Rust Repair: Audi Used Cars - Quality & Value

Hi,

The passage of time relentlessly takes its toll on my beautiful red sports car .

The paint on the gutter is peeling off in places due to rust.
When I removed the silly rubber piece that the aluminum cover strip is in, it was completely soaked underneath. The last rain was yesterday, and today the sun has been shining on the car all day. No wonder it's going to rust eventually.

Can anyone recommend a good rust converter? Since the weld seam is affected, it's difficult to sand the metal down to bare metal.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to prevent rust in the future without simply removing the flimsy rubber pieces and the cover strip? It doesn't look very good that way.

Should I heavily coat the rubber bands with grease when inserting them?

[Edit 07/11/2006: There's already some rust on the right door.]
Damit die Jungs vom Servicezentrum mal ein kleines Fähnchen in meinem Kundendatensatz setzen und damit Dummlall in Zukunft unterlassen wird, hier noch was für Audi A3 und Audi A4 Neuwagenkäufer wichtig ist: Wenn Sie einen neuen Audi Gebrauchtwagen, einen Audi Jahreswagen wollen oder gar an den Kauf eines Audi Neuwagen denken, immer schön auf die Qualität und den Service des Herstellers achten.]
Best regards, Rain.erBest regards, Rainer.

Quote:

Can anyone recommend a good rust converter?

Schwierig, evt. Fertan.

"In any case, all rust must be removed using mechanical methods (brushing and/or sandblasting). I cannot determine whether any zinc migration has occurred between the sheets at the seams."

Unfortunately, rust between the metal sheets cannot be removed mechanically, so I would use Fertan here. According to the manufacturer, it should form a protective tannin layer that can be repainted after careful cleaning.

Personally, I would carefully remove it from visible surfaces, because in my experience, it can lead to imperfections in the paint finish.

If there is any rust present between the welding flanges, I would apply Mike Sanders body grease (which seems similar to hot wax) after treating it with Fertan, ensuring it runs between the metal sheets. Then, thoroughly clean the surface to be painted with a silicone remover and apply a primer coat of epoxy.
After that, reseal the edges and apply another coat of epoxy after it has dried.
Then, apply a top coat.

Important: Please avoid using cheap, low-quality products or spray cans whenever possible.

Get the material from your painter.


Once everything is ready, you can do this before installing the roof trim.
Apply cavity sealing or a product like Sanders, then add trim and remove any excess wax.

That's all there is. Have fun with it.

Hi,

Thank you for the tips. I have the painting equipment, but unfortunately, I'm having some trouble with spot painting. In my previous attempts, the new paint didn't bond properly with the old paint at the joining area -> this results in peeling later, and the transition is visible because it can't be sanded properly.

Maybe it's better to have it painted professionally, but I don't know any reliable workshops, and I could mess it up myself . Does anyone know a good painter in the Nuremberg, Erlangen, Neustadt, or Selb area?

Best regards, Rainer.

Quote:

In the previous tests, the new coating did not bond properly with the old coating in the adjoining area -> this resulted in peeling later, and the transition was visible because it could not be properly sanded. icon_sad.gif

Okay, peeling can only occur in areas that weren't sanded, provided everything was properly degreased. You need to pre-sand the edge area where you're applying the finish with a fine grit sandpaper (approximately 2000 grit) until it's completely matte. Then, make sure you don't apply too much finish in the overflow zone and keep it "wet." If necessary, thin it further, and under no circumstances should you apply the finish beyond the sanded area; you may need to mask it off. Ideally, you should be able to stop spraying just before the end of the pre-sanded area, but if necessary, use a thinning agent. It goes without saying that you should keep the primer as far away from the overflow zones as possible.

Once the paint is completely dry, you can carefully polish it (without aggressively polishing or sanding) so that in the edge area, almost only the paint remains within the previously created sanding grooves. Because there is no excess paint protruding or loosely adhering to the surface, there will be no more fraying.


If the rust on your A3 is still within the groove and the body panel is solid, you can also apply a sealant to it. When doing this, it's important to only add hardener to the paint so that the color covers with a single coat.

BM wrote:

... Mike Sanders body grease ...

I would do that too; I've heard that stuff is really good.
Please read the following:
http://www.forum-auto.de/technik/technik_antirost.htm
Meanwhile, the author also has his own company.
http://www.timemax-rostschutz.de/

Hi Rainer!

