RobC

On the first weekend after I picked up my S6, I clay barred then waxed with a DA polisher, followed up with a hand application of carnauba wax. I wanted something that would last me through the winter and it was nice working with new paint. I present to you the ceiling of my garage :P

GoinAudiMyMind

Nice work. I can almost see myself in that hood

owdidave

Google Optimum Opti-Coat

tenspeed

Simoniz Glass Coat is another paint protectant.

Dealers sell it for $600-$800. I found it on eBay for a low of $40 and it's now selling for $60. YouTube has testimonials and application instructions.

AudiFreakS5

I had a phantom black S5 in which I made the mistake of taking it to the car wash during winter since I can't wash it outside in the snow…what do you know, I got those same scratches on the clear coat. Anyway, when spring came around, I did my own full detail on it with Zaino products and I highly recommend them. They have a detail kit that I bought that was ready to go called Zaino Total Protection Show Car Kit. I used all the products in that kit. Took about 7 hours.


http://www.zainostore.com/

mwar99

I had the same scratches on mine. I had a professional paint correction detailer work out the scratches last Monday. Please note that what most people consider detailing doesn't get rid of the scratches, they hide them. Paint correction removes the scratches and with proper treatment they will not come back. Not cheap - spent $900. If they are charging you $150 they are not fixing the scratches.

The clear coat is very hard on the Audi, meaning it takes a lot of effort to get these scratches out, but for some reason it does scratch real easy. He spent almost 2 hours buffing the scratches out of the hood. It looked great! The trunk took quite some time as well. Still some scratches under direct light, but outside I couldn't tell.

He tested the thickness of the clear coat before buffing so as to not take too much clear coat off in a thin area. The car looked great clean and as long as you perform a proper wash the scratches should stay away. The problem is where you live in a city environment and don't have the capability to wash it yourself. You need to find a good detailer

I had him use 22PLE sealant. It is new to the US (I believe sometime in the summer). This sealant puts a coating of a glass like substance on the car that is resistant to scratching and should last around 24 months. It isn't as "permanent" as the opti-coat, but works really well. It made the blue a little deeper and makes it look "wet".

This type of thing is certainly a "you get what you pay for" situation.

ericgl

Paint correction removes clear coat, and you only nave so much clear coat. It is important to minimize scratching by **** washing proceedure.

Foam gun to soften contaminates, rinse, 2 bucket method with grit traps, and pat dry.

snagitseven

I avoid car washes like the plague and wash the car myself using the 2 bucket/grit guard method, a high quality sheepskin mitt and dry with large, high quality, absorbent microfiber cloths using the drag method.

That said, if I absolutely am forced to use a car wash once in awhile in the northeast winter, I use a brushless wash or a do-it-your-self wash bay (wand only, no brush).

newmoon

I think you should get it professionally detailed. Not odd at all on a 3 week old car because dealers are notoriously bad at washing cars. I saw one guy using a broom once...

I don't trust the high volume car wash places to properly detail a car either. They are probably like this guy:

http://www.monkeysee.com/play/1571-c...iling-exterior

Also see comments on this forum: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...y-bentley.html

You can probably find a good detailer in the detailing section of Audi World, or those other forums like autogeek and autopia. Your car will probably need a wash, clay, machine polish then wax or sealant.

s5blitzer

+1 on the foam gun. Have been using it for 5 years on my '08 S5 and it minimizes unnecessary "sponge on grit on paintwork" washing. Let the foam sit on the paint to pull the dirt and grim away before using a high quality sponge. Use the best car wash shampoo you can buy. I personally have used Menzerna for the last 8 years.

In the Winter, I bring a bucket with a dose of concentrated shampoo and take it to the local car wash bay. Fill the bucket with water, use the power nozzle to wash down the car, then sponge down with the shampoo from the bucket.

Dry (in the COLD using gloves) with high quality microfiber towels. There are a lot of great online sites that sell different brands.