AW #29529

My hood and trunk feels like sandpaper! They're not soft like the fenders and the doors! Anyone know what's up with this? There are parts of the hood where it's really soft, smoothe, and rich in color/texture! But then the rest of it is coarse/rough/rugged. If you look closely it's grainy white (even after a wash/wax--the original color is Ragusa Green Metallic). I was advised to use a clay bar which I'll probably end up trying but what's up with the white grains? There's also dried white spots in the paint that won't go out. I tried using Maguire's Clear Coat Body Scrub and it didn't really do much. Any ideas?

secondly, on the edge of the hood and trunk it's very dull and whiteish like it's faded away... can i restore this somehow?

Seattle Scott

Pictures? Maybe the clearcoat is shot? History?

HDClown

Could be a combination of things, so you need to try the usual methods.

First claybar the hood and bumper, maybe this will solve your sandpaper/white grit problems (hopefully!)

Next for the hard water spots, I think vinegar an water was recommended before.

If all else fails, you may want to take it to a professional.

RickM

The first thing you have to do is make sure you're actually looking at the paint, and not something sitting on top of the paint, like old acrylic or polymer protectant or (less likely) wax. Once you're sure you've removed everything that might be on top of the paint you can better assess the situation. Having said that....It's hard to say what the roughness could be without seeing it; the fact that it's not uniform across your hood and trunk, and instead is present in some areas on those surfaces and not others, would suggest to me that it's not simply an accumulation of contaminants that clay bar will remove. But clay bar is a relatively quick and easy process, so you may as well try it and see what happens. The "dried white spots" sound like hard water spots that should polish out, but the "grainy white" you're describing sounds like you may have clearcoat breaking down (just guessing). As for the edges where it's "very dull and whiteish", it might be oxidation that can removed with a good polish. Or it might be that you've had steady loss of paint on those edges and you're now seeing primer. I could be wrong about that; I'm just going on what you're describing. Have you used a high-speed machine buffer on this car in the past? Frequent trips to car washes? What have you used to protect the finish in the past? The edges can be the first to go if a high-speed buffer is incorrectly used, and clearcoat can get killed if frequently subjected to harsh detergents and/or scrubbing in car washes.

Are you the original owner? No offense intended if you are, but it sounds like this car's paint has been neglected for a long time. Then again, maybe all of the problems you're describing are attributable to a defective paint job. It happens, but from what little I know it doesn't happen too often with Audis.

I'd wash it with Dawn...clay the whole car...re-examine the surfaces...and if it's still as you've described, I'd try either a mild polish like P21S GEPC or One Grand Special Touch, or if something more aggressive seems needed, maybe 3M Finesse-It fine cut polish....do just a small area and then assess...and decide whether something even more aggressive might be needed...all you can do is experiment and see what works. Start with mild stuff and go more aggressive until you're seeing results. And bear in mind that if it is your clearcoat breaking down, none of this is going to do much good. So if you try a couple different things without seeing much improvement, you might want to visit a reliable body shop and get a professional opinion. Good luck!

Style12v

Industrial fallout, use a claybar

AW #29529

Thanks everybody! I'll try it. I'm not the first owner of this car. AFAIK, I'm the third! And the car came in the poopy shape that it's in now. How much does claybar/lubrication cost? Any recommended brands that I use? I've had the car since December but I was unfortunate enough to get into a car accident and so the car was out of commission for a while. I got it back recently and I've been pretty concerned with the overall quality of the look of the exterior. I had to replace the front bumper (not the bumper guard, the thing that goes around it) and so it's an off-colored green from the rest of the car (I had to take my car home early--it was at my cousin's body shop where he was doing it for me at a cheap price--because I needed it for work and school). If you were to look at the bumper guard and the rear bumper though, there are also deep grooves in it that looks like a complex veinous/capillary system! On top of that, there are also a lot of grooves and little chunks (not chips) missing. The chunks reveal a lot of white and can even be seen if standing a few feet away Can touch-up paint cure this?

HDClown

$10 for the Mothers kit from any auto parts store. Don't use the quick detailer as lubrication. Mix car wash soap and water and put it in a spray bottle.

If your overall unhappy with the exterior of the car, it may be worth spending $100-150 and having a professional give it the full treatment. They can do wonders.

RickM

I recently got 3 Mother's clay bars in a single package for $8.95 (clay only). Good deal, I think.