If you are using a buffer you switch from the applicator pad to the cotton pad, do this till all the hazing is gone.
5. Usually you will need to go over it one more time with a foam pad on the buffer or a microfiber towel to get all the wax crumbs depening on what wax you used and what the car looks like.
6. Dress ties with tire shine.

I like the way Meguiar's Direct NXT Generation® Tech Wax® 2.0 works. Comes off easy and looks great.

melloyellow

need more good tips! post post post!

GeneKam

Heh go on youtube and look for matt farah the host
the show is the smoking tire
they have to parts two detail and wash your car and how its done.

cheeba

It really depends on the level of quality that you're looking for; as with anything, high quality takes a lot of effort. A proper paint correction/detail will cost you a lot of money and time. It is common to spend >12 hours on polishing alone. Autopia.org is the authoritative internet reference for detailing.

That said, if the car is brand new (you stated that you just got it, but not whether or not it is new), then it will only need mild paint correction. is a great place to buy detailing supplies in Canada. If you're serious about detailing, I suggest buying at least a random-orbital buffer (PC7424 is a great unit for a very reasonable price), or a rotary buffer if you want to get more serious.

Here are some basic suggestions to wrap your head around and get you started:

- Wash very meticulously: spray the dirt off so that you're not rubbing it into the paint; keep abrasives off of your washing cloth; get everything off of your paint; use a claybar to remove contaminants (your dealer has no idea what they're talking about - if anything Audi has a very strong clear compared to other vehicles, and clay bars will not damage your paint at all...just use lots of lubricant when clay'ing).

- Drying is as important as washing! Buy good quality microfibre, i.e., something you buy from a detailing website or supply store. A silicone water blade is great for getting the majority of the water off quickly. Dry the car in the shade!

- Polishing is correcting flaws in the paint, and waxing is protecting the paint - understand the difference between the two.

- It's very difficult to screw up your paint with a random orbital - especially on cars with tough clear, such as Audis. Read a ton on Autopia and you'll get the hang of polishing as you experiment a little. The 'Kevin Brown method' is fantastic for RO buffers.

- Keeping your paint protected with a good waxing regimen can have your it looking new for many years. As long as it's always protected, you can cut down on most damage to your paint. It also makes it much easier to wash. Depending on your product, you can get several months of protection from a few layers of wax.

As far as methodology for using a given product goes, there are no magic rules (other than maybe less is more, as human instinct is that more must be better); learn about the specific product you're using, and what the pros are doing with it. Again, this is where Autopia can be a very valuable resource.

The most important thing: inexpensive and good are mutually exclusive. Everyone knows that. There's a reason that your Audi cost more than a GM.

wanthema

^bump

yeah, what he said. lol..

DIY I would say, best way to know your car is done complete.

fili-mac

Mothers three step process has work for me in the past.... surprised not one else mentioned it.

audica

Did you get around to waxing your car yet?

For the wash, make sure you have a big bucket with lots of water and a clean wash mit. Add soap and foam it up -- the lubrication reduces abrasion which can be the cause for swirling. I like Adam's Car Wash as it provides a lot of foam/lubrication.

As for drying, I like MF (jumbo waffle weaves etc). Not really a fan of a water blade -- if you miss a spot of something blows onto your car, there is a potention of grit getting caught in the blade and causing scratches.

Claying is a good idea if you are going to polish too. Even new cars pickup contamination during the ride from factory - things like raid dust etc. Clay will help remove all the contamination before you apply protection.

Polish. (something like a porter cable will help here if you are willing to spend some money). Stay away from some of the cheaper units (I've wasted my fair share of $$ on them) as they don't have enough power to correct any imperfections. The porter cable 7424's are nice *safe* units to use (with the proper backing plates/pads/polish of course)

Wax.

Dress tires etc.

johnwillson

Look, without pics I aint interested.

Nah, nice going mate, I should really clean mine tomorrow, but I'm a lazy baz