Help Please - Audi A4 Chrome Molding Damage

[Diesel1]

Hi Everyone,



Been awhile since my last post (Been crazy busy with weddings, family functions, getting engaged, wedding planning, etc...). Anyway, my fiance just bought a 2006 Audi A4 which is in great shape (Needs a little TLC from me, but we can get to that later) for the most part. Of course it is black so I need to give it a quickie (Read....a solid days work) to get the dealer halogramming and swirls out.



ISSUE: On the chrome molding around the windows, there is basically I guess acid rain damage. I haven't looked at the molding close enough to determine if it is chrome or annodize aluminum. I may be leaning towards annodized aluminum which may be clearcoated. That said, there are basically stains that look like water puddles (Possibly etched) all over the trim. Kind of gives a blotchy hazy appearance. Has anyone encountered this before and if so, how did you remove it without damaging the molding. I have pretty much every product and detailing tool at my disposal (For a weekend warrior anyway). I am willing to add to the collection if you guys know of product that will help. I did a test spot with a little polish and it didn't seem to budge it.



I saw a website somewhere of a company that sold only 2-3 products one of which was a trim restorer that said it fixed this exact issue. Not sure if there is any truth behind it or not.



Any takers?

 

[todd@bsaw]

This has just been in my experience with chrome trims, so maybe someone has more official knowledge than myself.



Many of the chrome trims that I have seen are a chrome-surfaced plastic and very seldom actual chrome. Some of the Audis have a 'brushed look' trim that is almost a lacquered metal finish.



I had an issue at a dealership I contracted at where there were many Volvos, Jaguars, and BMWs with this trim failure that ended up having to be replaced. They had found this was caused by the harsh chemicals used at the local tunnel wash (PDQ, to be exact) and could not be corrected. You can try an AIO but it isn't likely to work. We had found on the Audi brushed trim that some aggressive clay made it look a little better, but still not 100%.



Do you have a link to the website for those products? A specific cleaner may possibly be a solution for you.

 

[simsam18]

My A4 has a similar issue - it looks like some cloudy film that will improve once wet but always comes back. According to the owners' manual, the trim around the windows is aluminum. I've tried aluminum polish and it doesn't seem to take to it and is likely not a polishable metal because of whatever coating applied.



I'd like to know what the website is for that trim restorer as well as I've tried about everything to fix this problem and nothing seems to work.

 

[Accumulator]

This comes up from time to time. I have the same stuff, and the same issues on the A8 (not on the S8 yet, but it's just a matter of time). This trim *always* goes bad eventually and even the replacement parts from Audi will go bad. Oddly enough the replacement parts go bad *REALLY* fast. The following applies to pretty much all the brightwork on modern Audis, around the windows, on the bumper covers, etc.



The trim in question is aluminum, either clear anodized or clear powdercoated (I've received both answers from people at Audi who oughta know, so no idea which is correct, not that it matters as it's the same situation whichever it is....).



Once the clear coating is compromised it's forever. There's no way to touch up anodizing or powdercoating. Since the replacement parts (which are a bear to install around the windows anyhow) don't hold up, IMO the best you can do is polish it, wax/seal it, and then redo it over and over as needed.



If you polish it aggressively, to where the aluminum is very shiny, "all polished up good as new", you'll be redoing this quite often, and if you let it go it'll start to *REALLY* corrode. That's the last thing I'd want.



SO, I recommend that you do the polishing *VERY* lightly so you don't make things temporarily better but long-term worse. Don't shoot for perfection, it's already beyond that. These days I never use anything more aggressive than 1Z Pro MP, and I only use that if I've been negligent enough that KAIO isn't enough.



I'd protect it with your longest-lasting LSP, layered heavily.



If you then take good care of it, and redo the LSP before it's obviously necessary, the deterioration should slow down a lot (it might even halt completely for practical purposes). The affected trim in question on my wife's A8 hasn't gotten noticeably worse over the last few years...though the pieces under the headlights that I replaced with new pieces sure do look crappy..wish I'd just kept the original parts on there.



