Equipped with a Twin-Scroll Turbo V6 making almost 350 horsepower, Quattro all-wheel-drive and stunning aesthetics to match, the Audi S5 is a tempting option for a canyon-ready daily driver.
This specific S5, finished in Daytona Grey Pearl, came into the studio for Full-Front Paint Protection Film (PPF) and our Level 2 Ceramic Coating System, protecting this car from hazardous winter roads.
Step 1: Decontamination Wash
To prepare this vehicle for clear bra and ceramic coatings, it’s essential that we give it a thorough decontamination wash. This step will ensure that no contaminants are embedded in the paint that could interfere with the protection it will receive.
This process always starts with a liberal application of Gyeon Q2M Iron and Q2M Foam. These products have two distinct benefits. The Iron remover will chemically remove any metallic compounds embedded in the paint from rail dust, brake dust or anything else your vehicle has been exposed to since it left the factory. On the other hand, the Foam will remove physical dirt and debris from the paint so that we can perform a contact wash more safely.
We exclusively use the three-bucket method when we wash cars. Generally speaking, this is a common practice in car detailing to avoid damaging the paint or introducing scratches or swirling. The first bucket we’ll be using is only for wheels. We use Gyeon Q2M Iron WheelCleaner and a variant of brushes to get the wheels perfectly clean before moving onto the painted surfaces.
Now that the paint is chemically decontaminated and the wheels are clean, we can move on to our contact wash. In our wash bucket, we’ll use Gyeon Q2M Bathe which is a slick and effective wash soap and our rinse bucket will just be clean water to rinse our Gyeon Wash Mitt. Once the paint is clean, we will use a clay bar to remove any remaining embedded contaminants.
Finally, using a BLO car dryer, we will touchlessly dry the vehicle to avoid introducing lint or swirls onto the paint. After our detailers have finished drying, the car will move to the PPF area of the studio.
Step 2: Paint Protection Film
The owner of this S5 has chosen to go for Full-Front Clear Bra. This package is perfect for many car owners and is the most cost-effective system that we offer but it still provides long-term and robust protection for the front end of any vehicle from rock chips, scratches and swirl marks, and bird droppings. PPF provides a thin protective layer that protects your vehicle from all the hazardous road debris listed above.
Using a specialized computer program, the film is designed and printed specifically for each body panel. This ensures that you will get perfect fitment from the film every time.
No Stretching. No distortion. No blades near your paint.
After the film is printed, our factory-trained installers will start the process by spraying down the body panel in a slip solution before carefully placing the PPF on the panel. Once they align each edge and set anchor points so that the film does not move, they will use a squeegee to push the slip solution out from underneath the clear bra. This allows the adhesive to stick to the paint and sets the film for years to come.
Once the Full-Front Package is installed on the vehicle, we will let it sit overnight before coming back to it and double-checking the entire vehicle for any unwrapped edges, moisture pockets or any other touch-ups we might need to do.
Step 3: Paint Correction Ceramic Coating
Now that we have finished installing Full-Front PPF on this S5, it will land in the hands of our professional detailers where it will receive our Level 2 Ceramic Coating System. This is our most comprehensive coating system that will give your car the best gloss and chemical resistance. Ceramic coatings also have impressive UV blocking, meaning that they will protect your vehicle from harmful UV rays.
Our Level 2 System includes 2 layers of high-quality ceramic coating on all painted surfaces as well as dedicated coatings for both the windshield and the wheel faces. Combined, these ceramic coatings protect your entire vehicle’s surface from many chemical road hazards and yield high levels of hydrophobicity, meaning that they will repel water.
To start, it’s important that we do a full paint correction on any exposed paint on the vehicle. This will remove most of the surface-level scratches and swirls as well as smooth out the paint, giving the ceramic coating a better surface to bond with. A common misconception of ceramic coatings is that the coating does the heavy lifting when it comes to gloss enhancement. In reality, the paint correction brings out more gloss and that “wet” look that everyone strives for.
Once we have corrected any exposed paint, we will wipe the vehicle down with Gyeon Q2M Prep and Q2M WaterSpot so that we can remove any lingering polish compound, lubricants, water spotting or grease.
To start applying the coating, we will pour it onto a specialized microfiber applicator. Moving one panel at a time, the coating will get spread onto the paint in linear motions to avoid missing any areas. Once a panel is thoroughly coated, we will use a short fiber microfiber cloth to remove the majority of the excess coating. We will follow this up with a long-fiber towel to ensure that we are not leaving any coating high spots on the vehicle.
Finally, we will vacuum the interior of the vehicle and apply a tire dressing and this Audi S5 is ready for delivery!
