travs

Soz - video seems embedded on the phone, but a downloadable link on here 🤔

Hi all, Bit of an odd one this - the rear lights fade on when unlocking but one seems to stick. Doesn't fade on, but then turns on in one. Does anyone know what is causing this? Video below: IMG_8175.mov

Mine fluctuates but is regularly above 95 - has done since I bought it 3 years ago so adding my assurance to this.

Congrats on the purchase travo; looks super aggressive with the black on black on black thing. Mine is an L&K which shoves a tiny amount too much chrome in to the mix. On the Haldex, the dealers just don't have the instruction from VAG to clean the gauze - its not that they do a poor job by nature (well some probably do), just that they do what they're told because of the book time etc. Def a great preventive job to do it though. VCDS adaptions that list is pretty good (on facelift you can't do a few things that you could on the pre-FL unfortunately) I'd include to that - adding the 'switching off the DRLs' on the MIB menu. It just means if you're doing any work with the ignition on for a long period of time they aren't sitting on draining the battery. There is also an option to make the start-stop button pulse like a heartbeat. Absolute gimmick and hardly noticeable unless you look for it, but while you're there with the laptop plugged in you might as well. Oh, and also you can turn down the brightness of the Hazard Warning light - its brightness is massively subjective of course, but its nice turning it down for night driving. You're not going to lose sight of it, it just makes it a little less constantly obvious in your peripheral vision (for me anyway). Personally, I agree in theory with the point about that having a hairline trigger throttle pedal isn't in character with the car (thinking that's more associated with more of a track tool) but...I got a Racechip pedal box. I liked it on Sport initially for a bit more response. Nowadays, its on Race+ - much better and I clearly don't always take my own advice. Scarily, the Mrs said she didn't notice - its like night and day!

That does sound a bit rubbish; maybe a poor batch? Our 21 L&K ‘chrome’ is ok and I’ve used plenty of citrus prewashes and snowfoams.

I started my own detailing venture last year so went and got trained properly including a qualification with the International Detailing Association. Did a lot of study on the basic chemistry, and it is basic chemistry, to understand what products we use, why, what not to use and how products seemingly similar in name/type can work in different ways. I found it really interesting…and scary how many people either don’t know what they’re talking about but also those that offer a correct solution to someone but clearly don’t know why, just going with what they know.

I know this is done and dusted, but thought I'd wade in on this as have some training. Most car cleaning products are alkali of some nature because alkali chemicals have a slicky, slippy feeling and this aids as a natural lubricant. Its actually harder to really clear off the paint hence why a lot of instructions will talk about buffing off with a clean microfibre cloth. But they are likely mildly so, 8-10; and definitely not caustic per se. Likely they will have different dilution ratios depending on the state of the bodywork. I use a citrus prewash (these are alkali because Limonene comes from the peel of citrus fruit, nothing to do with Citric Acid), which can be diluted from 25:1 down to 5:1 on very dirty cars and still safe to use. Acids and Alkalis are equally adequate at surfactant actions (breaking the bond between two materials, i.e. paint surface and a contaminant); but alkalis have that naturally-lubricating action, whereas acids will end up being quite 'grabby' when they're flashing off (evaporating and need wiping off). It's this point that causes the contact damage to paint as clearcoat is soft and the microfibre cloth will scratch the clearcoat. That's one of the main reasons why wheel cleaners started off being acid and have now moved en-masse to pH neutral/mildly alkali (except where the brake dust is really repeatedly baked on, or things like aluminium brake parts which can be attacked by acids). Acids are generally still used for 3 things: Iron Fallout Remover (Thioglycolic Acid-based which dissolves the iron particles embedded in the paint) Waterspot remover (avoid the cheaper products using Hydrofluoric Acid which is a contact poison) as needed to attack the alkali limescale/minerals Glass Cleaner - because you can't scratch the glass with a draggy cloth and it flashes off better without needing additional buffing. So - the chrome strips are laminated plastic. No metal in them. It is true that they react and go cloudy when hit with strong alkali but the key here is not snowfoam, it is your local Scratch N Shine who, in an effort to shorten the time, will use a TFR (Traffic Film Remover) which is...a strong alkali. It is likely that the product is needed to be diluted properly in accordance with the manufacturer and left for a specified amount of time; and the dilution ratio likely won't be taken seriously, and in busy times, the pre-wash stage may be too long and in a strong sunlight it we be allowed to dry on. Only way to sort would be replace or take it to someone who can wrap it perhaps. There could be a possibility of using a ceramic coating product (btw not a hybrid ceramic wax or spray ceramic product - they are entirely different to a ceramic coating!) but this is a preventive measure, not a repair of a tarnished one.

