I would recommend p21s products you can get the deluxe kit for about $50 its the best around and its worth the money check it out

 

meguiars polish and Magic Clay Bar with meguuiars #135 synthetic spray detailer Castles window cleaner

 

I have an A4 also and through trial and error I've come up with the following care regime to keep my Audi looking new. Before I continue, another poster recommended using microfiber cloths for buffing instead of cotton - I have to STRONGLY DISAGREE. While microfiber will not leave any dust behind it will micro-scratch your car's surface, look in the sun after you've used it and you will see very fine scratch like reflections. My personal feeling is that a good soft microfiber cloth is ok for certain parts of the interior, and for household cleaning, but should never be used on a car's exterior finish.

My Care Regime:
1. Interior (dash, plastic components and trim)
Audi Cockpit Care, applied with a soft cotton cloth (a clean 100% cotton t-shirt will do). This goes on light and evenly and gives the interior and nice rich matte finish (it doesn't give it a cheap looking shine or coating like Armorall). It has petroleum distillates so it cleans thoroughly, mineral oil to keep the interior from drying and cracking, and UV protection to keep the color from fading. Best of all it has anti-static properties to reduce dust from collecting on the surface.
2. Windows
Pure, non-scented, Windex and newspaper.The newspaper is critical. Teri and microfiber cloths will leave streaks and/or smudges. Paper towels are held together with glue and will leave horrible streaks and/or smudges (depending on the paper towel you use). Newspaper gives a streak-free, smudge-free shine. The only thing is the ink will come off in your hands so I use a pair of latex gloves when doing my windows.
3. Leather
Meguiars Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner and Conditioner (or Audi leather care kit) applied with a very soft microfiber cloth that's specifically fibered to clean leather. If you don't use the Audi kit (which comes with separate cleaner and conditioner) then definitely use the Meguiars as described above. It has both the cleaner and conditioner in one spray bottle so it will clean, get out stains, condition, and UV protect the leather with a single application (and it doesn't change the look of that unique, soft Audi leather). In fact a colleague of mine used a leaky fountain pen and got ink all over the back seat (and didn't bother to tell me so I didn't see it until that weekend). The Meguiars got it all out except two spots that were deeply absorbed, of which the Meguiars faded to the point of them barely being noticeable.
4. External
I wash with a mild liquid car soap (Mother's is a good one), dry with a real chamois and wax with Mother's California Gold Carnauba Cleaner Wax (buffed with a very soft - 100% Teri cloth). For in-between waxes I'll use Turtle Wax Ice Synthetic Detailer; the one in the spray bottle (also buffed with a very soft 100% Teri cloth), which can be used for a quick low effort wax on the entire exterior (including trim - in fact I use it on trim when I wax with Mother's). If I'm really lazy and don't want to wax with mothers or go through the bother of spraying and buffing the Ice, I'll just wash the car with Audi Wash and Wax Shampoo (It'll clean it an give it a decent wax protection).
5. Tires
Armorall Tire Shine, applied with a paintbrush. The paintbrush isn't necessary but I like the way the tires come when I use it.

Hope that helps.

 

While I handwash and wax my silver A6 in the summer, it does see the car wash in the winter to remove the salt. It's the lesser of two evils and with 188k miles, I live with the swirls and pings. I also own a couple Crossfires that I baby, and have never seen car washes. The Crossfire forum has a Meguiar guy who advises in the detailing section. Here's an excerpt:

Swirls in paint are nothing more than a wildly random scattering of very shallow scratches. They are not necessarily caused by applying anything in a circular manner, and they only appear to be circular in nature because they are most noticeable when viewed in direct, harsh light - like direct sunlight. Don't believe me? Try this: stand so that the sun is directed right into your eyes off the paint and you'll see a definite circular pattern to the swirls. Now move laterally so that the sun appears to move across the paint. The circular pattern magically moves with the sun. No matter where you stand, the circular pattern is always around the sharp light source. These scratches are random, straight or curved, long and short, and scattered throughout the paint.

They are primarily caused by use of less than clean or less than soft towels and applicators. Terry cloth can be aggressive enough to do this, as can a dirty wash mitt or applicator pad. Unskilled use of a rotary buffer can instill a unique type of swirl mark, also called holograms - they appear to literally float in the paint in a 3D effect. You can actually follow the path of the buffer when holograms are severe enough. I'm not real sure about Andrew's assertion that they are, or even can be, caused simply by exposure to UV radiation. They are a physical defect in the paint - polish them out and then park the car in direct sunlight and they won't just form on their own. Sure, wash a car in direct sun and have the soapy water start drying on it, then try to wipe that mess off an you're bound to inflict some sort of damage - but I don't really think the UV rays themselves are the direct cause. You have to physically touch the paint for swirls to occur.

Getting rid of them can be simple, or fairly difficult depending on their severity, the hardness of the paint, the tools you have available, and your skill level. But you aren't going to find much of anything to accomplish the task at JC Whitney. Get a good D/A polisher, the right pads and chemicals and you can safely and effectively remove them. Then lean how to properly wash and dry the car, and how to properly apply and remove wax, and you'll avoid putting fresh ones in the paint later on.

meguiarsonline.com (my day job), autogeek.net, truthindetailing.com are good sources of information. autopia.org is sort of a detailing insane asylum where egos run rampant and if you're new and ask a question that's already been asked, they'll chew you up and spit you out. If you're new to detailing, that place will just confuse you more.

Here's the url to get to this site if you are interested. My take is that a very soft cotton will probably be okay, but I think a new microfiber has less aggressive fibers. After they are used and washed, they seem to lose that softness.

http://www.crossfireforum.org/forum/...s-removal.html

 

My thoughts are on the same lines of the above post. I have training tapes and on & on in this field I have used mostly Mequires stuff.

I first recommend a clay bar off the car So, those grungy stuff is one less factor in getting scratches out..... depending on the scratches themselves will dictate what will be used next... electric buffer / cutting liquid The best method continues to go with experience the good and bad......

I will check out the Show-n-Shine websites mentioned.....



this is a 2002 TT original paint.....



have a good one.....

 

great video thank you for posting.

 

Lots of good info here. The only thing I can add is Stoner Glass Wipes, best around.

 

I'm in absolute agreement here. I love P21S. Used it on my black 300ZX and it looked like black chrome. You can get a smaller container of it, called S100, from Harley-Davidson shops. Basically the same stuff, just a smaller can intended for bikes. Awesome finish on the car with it.

 

3M Venture shield or expel paint protection film.

No pits, chips, or scratches EVER , and minimal door dings.

I prefer 3M, but Expel has a better warranty.

Wash your car with whatever you like, then spray and wipe with detailing spray. Wax at least twice a year.

Keeping a quick clean off routine of bird crap is the only extra step you will ever have to take.

 

im an auto detailer and work for the state of ohio auto auction, and i buff cars everyday and on the side when im not working and the only products i personally stand by is Meguiars. From my buffer itself, to the pads,to compounds,waxes,polishes,trim detailer,swirl/scratch remover,tar/bug remover......i have an arsenal and its all Meguiars. Awesome products,good priced,amazing results everytime. worth the investment