So I have a one month old A4, Silver, and I waxed it about 3 weeks ago with Mothers step 3 carnuba (sp?) liquid wax. The finish was totally awesome! Slick as ice. Now it is still smooth, but not as slick but the water still beads up well. I've been told that the wax will hold up about 3 months in my environment. I'm guessing that I should apply the step 2 polish monthly and wax every three or four months. Then use the step 1 twice a year. I really liked the finish after I waxed it. Perhaps I'm being anal about it. (my wife thinks so) Anyway is it the consensus that I polish between waxing or should I just wax it again?<br>Tommy<br>99.5 1.8TS-Tip Silver/Onyx<p>BTW: Doesn't the Mothers car wash soap smell good enough to eat?

The wax is still good if it's beading. You probably don't even need to polish a silver car more than once or twice a year. Polish has more impact on dark cars. You have to reapply wax after you polish so you can't just polish alone. The two step polish/wax process is alot of work. Wait until the car needs it, you can do more harm than good if you do too much. I know, I did. I have a brilliant black A4 with swirls.<p>Mark (98.4 2,8 QMS)

I believe polish has a mild abrasive in it. I don't think you want to use that on your car all the time. Waxing again will probably be just fine. If you want to keep in shiny all the time with minimal work I would suggest a Mequires Quickmist touch up or similar product. Once you have your car waxed, and say it gets a little dirty a week or two later, all you have to do is spray this on, and wipe off. Viola, good as new. Plus it has a sorta pleasant banana smell. Careful though if you use it too much your neighbors may have you commited. Good luck.

Meguiars makes three products you could try:<br>(These all apply in the form of a spray)<br>1. Clear Coat Paint Protectant<br>2. Mequiars Quik Wax<br>3. Meguiars Quik Detailer<br>

Hmmmmm….. <p>I would use Mother’s step one and two late fall (after the leaves are off the trees) and early spring. As for the wax, I might skip Mother’s. It is very easy to use, especially with an orbital buffer. I use one from Sears, I think it is a 9”. They are fairly cheap, but you will want to buy a total of 6 terry cloth applicators, and 2 of the lambs wool and a 15’ orange extension cord. The wool one’s, I am a little skeptical about, this is wool, and isn’t wool scratchy? They do seem to do a good job though for taking the wax off. I use the terry cloth applicators for steps 1,2,3 applying and taking off. Taking off, I would also use cloth baby diapers by hand.<p>For wax, I would use the One Grand Blitz Wax that you can get through the Internet or look for it local. It shines for a long time if used with a good car wash liquid. I am not a great fan of Carecare Online, for some of their suggestions were not great. Example, 3M Imperial Hand Glaze (something like Mother’s step one) does a decent job, but you absolutely need to follow it up with Mother’s step 2 or another product which adds oils back to the paint. In my opinion, 3M is just too harsh. Also CareCare online suggests Sonnax car wash. This product is too harsh as well.<p>The best car wash I have found is Zymol, it comes in a clear bottle, blue concentrate. It’s great and will help the wax last.<p>One last tip, use masking tape to tape off all black and non painted surfaces. Low tack masking tape if you can find it in an art supply store. This will save you the heartache of wax drying on plastic and speed up the process, for you can apply the wax with less concern. Try not to apply the tape on the paint job, just on the plastic. It sounds like a pain in the ass, but the car will look great and no sloppy spots.<p>-Pete<br>

I just tried the Meguiar's Final Inspection. Great stuff! Mother's also has one called Showtime, I believe. I had asked this same question of one of our sponsors Autofanatics.com and they recommended it. I also got their polishing cloths. This makes for a quick shine "tune-up" between waxes.

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Everyone agrees that synthetic oils are superior in all criteria to natural oils.<br>Why is there any question as to the superiority of synthetic polishes. The only reason not to use syntetic oil is the price because we are replacing it without seeing a true breakdown.<br>The new Polishes with teflon go on easier, do not streak, have UV protection (Not important on paint)and outlast any wax (Carnuba being the best but impossible to apply in concentrated forms) 3 or for times. Try putting a wax on one side window and a polish like Eagle one polish with teflon on the other. See which doesn't streak and which lasts longer.

