Brucea0@Centurylink.net

Having once owned (and loved) and 1993 S4, It's great to be back in the Audi community with a (much smaller) 2015 S4 but there's trouble in paradise. When we saw glacier white at a dealer my wife and I were blown away. The car sparkled like a diamond. We wound up ordering from a different dealer, however, and when the car was delivered we thought there was a problem. It was white all right but it didn't look anything like the one we saw previously--no sparkle at all. Looking at the documentation, though, it was indeed "glacier white."

Is there some trick, some wax or something, that will bring out the luster we saw previously? Is there variability in paint jobs from the factory? Inquiring minds want to know.

Thanks in advance for any light you can shine on this.

uberwgn

Bruce, welcome aboard !


We have a '15 Q5 in Glacier White Met. There must be some degree of variation in these paint jobs. I tend to agree that the metallic flake is typically far more noticeable on the older vehicles. It can be very difficult to see any metallic content on our vehicle unless the lighting is just right.

E92MPower

It could very well be that uberwgn is right and the paint may vary just enough and on White it's very noticeable. Personally, I've seen some Glacier White's look flat and others really popped.

Take it to the dealer and compare it next to another Glacier White. I'm sure it wouldn't be the first time a car was documented incorrectly.

However, It could simply be poor dealer prep. What does it look like under fluorescent lights? Is the paint swirled and marred? If so, that would effect the look of the paint and give it a flatter looking apperance.

Do you have the experience and tools to prep, polish and seal the paint? If not, I would take it to a professional detailer. Express your concerns and see what they can do.

uberwgn

When we first got our Q back in June, I kept looking and saying to myself that this cannot be metallic paint. I checked the PR code label and the window sticker. All confirmed that it was Glacier White Metallic. I think the size of the metallic flake must vary and it's simply more noticeable on some vehicles. It is noticeable on ours, but the lighting must be just right and you've got to be looking for it. The casual observer will never see it.

Park your car next to an Ibis White car and you'll see a subtle difference. I think it was far more obvious on older vehicles.

lilya

The extra money that is paid for metallic shades in Audi cars is too high for how much sparkle you get, I personally find Toyota, Mazda, Hunday and Nissan cars metallic colors much better with a lot more choices .

E92MPower

Now you guys are gonna make me count the flakes when the car gets delivered in the next couple of weeks. Either way, I still prefer the Glacier White over the Yellowish undertone of Ibis White.

jyges

My florett silver,clearly has loads of metallic flakes. There also my be variation from paint jobs from car to car, but considering how automated painting has become, there really should not be such variation. The light the car is seen under is critical.

DrGP

It is not unusual for car MFGs to change a paint color or composition and still call it the same name even in the same production years. It sucks, especially for you, if the paint you received on your car does not look like that on the other car. Unfortunately, you have no real recourse. All manufacturers reserve the right to make changes during the course of the year. A radical idea might be to take the car to a paint shop and have them put on a clear coat with metal flakes if it really means that much to you. A bettter idea would be to take it to a top notch detailer. Have them detail the paint, take out any orange peel and put a new luster on the paint. Audi dealers have a reputation for putting swirl marks on the paint during dealer prep. This will negatively effect the look of the paint. Also, I would want to find another Glacier car to compare your to. Also, Lighting(indoor and outdoor) has a HUGE effect on the perception of color.