Want to bring your premium car back to showroom shine?
We all know that owning and maintaining a premium car in Bangalore is no simple task. The next time you’re sitting in your car in a traffic jam just think about all the elements the exterior surface of your car is exposed to — ever changing weather conditions;it’s cold sometimes, or it’s scorching hot and then sometimes there’s rain. There’s a whirlwind of dust and sand on almost every road. Then there’s the dirt kicked up and thrown onto your car from the other cars on the road or simply by splashing through a pothole. We may not realize it immediately but all of this can adversely affect our car’s paint. This is precisely why there are a few of us who want to ensure that our cars get the best kinds of paint protection.
One such customer decided to get a ceramic coating done for his Audi A6 and here’s a step by step account on what was carried out on his car. He opted for a 2 layer Ceramic Coating treatment at one of our partner’s detailing studio — Ultimate Detailerz.
Step 1 : Water wash and hard water stain removal
The car is completely washed with water. Then the team of expert detailers set about inspecting the vehicle. It’s noted that the vehicle has hard water stains in nooks and crannies as well as accumulated dirt in hard to reach areas, which require special attention to remove. The team sets about removing these stain marks with the help of a special solution and a series of brushes and microfiber cloths.
Special attention is given to the plastic trim(s) of the A6 in order to restore it to as much as shine as possible. The main problem with black color plastic trims on vehicles is that once it is exposed to sunlight it tends to fade. Also, after a water wash, these trims retain some amount of water and if they’re not dried properly and then exposed to sunlight, this water tends to leave behind traces of chemical deposits, therein leaving a slight white tinge on the trim(s). Because of these reasons, it’s almost impossible to restore it to its original condition. Polishes may work but only for a limited period of time after which they wear off.
Spaces like the edges along the sunroof opening are also known to accumulate dirt and grime over time and these spaces are also cleaned as part of the wash.
Logos and badges are all cleaned to get rid of hard water stains and deposits.
Step 2 : Deep cleaning of alloy wheels
Parallel to step 1, the wheels are first sprayed with soap solution to loosen the dirt. Once the dirt is loosened up, it is agitated with the help of a brush and then washed away with water after which another cleaning solution is sprayed onto the wheels to retain shine. The insides of wheel nut housings and monograms are cleaned which goes to show the the kind of attention to detail in this process.
Step 3 : Engine Bay Degreasing
The engine bay of the car is sprayed with a high pressure water gun. This practice is generally frowned upon because exposing the engine bay to water spray essentially means the electrical components like sensors and wirings inside the engine bay will be prone to shortage and malfunction. To ensure no water accumulates in any part of the engine bay, blow driers are used to dry out the nooks and crannies within the bay.
Before the engine bay is dried out, a soap solution is used to get rid of any kind of stubborn dirt and grease that may have accumulated in the bay. This is carried out as a preparatory step for the engine bay detailing.
Step 4 : Foam Wash
After the preliminary round of washing and cleaning is completed, the car is then sprayed with foam. The foam loosens up the dirt and is an added measure to cleanse the paint and remove any kind of contaminants or tar stains. After the car is completely soaked with foam, special microfiber mitts are used to wipe down the car. The team then sprays pressurized water to wash away the foam and whatever dirt it has managed to accumulate.
Step 5 : Iron Decontamination Wash
While driving in the city, pollutants in the air tend to undergo chemical reactions in the heat. These reactions also take place on the surface of the paint thereby causing iron compounds to deposit on the paint of the car. Thankfully, the team have a great solution to treat such a problem by means of the IronX decontaminating solution
This solution is sprayed on to the body of the car and a sponge is used to ensure it is reaches all portions of the painted surface. After around 10 minutes, one can notice formation of violet/purple-ish stain marks on the surface of the paint. This is the result of the reaction of the IronX solution with the chemical contaminants on the paint and the purple-ish color is the indicator. The car is then washed using a high pressure water spray gun and dried with a special microfiber cloth.
The same process is carried out on the alloy wheels as well.
It should also be noted that once this step is complete, the surface of the paint becomes more water repellant as can be viewed in the video below.