IME/IMO, the trick is to accept its current condition and keep it from getting worse.



EDIT: Welcome to Autopia, SIMSAM18!

 

[simsam18]

Thanks for all the info. I tried Mother's Mag & Aluminum polish and it didn't respond at all so the 1Z Pro MP might be worth a shot. Do you know where I can find the 1Z? I looked on a couple of specialty sites like Detailers Paradise and Detailed Image and couldn't find it. Is it best to hand polish the metal? Since the area is so narrow (and I'm perfectly happy with the paint condition on the rest of the car) I can't see how any machine would make much sense there. Any recommendations on a LSP?

 

[Accumulator]

Thanks for all the info. I tried Mother's Mag & Aluminum polish and it didn't respond at all so the 1Z Pro MP might be worth a shot...

Note that the Pro MP won't fix the problem, it'll just provide relatively safe cleaning. You could probably do about as well just using KAIO.

Do you know where I can find the 1Z?

See if either of these places has it: Home or Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing, Auto Detailing Supplies, Auto Detailing Equipment, Auto Detailing Products, & Auto Detailing Accessories for all your Automobile Detailing

Is it best to hand polish the metal? Since the area is so narrow (and I'm perfectly happy with the paint condition on the rest of the car) I can't see how any machine would make much sense there.

Yeah, for that reason I'd do it by hand. You might use the edge of a PC's pad, but since you're not really trying to do anything aggressive the by-hand oughta work fine.

Any recommendations on a LSP?

Something very durable. Collinite 476S, KSG, and FK1000P all work well.

 

[simsam18]

Thanks again for the all info. Just out of curiosity, do you remember how much it cost you for those replacement trim pieces? And is the whole thing difficult to install or just certain areas (above the windows vs. the pieces along the door)? I know yours didn't hold up but I just want to evaluate all the options.

 

[Accumulator]

simsam18- Sorry, I have zero recollection and I didn't replace the ones around the sideglass anyhow (just the little pieces under the headlights, which weren't too expensive or I woulda remembered). I didn't have the door strip replaced after deering the S8 because I knew the new piece would have worse issues than the tiny scratch from the deer-incident.



Replacing the pieces around the sideglass is a pretty involved job, IIRC they're epoxied in place and the design didn't really allow for replacement. I'd sure have an Audi specialist do it. My Audi guy said he *could* do it but it was pretty obvious he wasn't keen on the idea and that he was a little relieved when I decided to let it go (note that he understands what working on *my* Audis entails ).



The pieces along the door shouldn't be that bad, but again, don't have somebody learn how on *your* car



I'd find a big Audi dealership with a *GOOD* bodyshop and talk with both the manager and his top tech.

 

[bipchianti]

[quote name='Diesel1']Hi Everyone,



Been awhile since my last post (Been crazy busy with weddings, family functions, getting engaged, wedding planning, etc...). Anyway, my fiance just bought a 2006 Audi A4 which is in great shape (Needs a little TLC from me, but we can get to that later) for the most part. Of course it is black so I need to give it a quickie (Read....a solid days work) to get the dealer halogramming and swirls out.



ISSUE: On the chrome molding around the windows, there is basically I guess acid rain damage. I haven't looked at the molding close enough to determine if it is chrome or annodize aluminum. I may be leaning towards annodized aluminum which may be clearcoated. That said, there are basically stains that look like water puddles (Possibly etched) all over the trim. Kind of gives a blotchy hazy appearance. Has anyone encountered this before and if so, how did you remove it without damaging the molding. I have pretty much every product and detailing tool at my disposal (For a weekend warrior anyway). I am willing to add to the collection if you guys know of product that will help. I did a test spot with a little polish and it didn't seem to budge it.



I saw a website somewhere of a company that sold only 2-3 products one of which was a trim restorer that said it fixed this exact issue. Not sure if there is any truth behind it or not.



Any takers?[/QUOTE

I have tried everything. And no help from the Audi dealership, where we just bought our pre-owned 2006 Audi A4. Today, I finally tried Quixx Repair Kit High Performance Scratch Remover, a German product. The window trim looks brand new. I only had to use the tubes #1 and #2 and not the sandpaper. I hope this helps.

 

[bipchianti]

This has just been in my experience with chrome trims, so maybe someone has more official knowledge than myself.



Many of the chrome trims that I have seen are a chrome-surfaced plastic and very seldom actual chrome. Some of the Audis have a 'brushed look' trim that is almost a lacquered metal finish.



I had an issue at a dealership I contracted at where there were many Volvos, Jaguars, and BMWs with this trim failure that ended up having to be replaced. They had found this was caused by the harsh chemicals used at the local tunnel wash (PDQ, to be exact) and could not be corrected. You can try an AIO but it isn't likely to work. We had found on the Audi brushed trim that some aggressive clay made it look a little better, but still not 100%.



Do you have a link to the website for those products? A specific cleaner may possibly be a solution for you.

I have tried everything. And no help from the Audi dealership, where we just bought our pre-owned 2006 Audi A4. Today, I finally tried Quixx Repair Kit High Performance Scratch Remover, a German product. The window trim looks brand new. I only had to use the tubes #1 and #2 and not the sandpaper. I hope this helps.

 

[bipchianti]

My A4 has a similar issue - it looks like some cloudy film that will improve once wet but always comes back. According to the owners' manual, the trim around the windows is aluminum. I've tried aluminum polish and it doesn't seem to take to it and is likely not a polishable metal because of whatever coating applied.



I'd like to know what the website is for that trim restorer as well as I've tried about everything to fix this problem and nothing seems to work.

I have tried everything. And no help from the Audi dealership, where we just bought our pre-owned 2006 Audi A4. Today, I finally tried Quixx Repair Kit High Performance Scratch Remover, a German product. The window trim looks brand new. I only had to use the tubes #1 and #2 and not the sandpaper. I hope this helps.

 

[bipchianti]

This comes up from time to time. I have the same stuff, and the same issues on the A8 (not on the S8 yet, but it's just a matter of time). This trim *always* goes bad eventually and even the replacement parts from Audi will go bad. Oddly enough the replacement parts go bad *REALLY* fast. The following applies to pretty much all the brightwork on modern Audis, around the windows, on the bumper covers, etc.



The trim in question is aluminum, either clear anodized or clear powdercoated (I've received both answers from people at Audi who oughta know, so no idea which is correct, not that it matters as it's the same situation whichever it is....).



Once the clear coating is compromised it's forever. There's no way to touch up anodizing or powdercoating. Since the replacement parts (which are a bear to install around the windows anyhow) don't hold up, IMO the best you can do is polish it, wax/seal it, and then redo it over and over as needed.



If you polish it aggressively, to where the aluminum is very shiny, "all polished up good as new", you'll be redoing this quite often, and if you let it go it'll start to *REALLY* corrode. That's the last thing I'd want.



SO, I recommend that you do the polishing *VERY* lightly so you don't make things temporarily better but long-term worse. Don't shoot for perfection, it's already beyond that. These days I never use anything more aggressive than 1Z Pro MP, and I only use that if I've been negligent enough that KAIO isn't enough.



I'd protect it with your longest-lasting LSP, layered heavily.



If you then take good care of it, and redo the LSP before it's obviously necessary, the deterioration should slow down a lot (it might even halt completely for practical purposes). The affected trim in question on my wife's A8 hasn't gotten noticeably worse over the last few years...though the pieces under the headlights that I replaced with new pieces sure do look crappy..wish I'd just kept the original parts on there.



IME/IMO, the trick is to accept its current condition and keep it from getting worse.



EDIT: Welcome to Autopia, SIMSAM18!

I have tried everything. And no help from the Audi dealership, where we just bought our pre-owned 2006 Audi A4. Today, I finally tried Quixx Repair Kit High Performance Scratch Remover, a German product. The window trim looks brand new. I only had to use the tubes #1 and #2 and not the sandpaper. Then I used Nu Finish Car Wax for added protection. I hope this helps.

