Detailing My Audi

[pierce]

I searched for related threads, but didn`t find much (many forums I`m a member of, they are very keen on the `search` function). I`m quite new, so I was looking for suggestions. I have a 2001 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro. I wanted to know what y`alls input would be for a good, thorough wash (not including a wax).



My Idea:



--Meguiar`s Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner

--Magic Clay (not sure of the proper technique yet, but I asked in another thread)

--Another cycle of Meguiar`s Gold Class Car Wash

--Soaping and drying the wheels

--Meguiar`s Hot Shine High Gloss Tire Spray

--Vacuuming the interior

--Leather and glass wipes

--Drying with an all leather chamois



Now, is that totally wrong? Does it just need additions? This is where I need the input. Also, for a quick wash, what do you guys think of the Mr. Clean AutoDry Carwash? Thanks for all the help.

[LouisanaJeeper]

i would use a microfiber in place of the leather, that is old school



i would use lexol for the leather and eagle 1 20/20 on the glass applied with small cotton towels



also check out the NXT and duragloss washes. i like them better than gold class

[Bill D]

Welcome to Autopia Pierce :wavey



I`ll second the NXT or Duragloss wash. Don`t bother with the Mr Clean.



As you`ll find, Audi clear can be a big PITA to remove defects from so the key is to do everything you can to prevent them in the first place. Some, like myself :o resort to extreme washing techniques : a.ka. washing via foam gun in washing sessions that can last 3 times as long as you`d imagine, using multiple sheepskin mitts that you went through a lot of trouble to select only the softest of the bunch, etc.



I advise against the use of a chamois. Too much potential for marring and ruining your work. I recommend high quality waffle weave mfs that can be purchased by the online vendors mentioned here. Use a car dryer or leaf blower to get the water out of the seams.



I also advise against the wipes. At best the concept is ok but I`ve found the product to be sub par. Use a dedicated glass mf for cleaning glass.



I also personally hate solvent based tire dressings. That is an involved topic you could search more about if you`re interested



Hope this gets you started to a very pleasant detailing adventure :xyxthumbs

[imported_Axe]

I would keep the `old school` method of drying off with the chamois, but not a `real leather one` this is not good! Used a synthetic (AutoGlym) chamois on mine for the last 2 years, and not a swirl mark has been created.



I would agree the wipes are a no no, and once again BMW have my product of choice, their leather cleaner is superb, brings back the original leather smell, at the same time treating and protecting the leather, once again leaving it flat and perfect, not shiny and streaky like some products can.



Tyres are an issue for me, not yet found anything that can survive the british weather for more than 2 days tops :(

[pierce]

Well, thanks alot for your welcomes and inputs. Few morw questions relating to your suggestions, though. NXT and Duragloss wash are two brands or are they different items made by a larger company? Lastly, what is a glass mf? For all of these products and the sheepskin mitts, what site do you recommend to buy from? Thanks alot.

[AudiDriver]

Hi pierce,

Welcome to Autopia! I`m sure you`ll get loads of help and advice from this forum as I`ve had!

I also have an Audi (a 1999 Silver A6 avant SE) and use an "almost" similar method for a "thorough" cleaning as follows:



--Vacuuming the interior

--Meguiar`s Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner

--Meguiar`s Quick Detailer with clay

--Soaping and drying the wheels

--Meguiar`s NXT Protectant for the tyres (as well as other plastic)

--If weather allows - Drying with a Meguiar`s Microfibre drying towel

--If weather allows - Finishing with a synthetic chamois (the synthetic chamois seems to dry better than the microfibre once most of the water is off - I do have the advantage of very soft water)



With regard to your question about Duragloss (Durashine?) and NXT? I think these are separate products?

I hope to try to Meguiar`s NXT Wash once the Gold Class runs out.



I don`t always need to do the tyres with the NXT protectant as the product seems to last for a couple weeks - so far. The NXT leaves my tyres nice and black though it does`nt have much of a shine (I prefer them that way) and when it`s wet (as it often is up here in NE Scotland) they have a nice beading on them. I found that Meguiar`s Hot shine for tyres made mine go brownish after a couple of days and they lost any "shine".



I also found Meguiar`s Microfibre Washmitt quite good. (Meguiar`s products are available in the UK)



I`ve also used Autopia Car Care for stuff I could not get in UK (e.g. a PC 7424 Polisher, pads, microfibre cloths and polish) and can say that their service is quite excellent.



Hope this helps!

[Bill D]

http://www.duragloss.com



Available at Napa car parts stores

[Accumulator]

pierce- Welcome to Autopia. Fellow Audi nut here, just finished washing my wife`s A8.



Another good soap is Griot`s Car Wash, $30/gallon. Do a Google on "Griot`s Garage". They also sell a set of BHBs (Boar`s Hair Brushes) that are great for inside the fuel filler cavity and inside doorjambs/etc. (pn 15520). I find these truly invaluable.



You might check out THIS THREAD (http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=35232)



If you clay while washing (wash and rinse panel, clay panel, rewash and rinse) you can save a lot of time.



As "glass MF" is a microfiber cloth made for cleaning glass. Subtly different from "regular " MFs. There are all sorts of MF cloths, worth researching a little.



Vendors listed in the LINKS section of Autopia (check the homepage) are quite good. You might run any planned purchases past us, we`re never a a loss for opinions ;)



For the sheepskin mitts, you can often find them locally. Check the insides of them to make sure they`re real sheepskin. MF mitts can be good but you have to watch that they don`t trap abrasive dirt (they don`t always rinse clean).



As Bill D implied, we can get about as off-the-deep-end about detailing Audis as you`d care to imagine, and then some. Takes me at least 3 hours to wash my S8 (and I work fast).

[imported_Axe]

Originally posted by Accumulator



If you clay while washing (wash and rinse panel, clay panel, rewash and rinse) you can save a lot of time.





Nice tip that, don`t mind if I use that myself :)

[mtodde]

Welcome! It is always nice to see a new member in the Atlanta area! What part of Atlanta are you in?



You may wish to check out Autocolor; they are a PBE with several locations around Atlanta. Many of us use the internet and order products that way since the boutique products tend to not be availiable locally (unless you live near a vendor, LOL). Sometimes you can get lucky buying the sheepskin mitts at Wal-Mart & Target, but I recently received some very good ones from www.exceldetail.com.



Due to the general lack of high end detailing products I sometimes combine orders with SilverLexus to save on shipping. We also swap samples and feedback about different products. There is nothing wrong with the Meguairs, Mother`s & 3M products available locally, but if you really get the detailing bug you may have a desire to branch out and try new things that may cost more but offer better results and/or be more user friendly.



I`ll be happy to give you a sample of the NXT wash if you like. I really don`t use it much...sometimes for wheels, etc. I`m a bit obsessed so the NXT wash is one of my 11 car washes. For routine washing I think it is a little better than the Gold Class...particularly if your LSP is a sealant.



In the next week or so, SilverLexus and I will be posting a thread about a coffee for the Atlanta area Autopians & DC`ers that will be the last Saturday of January...either in the Roswell or Perimeter area. We`d love to see you there if possible and hope to turn this into a monthly get together.



You may also want to check out www.bettercarcare.com if you haven`t already. There is a lot of good information to read through and some excellent tutorials.

[pierce]

Wow, thank you for all of y`alls help. I`m actually getting EXCITED about doing what is commonly known as a chore. I see it as fun because the end product is one you can salivate over after a nice job.



I`m going to look into the microfiber cloth for glass. Do I just wipe it with the cloth, ro should I use an actualy window cleaner and wipe it off with the glass mf? If so, what type of glass cleaner? I am going to try the Meg`s Gold Class, but then I will try the NXT and compare results.



Mtodde, that is great you live in town, too. I actually live in Midtown (Ansley Park to be specific). Let me know more details on the GTG, I`d be very interested, I just need to know some specific dates.