Everyone agrees that synthetic oils are superior in all criteria to natural oils.<br>Why is there any question as to the superiority of synthetic polishes. The only reason not to use syntetic oil is the price because we are replacing it without seeing a true breakdown.<br>The new Polishes with teflon go on easier, do not streak, have UV protection (Not important on paint)and outlast any wax (Carnuba being the best but impossible to apply in concentrated forms) 3 or for times. Try putting a wax on one side window and a polish like Eagle one polish with teflon on the other. See which doesn't streak and which lasts longer.

I am waiting on my D status Avant, but in anticipation I ordered some Zaino Bros. Products. When it arrived I decided to give it a try on a handy 98 Chevy Malibu (I feel the flames) Absolutely Incredible, the depth and shine were like nothing I had seen before. When I e-mailed them with a question the response was quick and thorough. The black sidewall stuff is also wonderful, doesn't attract dirt and just the right shade of black (on the wonderful Firestone Affinity all seasons!!)

There is a lot of debate over the silicones found in most of the synthetic-based "waxes." Silicone*can*really screw up any attempt to repaint a car. Ask any body shop--a good one can get the silicone off of the paint, but not without lots of labor and a risk that the new paint will fisheye.<p>Teflon is BS. You simply cannot get PTFE molecules to stick to paint under normal wax application conditions. This has been documented by the makers of Teflon. Eagle One is cruising for an FTC investigation and/or fines if they keep up their hype.<p>There are plenty of good synthetic paint protectors on the market. If you are happy with what you use, stick with it. Just don't talk in absolutes unless you are willing and able to debunk all the arguments on the other side.

There is a lot of debate over the silicones found in most of the synthetic-based "waxes." Silicone*can*really screw up any attempt to repaint a car. Ask any body shop--a good one can get the silicone off of the paint, but not without lots of labor and a risk that the new paint will fisheye.<p>Teflon is BS. You simply cannot get PTFE molecules to stick to paint under normal wax application conditions. This has been documented by the makers of Teflon. Eagle One is cruising for an FTC investigation and/or fines if they keep up their hype.<p>There are plenty of good synthetic paint protectors on the market. If you are happy with what you use, stick with it. Just don't talk in absolutes unless you are willing and able to debunk all the arguments on the other side.

The painter's masking tape is a great idea. Never thought of that. I've always hated that dried wax on the non-painted surfaces.

Who is talking absolutes. Sand blasting at a body shop removes all. If its that hard to remove maybe it's better-- Must stick to paint great inspite of your suggestion. Maybe the lawsuit will have to include "Turtle Wax" brand polish with teflon and Starbright plish with teflon9only 3 I've used. Carnuba is natural and has to be mixed to be simpler to use --must be re-applied often --- try a test yourself on glass and see.That will be an ABSOLUTE.

My dog eats it every chance he gets. So according to him it's good stuff.But then again he has been known to eat other not so appetizing things every now and then.<p>The neighbors dog also likes it when the runoff reahes his house.

I'm not attacking you, I'm just saying that it is impossible to say whether synthetics or carnauba is better. Your original post asks why there is any question whether synthetics are the best. I pointed out some negatives about synthetics.<p>SILICONE sticks to paint very well, and again, ask anyone who has worked in a body shop how much of a headache it is to remove (and not every paint problem requires sandblasting). I once asked Meguiars' tech people about silicone and they told me this. You can call them too, if you don't believe me (and remember that many of their waxes have silicone so they have an interest in making people LIKE it). Silicone does stick to paint and repel water but it will NOT do the cosmetic job of filling in scratches and swirls. This is why many people prefer carnauba to synthetic--the cosmetic effect rather than the "water beading" which has nothing to do with the visibility of scratches and swirls on your car.<p>TEFLON aka PTFE or Polytetrafluoroethylene, cannot adhere to paint under normal waxing conditions, no matter what Eagle One or Turtle Wax says. Ask any chemist--it just ain't possible.<p>As far as testing waxes on glass, it isn't relevant to how my car looks. Beading of water on perfectly smooth glass has nothing to do with how well a product masks the little swirls and scratches on my &%$# Brilliant Black.<p>Use what you like, it is your car. If you are happy with what you use, and your car looks good, more power to you.<p>