[S3GCN]

I have had the RSQ3 for a couple of months now during which I have covered about 1000 miles or so. I have quite a few stone chips/marks on the car, mainly the bonnet, and am starting to think that the car must be a stone magnet.

the car had covered 4000 miles when I got it so I can’t rule out that I didn’t notice all of the chips when I bought it, but I know that a few have definitely happened during my ownership.

Has anyone else found that they are collecting lots of chips/marks on theirs?

 

[Gromit]

It's a hazard of modern driving I'm afraid. Mine likewise started collecting stone chips right from Day One and at 55,000 miles I have quite a collection now. Not a lot you can do about it apart from one of those God-awful nose covers - frankly I prefer the chips!

 

[Jalees]

Well I try to stay far far away from cars in front.
I have noticed when you are on motorway anything above 50mph you will get more stone chip.
It reduces a little bit but not too much.
You can get protective clear film on front but that cost is equal to get a good paint job at later stage.
So a touch up kit is what I use for now but it's very difficult to work with precision.

Regards,
KJ

 

[S3GCN]

Well I try to stay far far away from cars in front.
I have noticed when you are on motorway anything above 50mph you will get more stone chip.
It reduces a little bit but not too much.
You can get protective clear film on front but that cost is equal to get a good paint job at later stage.
So a touch up kit is what I use for now but it's very difficult to work with precision.

Regards,
KJ

I washed it today and there are a few marks on the bonnet. I was thinking about PPF earlier but as there is already some damage it might be a bit late to bother with it now.

 

[Lochsider]

Off top of my head. If it is bugging you I might be inclined to get a good paintshop to redo the area affected then wrap it with clear. Only a suggestion.

Mike

 

[RSQ3John]

I looked at PPF...for the front of mine. £1600 and takes a week,

 

[mwcltd]

Our roads are shot to pieces so it doesn't surprise me. I have a few on the bonnet and it is a fact of life. I have set my front distance warning to 2 seconds but short of spending vast amounts of money there is little else I can do.

 

[S3GCN]

I looked at PPF...for the front of mine. £1600 and takes a week,

Holy moly, I hadn’t expected it would cost that much. As Lochsider has said, getting the bonnet repainted would be a far cheaper option. No point getting anything done with it now it doesn’t warrant that, and it’d only happen again if I did.

 

[Jalees]

Well that's what I said so for now a touch up paint kit is the way to go if you can do it yourself.
Other than leave it and enjoy.
After all it's a machine.
That's my conclusion.
When there is time to sell most of the people are ignorant they don't see such details.
But it bugs me.

Regards,
KJ

 

[mwcltd]

In my opinion touch up paint has the potential to be the kiss of death. No matter how good you are at applying the paint then polishing it down, under certain lighting conditions, you will see the touched up areas. I now leave stone chips as the Audi paint system protects the metalwork from rust and expansion. Like me, you will eventually ignore the defects and enjoy the car.

 

[Jalees]

I like your comment that's the reality

 

[RSQ3John]

Stone chips....cocktail sticks are your friend here, was shown how to do it as a garage apprentice 45+ years ago....never the brush. Support your thumb and forefinger holding the stick with the remaining three fingers pressed firmly against the panel. Be patient...you don't need a big blob on the end of the stick - place the paint in the centre of the chip damage and leave it it to dry. It will make the chip damage all but invisible.. There are colour impregnated polishes available that will disguise it still further.

 

[mwcltd]

I do see how using a cocktail stick will work. However, as a member of the older generation, I do not believe that I have the skill set to do this. I acknowledge my limitations and leave well alone.

 

[spike]

I bought a paint touch up kit from Car Paint Wizard and it came with these 'professional' cocktail sticks
High quality touch up wands to buy online (carpaintwizard.co.uk)

Cheers Spike

 

[mwcltd]

Thank you Spike and John. In for a penny, in for a pound. I will contact them today and order a kit.

 

[S3GCN]

Well that's what I said so for now a touch up paint kit is the way to go if you can do it yourself.

I do have touch up and put some on to cover the bare metal of the worst chip. Some of the marks are through the paint but not severe enough that they can be touched up.

I have cut one of my child’s paint brushes down to a few bristles rather than using the brush provided with the touch up I have, in an attempt to be a little more accurate, not that it has helped all that much tbh. I did try a cocktail stick as others have suggested but that didn’t really put enough - or any - paint on so I must have been doing it wrong!

 

[RSQ3John]

The mistake people make is trying to do it in a single pass with too much paint. If you think about it for a moment the paint coating on your car is just microns thick - a cocktail stick holds very little paint, and as you need a tiny amount this is good.

It does require patience...

 

[Mr c]

I do have touch up and put some on to cover the bare metal of the worst chip. Some of the marks are through the paint but not severe enough that they can be touched up.

I have cut one of my child’s paint brushes down to a few bristles rather than using the brush provided with the touch up I have, in an attempt to be a little more accurate, not that it has helped all that much tbh. I did try a cocktail stick as others have suggested but that didn’t really put enough - or any - paint on so I must have been doing it wrong

I am another fan of the cocktail stick but also have a very fine artist paint brush only a cheapy, you say you the cocktail stick didn’t put enough on but as John said this the right approach you need to build it up in layers letting in dry between coats, and as to the colour polishes that was mentioned I am just wondering weather it had a coat or this at the stealers prior to you purchasing as it will certainly mask chips, then a couple of car washes and being out in the weather for a couple of weeks it soon where’s off.

 

[S3GCN]

I am another fan of the cocktail stick but also have a very fine artist paint brush only a cheapy, you say you the cocktail stick didn’t put enough on but as John said this the right approach you need to build it up in layers letting in dry between coats, and as to the colour polishes that was mentioned I am just wondering weather it had a coat or this at the stealers prior to you purchasing as it will certainly mask chips, then a couple of car washes and being out in the weather for a couple of weeks it soon where’s off.

It’s funny you mention coloured polishes as after I noticed the marks yesterday I had been wondering whether the dealer I purchased it from might have used something along those lines. I cannot believe that the numerous marks have been caused during my ownership. Too late to worry about it too much now.

 

[Perusal]

There is another product on the market called Chipex (www.chipex.co.uk) which is endorsed by numerous manufacturers including Audi. You put your car registration number in and it matches your paint colour.
I first saw it being used some years ago at a car rally and the results were, to be honest, amazing.

That said, I’ve subsequently tried using the product on 2 different cars with very mixed results. The solution tends to lift the paint back out of the chip so it can be very frustrating to use. It’s not the cheapest solution on the market but you would have to decide for yourself whether it’s worth giving it a go. What I will say however is that the colour match is excellent and you don’t need to worry about lacquers/clear coats etc.

Caveat emptor!