Test vehicle without model designation (door); comparison measurements on an Audi RS6 and an Audi e-tron

Starting point

In vehicle detailing, a lot is promised and not always delivered. We wanted to know what our work and our products objectively achieve. Gloss can be measured: in gloss units (GU). After research and customer recommendations, we chose BYK-Gardner, a leading manufacturer of gloss meters, who supported us. We used the BYK micro-TRI-gloss, which is also used in the automotive industry and records the angles 20°, 60° and 85° simultaneously. The standard angle is 60°; if the value there is above 70 GU, the 20° value is decisive, because it resolves much more precisely in the high-gloss range and judges haze more critically. As a test object we deliberately chose a door with paint in extremely poor condition.

Work

After calibration on the black calibration plate, the door was cleaned with an insect and dirt remover and a test area was masked off. The first measurement gave 82.9 GU at 60° and only 42.6 GU at 20°. After applying a spray gloss to the unpolished surface, the 20° value rose to 51.5 GU, a gain of 8.9 gloss units. In a second area with a starting value of 48 GU, we then carried out our standard paint correction with the polishing machine, exactly as every customer receives it. Individual clear coat defects remained visible; for a perfect result the door would have to be repainted.

Result

After the paint correction the instrument showed 93.7 GU at 20°. For comparison: the calibration plate reads about 93 GU at 20°. That a paint protection film does not impair polished paint is shown by an Audi RS6. Wrapped three years ago after a normal paint correction only, without a sealant, it still measures over 90 GU at 20° after more than 50,000 kilometres and care exclusively with our products. An Audi e-tron around six months old with 14,000 kilometres and little care reached 100 GU at 60° and 90.5 GU at 20° after our detailing.

Workshop archive, original report. Product details reflect the state at the time.