Hand wash scratches :-( New black Audi, help!

[coolal]

Hey guys, was just referred to this forum for the best in detailing tips and ideas.



So here`s whatâ€â„¢s going on. I`m 19 and at college in Claremont, CA (the Claremont colleges). Washing the car by myself is just not an option and with the desert climate and dust in the air there are at least 8 car washes on the local stretch of Foothill Blvd.



Found what seemed like a good car wash... all hand. They actually do an amazing job, spend time on the car really go over it when they do a hand wax, turns out quite nice. But leave it to me to check for scratches. So I come upon these really weird scratches, unlike anything Iâ€â„¢ve seen from washing my car. The black paint is scratched really finely but down to whatever white layer there is. The scratch doesn`t feel too deep, but I can feel it with my fingernail. Not all the scratches are white but some are. I don`t know what to do or where to go, and of course being on a college budget doesn`t help.



Spider webbing doesn`t bother me as much as this does. Obviously the car wash doesn`t know how they got there, and interesting Iâ€â„¢ve gone their 3-4 times after hoping it`s pop up and nope... I`ve got a patch on my hood, a patch on my trunk and a small patch on either side along the top of roof where it meets the door.



So... 1) obviously not something I can fix myself, what am I looking for a detailer to say? 2) This even a detailer issue, even a good one? 3) How much am I looking at so I can start crying?



For the record I love black but hate the upkeep :-(



Thanks for all the help you guys can provide.



-Alex

[coolal]

If anyone is actually living in Claremont, CA and thoughts on detailers that could take care of this problem would be greatly appreciated.



Also if anyone knows of a good car wash around here... i really don`t mind paying 30 bucks for a good wash as long as it`s done well... i can save waxing for when i go back home once in a while.



-Alex

[MorBid]

Welcome Alex. I have a Brilliant Black A4 Ultrsport that I just got. It`s my first Audi and a blast to drive. Esp in the snow.



If you can see primer or "feel" the scratch, then your past detailing into body work for those parts. There is no compound or polish that can fix that.



All is not lost however, you will need some touch up paint, sand paper (for wetsanding) and a steady hand.



Visit http://www.autovisuals.com/



They make pens that are actually touch up paint matched to your car by make/model and VIN.



If you feel your not up to repairing the task yourself, then don`t. It`ll make matters worse



You also may want to try http://www.audiworld.com and visit thier detailing forum as well. There may be someone in your area who can have a look at it for you.



If you have to take it somewhere or to someone in order to have it fixed, start at the dealership so you know the max your going to have to pay. Your next step from there would be someplace that does work on European imports.



Lastly I wouldn`t let that cash wash off the hook so easily.



See the manager, pitch a B*itch, file complaints do whatever, but if your sure they are responsilbe and given the cost of these cars I would give them hell.



A car wash causing swirls is one thing, a car wash scratching paint below the base coat is quite another.





Good Luck

[Bill D]

I sure hope the detailer does well.If you can , try seeking out those who have experience with Audi paint, it`s a little tougher than "typical" paint as you`ll read about here. Hopefully that will work out well.

Next time, I highly suggest Quick and Easy Wash ( QEW). It`s no substitute for an extremely thorough wash with buckets, hose and loads of soap ( not by hacks of course) but I`m certain it`s going to be much, much safer than taking the car to the car wash again.



You`ll find it`s highly economical : an ounce per gallon and the cleaning power lasts. Nothing like getting better results for cheaper :up

[audipower]

What`s up and welcome!



Screw those paint pens. I got one of a link on audiworld.com. They didn`t match for one and they sent me another one and it did. Then the pen bleads to much. Easier with a brush.



IF you have swirls or little scratches your going to have fun. Audi has the hardest clear coats in the biz. Contamints cause swirls and little scratches. Normally caused by bad washing. ALways use a good soap like Sonus or P21S. Use two buckets (one for soap other to rinse) and two mits. Get dirty toss to side. Get some clay to get the heavy contamints and Klasse AIO to remove little contamints. AIO also will polish a little to flatten paint and also great to help sealents (Sealent Glaze) and waxes stick to paint better.

Polishes I suggest are Sonus and 1Z. I`ve catching myself using the Sonus polishes normally on Audi`s and VW`s more. Remember to use less abrasive polish first never hardest first. Not worth using abrasive if don`t need so.

Always use Microfibers as towels. NO terry cloth!

Mine as well get those spider webs out so they don`t get worse and ruin your finish anymore.

Check out Autopia-carcare.com "how to-s". There it will help you with fixing those scratches. It worked on mine.

[coolal]

Hey guys, thanks for the info. Yes i have the exact car, 05 A4 Ultrasport... the scratches are quite deep and it seems that they are for sure from someone using a circular motion... i`m gonna talk to the manager at the wash, it`s quite evident. I`m a good customer and i`m gonna let them know that there are alot of options. I have never valeted the car never let it out of my site and was perfectly cared for before using this place...



