Bigpikle

I swapped my Merc E class for the Superb and love it. I drove a few Volvos and the ride and drive just dont compare to the Superb IMHO, if you get the right spec. Enjoy it!

bought some Sonax stuff on half price offer from Eurocarparts the other day and got free 2 day delivery - very impressed with that given how little I paid for the entire lot!

all good stuff but to be honest, if you are looking for value then check out the own label Serious Performance products from Alex at www.seriousperformance.co.uk as it will spank the Megs stuff and is sold as a concentrate that you dilute. Its brilliant stuff and cheap as chips

..but to complicate things, just be careful not to spritz too much as that just makes the fling even worse. Good technique for some polishes is to 'kiss' the pad to the paint over the area to be worked so you leave light dabs of polish evenly around the work area (before you switch it on and start working). You can then 'pick them up' as you go and it avoids the problem of the initial contact of pad and large amount of polish.

...and with DA you MUST work small areas eg 12" squares, and never work on hot panels or in the sun. Also need to check how much polish you are using? Different polishes have different lubricants in them and what might be just the right amount of product for one polish could be far too much (or little) for another. Keep experimenting...

how do you know if you have premium bluetooth - was it an optional extra? I have a brand new L&K and just trying to get to grips with all the tech in it, so is there a way to instantly know if this is fitted? thanks

no wax or sealant will help protect but it will need a polish with something abrasive like the g3 to get them out. You might AG SRP does an OK job as well or better still find someone who can give it a machne polish and it may come out in a few mins work

some good APC (all purpose cleaner) and a brush will be fine

you'll have swirls there unless its been meticulously detailed since new - and typically most new cars come with a nice set of dealer installed swirls anyway! Its just hard to see them on lighter colours and you'll need a bright light source to pick them out. The problem is that although they are hard to see, they cause the surface to lose the gloss finish - exactly like you describe.

where was it for £3? Looks worth it and its discounted on their site, but hard to find any resellers.

you could be very surprised just what impact a good paint cleaner will have on a colour like that. AG SRP is a good cleaner as well as offering a little abrasive but more importantly it does help fill light swirls. You also need to be realistic about what can be done purely by hand and also what can ultimately be done with that colour - its unlikely to be 'deep' and depending on the light, photos dont always give an accurate reflection of what you see. Good challenge if you're up for hand polishing the super barge!

my guess is that once summer holiday season is over there will be plenty to chose from on ebay if you're patient.

Sonax wheel cleaner is the best of those you listed. Otherwise the best cleaner by a country mile that doesnt also eat your wheels, is Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel. Stay away from Wonder Wheels at all costs! As Chris says, most important is to get a good wheel sealant afterwards and then you should only need the wheel cleaner a couple of times per year. No way you should EVER need 5L of wheel cleaner unless you decide to start cleaning cars professionally!

You have 2 choice really but its worth being realistic - brake dust and road muck sticks to wheels so you're unlikely to ever have a solution that just allows easy rinsing of all muck. With a very powerful pressure washer and fresh quality sealant I've had virtually clean wheels when they've not been too filthy, but if you want really clean then you always need a wash! The point is though that a mild shampoo will get it all off rather than needing harsh wheel cleaners regularly. The wax/coatings stop the brake dust bonding to the wheel much more effectively. 1. durable wax/sealant - favourites are FK1000p, anything Collinite, Zaino, BH Finis, or any other long lasting wax you like, ideally something with high temperature resistance which is why FK1000p does so well as its original use was a mould release wax. These will last about 6-12 weeks depending on use and care but are fairly easy to maintain and apply 2. a semi-permanent coating - loads of options here like Gtechniq, Nanolex, Optimum OC and various others. These bond to the wheel and typically provide 1-2 years of protection. They do require perfect prep to achieve this though and of course you dont want to lock in any muck under a semi-perm coating. Good if you have good wheels to start with, lots of patience and the products to do the perfect prep before applying. Some need 12-24hrs to fully cure after application and some can be tricky to apply as they can dry fast and leave smears etc if you dont get it on evenly. Probably not a type of product if you arent experienced at using small quantities of product and applying evenly etc eg not for the ham fisted! Everyone has different opinions but having used both options for years, I'd recommend FK1000p as the best for option 1 (and it is super cheap and even available in small sample pots that will do wheels for a couple of years) or Optimum Opti Coat (which will last 2+ years but is fiddly to use) and just put Optimum OC on both my new cars again. Both still need regular cleaning but both options make it much easier!

thanks - will check it out!

I get why this is on the car, but I find it very annoying, and it seems to take a while to restart when you move forward again. Is there any way to stop the music automatically muting when you select reverse? Please say there is....please

looks great! ditch the badges - they'll catch lots of crud in that location. Personally I'd de-badge the boot as well. Its the first thing I did! You could try Plasti-dip on the aerial as you can easily take it off if you dont like it or mess it up.

Nattys Blue wax is superb and huge VFM - dead easy but not the longest lasting. But the smell :cocktail: Nat Look Dressing is one of the best IMHO.

99p B&Q grout sponge - far better than a mitt any day. Used mitts for years but a good soft sponge makes life far easier with rinseless washes like ONR and they last forever...

yep - these things are a great step forward in the prep process.

if you like AG stuff and want something easy to find, then AG HD wax is superb and easy to use. Otherwise your choice is almost limitless. I'd suggest the first question is what type of application do you want/prefer? Liquid, spray, hard or soft wax? Then choose based on your preferences. If you want very hard wearing and long lasting then Collinite products or FK1000p are great and people are raving about Fusso wax, although it does seem to have a few quibbles with the way its applied for some people. Otherwise the world is your oyster depending on price range....

Megs consumer stuff is dead easy to use, so something isnt right. When stuff wont come off easy its either the panel was too hot, you used too much or didnt take it off at the right time. This stuff is used by literally hundreds of thousands of people around the world every week. Its huge in the US and probably the biggest selling range of car products in the country. So, the most likely issue is that you either used too much or worked too big an area and it dried. Something like the Step 2 polish is a deep cleaner/abrasive to improve the surface so it needs a small amount of product, ideally on a foam or MF pad, slightly damp, and worked in a small area like 30cm x30cm. Work it a bit and then remove with a clean MF immediately. Move to the next patch and do not allow anything to cake on or dry. The wax is good, although not very long lasting. Havent used it for a while but its essentially a new version of the classic Megs #26, so needs a very thin wipe over so you almost cant see it on the panel (if you can see a smear of wax then you put it on much too thin, and IIRC you leave it to haze for a couple of mins. The usual test is that you will see it start to haze on the panel and when you can lightly swipe a clean finger through the haze and it removes the wax leaving a shiny swipe mark, then its time to buff off. Doesnt take long when its warm. Should then buff off quickly and easily but use a clean MF and turn it frequently and use a couple of cloths to do the car. A light spritz of QD or water will help on any patches where it might have gone on a little thick. Good luck.

Autosol is great and easy and cheap to find in most autofactors and Halfrauds etc

nice - I drove a 2.0tdi 170 4x4 and really liked the way it went and handled, but it wasnt a good example of the car itself. Was going to go for a new 4x4 but at the last minute just decided to go FWD and winter tyres - my mileage is higher and i decided i didnt want the full-time mpg penalty. I was surprised how much different the mpg was even in a well run-in model I drove. Enjoy it though and look forward to the thread.

thats really helpful - thanks I guess te only thing is the Thule wing bars are mounted above the roof rails on a foot pack while the Whispbar seem to fit flush with them. Will give it a punt anyway!