What pad do i need (pics)

GetAudiHere said:
Crew219 - where did you get the CSS pads from? I can only find the yellow, white, and black one.



Accumulator- do you apply your wax by hand, applicator pad, or my maching with the black finessing pad?
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I have the 5" LC CCS pads from www.danase.com



I also plan on purchasing the 6.5" LC CCS pads with the constant-contact foam from www.properautocare.com



I currently also have the 4" LC CCS pads from properautocare.



If you plan on applying wax by machine, you should look at the blue finishing foam (PAC's is red). FWIW, I apply by hand.



Dave
 
GetAudiHere said:
Accumulator- do you apply your wax by hand, applicator pad, or my maching with the black finessing pad?
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I apply wax by machine 99% of the time. I usually use the Cyclo, and its white "finishing" pads (scare-quotes are intentional ;) ) are pretty aggressive as finishing pads go.



When I apply wax with the PC, I don't use the black/dark gray finishing pads, IMO they don't accept wax all that well (perhaps the small pores are too tight :nixweiss ) and I just don't like their very soft nature. I use pads that are still functionally nonabrasive but more like polishing pads. The red "waxing" pads from Griot's work well and are my usual choice for waxing with the PC.



IMO the big thing is that the wax-application pads don't impart any (functional) cut of their own. Plenty of "polishing" pads are like that, especially when loaded with wax (lots of lubrication).



But it's a personal preference thing...a lot of people just love the various finishing pads and I haven't tried a lot of them.
 
iIf u still need help? i can talk u through it if u like ?. Needs medium cut seriously !! finishing step plus hd cleanser to finish the job !!:chuckle:
 
OK newbie question. What is the difference between sealant, glaze and wax? Also I would need to clean the surface first? So basically I would need Hi-Temp EC, followed by Menzerna IP, followed by Menzerna FPII, followed by a pre-wax cleaner (recommendations either OTC or on Top of the Line Auto Detailing Supplies, followed my Klasse SG? WOW that is ALOT of steps. but i bet worth every second and penny!



I also was reading that Klasse SG smelled disgusting? Is that true? How long will i smell it (just when putting it on, or will my car smell like that?)?
 
GetAudiHere- Short answer: companies use those terms in varying and contradictory ways so it's hard to give a good general answer.



Menzerna polishes don't leave much behind in my experience. But I *always* precede KSG with Klasse AIO, always. It's easy to use and that part of the job isn't a big pain.



KSG only smells when you're using it and *I* don't think it's a big deal.



But honestly, even though I use KSG on one of our vehicles, I generally don't recommend it except in special situations and I don't think that your blue Audi is one of those.



If you want to use a sealant I'd go with something else. FWIW I use UPP on my S8 but it needs redoing fairly often because it loses it's great slickness pretty fast.



I just use wax on my wife's A8 and I'm not missing anything as opposed to using a sealant. In fact I only use sealants of two of our vehicles; I put wax on most of them. Wax is more forgiving of imperfections...sealants let every little flaw show.



A very good, covers-all-the-bases answer to the "which LSP" question is Collinite 845 Insulator Wax. IMO it'd look fine on your car and it's easy to use, durable, offers great beading, doesn't stain trim.
 
Generally a cleaner isn't necessary if you get all the polish residue off. But some of us like using *something* in between the polish and the LSP...just depends (sorry, I know that's a crappy answer). After FP (and before 845) I'd use something like 1z WaxPolishSoft but that's just me.



Note that with some ultra-fine polishes (e.g., the Menzerna/BF final polishes for scratch resistant clear), you get such a perfect finish that anything other than a gentle application of LSP would most likely be detrimental.
 
Define a "gentle" application of LSP. Like if i applied it with a black pad would that damage the perfect surface. How about a microfiber applicator pad? How do you suggest I apply the wax? I want to use liquid but can use solid if its better? Also what are the pros and cons of liquid wax vs. a solid wax?
 
GetAudiHere said:
Define a "gentle" application of LSP... Like if i applied it with a black pad would that damage the perfect surface. How about a microfiber applicator pad?
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How about I define an *aggressive* application of LSP instead? An Autopian recently tried to apply a very thin application of Collinite 476S over some glaze. In his zeal to use little product (generally a good idea) his pads apparently got insufficiently lubricated (by wax) and he ended up disturbing his glaze layer.



A *very* gentle application might be that black pad (or a MF pad if by hand) with some liquid wax or a "creamy" paste. Virtually no pressure on the polisher (or the pad if doing it by hand).



