Audi metal trim repair/polish

[mavin]

Hi all,

I am gathering supplies for my first full auto detail. My metal trim is in rough shape. The trim on the drivers side door is separating some from the car. I think this was due to the severe winter, with water getting under the trim, freezing and expanding. I can push down on the trim and it sits back into place, but rises back up out. Can I glue this down somehow?

http://i.imgur.com/eajGRLa.jpg

My second question, is how to do polish/buff out scratches in the trim? It is a 2008 Audi A4. Is it metal or colored plastic?

http://i.imgur.com/lkdGnuw.jpg

Thanks!

[mavin]

any thoughts? thanks!

[VroomVroom]

(Recalling my '08 A4 Avant.....)

I want to say that trim piece is held in place by clips. You can certainly apply some adhesive, but it might be worth a closer peek to see if there is a more elegant solution. A trip to your dealer's parts counter should help - they can offer an exploded view, which will include the appropriate part numbers for the clip(s). Or....one of my favorite sites:

genuinevwaudiparts.com (http://www.genuineaudiparts.com)

This is actually Audi of San Diego's site, and it's terrific - all the catalogs and views you'll need, although it may take some prodding to find what you're after. Their support is terrific, though - you can email or call with your VIN, and they'll get you squared away.

In terms of polishing that trim....my opinion from your second pic is that those scratches aren't coming out. I generally use a chemical polish for this type of stuff - my favorites are Optimum Metal Polish, Poorboys Pro Polish, and Clearkote Metal Polish - but that's really more for removing crud and oxidation. Sometimes you can correct out very light scratches, but in this case I wouldn't be optimistic.

Good luck....I hope this helped a bit.

[Ryry11]

I just polished some trim like that on one of my personal cars, and although it's not an Audi, it was real metal, not some plated plastic piece. Chances are that that's metal and needs a metal polish. Pick up a quality metal polish and put some on a rag and rub it on the trim. You should get a black residue on the rag, and that indicates that it's a polishable metal.
The trim I polished had a ton of marring on it, and like you I was hoping to correct the scratching. Unfortunately, all the metal polish will mainly do is clean it up, by that I mean remove oxidation and get is sparkling again. I was bummed at being unable to remove the scratches. I'd love to know if anyone has has any products/input on trim like this and if it can be corrected in some way.

[mavin]

Thanks for the replies. Based on your clip comment, I actually just went and pushed really hard down back on the trim and it is now securely tight down back on the window, thanks!

Still would love any encouraging reports on buffing out those scratches, they really catch the light :(

[mavin]

bump for any metal trim scratch thoughts, thanks!

[mavin]

I assume this would polish it up, but not help with the scratches?

Chemical Guys Metal Shine, Polish & Protectant 16 oz. (http://www.autogeek.net/chemical-guys-metal-shine-polish-protectant.html)

[rms64]

Check out this review I did for P21S polishing soap - had pretty much the exact same problem on my BMW. This will clean up the trim but the scratches do look a bit deep - might be worth a shot!

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/61620-p21s-polishing-soap-mini-review.html

[mavin]

Thanks, I think I will give that a try!