Audi A6 winter Prep

[Audios S6]

With temps holding in the 40s here in MN and snow a couple days away, it was time to get the A6 prepped for winter. Plus trying out some new goodies and refining some of my technique.

Process:
Wheels got OPC followed by Iron-X
Tires got Megs Super Degreaser and dressed with CG silk shine
Wheel wells got OPC and dressed with Maxima SC-1
Foamed with MTM, 2oz. CG CW+G and 3oz Carbrite Bluemax, filled with hot water
2BM with CG CW+G
Lower Panels treated with Ardex It's OK degreaser
Iron-X Decon
DeTar the rockers with Tarminator
Clayed with Speedy prep (fine) and PB spray & wipe
Menzerna Final Finish w/ LC black CCS on GG6 speed 6
Grilles dressed with maxima SC-1, remainder of trim has Gtechniq C4, 7 months going strong.
BFWD as LSP
Windows cleaned inside and out with Car-Pro fast glass towel


OPC starting to work at the german brake dust.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3746
Iron-X doing it's thing. The wheels have been opti-coated and are cleaned every week or so, Iron-X wasn't picking up very much, but looks like I need to do a better job weekly on the centercaps.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3748
Foam Party. I have a few other snow foams: CG Honeydew, Ultimate Snow Foam, Avalanche, BH Surfex HD, couple other CG soaps. After looking at a lot of the true snow foams I'm finding that they are essentially a high foaming APC, but most require a much lower dilution ratio and are not as cost effective as using CW+G with an APC: this is my new go-to combo and it foams like crazy.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3749
A little trick I'm using now: When I'm done washing wheels I repurpose the wheel bucket: I dump the water, clean it out and place a kitchen garbage bag it in, now I can throw all my towels in here and bring it right to the washing machine when done.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3750
Picture while claying, not much on here. I've been religious about waterless and rinseless washes - doing them several time per week this summer. I think this has had a huge effect on the lack of claying required and that Iron-x had only a couple spots that reacted, all on the lower panels. I also tried out many of the towels I've picked up this year. Using the PB spray and wipe, I found my favorite towels for wiping up after clay was the CG monster towels (blue and black border). The cobra supreme 530 (gray) was also very good. The griots waterless wash towel was the poorest performer for this task. The mothers towel that comes with their clay bar was alright, but saturated too quickly. The AG buff & polish towel was also mediocre at the task, it was just too much to manhandle on vertical panels.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3751
Claying done. The paint is in pretty good shape already, Just a mild polish to remove any light marring and all the LSPs added this year.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3753
Boot lid polished
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3754
Door polished with a couple deeper scratches remaining (around the halogen). I try not to chase after a couple scratches here and there knowing that they will get worked out in subsequent correction sessions.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3755
Another little trick. This is a bore mop. Can be purchased at any firearms retailer. They come as cotton or wool and fit nicely in grille work. Some lint worse than others. This one isn't too bad, I forget what brand it was.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3756
All done, 267K on the odometer. Just a couple finished shots.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3759
Roof
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3760
Hood
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3747
Sides
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3761
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3762
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=667&pictureid=3763
I put the fast glass towel through its paces for this detail as well; soaked it in water and rung out we very well. I was very methodical about wiping the glass, but found it didn't really take more time than trying to do it quickly with a 3 towel method and glass cleaner. I wiped with the fast glass towel and dried with a WW. One thing I really like about the fast glass is the material can really clean crevices and corners that a normal WW can only do a mediocre job on. The only thing I don't like is that you have to wash it with other MF, but not any MF that has polymer on it from QD, spray wax etc. That makes it difficult to build up enough non-polymer towels to make it worth doing a load; otherwise it will get washed alone.

Thanks for looking.

[Challynger]

Nice work! :dblthumb2:

[Pureshine]

Looks great nice job :)

[Dberube]

Your car is in fantastic shape!

[swanicyouth]

Awesome work !!!

What have you had to replace on that car with those miles??? Still running the original engine, trans, rack, injectors, etc???

[jankerson]

Very nice. :)

[07RS4]

Nice job...lotta miles and she still looks great.

[davey g-force]

Great work :xyxthumbs:

Man, that's some serious foaming action you've got happening there...

[wdmaccord]

Be interested to hear how the BFWD holds up for you over the winter. I use that for my summer LSP with BFCS on top. Trying out Coll 845 for this winter.

That car looks REALLY good for 267k miles. Are you the sole owner? paint has been well cared for!

[Audios S6]

Be interested to hear how the BFWD holds up for you over the winter. I use that for my summer LSP with BFCS on top. Trying out Coll 845 for this winter.

That car looks REALLY good for 267k miles. Are you the sole owner? paint has been well cared for!

One previous owner, I purchased at 75K. Dealer maintained (and DISO'd) until then.


Awesome work !!!

What have you had to replace on that car with those miles??? Still running the original engine, trans, rack, injectors, etc???

Still the original engine, trans, torque converter, differentials, half shafts & rack.

Due for its 3rd timing belt service (TB, water pump, thermostat, rollers, tensioners)
Top end seals have been done twice (valve cover, cam seals, cam adjuster seal, half moon seals)
control arms and inner-outer TREs have been done twice
Rear calipers have been rebuilt once
radiator replaced once
heater core supply and return lines replaced once (supply line cracked)
one injector replaced (electrical issue, injector & seals looked fine otherwise)
read drive shaft replaced once (due to integral linkage failure)
CV boots done several times
PCV recirculation replaced once
original shocks & springs currently due for replacement
I'm sure there are some other things I'm fogetting, but thats the major stuff.

[CDot]

Great work! I do the same thing with my wheel bucket:xyxthumbs:

[Audios S6]

Be interested to hear how the BFWD holds up for you over the winter.


I've been using BFWD as winter protection for 3 years now. I normally apply duragloss aquawax over it every 2 weeks. I still get beading when the spring detail comes around, so there is some protection (not sure if it's BFWD or aquawax)


Great work :xyxthumbs:

Man, that's some serious foaming action you've got happening there...

It's a first generation MTM and a 3000 psi 2.4 GPM gas pressure washer plus an inline water softener, CG CW+G should get the credit though. To get that same foam with my dedicated snow foams, I need 8-10 oz. of solution which is about $5 in product vs. ~$1.50 of CW+G and APC.


Nice job...lotta miles and she still looks great.


Very nice. :)


Your car is in fantastic shape!


Looks great nice job :)


Nice work! :dblthumb2:

Thank you all.


Great work! I do the same thing with my wheel bucket:xyxthumbs:

Thanks. I've been doing this for a while now. Not the best trick for pros, but for DIYers it's convenient and forces me to clean my wheel bucket that might otherwise be neglected.

[B53x11]

nice job. car looks great!

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Looks great.

[SON1C]

awesome writeup bob! What ratios are you using for citrus wash + gloss + apc and what apc? also you really nailed it on avalanche being a high foaming apc