 

[Accumulator]

bipchianti- The potential issue with doing it that way is that you're now 100% dependent on your wax/etc. keeping things nice; it's basically the same as having uncoated aluminum trim.



A few people here have gone that route, but it's not something I'd want to do on my Audis (for the reasons I mentioned in the post you quoted). IF the trim were in *really* bad shape, then yeah..I can imagine cases where polishing it that way might be better than nothing.



Please post back about how often you need to redo it, it'll be interesting to hear how it holds up.



FWIW, I've managed to almost completely arrest the deterioration on our trim by just AIOing/LSPing it now and then.

 

[AudiLovinChick]

Looks like I'm seven months late chiming in to this discussion (brand new Autopia member here) but I have been researching and experimenting with this problem all day, and finally hit on something that worked for me. (At least for now; I hope I don't go check in the morning and end up having to recant!)



I too noticed the cloudy-looking "chrome"-aka-clearcoated aluminum trim on my

Audi '02 A6 Quattro looked great while wet, but returned to a cloudy/spotty appearance as soon as it dried. I was unsatisfied with idea of having to live with a visible defect like that in a car whose original ticket price would buy a starter home in some parts of the country.



Like others, I tried multiple metal and scratch polishes, and even broke down and tried Mr. Clean Magic Eraser! Nothing. Then I tried my tire dressing as an experiment, since it gives that "wet" look. Looked fantastic until it started beading up (duh -- it can't soak in). Soooo......



Next I tried the ArmorAll Ultra Shine Protectant that had just brought such a shine to my interior, and wow! Perfect. Rubbed/buffed it in, wiped off excess and cleaned up adjacent paint just to be on the safe side, and it's looked lovely all day. (I cringe at the thought of what some of you pros might think of ArmorAll, but hey, I'm new.)



When I have an estimate of how long this effect lasts/how often it will need to be reapplied, I'll update. At the very least it's good for a night out, or picking up the boss from the airport. Good luck to all!

 

[Accumulator]

AudiLovinChick- Welcome to Autopia!



I don't have any issues with Armor All specifically (yeah, people bash it, but I dunno why...maybe it's not boutique enough), I just don't like using products that can run in the rain and/or need to be reapplied frequently. But then I don't even use them on rubber/etc. so I might have a pretty extreme view of such stuff.



None of the people who've polished the aluminum trim to a high luster have *ever* posted back about how long it lasted, or about redoing it, or...well, about the topic at all :nixweiss Meanwhile, the compromised trim on our Audis is basically staying the same- imperfect but not worsening.



Yeah, it certainly *is* frustrating.

 

[gigondaz]

[quote name='Diesel1']......

ISSUE: On the chrome molding around the windows, there is basically I guess acid rain damage. I haven't looked at the molding close enough to determine if it is chrome or annodize aluminum. I may be leaning towards annodized aluminum which may be clearcoated. That said, there are basically stains that look like water puddles (Possibly etched) all over the trim. Kind of gives a blotchy hazy appearance. Has anyone encountered this before and if so, how did you remove it without damaging the molding. I have pretty much every product and detailing tool at my disposal (For a weekend warrior anyway). I am willing to add to the collection if you guys know of product that will help. I did a test spot with a little polish and it didn't seem to budge it.....

Came across this old thread and reckoned that this kinda problem (above) is still rampant on neglected Continental cars and since I do lotsa Audis and Contis that hv this problem, I wd like to share a few tips with everyone.



Forget about those common metal and aluminium polishes from Megs, Mothers, Eagle One etc etc. I hv tried most of em, and it doesn't work. Of course, forget about Klasse AIO.



Forget about using hand-application using those products above to remove the acid-rain etching.



Forget about claying, thinners, other solvents and even household hard water-spot removers.



1. Carefully mask all surrounding areas (paint and glass) next to the chrome or aluminium trim.

2. Put a few drops of Megs 85 Diamond Cut onto the trim and spread it using fingers.

3. Small wool pad, Makita rotary speed 3-4, very light pressure.

If you cant get decent results, upgrade to Megs 105 or even the super abrasive Farecla G3.

