Little advice...

[physerv24]

My project: My wife's 2005 Audi A4 Cabriolet

Polisher: Meguiars Dual Action

Products: Meguiars 105/205, Pinnacle Ultra Poly-Clay, Pinnacle Natural Brilliance Clay Lubricant, Menzerna SF 4500 and Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant

The car is black and has neglected paint with swirls and fine scratches "all over". I've read that Audi paint is notoriously hard so I was wondering if the above polisher and products can produce some effective results. I've never used a rotary and am more comfortable with the DA as less likely to damage paint for newbie. Should I start with the 205 to see how much it improves the appearance before trying the 105? My pads are all Meguiars - the burgandy cutting pad, yellow polishing and black finishing.

Thanks for the help.

[mjlinane]

I would recommend getting some more Megs pads, specifically their Cutting MF pads. You should be able to correct most (correctible) defects with a DA with those and M105.

Deeper the defect, the smaller the working area and the slower the arm movements.

[Mike Phillips]

I've read that Audi paint is notoriously hard so I was wondering if the above polisher and products can produce some effective results.



Yes. M105 with a microfiber pad, Surbuf pad or even a foam cutting pad will work to remove the majority of swirls and scratches. The deeper swirls and scratches will remain but these are called RIDS or Random, Isolated Deeper Scratches and you're normally better off to learn to live with them if the car is a daily driver.





Should I start with the 205 to see how much it improves the appearance before trying the 105?


If you're new to machine polishing with a DA then "yes" try the M205 for a "reference point" in your experience.

Then try the M105 and you will now have a good feel for what both products can do, this is a good idea for anyone new to using a DA. My experience is "most" Audi's I've worked on have very hard paint but check out my article here to show that you can't always go by what you hear or read on a forum.


Audi Soft Paint - Making Generalizations about Hardness and Softness (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/31888-audi-soft-paint-making-generalizations-about-hardness-softness.html)

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2BlueAudiSenstivePaint02.jpg


(Man... I have an article for darn near everything now days... :laughing: )




My pads are all Meguiars - the burgundy cutting pad, yellow polishing and black finishing.

Thanks for the help.

Meguiar's doesn't recommend using their maroon foam cutting pad with a DA I know because when I worked for Meguiar's I wrote the warning.

That said, when I wrote the warning I also wrote a caveat that says if you're going to use it with a DA to test it out on section first. The reason why is because the foam is so aggressive it can remove the defects but leave DA Haze or what's called micro-marring behind.

This is actually normal but it can freak-out some people if they don't have any experience. Meguiar's likes to keep things "Bubba Proof" for people, especially newbies so that's was the reason it was never officially recommended for use with the DA.


Fact is, even if ANY pad leaves micro-marring, if you're removing the deeper defects it's no big deal because you're going to come back and re-polish anyways with less aggressive pads and products and thus remove the micro-marring.

Newbies would freak-out and STOP and then call Customer Care and blame the problem on the products not understanding that's how clear coat paints and polishing procedures then to work.

So as long as you're educating yourself by posting to this forum and getting information like in my reply you're going to be okay...


:)

[Mike Phillips]

Take some time to watch these videos, there are lots of tips and techniques throughput them for using DA Polishers...


Video: How to remove shallow RIDS and how to machine apply both a paint sealant and a finishing wax (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-car-garage-how-videos/48365-video-how-remove-shallow-rids-how-machine-apply-both-paint-sealant-finishing-wax.html)


Video: How to buff tight areas plus concave and convex curved panels by machine (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-car-garage-how-videos/48368-video-how-buff-tight-areas-plus-concave-convex-curved-panels-machine.html)


Show Car Garage Video: How-To do a "Section Pass" when Machine Polishing with a DA Polisher (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-videos/24074-video-how-do-section-pass-when-machine-buffing.html)



:)

[physerv24]

Thanks, I'll order the MF cutting pads before I start. It is my wife's daily driver and has very high mileage, however I wanted this to be my "before and after" car because I'm considering investing in this as a business line as there doesn't seem to be much available in WV. I would look for someone with years of experience to run it and mine would be more of a mgt role, however I need to know myself that this does work and can be marketable in this economy.

[SON1C]

Why do people like mf pads over foam?

[physerv24]

Why do people like mf pads over foam?

Wondering the same thing. When I bought my Megs DA, Autogeek actually recommended the soft foam combo pack of burgundy (maroon) for cutting, yellow for polishing and black
for finishing yet Mike tells me not to use the burgundy pad for cutting as may be too aggressive. But again, that's why this forum exists, to help work out the kinks.