Step 6 : Claying
The car is then sprayed with a cleaning solution and then the team sets about using a clay bar to remove the maximum dirt possible from the surface of the paint. Claying is a step in the process that removes surface impurities and contaminants which are otherwise invisible to the naked eye.
As one technician completes the claying on one panel, his partner follows suite and wipes the panel dry. Door edges, bootlid edges along with fuel tank cap edges are also cleaned and dried.
A clay bar is used to carry out the claying process, as shown in the video below
Step 7 : Compounding
Now that the car is considerably cleaner and the surface is void as much as possible of all impurities, it is driven into the next bay where the process of compounding will be carried out.
A rotary polisher, a machine which is fitted with a flash pad , is used to apply polish to cars with more speed and efficiency. The rotary motion of the flashpad ensures that the chemicals in the polish blends into the paint. The chrome trims of the car are masked in order to prevent it from being scratched by the rotary polisher.
Most of us don’t seem to realise that with the constant practice of water washes and our ignorance in choosing the right cloth to dry our car, every time we wipe our car after a wash we risk creating swirl marks. Swirl marks are the tiniest of scratches that form on the body of the car due to light friction between the cloth and the paint. It’s almost circular in shape and can be viewed more easily under direct sunlight or torchlight.
Compounding is the solution to removing swirl marks and involves a 4 layer procedure to ensure that the maximum swirl marks are removed from the surface of the paint, meaning each panel is polished 4 times with the rotary polisher and compounding solution to ensure desired results. The technician checks his progress with the help of a flashlight which he shines on the paint in order to discern whether the swirl marks have been removed or if more effort is required.
Compounding solution is also applied to the windshield with the help of a rotary polisher and a relatively softer flashpad.
Removing swirl marks from the paint’s surface also makes it more reflective which means more shiny !
Step 8 : Alloy Wheel Compounding and Polishing
The alloy wheels are cleaned again and then a compounding solution is applied to its surface. After its left to cure for a while, the wheels are buffed and polished to give it that extra shine.
The tyre walls are scrubbed clean and polished to make it shine.
Step 9 : Engine Bay Detailing
Special chemicals are used inside the engine bay to rid the metal parts of stubborn dirt and special solutions are applied to the plastic components to give it shine.
Step 10 : Finishing
Finishing is the process of applying one final coat of polish to the surface of the car with the help of a rotary polisher and a soft flash pad. This is done in order to give the vehicle the ultimate smooth finish so that the ceramic coating can be applied without there being any surface imperfections in the paint.
Simultaneously, the interiors are wiped down and the boot space and cabin is vacuum cleaned. Door edges and running boards are given a last touch of compounding to make the surface of the paint nice and smooth.
Grills, Rubber trims on the rear bumper and bonnet cowl (which houses the wiper blades) are cleaned with special solutions so that it shines. Fog light housings, sunroof glass etc are all cleaned with utmost care and attention to detail. Chrome lining that runs along the edges of the door windows is polished.
Plastic trims get one final coat of polish as well. The front windscreen and sunroof glass also get coated with a layer of Glass Polish and Cleaner.
Step 11 : Ceramic coating
This is the final step in the process which will provide this Audi A6 with that lasting shine. The product applied here is the CQuartz Finest. This needs to be applied gently to the entire body of the car with the help of an applicator. After 20 minutes, the car is buffed and wiped down with the help of a special microfiber cloth. The process is repeated again after another 20 minutes. The dashboard also gets a coat of CQuartz Delux. This coating is also applied to the headlights and tail lights.
The coating is basically a polymer which binds the paint or forms a sealant over it thereby enhancing its shine and its longevity. It is the best kind of paint treatment that you can buy.
The final results as shown below.
The benefits of opting for such a package are as follows –
- Cleaning solutions specific to each part of the car is used to ensure expected results.
- The attention to detail is enormous; the team spends time on each part of the car until the desired result is achieved.
- The package comes with a 2 year minimum warranty as well as routine checkups for gauging the life and longevity of the coating. The better you maintain your paint as per their expert advice, the longer your coating will last.
- Removes all stubborn dirt and restores life to your paint, making it healthier which is sure to make you smile when you see it shine.
Originally published at www.cartisan.in on March 20, 2017.