FWIW I use gentle polishing pads more often than finishing pads and I don't have problems. I don't want to overstate the likelihood of problems and I'm tempted to just tell you not to worry about it.



How do you suggest I apply the wax? I want to use liquid but can use solid if its better? Also what are the pros and cons of liquid wax vs. a solid wax?
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I apply at least 95% of my wax by machine and I never have problems. With the PC I use speed 4-4.5 but I generally use the Cyclo instead. I always let wax dry to a haze before buffing it off (even when the instructions say not to let it dry). I try to apply thinly but IMO a uniform application is the more important thing. I do *not* subscribe to the "go in straight lines" advice; I'd use whatever motion feels comfortable and seems to result in a uniform application and IMO circular/orbital motions are more likely to result in good coverage.



Liquids are easier to apply, pastes last longer (gross generalization). Some liquids have a high solvent content that *might* compromise underlying glazes/fillers but that's not a huge concern in most cases. Most appearance differences between the two types are not significant. FWIW I use pastes most of the time these days.



Some products sorta skirt the edges of both categories: Collinite 845 is like a gel until you shake it forever...then it turns into *very* thin liquid; my old fave (the now discontinued) Meguiar's #16 is a "paste that turns liquid" if you apply it right. BTW, that Collinite 845 is a pretty good no-brainer wax choice, even my niece-in-law (who sure isn't into detailing ;) ) gets great results with it (on the car I gave her :o ) and says it's easy to use.
 
Awesome thanks! I think i will go with like pinnicale liquid soveran (sp?) for the summer because i enjoy waxing my car and would like to do it more in the summer and then well fall/winter comes along i will go to collinite 845. What do you think? This sound good?
 
I haven't used the liquid Souveran but I somehow have a not-favorably-impressed with it feeling based on what I've read hear :think:



I dunno..I used the seldom-mentioned-here Malm's liquid wax for years and I liked it. Somebody else here tried it a while ago and posted something like: "hey, this stuff is really good!" If *I* were gonna use a liquid I'd choose between that and the 845.



Heh heh, you can pretty much wax to your heart's content no matter what you use, so I'd pick something user-friendly (like both the above).
 
Here's my perspective, from one newbie to another...



A couple months ago, I was in exactly the same situation as you: swirled paint, and the desire to correct it to perfection. Luckily, the wife got me a PC for Xmas (poor thing had no idea what she was starting...) Anyway, to make a long story short, here's what I think you should do, as this process is easy, and really safe...



4" pads are the ONLY way to go for hard clear coat paint correction on the PC. Anything larger, and you just can't get aggressive enough.



Start out with Menzerna Power Gloss on a 4" Yellow LC CCS pad. This product is really pretty safe on both Ceramiclear and traditional clears. Since you don't know which one you have, it's a pretty safe starting place.



Check the level of correction you achieve, and the amount of polishing haze. If you haven't gotten good correction results, chances are you have a scratch resistant clear coat. (Which is what happened to me... Power Gloss didn't do much correction at all).



Next step, assuming you have a scratch resistant clear, use a new 4" yellow pad, and try out a few passes with Blackfire Scratch Resistant Clear Compound. You should achieve some pretty good correction with this stuff. Don't be surprised if it takes three or more applications to achieve the results you're looking for; it's really hard to correct scratch resistant clears with a PC.



After you've achieved the correction you're looking for, use a green LC pad (I haven't been able to find them in four inch size), and use Menzerna PO106ff. Alot of guys would argue that you should use a white pad for this, but in my limited experience, a PC with a green pad is about equal to a rotary with a white pad in aggressiveness on scratch resistant clears, and gave me much better results than a white pad. This step should get you to the finish you're looking for.



Now go over the entire car with a isopropyl alcohol wipe down.



Now you're ready for your LSP.



I used ZAIO applied with a white LC pad, followed by three coats of ZFX'd Z2 applied by hand.



For what it's worth, this really is a safe, newbie-friendly process that should produce the results you're looking for.



Edit: Why the ZAIO prior to the Z2? It wasn't to remove the traces of the polishes; that's what the alcohol wipe down is for. I had heard that ZAIO adds a bit of "warmth" to a Z2 finish, so it doesn't look so artificial and plastic-y. That's one of the things I don't like about Zaino... it looks very artificial (for lack of a better term). I've been very happy with the finish. The ZAIO really does make the shine look more warm and carnauba-like. The only thing I now dislike about Zaino is it's affinity to holding onto dirt and dust, but that's a topic of another post... :hmph:
 
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