Approved used audi

[Bross]

Hi I bought an approved used A4 avant mid June and have started to notice so paint flaking. One spot on front bumper. One on rear driver side beside passenger door and on the sill of the same side. What are the odds I'll get any help? Paint seems very thin like no base or lacquer? 

 

 

 

[Magnet]

Welcome Bernard and thanks for joining. 
I think it would be fair to say that the paint and lacquer thickness on later model vehicles has been reduced to a minimum, and consequently, the finish is far more susceptible to paint chips and damage. 
Having said that, I think we have to moderate our opinion on possible causes, since we do not have access to inspect the car. 
With that caveat in mind, some of the following may apply:-

The paint ‘chip’ on the rear quarter may have been caused by some object (or person) being removed from the rear passenger seat. It does have a rather non typical chip damage appearance since the edges do not appear to be jagged, but…

It could be me, but photos 2 to 5 don’t allow me to form any opinion due to being either too close or too much flash reflection. 
Cill photos- that damage appears to be just that - impact damage but some object/s rather that stones. 
Again, it could be the photo magnification, but the factory applied stone-chip protection appears to be too  irregular for a factory applied finish - to me. 
If this were mine:- I would give the car a good wash with a hose, sponge and shampoo, and take it along to a largish bodyshop, and ask them if they can give you a paint thickness assessment on each panel ( they would have a handheld detector to do that), and to give you an overall assessment of the areas you have concern about. This is likely to cost, but could prove to be a worthwhile expenditure. 
Perhaps you can fill us in with some background Bernard.

Did you inspect the car’s paintwork before taking delivery?

How often has the car been washed/cleaned since you bought it in June, and by what means is it usually cleaned? 
How much mileage has it covered in your ownership, and what are the road conditions like in the area the car is used? 
Perhaps you can let us have some distance photos of the bumper paintwork causing concern. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[cliffcoggin]

14 hours ago, Bross said:

Hi I bought an approved used A4 avant 

Approved by whom? What sort of guarantee did the approver offer?

[spartacus 68]

Assuming that’s Approved Audi, which from memory is 12 months, possibly 2 years if you took finance, depends on offer at the time.

If it is Audi, then book it in for someone to review in the New Year. Audi paint specialist will measure paint thickness. They would do this for any anti perforation claim anyway whether approved or not and that will form basis for any claim. Tell tale for me is paint on stone chip protection which looks like it’s peeling. Unusual for paint to strip on rear quarter like that, but again we don’t know specific circumstances.

[Bross]

Hi Spartacus, thanks for the reply. Yes car was bought audi approved in June, and is going in for a service and gearbox service the start of Jan. Great driving car. 

But yes the flaking on the wheel arch is what really got my attention. So will hopefully get it looked at then. 

[Magnet]

Hello Bernard,

Would you please be able to respond to the questions in my post? 
Sorry to repeat, but personally, I would be concerned with the appearance of the cill, and the possibility of the car having been damaged and repaired in that area. 

[Bross]

Hi Magnet, sorry I missed your post somehow. Thanks for including the level of detail you went into. 

I have had the cars since mid June, bought from synther audi west London. When I worked close by.  Now back home in northern Ireland and have completed 10000 mils roughly.  I clean car myself like all my cars with autoglym products. A d never had any  bother before. Try do to it every 10 days or two weeks . 

 

Road conditions are generally not bad mostly motorway driving. Or main roads. 

I think the rear quarter panel is very strange and no physical chip. And no one has ever been in the back other than a car seat on the other side. 

The cill may have been something but I don't remember what it could have been? And front bumper maybe a stone chip but it looks more like a flake than a chip.  Ut again I am no expert. And would be better getting paint depth tested. 

 

Yes paint work was seen and looked in good order as it was all prepared for showroom.  An it was second hand d so didn't expect a new vehicle. 

 

I will try and get better pictures in daylight tomorrow.  

[Magnet]

Many thanks Bernard. 
That additional detail is enlightening. 
My observations based on that, are now as follows:- 

The car has covered an above average mileage over its 6 months ownership, and will have inevitably suffered from stone chip damage. 
Appreciating the car has been cleaned often enough with quality cleaning products, but could you let us know what your cleaning procedure is please. 
It’s probably me, but I’m still having difficulty in orientating the first two photos in your most recent post, and think ( assumptions are dangerous!) that the area you are showing might be the lower front bumper -? If it’s the paint chipping on this area, then I would consider this to be stone chip damage and not paint peeling, but I don’t have access to the car to be able to confirm that. 
Saying it as I see it Bernard - and with no offence intended - you seem to be overly concerned about the chip on the forward edge of the rear wing. This must be ‘damage’ ( how/where/when?) and I would seriously expect Audi would reject responsibility for that. 
The cill and its texture? now this would be very much the top of my concern list - assuming the photo is representative of reality. I would be wanting to check door gaps, door to cill gaps etc. since this could ( in caps) be associated with earlier accident damage. 
Repeating:- if it were mine, I would be getting a reputable bodyshop to assess the overall paintwork, before presenting this to Audi. 
Perhaps you could come back to us on your cleaning procedure, and then let us know how you get on. 
Kind regards,

Gareth.

[Bross]

Thank Gareth.  Reply is much appreciated. 

Yes high enough milage nothing more than what previous cars would have covered and less chips etc. Yes I think I will get and independent evaluation done. 

I agree front bumper maybe have been chip but just not a 100% sure and photos will never do justice to what the eye sees. But the cill definitely has a question over it and what i see in person the rear quarter panel is something I feel is not right. 

Wash procedure 

Generally wash down with powerwasher (cold) wide spray nozzle not that high of psi. 

Clean wheels first with iron fallout remover and wash down then quick wetting of car again and apply snowfowm product. Sit for 5 mins use two bucket one for rinse and one for wash  and the wash off. Not sure how good or bad this is but never had any real problems.

 

Was due to could for valet and wax or ceramic coating but I have put this off . 

 

At the time of buying i was being offered a paint protection product £699 to allow for 10 claims per year. Maybe should have took it 😆 

 

Regards Bernard 

[Magnet]

Many thanks again Bernard,

Personally, I keep any pressure washer under lock and key and well away from any vehicle. Some may say old fashioned, but I maintain ‘ look what it does to your patio’! 
Still, each to his own, but if anyone has seen what I’ve seen them do to cause lacquer ‘clouding’ very quickly on very expensive cars, they may think about returning to a hose, bucket and sponge. 
Snow foam?? - don’t know, in preference to Autoglym shampoo. 
Use of any alloy wheel cleaner blasted on with a pressure washer? Can play havoc with corrosion on brake and suspension components, but… 

Ceramic coating? Never done any subsequent bodywork on vehicles which have been ceramic coated, but I understand it can cause difficulty in getting a good surface key with subsequent over painting, but again …? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Bross]

 Yes 100% agree with power washer but it's more to take rough off not a high psi and wide spray nozzle so not very sore in my opinion.  

 

Polar blast autoglym snowfoam, spray bottle for alloy cleaner and brush specially for that and was off immediately.  Never had ceramic normally wax haven't decided yet.  Thanks again