Audi wheel wells

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Tinwhiskers

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Hi gang,

I own a 2012 Audi A7 and 2011 Audi Q5. Both of them have some sort of fabric in their wheel wells. I'm pretty sure it's for sound proofing but it collects a lot of dirt. I can clean them out well but they still have a dirty look to them.....not nice and black.

I was thinking about diluting Optimum tire gloss and spraying it on them but I don't know how that will work. Anyone have any good tips on how to make Audi wheel wells look nice?
 
What are you using to clean the wells? I use APC and a variety of brushes and the fabric on my highlander comes out nice.
 


I would imagine that the tire gloss would add to the dirt buildup.

With out pulling the wheels or jacking up for better clearance, there's not much that you can do other than pressure wash or air compressor/attachments to thoroughly clean.

If you go the tire gloss route, please post your results and thoughts thereof. I have a customer (above pic) that might benefit.
Thanks.

 
I would think that a fabric protectant like 303 would work but don't know how long it would last. I would not try the tire gloss, it would most likely attract more dirt.
 
Vegas Transplant said:


I would imagine that the tire gloss would add to the dirt buildup.

With out pulling the wheels or jacking up for better clearance, there's not much that you can do other than pressure wash or air compressor/attachments to thoroughly clean.

If you go the tire gloss route, please post your results and thoughts thereof. I have a customer (above pic) that might benefit.
Thanks.

Click to expand...


Holy Crap! Did your customer run over a hay wagon? I now feel much much better about my wells.

I used amazing roll-off on the wheel wells last night and scrubbed them as best I could. Then pressure washed them with dawn dish soap.....I'm currently on stage three of a three stage polish hence the dawn last night.

I think I might try the Optibond. What could possibly go wrong?I'll let everyone know how the results turn out.
 
inyadreems said:
I would think that a fabric protectant like 303 would work but don't know how long it would last. I would not try the tire gloss, it would most likely attract more dirt.
Click to expand...

303 sounds even better. I'll give that a whirl. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
Tinwhiskers said:
Holy Crap! Did your customer run over a hay wagon? I now feel much much better about my wells.
Click to expand...

Major storm rolled thru here...much debris (especially leaves) on the roadway.

Pic of wind damaged tree in customer's yard here.

This lady is not anal about her wheel wells. She did however request a wet OTC tire shine.
 
I took my wheels off and while the wells were dry I brushed them and got most of the gunk off. Went forward to cleaning them with an APC and stiff brush. The next day I sprayed High Tech Fabric Guard in them and so far they have stayed fairly clean. Not perfect though.
 
rider9195 said:
I took my wheels off and while the wells were dry I brushed them and got most of the gunk off. Went forward to cleaning them with an APC and stiff brush. The next day I sprayed High Tech Fabric Guard in them and so far they have stayed fairly clean. Not perfect though.
Click to expand...

Next time you take the wheels off, try Permanon. It is great for this purpose.
 
Yea, I have these on my 2011 Charger. I hate the stuff. It's never quite 100% clean. I use a stiff wheel well brush and usually use the bucket of soapy water left over from washing the car to scrub the fabric. I've tried amazing roll off, fabric cleaner, etc and nothing really gets it clean other than scrubbing the heck out of it.

I've also had good luck with spraying a microfiber applicator (one of the rectangular ones,) with Griots Garage undercarriage dressing and scrubbing by hand (where I can reach). That helps to get it cleaned up by scrubbing off some of the imbedded dirt/grass and it darkens the fabric and plastic as well, making everything look a bit better. Cleaning it often helps too - don't let it get too dirty or it really becomes a pain in the a@@ to clean up.

Here's the brush I use: Mothers Fender Well Brush cleans wheel wells beneath the car's fenders. Fender Well Brush has a long handle to scrub behind wheels and tires.

Griots undercarriage spray: Griot's Garage Undercarriage Spray, Griots Garage Undercarriage Detailer, Underbody spray

Applicator: Microfiber Applicator Pads spread car care products evenly & neatly. Microfiber is nonabrasive and safe on clear coat finishes.
 
We (me and my wife) have owned several VW Group cars and I never had any issues cleaning these kind of wells.
My method: when I clean the wheels and wheel wells I use (among other accessories) a dedicated microfiber rasta-type mitt and I scrub the fabric with the auto shampoo I'm using. If that isn't enough, I spray some APC and agitate with a stiff brush (this is the important element: a STIFF brush).

Robert8194 said:
Next time you take the wheels off, try Permanon. It is great for this purpose.
Click to expand...

May I ask which one?

rider9195 said:
I took my wheels off and while the wells were dry I brushed them and got most of the gunk off. Went forward to cleaning them with an APC and stiff brush. The next day I sprayed High Tech Fabric Guard in them and so far they have stayed fairly clean. Not perfect though.
Click to expand...

Isn't the durability of HTFG poor in conditions such as the ones encountered in the wells?
 
For my A5, I use Clorox Clean-Up, which has some bleach in it. I spray the wheel well. Soak it really good. Then I use either a microfiber or small brush that reaches inside. I then rinse with water and the wells are clean. For front tires, I turn them, so it is easier to get to. Rear tire have enough room for my hand or small brush.
 
Power washer and I use Zep Citrus APC and a stiff, long handled brush. The APC will foam up and you need to rinse a lot. The other thing I have found is that you need to blast the power washer right next to the debris to get it to un-lodge from that material. Here's an A7 I did earlier this summer. I actually got it back this past weekend for both cement and road paint removal. That write up will be forthcoming in the next day or 2. I used DP tire gel sprayed with an air gun to the tires and wells this time and it looked great.

2012 Audi A7
 
richy said:
Power washer and I use Zep Citrus APC and a stiff, long handled brush. The APC will foam up and you need to rinse a lot. The other thing I have found is that you need to blast the power washer right next to the debris to get it to un-lodge from that material. Here's an A7 I did earlier this summer. I actually got it back this past weekend for both cement and road paint removal. That write up will be forthcoming in the next day or 2. I used DP tire gel sprayed with an air gun to the tires and wells this time and it looked great.

2012 Audi A7
Click to expand...

I have this in the rear wheels of my Infiniti and I use a pressure washer toget out most of it 95%
 
ive got a 2011 s4 on coilovers, so I just spray them out with a pressure washer and be done with it. I found that spray tire dressings makes it nasty and you will pay on your next wash for using it.

I like what i read in the thread posted by richy with the A7. I'm gonna try 303 fabric guard actually nextime I have the car on a lift.
 
I did a maint. wash on the Audi today, once again passing on the dressing option.
Just can't wrap my thoughts around the probable 'dirt magnet'.
 
JSFM35x said:
I have this in the rear wheels of my Infiniti and I use a pressure washer toget out most of it 95%
Click to expand...
I have an Infiniti as well. I just pressure wash the heck out of the rear wheel wells after soaking them with some Megs Safe D-Greaser. It's the only thing I've seen that's gets them remotely clean.
 
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