First Thorough Detailing of My Car

[R1NSE]

I purchased my 2006 A4 as a CPO in the beginning of February. There are a few scratches in the clear coat and swirling on the trunk. I have been washing it my self and have taken a lot of the tips from here in doing that. My question now is this:

Not knowing what has been done to the car (i.e. clay bar, polish, seal or wax) what steps should I take in order to make sure that I do it right this first time?

I know I need to use polish to get the swirls out ... but should I do that before I clay it? Should I clay it? After that, just seal or seal and wax?

Any and all help is appreciated.

[3.0 Rider]

Hey,

For any job.. I clay a car after I have washed it.

Clay will remove paint contaminants that are bonded to the paint. Then the polish will work the paint and remove swirls.

Then you have to protect your paint with either a sealant or a wax. A sealant will last longer but many claim to have less gloss than a wax.

[Alan]

Wash-rinse-clay-compound [if needed]-Polish-Wax/seal

You ahve to watch though, many store bought polishes/waxes have a ton of fillers in them, which will only hide scratches.