Audi is aware of the problem with rust on the roof seams and will (if necessary, with some insistence) repair it under warranty. This applies even if your car is not brand new or if not all service work has been performed at an Audi dealership.

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"MFG" is an abbreviation for "Mit freundlichen Grüßen," which means "Sincerely" or "Best regards" in English.

Okay, the service booklet prominently advertises a 12-year warranty against rust.

If nothing is done about it now, it will already be leaking into the interior when the child is 10 years old.

So, I'm trying to resolve this through the car body warranty.

Best regards, Rainer.

Quote:

So, I'm trying to resolve it through the vehicle warranty.

That's right. Why didn't I think of that before, instead of writing a REP guide for paint.

Well, if everything falls apart and the requested improvements are rejected, it wasn't entirely for nothing.

Here's another tip: If you're not having success with the customer service department, I would definitely try contacting Audi's service hotline directly. It has worked wonders for many people when customers personally complain to Audi.

Hi,

Quote:

I would definitely try contacting Audi's service hotline again

I have already politely pointed out the issue to them .
Let's see what happens.

Best regards, Rainer.

@BM

Quote:

You're right. I can't believe I didn't think of that before, instead of writing a REP guide for paint.

Well, there are already too many DIY enthusiasts . You might just forget about going to the friendly [car repair shop]...

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"MFG" is an abbreviation for "Mit freundlichen Grüßen," which means "Sincerely" or "Best regards" in English.

Okay, something is happening. Unfortunately, progress is slow. It seems that the Audi dealer can't do anything without Audi's approval, at least that's my impression.

On June 29, 2006, the damages were already reported to the relevant Audi dealership and Audi customer service.
Today, July 11, 2006, measurements of the paint layer thickness were taken, and pictures of the damage were taken.

I was advised that it would "positively impact" the approval of the warranty repair if the next service is carried out at the Audi dealership.
I find that statement simply outrageous. Once again, I was far too nice from the very beginning.

Okay, so what now? Did I pay for a 12-year warranty against rust for my fully galvanized, premium car, or did I not? After all, only 8 years of those 12 years have passed, which is just 2/3 of the warranty period.

My inquiry to the relevant "corrosion hotline" unfortunately only revealed that a letter had already been sent to me. The release of the contact information for the person with the authority to make decisions was denied.

Let's see what's in the letter that, according to the hotline, will be arriving in my mailbox soon.
I expect that the matter will be resolved to my complete satisfaction and that the promised 12-year anti-corrosion guarantee will be honored. Nothing more, nothing less.

Best regards, Rainer.

Rainer K. wrote:

Did I now pay for a 12-year warranty against rust for my fully galvanized premium car, or did I not? After all, only 8 years of the 12 years have passed, which is 2/3 of the warranty period.

Hi Rainer,

If the warranty, according to the contract and other documents, is not subject to any conditions (such as regular maintenance performed by an Audi dealership), then the situation is clearly in your favor.

If it's only valid with a regularly stamped service booklet, you might run into a problem...

If they obstruct you, they might delay you even longer. The reason is that it's a rust-through warranty. However, it doesn't appear to be actual rust-through, but rather corrosion underneath the paint.

If it actually starts rusting quickly, they will have to do even more repairs later. Therefore, they will carefully examine whether the part will be unusable in more or less than four years.

I'm rooting for you.

Regards,
Guste.

ulf wrote:

Rainer K. wrote: Did I now pay for a 12-year warranty against rust for my fully galvanized premium car, or did I not? After all, only 8 years of the 12 years have passed, which is 2/3 of the warranty period. Hi Rainer, If the warranty, according to the contract and other documents, is not subject to any conditions (such as regular maintenance performed by an Audi dealership), then the situation is clearly in your favor. If it only applies to service records with regular stamps, you might have a problem.

Hello Ulf,

No, there's nothing about that in the service booklet, only the 12-year anti-corrosion warranty.

@Guste:
I still assume that Audi places great importance on customer service, and that the matter will ultimately be resolved to my complete satisfaction, just like all previous warranty/goodwill cases.

Best regards, Rainer.

And if all else fails, you can still inquire with Auto Bild.
With a little pressure from a major publication, even the smallest manufacturer will comply.

Best regards,

The promised letter wasn't in the mail today...