Autoglym Lifeshine

[Ari]

Further to the comments and questions regarding the Autoglym Lifeshine system for new cars, I emailed Autoglym with a few questions based on the comments made as I wanted to find out what it was all about before I went for it.

Here's the reply, basically he has returned my email with the questions answered within it, if you see what I mean.

Sounds all good to me, but see what you think...

I am about to take delivery of a new Audi Cabriolet, and have been offered

Autoglym LifeShine by the dealers, which I am tempted to take up. I've

always used Autoglym products and been very pleased with them.

LifeShine is all about bringing people into car care who don't know about

it, understand it or realise that they can make a big difference to their

vehicle with a little consistent care. It provides initial treatments, a

pack for on-going care and the assurance of Autoglym expertise should things

go wrong.

However the leaflet that they have given me (echoed by the information on

your web site) doesn't really tell me everything I need to know, so I would

be grateful if you could answer some questions for me please.

The finish that is applied to the bodywork, is that basically a hard wearing

wax, or something quite different? And is it applied in the same way as wax,

ie polished on with cloths and then polished off again?

Yes it is.

Once the treatment is completed, can, and indeed should, I wax the car using

regular waxes such as Super Resin Polish etc? (I usually wax my car about

every six months with two coats of Autoglym Super Resin Polish followed by a

coat of Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection).

Yes, that would be OK, or when the water stops beading.

Do I clean the car with a normal car wash mix in the usual way and then

chamois it?

Yes you do

The garage tells me that they do not do anything to treat the soft top

hood. Is that correct?

Hoods come with waterproofing protection so you shouldn't need to do

anything but wash it for a couple of years.

Does the LifeShine treatment include treatment of bodywork plastics, such as

the grille etc?

Not as a warranty item, but there is product in the Care Kit to treat

plastics

Are the wheels treated in any way? (I understand that there are now wheel

waxes available that make the wheels easier to keep clean).

No. We provide a wheel cleaner. If you have alloys you can use Extra Gloss

Protection to make them easier to clean, (which is as good as anything

available) so long as you clean them at least once a fortnight and use

Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner. (You only need the Wheel Cleaner for baked on

brake dust).

How long is the glass treatment expected to last? (I understand that it is

treated with a water repelling substance).

A considerable time, (although we can't be exact as it depends on car usage,

weather conditions etc etc).

As mentioned I am very tempted to pay for the treatment, but if you would be

kind enough to put my mind at rest regarding the above points I would be

very grateful.

[Hants_Cruiser_UK]

Well I tell you what Ari - don't think I will be bothering with that treatment. Seem to be too many nos in their reply.

Think I will stick to using my usual Autoglym products, unless I get good reply on my "Meguiars" post.

I think you are like me and really enjoy the satisfaction of a seeing a sparkling clean car after a mornings hard graft. Keeps you fit too

I know some people hate cleaning thier cars and find it a chore, but I really enjoy it - am I wierd

[Ari]

[ QUOTE ]

I think you are like me and really enjoy the satisfaction of a seeing a sparkling clean car after a mornings hard graft. Keeps you fit too

I know some people hate cleaning thier cars and find it a chore, but I really enjoy it - am I wierd

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm very much the same. I keep the car clean, but once every couple of months I like to spend the best part of a day at it, three coats of wax, doing all the matt plastic on the outside, window clean, the lot. I love the finished look, and the car stays cleaner and cleans easier if it is well polished.

I've chosen to go with the LifeShine program mainly because I was desperate for the car to be waxed before it goes on the road (as you'll see if you read my post "Waxing a brand new car"). It's probably a bit daft, and waxing it a week later (well I aint gonna be doing it the day I get it!!) would probably be just as effective, but the idea of the paint being completely waxed before the car has turned a wheel on the road appeals to me.

Also, you get a massive amount of Autoglym products, the dealer reckons £70 worth, which looking at the list wouldn't surprise me. Most if not all of this stuff I'd want anyway.

And the final thing is that they protect the interior with a kind of "Scotchguard" product, which I reckon is essential in a Cabriolet. Some nasty things drop out of the sky sometimes and you'd want to be sure you can get it off the upholstery!

For me the LifeShine system makes sense, but probably you could buy the products and do exactly the same yourself for a third of the cost...