New member checking in - about to get Polo and also want maintenance advice!

[RUM4MO]

Hi welcome, I've never gone in for leasing as I wanted to remain flexible over when I changed cars, but each to their own, plus it was probably servicing a mortgage and a growing uni family, but all that has gone now, so I'm down to just having an S4 for fun, wife's 2015 Polo 1.2TSI 110 SEL as a runabout and am looking after oldest daughter's 2009 Ibiza 1.4 SC while she works abroad. Cleaning cars, well I've bought claymitts and stuff including two buckets labelled up for the good old two bucket cleaning method, but so far I've stuck with just using a quality car wash and using a good microfiber wash mitt. Plus the odd once over with tyre dressing and plenty under car cleaning. My pressure washer that I bought about 15 years ago sleeps in the garage due to me being frightened about it freezing in the winter time! As you say, some people have "lighter" life time demands so can spend more time on cleaning their cars, and some people who's life time demands have dropped off a bit have become a bit lazy - well that will be me then!

Edit:- to be honest, I've found that most twenty something year olds have stayed with the Golf sized car as at that age you end up with friends in similar situations so share similar sized cars. Polo, for me, is a lucky late teenager's size of car and an older person's fun car, as well as a good women's size of car until sprogs come along! If you are in a group of twenty year old people with and without girl friends, you tend to find that it is the tight wads living at home that have the smaller car, the ones that have taken on the world and making their future tend to have bigger cars, just an observation that is all!

Another Edit:- having fired these shots, I'll duck down to avoid any incoming stuff!!

[Willoughbyyy]

I'm no expert but personally think theres a few steps of which most you look as if you'd already follow but either way..

Firstly don't let the monkeys at VW touch the car, request they don't clean it at all otherwise its a 99% chance of being swirled/scratched.
Two bucket method with grit guards is a must! along with a good quality wash mitt and drying towel.
Prewash/snowfoam and when required a light tar/fallout remover to pull off the heavy muck.
Another idea is to find a reputable/local valeting shop who offers a 'new car' system where the car will be prepped, washed, sealed etc.. most come with guarantees.
If you do a fair bit of motorway driving, look into the clear wrap for the front end of the car which will hopefully stop any chips by adding an extra layer onto the paint.
My basic wash is Snowfoam, Wheel cleaner, Shampoo, Dry, Glass cleaner and tyre shine.

In terms of brand everyone is welcome to opinion and suggestion. I use AutoFinesse myself however some won't go near it. They offer a wide selection of products for just about every job as well as accessories. Look at getting a small kit bag to keep in the boot with the basics (Snowfoam, Shampoo, Fallout/tar remover, Glass cleaner, Tyre shine, Interior cleaner/spray, Microfibres etc). I've heard a lot recently about nano sealants from the likes of GTechniq and others which can be costly however boast a long life span and very good results.

http://www.cleanyourride.uk - Give Andy at CYR a message if you have any questions as well, he offers a great variety of samples and advice for anything cleaning related! Ask for a surprise bundle of samples for however much you'd wish to spend, he can also do unlabelled samples so you are completely unbiased towards the brand and after message him and he can give you more details on the products. It's proven a good way of testing new products

[RUM4MO]

I agree about VW dealers, my last two cars had sunroofs, every time the ends of the seal would get picked up, on one of these VAG forums there is a jpeg of a DO NOT WASH sign to be used, might grab one before Monday, or maybe just advise the service people not to touch it. When my S4 went in for its first (with me) service, I picked it up before it got washed, unfortunately it was hidden round the back waiting to get washed which left me wandering around for 15 minutes in the cold having failed to locate my car - having visions of what had happened to it!

[Willoughbyyy]

I agree about VW dealers, my last two cars had sunroofs, every time the ends of the seal would get picked up, on one of these VAG forums there is a jpeg of a DO NOT WASH sign to be used, might grab one before Monday, or maybe just advise the service people not to touch it. When my S4 went in for its first (with me) service, I picked it up before it got washed, unfortunately it was hidden round the back waiting to get washed which left me wandering around for 15 minutes in the cold having failed to locate my car - having visions of what had happened to it!

Just telling the service department works in some cases but not most. An interior sign is best, seen hanging ones from the interior mirror or even to the extent of an entire steering wheel cover with "DO NOT WASH" in big bold letters!

