New car with ResistAll detailing questions...

[Marc]

I just purchased a new Audi S5 and I made the mistake of adding on the ResistAll protection package, which has already been applied. It included something put on the outside of the car as well as the interior. I now realize this was likely a waste of money, but what's done is done. Since buying the car about 3 weeks ago, I've become interested in doing my own cleaning and detailing which I've never done before.  

 

I would like to wash, clay, polish, seal, maybe glaze and wax, and maintain the interior.

 

My questions:

 

What actually was applied to my car with this ResistAll package and would that change how I should clean/maintain the car from now on?  I believe they added some sort of sealant but I am not sure what, how it was applied, quality of application, etc.  Would I still do all the above steps the same way as if no Resistall was ever on the car?  Would you recommend just stripping the ResistAll and starting fresh with my own products?  As for interior, any advice on how I should treat/maintain the leather/dash etc considering there is a layer of Resistall on there already?

 

Products I have or have on order:  Car shampoo, clay bar, swirl/haze remover + revive polishes, quick sealant, brilliant glaze, americana wax, detail spray, all purpose cleaner, waterless wash, glass cleaner and sealant, leather/interior cleaner and leather conditioner. 

 

Any advice greatly appreciated!!

 

Thanks,

 

Marc

[Baron_Von_Awesome]

Congrats on the new purchase - the S5 is such a wonderful machine!  The ResistAll products aren't any better of worse than a lot of other sealants...it'll give you around a years worth of protection inside and out....it's not a BAD product...but it's no miracle worker either.

 

Any polishing or strip washing you do will remove the ResistAll from your paint.  If you want to get rid of it, that's fine but I do encourage you to read the warranty as the ResistAll protection package warranties A LOT of stuff that can happen to your finish and interior.  I suggest reading over it first and then decide if removing it right now and applying your own stuff would be your best option.  The paper work also includes care instructions.

Edited September 22, 2013 by Baron_Von_Awesome

[DonJuan692006]

Congrats on the new purchase - the S5 is such a wonderful machine! The ResistAll products aren't any better of worse than a lot of other sealants...it'll give you around a years worth of protection inside and out....it's not a BAD product...but it's no miracle worker either.

 

Any polishing or strip washing you do will remove the ResistAll from your paint. If you want to get rid of it, that's fine but I do encourage you to read the warranty as the ResistAll protection package warranties A LOT of stuff that can happen to your finish and interior. I suggest reading over it first and then decide if removing it right now and applying your own stuff would be your best option. The paper work also includes care instructions.

The piggy back on this. When we picked up our Explorer the dealer offered a similar package but it was a different product (I son recall the name). I asked about car care and the guy told me that if I did basically anything outside of a maintenance wash they wouldn't cover any damages. Since you've already paid for it I would suggest following they're cleaning instructions as stated until it runs out. Then strip it off and start fresh with Adam's.

[JHL88]

My mom got the exact same thing on her new Honda Accord.  I was kind of upset when she told me because she knows I detail cars.  Most of all it upset me how much she paid for it.  It doesn't look bad though suprisingly,  it looks and feels slick.  Im still going to top it with wax..

[Marc]

Thanks for the input! So do any of you know what the reinstall is? Is it just a sealant? What should I do from now on to maintain? Just regular maintenance washing or should I still wax, maybe add another layer of sealant? I can't imagine this resistall sealant will last longer than six months. Anything I should do with the Nappa leather?

 

I didn't get any paperwork with it so I'll contact my dealer. I have no instruction on how to care for the car from now on. Not sure I would trust what the dealer says anyway.

[DonJuan692006]

You could honestly try Googling care instructions but I would wait until you have the paperwork. Some of them you can't even wax or it'll void the warranty.

[Team Adam's]

Like the others have touched on... services like this (typically) aren't any better than your average sealant... what you're paying for more than anything else is the warranty. The actual product isn't anything magical and it was likely applied by a $7 p/hr lot porter. 

 

Get yourself a copy of the "fine print" to find out what it covers, what your commitment is, and everything else. The one fine print item that most people miss is that you have to return to the dealer at a certain interval (every few months) for a cleaning and reapplication. Failure to meet that timeframe lets them off the hook for the warranty and you're now out a couple hundred $$. 

 

A friend who works as a finance guy at a dealership that offers a package like this explained it to me that essentially they look at these packages as having a few benefits (for them). 

1. The car leaves the lot with some kind of protection on it. 
2. The customer will have to come back regularly, giving them the opportunity to talk/upsell and service the customer.
3. If the customer fails to read the fine print and misses that refresh appointment, their commitment is over and the dealer keep the $$$

Its not a bad thing to have per-se, so long as you didn't pay too much for it, and you keep the warranty intact. 

