Newbie Confused!

[a5_stang]

Hey guys! My name is Eric and I'm new to the forum. I'm on here because I'm confused as far as certain aspects in detailing my car. I recently purchased an 2011 Audi A5 S Line. The color is monza silver with black interior. I'm really careful with my car and cautious about what products to use. I've heard a lot of good feedback on meguiar's products. I took the RX plus product recommendation questionnaire and this is what it gave me based on my needs.

Gold Class™ Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner
Microfiber Wash Mitt
Gold Class™ Liquid Wax
Even-Coat™ Applicator Pad
Supreme Shine® Microfiber
Ultimate Quik Detailer®
Gold Class™ Trim Detailer™
Hot Rims® Chrome Polish
Gold Class™ Rich Leather Wipes
Natural Shine Vinyl & Rubber Protectant
Quik Out™ Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner
Car Odor Eliminator
PlastX™ Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish
Supreme Shine Microfiber Towel
Quik Interior Detailer™
Hot Rims® All Wheel Cleaner
Quik Wheel Detailer™ Mist & Wipe
Hot Shine™ High Gloss Tire Coating
Hot Shine™ High Gloss Tire Spray (Trigger)
Hot Shine™ High Gloss Tire Gel
NXT GenerationTM Glass Cleaner
Hot Rims® Mag & Aluminum Polish

Would you all agree with this? What are your thoughts on waxing already? I was reading about the ziano product and people waxing new cars. Should I wax mine this early? I've also read about only using 100% white cotton towels for washing and drying. Do you agree or would you use something else? Thanks guys for any information that you may have that will help me keep my car looking good!

[macmaster]

Re: Newbie Confused!

I would clay your new car first (after wash) and clay no more than once a year after that.

I would wax your new car (after clay) and only wax when water stops beading off of your car. You'll be able to tell when your washing your car. It likely won't have to be everytime you wash your car. Maybe 2-4 times a year.

In between these main waxes you can use a spray wax like Megs Ultimate Quik Wax or detailer to keep up the condition.

Cotton towels? No way. Microfiber and microfiber only. I recommend a large waffle weave mf towel for drying and multiple mf towels for waxing/detailing.

Any soap will work well. I like Megs Gold Class. They're all about the same though. Save your money for the waxes and detailers.

[macmaster]

Re: Newbie Confused!

Also, you should wax this early because that'll make your car easier to clean and maintain in the future. Claying early helps too, for the same reason. But be sure to watch a lot of tutorials so you know what you're doing. Keep in mind claying and waxing takes time and patience. Give yourself plenty of time and understand it's not exactly easy. To the untrained eye, the results will not outweigh the time and effort. The satisfaction is yours alone.

That list you gave is kind of baloney. If you really bought and used all those products it would take you days to detailer your car, as a newb. All you need is the Gold Class Soap, a microfiber mitt, a waffle weave drying towel, NXT 2.0 wax, 3-6 microfiber towels, ultimate quik detailer and clay bar. Maybe some quik wax and interior detailer later on, but not right away for the first detail. You definitely don't need so many different rim/tire cleaners.

I'd avoid anything like a polisher or abrasive compound, as your car is new and probably doesn't need a harsh treatment.

[Murr1525]

Re: Newbie Confused!

I would start off with:

1. Wash - Gold Class soap, etc, 2 buckets ,Grit Guards, quality MF towels ,sponges.
2. Clay - Smooth Surface Clay Kit
3. ColorX
4. Wax - Nxt 2.0, etc

And then things like Nxt Glass Cleaner, All Purpose Cleaner, All Wheel Cleaner, brushes, tire shine, etc may be needed.

The interior is of course a bit more up to you. I like to have Quick Interior Detailer, and then either the Supreme or Natural Shine dressings. And then the glass cleaner, APC would carry over...

[a5_stang]

Re: Newbie Confused!

Thanks guys for the info! Yeah, that product list I gave is long, but that's what the meguiar's website gave me.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Newbie Confused!

The A5 is a gorgeous car, congrats on the new ride - and welcome to MOL!

If you haven't yet read through the 5 Step Paint Care Cycle we highly recommend that you do. That will not tell you how to use the various products but also how to evaluate the finish and determine what you need to do now, and what you may not need to do.

Odds are, however, that you'll want to clay the car now since it's been exposed without protection for a while. Various types of industrial fall out will bond to the paint, especially without any protection on the surface. Wash, dry, clay. Get that done then critically evaluate the paint in direct sunlight, looking for any fine swirl marks, etc in the paint. These can be hard to see in silver paint, which is sort of a blessing really!

From there, what products you need to use will be determined in part by how far you really want to go with the paint. How much time are you willing to invest? ColorX can often be sufficient for keeping a daily driver looking great with regular use. But if you're chasing the best possible shine out of the finish, a multi step process is usually best. Ultimate Compound (only if needed) followed by Ultimate Polish and then Ultimate Wax will not only correct those fine defects but also bring out a high degree of clarity to the paint, make the metallic flake really pop, and provide clear, crisp reflections.

How often you then need to repeat the process is totally dependent on exposure. Claying should be done on an as needed basis - every time you wash and dry the car run your hand over the clear surface. If it starts to feel a bit rough, clay it. If not, don't bother. Waxing should be done every 3 to 4 months, unless you're getting a lot of heavy rain or other severe weather conditions.