My new (to me) 2010 Audi S4, Prestige! :) Come join me through this journey...

[Matador]

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to share some of the progress on my 2010 Audi S4. Recently bought it from a friend's family. It's pretty sweet! Wish I had taken more pics of the interior, but will have that maybe later in a couple of days.

For now, here's a pic of how she sits right now.

I love me a black car...

Super fast.

Anyway--so I am working on restoring it to it's full glory! The inside was super dirty. A lot of dog hair, stains all over, coffee spilled on the beautiful Alcántara seats and the carpet.

Got that out with the Sonax Alcántara cleaner which is amazing. Left it smelling real clean too.

The leather on the backside of the seats have these stains that I can't seem to get out. I tried all kinds of cleaners and even went heavy duty to see if it would even make a dent, I used a tough APC and it did NOTHING!

Any Idea what this could be??

As for the paint, I spent a couple of hours today for prepping the paint to hopefully get the swirls/scratches (most) out next week. I washed it with CG Citrus Wash, decon'd it with Car Pro TRIX (tar and iron remover), and then after that noticed I still had a bunch of tar that wasn't coming out behind the wheels. I used Car Pro Tar Remover, which did the trick! I thoght it was tar behind the back wheels, used the tar remover and even tarminator and it did nothing. I wonder if this is road paint or something? Have no idea what to do here either...

Well after getting the car all nicely cleaned up, I decided to do a test run to get game plan down for next week. I read a lot of how hard the paint is is on Audi's, so I tried the medium cut 2500 from Menzerna...didn't do ANYTHING. Took out the spiderwebbing...but a ton of scratches left.

So i jumped up to my FG400 and and the megs MF pads. Did an AWESOME job in the test spot. So that's what I am going to go wtih next week. This is the first time this woudl be done on this car as before the owner didn't do anything close but probably just waxing.

I also used it on the headlights which are all scratched up and a bit hazy. It did a good job...but not amazig like I've experienced wtih other cars. If anything, I am scared I did something to the headlight. It left a weird 'haze' which I am not sure if that was me or if it's inside the lens....

But to end my little start post on a good note, here's the exhaust tips of the car, that were ALLLL black when I got the car. The girlfriend is amazing. She saw the tips and said she wanted to give it a shot. I honestly find it super tedious and hate doing it. She went at it for almost 2 hours...and went from full black tips...to THIS!! Yes..she's a keeper. Last GF couldn't careless about detailing...

Anyway...that's all for now. Will have more pics up probably next week when I get close or encounter any issues haha.

Thanks for looking. Let me know if you can help with my 'issues' or want to say hello.

 

[acuRAS82]

Nice post, nice car. Not sure what the stains on the seat could be, sorry.

I’m dealing with some stuff behind my wheel wells right now that wouldn’t cone off my car before it’s last major detail. I don’t want to ruin the LSP now but next detail I will try Goo Gone or Goof Off as these totally got tar and sap off my wife’s car when other things couldn’t. Couldn’t hurt to try these behind your rear wheels, cheap and available locally.

 

[Sizzle Chest]

Congrats on the new Audi! Very cool car!

Spots behind the rear wheels almost look like it's been sandblasted by road debris/etc.

Can't help you with the leather stains, look like something dripped down them, maybe dog saliva? May have been a bit acidic and stained the leather...

Anyway, subscribed for more updates!

 

[fightnews]

Wow that first pic doesn't look like a 2010. More like 2018. The chips behind the wheel look like paint chips to be. Down to primer, That's what they look like when they are on my car. Good luck!

 

[Dan Tran]

Audi S4...my favorite! I can’t wait to see more.


High-End Paint Correction and Opti-Coat Ceramic Coatings * Portsmouth, NH

 

[JDGolden]

Nice car!

The leather stains looks like dog slobber, as mentioned.

Spot behind rear wheels looks like paint to me.

Those exhaust tips came out really well. Get used to cleaning those, Audi's always have the dirtiest exhaust.

 

[Matador]

Nice post, nice car. Not sure what the stains on the seat could be, sorry.

I’m dealing with some stuff behind my wheel wells right now that wouldn’t cone off my car before it’s last major detail. I don’t want to ruin the LSP now but next detail I will try Goo Gone or Goof Off as these totally got tar and sap off my wife’s car when other things couldn’t. Couldn’t hurt to try these behind your rear wheels, cheap and available locally.

Yea...not sure. I may even end up repainting the bumper. It's got other scratches and stuff.

Congrats on the new Audi! Very cool car!

Spots behind the rear wheels almost look like it's been sandblasted by road debris/etc.

Can't help you with the leather stains, look like something dripped down them, maybe dog saliva? May have been a bit acidic and stained the leather...