Glazes (aka Showglazes) don't have any protective aspects on their own. They're generally fillers to mask the effect of swirlmarks and add gloss, but generally they don't have any real bonding capability. Put some on with a polishing machine and you'll be taking it back off again after a couple of passes. As a topic about different types of protection, glazes don't make the cut but I could put an additional thread with other bits in. SRP, as popular a product as it is, is generally fillers and a wax element to it. The fillers will do the masking, and fill in some swirlmarks, then the wax element will hold it in place for a little while; a month tops if the car's being used in dry weather. Chuck in heavy rain and muddy, salty roads (ie the worst conditions) and you can lose the lower half in a day's driving I'd say.

I’m missing the point a little but I adore the colour.

T-Cut (aka T-Cut Original Restorer) and T-Cut Scratch Remover are different products; apologies for not specifying but yes I was only ever referring to the first as that I what I know T-Cut as, not the subsequent product ranges. Happy to create more distinction in my post.

Personal opinion is that the money is better spent on a Ceramic-based product but 'in matters of taste the customer is always right'. i.e. buy and use what you like and what you're happy with.

No probs - the ceramic thing is the most common issue; shove ceramic in the title and people think it's a coating. Ceramic elements are harder wearing but the key in a coating is the bonding/cross-bonding with the paint at a molecular level. Technically a drawback is that it is brittle comparted to paint which has an element of flexibility to it (described to me like putting a sheet of glass on top of a mattress) but ultimately the scratch-resistance is noticeable. As for Polymer Sealants - they're not always called that, sometimes just called Paint Sealants. I find the ones that refer to having Graphene in are usually good examples, or don't refer to either Wax or Ceramic in the title. Here's a fair listing for products: https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/exterior/paint-protection/paint-sealants-synthetic

I've got the same albeit much rarer. 2021 facelift with the rear DRL's turned on through VCDS. Occasionally throws an error and EML on the dashboard checking rear light. Left side is off but flicks back on with a very gentle knock with the base of my palm. Doesn't seem to reoccur when driving on that trip or for a multitude of times later. Doesn't make enough of a problem to me until it presents itself that it may be more consistent. Haven't tried the indicator when it happens so not sure what wouldn't be working. Guessing its £70m for a replacement.

Thought it would be good to clarify a few things as I see so often on the internet people seemingly speaking with confidence and getting things completely wrong. Wax - originally came in paste, and then developed into spray applications. Natural product, molecules are relatively large so will sit "on" the paint. Supposedly gives a warmer look to the paint but its all subjective and never really noticed it myself. Depending on the product, it can be removed from the paint pretty quickly in awful weather/salty roads. Some products like Autoglym SRP contain fillers so will help fill swirlmarks make paint look corrected (but won't be). Polymer Sealant - development of spray wax to replace the wax with polymer/acrylic to give a hardier coating once its on. Will still sit "on" the paint. Ceramic Spray/Hybrid Ceramic Wax - the Sio2/Silicon Dioxide/Silica version of a spray protection. The Ceramic element is hardier still so will resist and the molecules are smaller than waxes and so there could be an element of filling but that would be minimal. There are a variety of applications, usually spray and wipe and sometimes included as a drying aid (although this is most likely combining the use of water to help spread). Carpro Hydro2 and Gyeon Wetcoat are versions which you mist onto the panel and then jetwash off - the forceful action bonds the product to the surface so very easy to use...but these are sensitive to direct sunlight so not advisable unless classic British weather. These tend to give a more silvery glow to this (I put this down to this basically being the same chemistry as glass); Quick Detailer - you cleaned the car yesterday, it rained today and doesn't look like it has just been cleaned; maybe a bit dusty, or a contaminant in the rain so it has some water spots on it. Enter the quick detailer. Spray and wipe application and most have some sort of gloss effect or light cleaning but there is no one standard minimal set of characteristics so its down to the product. Also often used as a drying aid but any gloss enhancement won't bond for long. **T-Cut Original Restorer - some pre-knowledge for the below. Strong petro-chemical/organic hydrocarbon (Naphthalene I think, subsequently corrected as also including Tetrosyl) that breaks the bonds of the clearcoat (or paint if no clearcoat paintwork) so that it can be massaged and flattened out before it flashes off the the paint/clearcoat reforms its bonds. Its not manually aggressive, it doesn't abrade the paint like a polishing compound would. It can soften edges of deeper scratches. It also acts as a solvent for some contaminants. Ceramic Coatings - these are very very different to anything previous and very specific. These are small concentrated bottles of product that require delicate application so if it doesn't look like that, it isn't a ceramic coating. The ceramic coating is dissolved in very strong petro-chemical solvent carriers like Naphtha, Toluene or Xylene. Again, these melt and break the bonds of the clearcoat/paint, and the ceramic bonds both with the paint molecules and with itself to form a very strong bond. As above, this process can work like T-Cut to flatten out the very lightest of marks on the paint but you're not repeatedly rubbing like you would with T-Cut, its a slow linear movement over the paint so any correction will be minimal if at all. The product then requires an amount of time to fully cure such as 24/48Hrs or up to a few days. Getting the product wet during this time can impact the overall longevity of it. Also, dirt or contaminants caught in the product can be baked-in to last for the length of the coating (some would advise application indoors). Also, the application process needs to ensure there are no "high spots" - product which is built-up and not smoothed out. It becomes obvious because it doesn't allow the light to pass through as clearly and shows itself as a bit of a cloudy patch. It can be solved if caught quickly but decent application avoids these in the first place. Coatings will provide hydrophobic properties and protect the paintwork for anything from 1-9 years. I take anything over 2 years with a pinch of salt and generally unprovable as it is so dependent on how it is maintained and cleaned. It is hardy but is is not bulletproof. You can also create swirlmarks in it, and birdbombs are capable of eating into it if left long enough. It is not immortal. It is also nothing associated with the pencil/MOHS hardness rating - that's essentially a marketing thing. Ceramic Coatings are there to take a bit more of a hit than paint (as paint is so soft and damageable) and assist in UV protection with plenty of gloss and a slick feel. I'm sure there's more but hopefully this helps to clarify. Oh, and when the dealer offers a Ceramic Coating, ask for the product name and look it up. If there is anything to do with a spray, it isn't a ceramic coating; its a ceramic spray.