4. Finish down with foam pad with Megs 205.

5. Protect with a durable LSP (FK1000, Rejex, Coli 845 etc)



These acid-rain etched trims are very expensive to replace, and many customers hv asked me to try my best to "rescue" these trims. They'll accept anything other than that ugly water-spotted look that appears like whitish fungus.



The above technique produced a significantly noticeable improvement, and many car owners (by word of mouth) hv come to me specifically seeking this kinda treatment!

 

[Accumulator]

[1. Carefully mask all surrounding areas (paint and glass) next to the chrome or aluminium trim.

2. Put a few drops of Megs 85 Diamond Cut onto the trim and spread it using fingers.

3. Small wool pad, Makita rotary speed 3-4, very light pressure.

If you cant get decent results, upgrade to Megs 105 or even the super abrasive Farecla G3.

4. Finish down with foam pad with Megs 205.

5. Protect with a durable LSP (FK1000, Rejex, Coli 845 etc) ..

How long does that last? When I polished such trim it stayed nice for a while but then needed redone frequently, and if not redone looked worse than the "before". So I've only done it on really trashed vehicles (never my own, that's for sure ).



I've been thinking that something like ZoopSeal might keep 'em nice longer.

These acid-rain etched trims are very expensive to replace, and many customers hv asked me to try my best to "rescue" these trims. They'll accept anything other than that ugly water-spotted look that appears like whitish fungus.

And note that the replacement pieces from Audi often arrive already compromised, at least when shipped to the US. I simply *cannot* get perfect pieces for D2-series cars, very frustrating. After numerous replacements I just grumble and live with it (ditto for side glass of all things!).



You must deal with some *REALLY* nasty ones, to have that "fungus"-look level of corrosion No wonder the polishing approach makes 'em happy!

 

[gigondaz]

How long does that last? When I polished such trim it stayed nice for a while but then needed redone frequently, and if not redone looked worse than the "before". So I've only done it on really trashed vehicles (never my own, that's for sure ).



I've been thinking that something like ZoopSeal might keep 'em nice longer.







And note that the replacement pieces from Audi often arrive already compromised, at least when shipped to the US. I simply *cannot* get perfect pieces for D2-series cars, very frustrating. After numerous replacements I just grumble and live with it (ditto for side glass of all things!).



You must deal with some *REALLY* nasty ones, to have that "fungus"-look level of corrosion No wonder the polishing approach makes 'em happy!

It has been 6-7mths in hot, rainy, humid weather, and those trim pieces are still looking great.

100% no deterioration. Maybe that's due to the 2 layers of REJEX that was applied, after removing those nasty acid-rain etching marks.

This technique was also used on older BMWs (esp E39s) with great success, and this is one of the reasons why the car owners referred me to other big detailing jobs.



Yeah, you're correct. Those trim pieces were horrible, and were the most horrid items on the car body.

Those pieces were the 1st thing that I attended to after claying the entire car, and before even starting the compounding process.

Seeing those pieces restored to a healthy stain-free gleam really puts you in the MOOD to start compounding the entire car LOL.

 

[Accumulator]

It has been 6-7mths in hot, rainy, humid weather, and those trim pieces are still looking great.

100% no deterioration. Maybe that's due to the 2 layers of REJEX that was applied...

Cool! I'd try to stay one step ahead of the game if you can, redoing the REJEX or somesuch before any corrosion gets started again.

Yeah, you're correct. Those trim pieces were horrible, and were the most horrid items on the car body..

I basically *NEVER* see used A8/S8s (of the D2 series that I like) without such damage, every single one of 'em The replacement pieces on my S8 (from the Deer Incident) have only been washed a few times and sealed with UPP (so zero abrasion/environmental damage) yet they're far from perfect.

Seeing those pieces restored to a healthy stain-free gleam really puts you in the MOOD to start compounding the entire car LOL.

Heh heh, spoken like a true Autopian! Eh, gotta admit that *NOTHING in this world really gets me in the mood to do any of this stuff

 

[gigondaz]

Ooops....pls go to Detailing Guides.