Anyway, subscribed for more updates!

Yea!! I thnk it is, actually. The owner had a dog, and now that you mention it...it probably is.

So does that mean I am kind of screwed on that?

Wow that first pic doesn't look like a 2010. More like 2018. The chips behind the wheel look like paint chips to be. Down to primer, That's what they look like when they are on my car. Good luck!

Thanks! Yea--another reason why I bought it. The car just doesn't look like a 2010!

Feeling the bumper though, it felt bumpy not so much 'in the paint'.

Nice car!

The leather stains looks like dog slobber, as mentioned.

Spot behind rear wheels looks like paint to me.

Those exhaust tips came out really well. Get used to cleaning those, Audi's always have the dirtiest exhaust.

Yep. I think that's it...

Is there any way to get the slobber out?

Oh man, not looking forward to keeping the tips clean.

 

[JDGolden]

Good question, I've been able to remove some of it with a soft brush and interior detailer, but it was pretty fresh. Try any leather specific products?

 

[Matador]

Good question, I've been able to remove some of it with a soft brush and interior detailer, but it was pretty fresh. Try any leather specific products?

I did a quick search and found someone suggesting to use magic eraser but to do it very softly cause it could eat through the coating.... :/

 

[SWETM]

Congrats to the S4!

I had I think the first S4 modell a 1992 with the 5-cylinder turbo engine. They used a rare front brakes on that first year modell called UFO brakes. Instead of the caliper sits on top of the brake disc the calipers on the UFO they sits on the inside of the brake disc. Or maybe easier explain the calipers grips from the inside. This made so you had a very larger diameter of the brake disc. But it had like cage for safety reasons if the brake pads where to get loose these would catch them. Or you could have them flying out through the fender LOL. Looked a little strange with the original coated aluminum rims and it looked like you had a steel rim inside of it. Or that you had a steel rim with a cover on it. But man where those great brakes. And I loved that slightly tuned 5-cyl turbo engine. Also an amazing car in the winters here in Sweden on snow roads. Studded winter tires and I got every where. The 4wd was incredible on these Audi S4 and that without any traction control on LOL. Misses that car even today.

The back bumper seems to be sandblasting from the tires with rock. If you are certain or feel to try out if it is road paint. 3M General Adhisive Remover and or a Graffiti Remover should work. Wet a mf towel with this solution on a small spot of the towel and hold it against where you have it as low down as possible for 3-4 minutes. Then gently wipe it inwards the spot center where you holded the mf towel on and scope it up. If it's working work in smaller sections and if it's smears switch to a fresh spot of the mf towel so it's able to pick it up. Even a plastic razor blade can be usefull when it's softened up by the cleaner to get the bulk of the paint off.

Fun times a head with the Audi S4!

/ Tony

 

[Matador]

Soooo....back at it again today.

Thought I had the paint figured out...but when I go through my passes with FG400...I then look close and see the spiderwebbing and most of the scratches out...but looks to be left with is it micro scratches?? They almost look like little wool hairs...but I am not sure as I've never seen this before.

I am pretty frustrated and don't know what to do.

I used a 'polish' thin white pad, I want to say it's autogeek's own?? With Menz 2500 after that...and see the same scratches!

Am I doing something wrong? Or is this how the black in Audi is supposed to look like? My GF thinks that's how it's supposed to be...but that doesn't feel right.

Super beat down right now and don't know what to do.

My last two options are Menz 4500 with a thicker softer polishing pad...

I also bought HD Speed to try that out one day on someone's car. Maybe that?? Out of ideas and feel defeated... HELP!!

 

[Matador]

Soooo... I just finished the car today and just went through wtih FG400. The paint is SOOOO hard. Had to do a lot more passes than I imagined from a test spot I did last week. And it did NOT finish LSP ready but that was half to be expected. May do it tomorrow... but it may rain. If I don't, will leave car in garage and finish next week.

With that said, I now have what looks to be holograms.

Right?? Or is that my eyes? I haven't had this happen before. What do I do from here? I have (as stated on the post earlier) Menz 2500, SF4500 and HD Speed. Can any of these help take out the damn holograms.

I've worked on BMW paint before on a friend's car, they have pretty hard paint...but this is ridiculous.


And also discovered this tiny bit of rust in the fenders....how bad is this? Will I need to repaint the whole fender? Or can it be saved?

 

[Every_detail]

Soooo... I just finished the car today and just went through wtih FG400. The paint is SOOOO hard. Had to do a lot more passes than I imagined from a test spot I did last week. And it did NOT finish LSP ready but that was half to be expected. May do it tomorrow... but it may rain. If I don't, will leave car in garage and finish next week.