 

Now as far as detailing it going forward... I can promise you there is no way they'd know if you applied a wax over the top, you'd be fine to wash and wax as you see fit. Stay away from claying or polishing for now, at least until you get a better understanding of the warranty and decide if you want to remove it or keep it going. 

[Marc]

All,

 

Thanks so much for your time to reply and help me out. Advice noted.

 

I am in the process of negotiating myself out of the warranty, probably for a partial refund as product has been already applied. I just don't feel I need the warranty and would rather take things into my own hands at this point. I'll assume this Resistall sealant will get me through the winter so until next spring I'll just wash and wax, maybe add brilliant glaze in between since I've already ordered it. Then next spring ill do a refresh with the full routine. At that point it would probably need a new sealant coat anyway.

 

Thanks again!

 

Marc

[teamcrossworks]

Sounds like a good plan Marc!

[Marc]

Just an update: I did get the paperwork regarding the warranty and there is no mention of any obligation on my part to bring the car back for additional treatments or prohibiting the use of additional products. Only thing is I have an obligation to clean and maintain the car inside and out. I think I will still stick to my plan and this doesn't really change anything, just FYI. No word yet if they'll let me out of the warranty but at this point I'm thinking not. But, good to know I could probably get into my Adams products and not compromise the warranty. Nice!

 

Also the Resistall did come with a pack of bottles of interior/exterior cleaning and maintenance supplies, but I'm not sure if they're any good and may not use them. Two of these are exterior paint and interior leather/vinyl "renewer", which I believe would be maintenance applications of what they already put on. It also comes with a car wash, window cleaner, interior cleaner, and interior fabric protector renewer. The directions for use are not very detailed and I'm not sure how these would compare to other more reputable products in the same category. Since it doesn't seem to matter what I use from now on, I may try these alongside my Adams stuff and then stick with the ones I like best.

[binkuang]

I just purchased a new Audi S5 and I made the mistake of adding on the ResistAll protection package, which has already been applied. It included something put on the outside of the car as well as the interior. I now realize this was likely a waste of money, but what's done is done. Since buying the car about 3 weeks ago, I've become interested in doing my own cleaning and detailing which I've never done before.  

 

I would like to wash, clay, polish, seal, maybe glaze and wax, and maintain the interior.

 

My questions:

 

What actually was applied to my car with this ResistAll package and would that change how I should clean/maintain the car from now on?  I believe they added some sort of sealant but I am not sure what, how it was applied, quality of application, etc.  Would I still do all the above steps the same way as if no Resistall was ever on the car?  Would you recommend just stripping the ResistAll and starting fresh with my own products?  As for interior, any advice on how I should treat/maintain the leather/dash etc considering there is a layer of Resistall on there already?

 

Products I have or have on order:  Car shampoo, clay bar, swirl/haze remover + revive polishes, quick sealant, brilliant glaze, americana wax, detail spray, all purpose cleaner, waterless wash, glass cleaner and sealant, leather/interior cleaner and leather conditioner. 

 

Any advice greatly appreciated!!

 

Thanks,

 

Marc

Any kind of clay bar/ wet sand type procedure will indeed remove the sealant from the pain. I have the resistall NG2 too. I don't know if I can use the Meguiar's G17216 Ultimate Compound to remove the light scratch. it maybe remove the resistall NG. They said is on the clear coat. They said you dont have to wax your car up to 5 years, I don't believe too. no polish also. 

Edited April 4, 2015 by binkuang

[Toyotascam]

I also made the mistake of purchasing the Resistall package.   I find out now I have to return to the original dealer for them to "take a look".     I dont live anywhere near there now.     I paid way too much for it and honestly doubt if anything was ever applied.   They took the vehicle away for 20 minutes, supposedly applied something but everything was dry when it was returned and  some dashboard dust still there.    I  figured I was scammed.     But tried to have some sap or bug gunk removed from it recently and was told I was probably out of luck.      I should have known better and they got me on that one !

[James Senna]

On 7/18/2019 at 2:27 PM, Toyotascam said:

I also made the mistake of purchasing the Resistall package.   I find out now I have to return to the original dealer for them to "take a look".     I dont live anywhere near there now.     I paid way too much for it and honestly doubt if anything was ever applied.   They took the vehicle away for 20 minutes, supposedly applied something but everything was dry when it was returned and  some dashboard dust still there.    I  figured I was scammed.     But tried to have some sap or bug gunk removed from it recently and was told I was probably out of luck.      I should have known better and they got me on that one !

 

That does not sound like a Resistall or Cal-Tex claim procedure. They try to make it easy. take a look at their google ratings based on claim work done. pretty strong!