Tree Sap

[planticus]

Well the weather is finally starting to warm up here a little on the East Coast which means tree sap is falling like rain, well at least at my house. I have lots of trees and no place to park to avoid it unfortunately.

Wondering what you all have found best to remove this annoying substance. I've had mixed results w/ car wax in the past, someone recommended dry gas but that cant be too good on the paint.

Any suggestions or products you've used you would recommend? TIA

[reborndub]

the key is to get it while its fresh with really cold water.which i can never do.
i always use fingernail polish remover before a wash and wax.
only time its left marks was on my black truck and the sap had been there for months baking in the sun. the sap left a mark itself in the paint and i left little web scratches around it from rubbing so hard.
but thats on black and a good wax job hides it good.

[GTI-Corrado]

So I would suggest Grime Reaper. It is a chemical guys product.. It will take off any wax you had on your car. But It will work pretty effortlessly. I dilute it 5 to 1.. You could try ten to one...

great web site......

Good luck!

[DasVRsechS]

Lacquer thinner works great and it's cheap, you just need to go back around and hand wax with moderate pressure on the spots, and then give it a full wax, or lightly buff.

[petethepug]

Apply a little on a warm surface and it will dissolve it. It took 4 applications to get the sap off my black Allroad hood. The stuff had baked on for over a year. No, no damage from sap or WD-40!

[tedthebellhopp]

goo gone has worked pretty well for me.

[cstanley19]

Apply a little on a warm surface and it will dissolve it. It took 4 applications to get the sap off my black Allroad hood. The stuff had baked on for over a year. No, no damage from sap or WD-40!

x2 on this. We used to use wd-40 and a wooden ruler. The wood is pliable enough to not scratch paint but has enough rigidity to give good pressure on the sap. Go over with a nice coat of turtle wax and your in business

[ein]

Lacquer thinner works great and it's cheap, you just need to go back around and hand wax with moderate pressure on the spots, and then give it a full wax, or lightly buff.

Do NOT use lacquer thinner unless you've tried everything else first.

I personally use rubbing alcohol and a quick wax to restore the shine after you wipe the sap of.

[DasVRsechS]

Lacquer thinner does no more to the paint than alcohol and it's faster, considering pine sap is a form of lacquer. I have used it on literally hundreds of cars and never had it do anything to the paint. And if like I said, you do some follow up waxing all is well. Just make sure it's all purpose and don't leave it on the paint. Saturate a small portion of a rag and wipe the sap off. I guess if you want to take all day... use the alcohol.

[ein]

Then you might be using Paint Thinner and not Lacquer Thinner. I detailed for years and the LT was the last resort. Reason being if you hold thinner on a plastic (which is pretty much what paint is) for a length of time it melts it.

If you must must Lacquer Thinner work fast, work small, don't rub too hard, use clean towels and don't use the same spot on the towel.

Hey, if the LT isn't enough for you you might want to try MEK that stuff might work....

[DasVRsechS]

No... I have always used lacquer thinner. Not once have I ever had a problem. On certain plastics, yes, not a good idea, I agree. For large body panels and lower body prep, I always liked how fast it worked. MEK is a totally different animal. I used it often to prep for spray in bed liners and yes, you know something is serious when you put your hand six inches above a small bucket of it and your cuts start to burn.

[ein]

We can play this game all day, the point is both work, alcohol is weaker, and in my opinion you start weak and if it doesn't work you get stronger.

[Toffeerado]

umm hot water and car soap. I use to drive through tree sap everyday to basketball camp, I washed my car everyday.

[skaterazn]

goof off

[DasVRsechS]

Not playing any game dude... just agreeing with you and correcting your assumption that I don't know the difference between LT and PT.

[ein]

Not playing any game dude... just agreeing with you and correcting your assumption that I don't know the difference between LT and PT.

I'm just specifying the difference. My assumption was that you did know but unless you spell it out on the interwebs you can't be sure. A lot of people don't know and I've seen some horrible things happen from small mis-communications (the dude who used actual scotchbrite on his windows to remove tint adhesive instead of the white Home Depot scrubby pads. < DISASTER! needed all new windows).

Don't take my "correction" as aimed at you personally, more like aimed at the readers of these threads/posts.

[planticus]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I tried WD-40 and it worked pretty good. Washed and waxed yesterday, the latter should help w/ removal in the future. Been keeping an eye on it so I can remove before it has a chance to really set in. Car needs some body work and paint anyway but trying to keep it presentable until I can save that kind of loot.

Side note: My H&R Coils came in today That, my stage IV charger & some other fun parts going on this weekend,,, I hope.

[DasVRsechS]

ein... agreed, I tend to forget that some don't have experience with many of these chemicals and procedures that others do.

[TheBurninator]

goof off

This if it doesn't come off with warm water and car soap. Then clay bar and wax

And what is with all of the new people in the forums having something to prove lately?

[skaterazn]

And what is with all of the new people in the forums having something to prove lately?

I don't know but at the tech day people were talking about how much of a douche you were and I laughed. I still think you're black

[DUBZAK]

I don't know but at the tech day people were talking about how much of a douche you were and I laughed. I still think you're black

Well thats good that they weren't talking about me. lol

[TheBurninator]

i don't know but at the tech day people were talking about how much of a douche you were and i laughed. I still think you're black

hahaha

[skaterazn]

Well thats good that they weren't talking about me. lol

You may have been mentioned

[DUBZAK]

You may have been mentioned

ORLY? lol I wonder what nice things could have been said about myself and Kyle.

Bad reputations precede us.

[TheBurninator]

ORLY? lol I wonder what nice things could have been said about myself and Kyle.

Bad reputations precede us.

Apparently I am a douchebag, so I am sure yours is much worse

[DUBZAK]

How much and how sure are you?

[skaterazn]

Naw kyle is much worse. They said Zak could be nice in person but that burninator is just a ****ing d-bag

[ein]

I should save that in my sig pile....

[BigSkyGLI]

Buy a car cover and not one of the cheap ones.

Back to the threadjacking in progress...

[DUBZAK]

Bwahahahahahahah...... Got it covered Rob.

[slc ked93]

you definitely dont want to let it dry on there or bake in the sun. i detail cars at a car dealership, tree sap is a bitch i would try clay baring it then wax it afterword. probably your best bet

[dude rado]

Then clay bar and wax

^ this
this guy is onto something.