NEWBIE questions

[wootang00]

hi guys,



i know im a newbie in this area but ive been reading a lot for the past couple days. there were a few things that i had a question on and i would appreciate if u guys would gimme some input.



i just got my 2004 brilliant black audi a4... when i got it, they washed and waxed it at the dealer. i want to maintain that shine on the black forever .. haha...



i was wondering how long it should be before i should wax it again or how long before i polish it for that matter. ive been reading that i wouldnt have to wax for quite some time since its a new car. should i just wash it only instead for a time being because it is new? also this weekend i was planning on washing the car. since it was already waxed all i would need to do is go over it with a quick detailing spray correct? any u recommend that they sell at a local store?. ive noticed lot of the stuff u guys use u gotta order online. im going out this weekend so no time to order for now. thanx again for all your replies.

[scottabir]

Congrats on the new car! I hear audis are REALLY fun to polish out defects ;) (sarcasm hard c.c on them makes them a pain). Well for starter I would suggest reading the how to wash uinder the !learn button at the top of the homepage, if you haven`t already.



When to wax can vary greatly from region to region, and what product was applied.



Yes you can just go over it with detail spray after washing and you`ll be just fine. I like Mothers QD for a locally found QD, I get it at Pepboys.

The time before you have to polish is up to you and your washing habits :D and when there are blemishes (black car=there will be blemishes) that need to be polished out. If the paint looks nice and shiny and defect free, no need to polish. One thing I would add to your list to do is clay the car (can be found locally at pepboys under the name Claymagic- or mothers sells some there too.) If you go this route I would suggest rewaxing your car too. A decent local wax I like to use is #26 from Meguiars (pepboys too).

I hope this helps you out some. Oh yeah get the Credit card warmed up and get ready to buy online :) ---ALOT :D

[togwt]

Quote: i was wondering how long it should be before i should wax it again or how long before i polish it for that matter.



~One man’s opinion / observations ~



Welcome to Autopia wootang00



Congratulations on the new Audi A4



Polish or Waxing New Vehicle:

New cars with OEM water based paint are cured at high temperatures, sometimes as high as 300 degrees in special baking ovens and can be waxed the moment it is rolled out of the manufacturing plant.

New cars go through the painting and baking process without any of the rubber, plastic, and cloth components installed. This is why they can expose the cars paint to such high temperatures. These high temperatures and special paints used at the factory level ensure the paint is fully cured by the time the car leaves the assembly line.



~Hope this helps~



Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/



justadumbarchitect *so I question everything*

[LouisanaJeeper]

You can re-polish and wax as soon as you want to.

It would probably be a good idea to re-wax within 2-3 months of taking delivery.



A good QD spray would be Eagle1wet ot mother`s showtime



If you are looking for surface perfection, you should clay, polish, then re-wax your new car as soon as you get it home. Wash weekly and re-wax monthly for carnuba wax or 3-6months for a synthetic wax.



Good over the counter waxes would be NXT, mother`s paste wax, Meg`s #26 yellow wax

wash: NXT, mother`s wash, meg`s crystal wash

clay: claymagic or mother`s

[wootang00]

thanx for all the replies.. i had another quick question.. in order to avoid oxidation.. i should be using a car wash liquid rather than just dishwasher soap correct?.. thanx again..

[BillNorth]

Yes, use car wash soap. Leave the dishwashing soap in the kitchen.



As for your other questions, I would recommend waxing once every month - 2 months to ensure protection. Very few, if any, carnuba waxes will last 3 months.



And yes, you can QD your car. I would only recommend you do this after a wash. QD`ing an unwashed black car is asking for swirls. I personally do not QD. The more you touch your car, the greater the chance for marring the finish. Learn to accept the reality that your car is a daily driver and is bound to get dirty. Don`t expect a showroom shine 365 days a year.