[Robby71]

Have a browse on this forum for advice - http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/index.php
I bought 1 of these signs after my ED30 Golf went to the dealers for a service - i'd spent 8 hours machine polishing it the week before, 95% of the swirls had been removed and it looked perfect, the dealers washed the car with what must have been an old broom and swirled every inch of the car again - http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/s ... p?t=365432

[Willoughbyyy]

Daft question maybe, but what's the snowfoam for? A sort of pre-softener?

Snowfoam will remove some contaminants from the paintwork and lift/loosen most of any left on, so minimising the chances of swirles and scratches caused in the shampoo stage where you'd be using the wash mitt. Which is why when the car is extra dirty you'd want to also mix in a fallout remover to aid the snowfoam in lifting the heavy stuff

[Willoughbyyy]

If you want to make it as easy as possible to keep the car looking fresh and clean invest in a new car vallet as above and the clear wrap. Those two combined will work really well!

[Willoughbyyy]

If you are using the wrap as chip protection for the lease company's benefit I wouldn't bother, I've never had an issue returning a car to one because of stone chips. But if they bother you personally I would recommend it.. My old 2011 polo gti was covered! Black paint along with work commutes and a few bumper to bumper races

[Willoughbyyy]

I've used a Karcher k2 for about three years and it finally packed up last weekend after countless use and abuse.. I'm looking at the k4 now possibly.

For a cheaper alternative CYR recommends this which has very high reviews - http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/nilfisk-c110- ... 0wodzCEDXw

[RUM4MO]

Just telling the service department works in some cases but not most. An interior sign is best, seen hanging ones from the interior mirror or even to the extent of an entire steering wheel cover with "DO NOT WASH" in big bold letters!

Well I did leave a puny note with "DO NOT WASH" quickly written on it, but forgot to tell the service reception person, came back early, workshop had run short of time but they commented that I probably would not worry if they had not washed it as them might have made it dirtier, so all good! That was after I had had a go at the two bucket approach, wash mitt now needs replacing, we had to run over a 100 meters of slurry the other day - not good, I must blast the underside one day after it has been out in the rain - why does it suddenly stop raining just after I've run over slurry???

[RUM4MO]

I've used a Karcher k2 for about three years and it finally packed up last weekend after countless use and abuse.. I'm looking at the k4 now possibly.

For a cheaper alternative CYR recommends this which has very high reviews - http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/nilfisk-c110- ... 0wodzCEDXw

I've had a Kew pressure washer for years, that is what Nilfisk took over, it was great but I always wondered about damaging car paint with it, so it has not been used for washing cars, plus, as its busiest time of year, when salt is dumped on roads, is also the coldest and I did not want it freezing up in the garage. This was my wrong purchase, what I aimed to buy was the last of the previous model which had a fold down handle and could have lived in the utility room, what I ended up buying was the first of a new range, and just went along with that at a introductory price and forgot the issue about being able to make it compact, my one looks like an upright hoover and takes up as much room!

[Willni]

If you want to continue you're usual maintenance eg just wash and a bit of tyre gloss, then I'd advise you to just get it properly detailed and then ceramic coated eg by Gtechniq approved personnel and then you won't have to polish or do anything like that for at least 5 years but, it's not something you can do yourself as it's v tough stuff eg if you muck up you need sandpaper.

Other than that for exposed metal part in the engine bay and underneath use ACF50 to prevent rust

[Freddie 1942]

I'm a new member having trouble removing locking screw on disc break screw has been damaged tried to turn it with centre punch but it still won't lose any ideas please oap. In trouble lol

[RUM4MO]

First, I'm amazed that that screw is seized on a car of that age! You must have used the wrong tool to remove it initially, these screws will be Torx or Philips headed, so using an impact hammer and the correct bit would have stopped that happening - actually whacking the top of that screw with a punch might just jar it free a bit. Finally if you can't rotate it using a punch or small chisel it will now be time to drill the head out. After that you might be able to remove the shank of that screw and replace it with a new one. Remember these screws are only there to stop the disc from rotating while you are replacing the wheel. You can but a threaded plastic bar that is part of a VW tool kit to do the same thing - ie remove the "top" wheel bolt, fit plastic threaded dowel and then remove all other wheel bolts, same in reverse.

Edit:- ah, looks like you have posted in the wrong section of this forum, you will have a 9N3 Polo as it is 2008.