On another note, I have these products in my garage that I am yet to use (Small gifts for quick washes, I wanted to get y`alls input on them). This was a kind of Beginner`s kit, as I just got my license about 2 months ago, and this is my first car...I wanted to give it a clean look as long as I own it. I have always been a meticulous, picky cleaner, anyways. Let me know what you guys think.



http://tinypic.com/17r6vk



http://tinypic.com/17r6yv



http://tinypic.com/17r6zo

[OJ_GTI]

I`d say use that brush for tires only (not wheels).



The chamois is OK, but waffle weave micro fibre towels are much better.



Steer clear of the sponge - because it doesn`t pull dirt away from the surface you will be scratching your paint as you move it around. Use a proper wash mit instead.



Welcome and good luck.

[REX-RACER]

So what are the real differences between drying w/ the chamois and the MF towels. I`ve seem most people here prefer the mf but I still have a chamois also. I`m beggining to wonder if it`s good for anything or should I just pitch it???



This site is so great for info and tips, I lear something every time I log on!!!



Good luck Pierce and put some pics up when you`re done!!!:xyxthumbs

[mtodde]

Originally posted by OJ_GTI

I`d say use that brush for tires only (not wheels).



The chamois is OK, but waffle weave micro fibre towels are much better.



Steer clear of the sponge - because it doesn`t pull dirt away from the surface you will be scratching your paint as you move it around. Use a proper wash mit instead.



Welcome and good luck.



Ditto. Once you use microfiber you may not want to go back to a chamois. I used chamois for years and then used the absorber for a while, but wouldn`t use anything but WW microfiber for drying these days - I even use my Target & Costco mf to dry my wheels.



I have to say the same thing for sheepskin wash mitts...once you try one a few times it is hard to go back to chenille and sponges are down right dangerous. I use 2 sheepskins for my car - one for the extreme lower areas like bumpers & rocker panels & the other for the rest of the car. I know Bill D uses a bunch of them to wash his car; he has one for each area I believe.



For a quick wash, I`d recommend Protect All Quick & Easy Wash aka QEW. Here`s some info about it: http://www.protectall.com/qelg.htm. I haven`t found it locally, but you could try an RV dealer. I buy it direct from Protect All. You can get 2 bottles for $15 shipped. Poorboy`s World Spray & Wipe is great for light dust & dirt too.



I am in the Dunwoody/Sandy Springs area these days.



What color is your A4?

[imported_Axe]

Here is my pennyworth ..



The thing with a `genuine` leather is that it can be quite sticky, and actually pull at the surface of your car, potentially removing wax, and as the chamois ages it can start to deposit lint onto your car, which in turn causes smearing. You also need to properly maintain a genuine chamois keeping it very clean, however if the chamois is of excellent quality, and you are prepared to maintain it fully, then it should be a good tool for you.



On the other hand, the synthetic chamois does not require any maintenance, and is much easier to wring out than a MF towel (won`t tear your hands), it dries the car so much better than a MF in my opinion and you can use the same thing until the car is dry, whereas you might need a couple or three or an extremely large MF`s to fully dry your car. Another often overlooked feature of a damp chamois is they are perfect for a quick wipe over the interior of your car, takes off all the dust, and leaves a nice clean matte finish on the interior. They are also superb at cleaning windows!



MF`s have their place of course, fantastic for buffing, cleaning off polish, cleaning off wax, so you should defo have several of these at your disposal. However, my favourite type of MF (I think I can call them MFs) are the Meguiars waffle weave, I have 2 of these and they are my preferred choice for cleaning wax, polish etc. They are also good for cleaning glass.



I don`t know whether this helps or not, but in my opinion your genuine chamois will require a lot of work to keep in good order so yes maybe you should offer it to your local window cleaner as a gift :)



I would not do without my synthetic chamois though, so I would buy one of those, along with half a dozen MF`s and one or two Waffle Weaves :)