If you are serious about keeping your paint looking good you should learn proper technique for washing and drying. This will minimize the amount of swirl marks induced into your clear coat. You should also consider claying and using a mild chemical paint cleaner 2x a year to keep the paint looking like new.



Bill.

[PFDarkside]

Dish soap will strip the wax off. Use a high quality car wash soap, a 100% cotton wash mitt and Dry using microfiber or 100% Cotton towels. (I use a 2 bucket method to prevent swirls as much as possible) If you`ve washed it with dish soap already, get some wax and get some protection on your car. :)



Once again, good information is located in the learn button. It will tell you about soaps, mitts, towels and technique.

[wootang00]

thanx again for all the replies.. after all the reading. i do have a couple more questions.. ok.. so after the wash.. say i put on klasse aio.. this will probably sound dumb but... do i put on sg after another wash or just right after aio..also.. after sg.. do i let it cure 12 to 48 hrs first and wash again? (or no wash?) before putting on a topper such as p21s carnuba wax? another thing.. how long do you guys normally cure the car after aio and sg.. sorry for such newbie questions.. but after reading all the how to do`s i guess these werent really mentioned.. thanx again.

[togwt]

~One man’s opinion / observations ~



Q: after the wash.. say i put on klasse aio.. this will probably sound dumb but... do i put on sg after another wash or just right after aio

A: After applying AIO follow with SG (I usually wait for an hour for the polymer to cure, but opinions vary on this)



Q: after sg.. do i let it cure 12 to 48 hrs first and wash again? (or no wash?) before putting on a topper such as p21s carnuba wax?

A; The 12-48 hour cure time for SG has the consensus of opinion, you should not expose a polymer to water for 24 hours, so no to the wash, after its cured you can apply a ‘topper’ of your choice



Q: how long do you guys normally cure the car after aio and sg

A: AIO and SG after there initial cure times (12-48 hours for the SG) there is no need for an additional cure time for the combination



.. sorry for such newbie questions.. but after reading all the how to do`s i guess these werent really mentioned.. thanx again.

Suggestion: Do a search under ‘BillNorth’ and read his application methods for Klass





~Hope this helps~



Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/



justadumbarchitect *so I question everything*

[jasonatv22]

Congrats on your new Audi. You`ve probably already read this, but you have some very hard paint there. It`s hard to scratch, but it`s also very difficult to remove scratches.



The QDs that others mentioned are good, but if you use the 16oz bottles up pretty quickly, you may want to get a gallon of Meguiars Final Detail (#51 but not on bottle, D-5101). It still works when the paint is hot, unlike some others. And with black paint, it doesn`t take much to get our paint over 110 degrees.



As for wax, yeah, if you go AIO and SG, I think you`ll be really pleased. I`ve never tried SG as it does have a few issues. But I will be using AIO soon. Currently, my cleaner/sealant of choice is ColorX by Meguiars (not to be confused with ColorCure by TW, which is like rubbing crayons on your car). On a new car, if you can get your wash habits right (and you might want to read Dave`s article in the Learn up there) you won`t have to polish for a while, so cleaners and sealants are your pal.



I`m currently using ColorX topped with S100. S100 is one of the easiest to use carnauba waxes out there. At $15, it`s a steal, especially since it`s the same product as P21S which sells for twice as much. It`s at your Harley Davidson dealer. I HIGHLY recommend picking some up if you have a black car. And it is very easy to apply and remove.

[wootang00]

ok.. so.. i washed the car today.. dried w terry cloth towels.. realized it wasnt a good idea.. i should get some microfiber ones.. well afterwards.. decided to use the QD spray.. and i dunno about you guys.. but i definately wasnt pleased.. i bought mothers QD.. did pretty much everything in the how to do series stuff.. except when i buffed it out..i have a black car btw. there seemed to have had circles already.. ahhh.. so ya.. that wasnt too good. im guessin i should wax again eh?.. i had it prewaxed by the dealer and all.. i dunno if they screwed it up.. or i screwed it up.. doh...