ceramic sealant

2010 Audi A4 Cabriolet Polishing and PPF removal

I did this vehicle in the fall for the owner.  At that time we discussed the potential for doing a paint correction, but I advised that we wait until spring when he could get the most out of it.  However, the 2.5 year old clearbra looked terribly hazed and splotchy so I did try to clear it up with some polishing.  Fast forward to spring and the car wash ready for a paint correction and the clearbra has started to deteriorate again, so it was time to remove it.  The vehicle was full of swirls and waterspots and because this is a daily driver and likely to experience similar treatment in the future, we elected for a single intensive polishing step to remove a majority of the defects while preserving the clearcoat. Despite this being a premium film done by a very experienced installer, it had clearly hazed and yellowed over the course of 3 years. This is an instance of managing expectations.  If an owner understands that PPF has a finite life and needs to be maintained and replaced, then the product is much more likely to have a successful lifecycle. 

Process

  • Wheels and tires cleaned with Meguairs D140 and Meguiars D108
  • Prefoamed with Angelwax Fast Foam
  • Hand wash with Carpro Reset
  • Mechanically decontaminated with clay mitt and Reset
  • Paint was polished with a Blackfire SRC Compound on a Boss 21 with rupes yellow pads
  • Bumpers were corrected with a Flex 3401 and LC white hybrid pad
  • Tight areas were corrected with Rupes Nano and yellow rupes pad
  • Paint was protected Gyeon Cure
  • Tires were dressed with carpro PERL
  • Wheels were protected with carpro hydro2
  • Exhaust was polished with Pinnacle Exhaust cleaner and brightener
  • Trim was protected with Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant