Originally Posted by
Accumulator
This comes up from time to time. I have the same stuff, and the same issues on the A8 (not on the S8 yet, but it`s just a matter of time). This trim *always* goes bad eventually and even the replacement parts from Audi will go bad. Oddly enough the replacement parts go bad *REALLY* fast. The following applies to pretty much all the brightwork on modern Audis, around the windows, on the bumper covers, etc.
The trim in question is aluminum, either clear anodized or clear powdercoated (I`ve received both answers from people at Audi who oughta know, so no idea which is correct, not that it matters as it`s the same situation whichever it is....).
Once the clear coating is compromised it`s forever. There`s no way to touch up anodizing or powdercoating. Since the replacement parts (which are a bear to install around the windows anyhow) don`t hold up, IMO the best you can do is polish it, wax/seal it, and then redo it over and over as needed.
If you polish it aggressively, to where the aluminum is very shiny, "all polished up good as new", you`ll be redoing this quite often, and if you let it go it`ll start to *REALLY* corrode. That`s the last thing I`d want.
SO, I recommend that you do the polishing *VERY* lightly so you don`t make things temporarily better but long-term worse. Don`t shoot for perfection, it`s already beyond that. These days I never use anything more aggressive than 1Z Pro MP, and I only use that if I`ve been negligent enough that KAIO isn`t enough.
I`d protect it with your longest-lasting LSP, layered heavily.
If you then take good care of it, and redo the LSP before it`s obviously necessary, the deterioration should slow down a lot (it might even halt completely for practical purposes). The affected trim in question on my wife`s A8 hasn`t gotten noticeably worse over the last few years...though the pieces under the headlights that I replaced with new pieces sure do look crappy..wish I`d just kept the original parts on there.
IME/IMO, the trick is to accept its current condition and keep it from getting worse.
EDIT: Welcome to Autopia, SIMSAM18!
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