Definitely alcantara fibres? i.e. maybe there were other fibres on the fabric that were obvious. Guess the acid-test is that the fabric doesn't look bald at least. Def right to be gentle with it; more the action as well as chemicals. Stuff can be used but not strong and rinsed quickly. Alcantara is an artificial fabric so will be hardier than suede thankfully.

Rapid Ceramic is essentially a representative replacement of a spray wax or polymer sealant; just SiO2 technology rather than wax-based or polymer/acrylic-based created in a lab so similar but hardier but chiefly: its not a ceramic coating. It'd be ideal over the top of a glaze as that will fill in swirls and the Ceramic will cover over.

Agree with that. I had one years back and enjoyed 65k pretty hard miles. Remapped and light BBS wheels and it went well (although the remap could be a little aggressive on the clutch). Did the EGR delete on it but because it was the early ASZ engine it was awful when turning off. Sounded like it was going to fall apart. Only ran it with Millers additive; it seemed to stall when cold otherwise 😒

As an aside that video made me feel like I was about to fall out of a moving car 😵‍💫

Welcome Jay - enjoy the forum!

Welcome - I’m sure you’ll find plenty of advice and guidance in the relevant forum! 38k is a real find in this day and age though!

Classic Fabias; we’re the blue ones all SE?

Bonjour et bienvenue!

World of difference 👍 Just be aware SRP, while classic, is basically fillers with wax; it’s been well used as it helps to fill in swirl marks to an extent but it will only last as long as the wax protects it. For gloss black pillars it’s definitely a good shortcut to polishing with compound though. Can also try a showglaze like Poorboys Black Hole but that's got no protection so would need something over the top to keep it protected from the elements.

Waterless products were developed in places like California where there are hosepipe bans often. It’s a solution looking for a problem and also a bit of a compromise. They work by having increased levels of surfactants and lubricants to lift dirt away from the paint so you can wipe it away but essentially you are still risking rubbing dirt against the clear coat and scratching it. Save your money on that in this country. There are specific products which help dissolve but generally getting it wet is a good start. But tbh it’s a biological matter, most things involving an alcohol (panel wipe), organic carbon solvent (tar remover) will do the job as will wheel cleaners which are safe for clear coated wheels [and therefore clear coated paint). Spray on, let dwell, rinse off. As always with paint, avoid as much mechanical removal as possible. No “some say” about it, the acids in the poo can eat into clear coat over time but what is a more common issue is when there is direct sunlight and the paint gets hot, the bonds of the outer molecules of the clear coat break and the poo is allowed to be absorbed.

Jealous. Would love that at home - but we are on mains pressure rather than a cold water tank and I think the flow-rates are too low (he says having done very little research on it mind you).