What arguments should i be using? BBB i suppose is a first option, don`t really know care wish lingo and what scares managers.



Yes the primer is showing and i deff don`t feel comfortable working with the pens. I`d rather pay a professional than screw it up more.



Thanks for the advice you guys!



-Alex

[Bill D]

:scared :scared Stay FAR away from those hacks in the future! For the sake of the future of your paint!

[MorBid]

Al



You`ll need to get an estimate for the repairs to the deep scratches first. Writing a letter to the BBB is a good start. Sue them in small claims court if the cost of the repairs is significant.

[coolal]

Ahh i know :-( I shouldn`t have gone to the car wash, but i`m at college i need to have a car wash i can trust... Anyone in the claremont/upland/la verne/montclair area that has a GOOD car wash?



-Alex



By the way i just purchased some of that touch up paint, i confirmed the paint code, it`s a backup... i`m guessing i`ll donate a good couple hours some day to doing the work, anyone have a link to a VERY detailed breakdown on how to fill in scratches?



Does it sound logical to fill them and then have the whole car detailed with a strong polish so it`ll pull down the filled in scratches as well??

[Bill D]

As I posted above, QEW is the most worry-free and economical solution to your problem. Once you get the hang of it you can even wash the car close to the amount of time it takes for the hacks to wash with a lot better, probably shinier results.



There are several great threads and articles on this site about touching up paint.

[the other pc]

Hi coolal, :welcome to Autopia!



Sorry to hear about the scratches. Hopefully they won`t turn out to be too serious.



If the scratches are deep you`ll have to do some kind of painting, either touch-up or re-spray, or just leave them. Scratches that you can feel with your fingernail, even if they don`t go below the clearcoat, are probably too deep to sand out without compromising clearcoat thickness.



Hopefully the white "layer" is just dried wax sticking in very shallow scratches in the clear. If so cleaning it out and doing the touch-up might be nearly invisible.



If the estimates come in high insurance might well cover the work, preferably the car wash`s liability insurance.



If you do try the touch-up yourself I agree with audipower, skip the pens. Use bottled paint with a fine artist`s brush, touch-up applicators or spray it.



I`m in OC, don`t know any trustworthy detailers or car washes in Claremont. (I do know a good Afghan restaurant over on Yale if you feel the need to drown your sorrows in Hummus.)



Come to think of it, I don`t trust any car washes. I believe that you`re far better off doing the coin-op (don`t use their brushes, bring your own mitt and rinse bucket) and practicing the "dance of the timed water nozzle". There`s also the QEW route. I haven`t tried it but lots of folks here highly recommend it.





PC.

[coolal]

Haha I work at that good afghan restaurant, old family friends :-) Yea i have to talk to the car wash tomorrow, i`m really going to pressure the manager. It quite obvious quite a bit of downward force was used and in a circular motion.



When i first brought it up to the attendant he said the jeans of guys who valet your car may cause the scratches... haha what BS.



Hopefully i can get them to write it off otherwise they`ll have a mighty pain in their ***.



-Alex

[MorBid]

AL;



Top of the Line sells a Black Carnauba Wax which supposedly fills/hides paint defects.



This is not an ideal solution, you should have those deep ones repaired. But it will buy you some time to get up the $$ to get the repair done.



Repairing those deep scratches is not all that difficult, but you can sand too much and make the job bigger or sand too little (edges won`t be feathered properly and/or the repaired area won`t be flat) which will only become apparent after you`ve applied the paint and it`s dried. Then you`ll have to do it over again.



Generally you should polish and wax your car at least twice a year. But in this instance you`ll only need to polish the area of the repair to "blend" the paint.



Good Luck

[coolal]

Well i just went on a buying spree and got all the supplies shipped to me that i`ll use on a long saturday during spring break to fix this all up.



Here is as follows.



Fill in the scratches by hand properly



then



Meguairs Gold Class car wash



Swirl Remover Light Cut



Menzerma Intensive Polish



Menzerma Intensive Polish II



Black Carnuba Wax (3) layers over three days.



Using a Wen Orbital Polisher 4" for all steps except the wax.



(all from top of the line)



So my thinking is i`ll spend a good amount of time doing the paint on a friday, then on a saturday i`ll spend however many hours doing the polishing and waxing. So in the process i`ll level off anything i missed with the watersanding etc... while doing the filling.



I`m pretty sure i got the good stuff and with time and patience this could be a good learning experience.



Do i get the autopia seal of approval?



-Alex

[MorBid]

well you get my vote on the products, except the polisher.



I would`ve gone with a Porter Cable Random Orbital.



You can pick a 7336 at Lowes

for about 40 bucks more than what that Wen costs.



Menzerna makes good stuff as does Meguairs (that`s the same car wash I use on my Audi).



You will need to clean the area you intend to use the paint on with a wax and silicone remover before sanding and painting as sanding alone will not remove that stuff.