With that said, I now have what looks to be holograms.

Right?? Or is that my eyes? I haven't had this happen before. What do I do from here? I have (as stated on the post earlier) Menz 2500, SF4500 and HD Speed. Can any of these help take out the damn holograms.

I've worked on BMW paint before on a friend's car, they have pretty hard paint...but this is ridiculous.


And also discovered this tiny bit of rust in the fenders....how bad is this? Will I need to repaint the whole fender? Or can it be saved?

I do a lot of audis and vws. Oberk and a MF pad make the paint almost last step ready.

You will need a heavy pad for cut and polish.

 

[Matador]

Thanks for the input.

Will be using this guy:

With Menz SF4500. Hoping that knocks that out.

 

[Matador]

Sooo...I tried to knock it out this past weekend. I gave her a wash...but when I brought her out in the light to do an inspection of the paint after FG400 and Megs MF pad from last week...the whole paint looked like this. I did a test portion on the door using the 4500 and a the white foam pad and it did nothing.

I am a newb...are these RIDS? Should the FG400 and MF pad not have taken these out? They're really bad on the hood, but they're all over the car.

The paint looks amazing 90% of the time, but when you hit it in direct sunlight you see this all over the car. It's not super noticeable... Pic below adjusted to show the scratches as best as I can. Paint looks awesome though (for most part).

Anyway, I said I had enough for now. Felt defeated haha. So I said it looks good for what I am looking for and will pick up probably in the spring. I am happy to where it is now compared to where it was. Looks a ton better...but these little scratches (spiderwebbing?) sucks when I see it in the right light.

I finished it off with Menz Powerlock for the winter and will probably just do waterless washes from this point forward. Getting cold around here.

Thoughts?

 

[Jayfro]

I had something very similar happen to me on an S4 a few months ago, it actually turned out to be the lint from the MF towels!

I would try wiping in a different direction to see if the scratches “move”, that’s how I figured it out!

The products I used was Pinnacle Compound and the matching polish.

Jay


Sent from my iPhone using AGOnline

 

[Jayfro]

My apologies, I was looking at the pics on my phone instead of my computer but see you have something else going on!!

As Gilda Radner from Saturday Night Live would say..."never mind"!

Jay

 

[grovlet]

Welcome to the S4 Family:righton:

I'm certianly no expert - but I absolutely find the Audi Paint to be hard on my 2012.

I find FG400 is a good option - but I also had luck with CarpPro Essence using Uro-Fibre Pads on PC7424XP

Here's the Trunk Lid on mine after Essense Polish with and UK3.0 - while not perfect it's scratch / RIDS free - I would call that 85%icture:

Seems like you're almost there - you could go after a little more with FG400 on a white pad or try an orange pad as well - then finish with a finer jeweling or finish pad and true polish?rops:

 

[PM5C]

Beautiful find! Classic sports coupe lines. You've made great progress on it since Day One.

 

[SWETM]

Don't know what happened with the post I tried to do a couple of days ago or if it's in another thread or something.

But as grovlet mentioned I would also try the HC400 on the white pad for the micro marring that is. As I think that the sf4500/SF3800 is just not aggressive enough on the hard Audi paint. Maybe the SF3500 is enough or the PF2500. But the HC400 has a finishing ability of 8/10 and that's not bad. If you try you may need to be jeweling polish step it with the sf4500 or if you get the SF3500 to do so or if you going with a coating Carpro Essence on a fine finishing pad is a great option to go with and you get a primer for the LSP of choice.

That's RIDS you see in the longer kind of scratches. The micro marring looks like small pigtails as it comes from the 2 circular motions of the DA polisher. HC400 is great but it's still a light to medium cut compound with a of 8/10 by Menzerna schart. If you want to get more aggressive they have Menzerna SHC300 with a cut of 10/10 and finish of 6/10. There you will need to be stepping up to the SF3500 at least to get the micro marring from it leveled down. I think that you would be satisfied with the Sonax Cutmax for compound with the higher cut than the HC400 and around the same as the SHC300. Maybe you need to be useing a more aggressive pad too. Lake Country Low Lint Lambswool pad is great on the DA polishers. The LC Foamed Wool Pad is a tad less aggressive.

Then you already done a pretty heavy cut compound. So maybe it's enough to just go over it one more time with the HC400 on the mf cutting pad. Some RIDS is just to deep to go after and the paint gets too thin. If you do a thorough panel prep wipe down so you get any compound residue out from the scratches that is left you may see an improvement as that usually shines up the scratches more with residue in them. Also if you see more of these RIDS on curves and edges and concave bodylines. Have a close eye on the mark on the backing plate as it's usually here you get the most stalling of the pad rotation.

/ Tony