Removing pine tree sap from cars

[Bruce Cohen]

Having four cars, mine, thewife's and two kids, removing Pine Tree sap is totally out of control this year. Perhaps its all the rain we've had.

I used to use a product that was only sold on the internet. Well, they stopped shipping it to certain states, and of course NY is one, as it contains something that makes your nose and ears fall off.

Does anyone know of a store bought brand that does work and doen't remove the paint. I tried a product make by Turtle Wax, absolutely no joy.

Currently, all 4 cars have changed color to "Sap Stain" white.

Help!!!

Bruce

[smorris]

I've used Simple Green on the wifes car in the last week. She parks under our large oak tree and the top of her car was covered with sap dots. Sprayed it on, let it set for a few minutes and pressure washed it. A few spots took 2 treatments. YMMV.

[cabinetman]

Meguire's Bug and Tar Remover works pretty good down here in the South. Maybe the 'saps' in NY are different than Florida ones.

If that fails, try white phosphorus. If that fails, you're back to C4 (homeowners version).
.

[bruce hylton]

Have you tried plain old WD40? It works for most other things.

[Black wallnut]

I've not tried it on sap but you might try diesel fuel. It works for asphalt which is pretty much tar.

[tommyt654]

Kereosene and a razor blade

[Kensrock]

pine pitch

Any vegetable oil will remove it. I've used it for years to remove it from my hands while working with the sap from various woods.... just a little on a rag, wipe it off and then wash the car with mild soap.

[Hellrazor]

I used to use a product that was only sold on the internet. Well, they stopped shipping it to certain states, and of course NY is one, as it contains something that makes your nose and ears fall off.

Neverland must have had a lot of pine trees??

I use bug/tar remover. It takes some effort, but it works.

[RayintheUK]

Biological clothes washer concentrate - used neat.

Ray

[Tom Slick]

Use alcohol. My sister's SUV had sap all over it and alcohol worked good for taking it off.

[MilDoc]

Use alcohol. My sister's SUV had sap all over it and alcohol worked good for taking it off.

yep, I agree, 70% isopropyl alcohol ("Rubbing Alcohol") on a cotton ball or a Q-tip works great, even on sun-dried sap. Use a fresh cotton ball or Q-tip for each spot, then rinse with water. Will not harm paint or clear coat, but will also remove wax, so re-wax when done.

[Bruce Cohen]

Worked like a charm

Kereosene and a razor blade

Tommy,

Getting the kerosene was a major chore, I had to syphon it from a parked semi. man that stuff tastes foul. Had to eat 2 onions and an entire head of garlic to get the tase out of my mouth.

Then, when pouring it on the car I forgot I had a lit cigarete in my mouth and almost blew up a good pice of the neighborhood, not to mention the car.

The easy part was scraping the sap off the car, the stuff came away real easy, but now there's these large metal colored spots in my black paint job.

Anyway, thanks a bunch for the tip, IT DID WORK.

Bruce

BTW, anyone out there want to buy a one year old BMW 500 series, low mileage, runs great, nifty sound system but a crappy paint job though.

[alpha]

With all due respect, I wouldn't use half the stuff recommended here on my car. Go to an auto store and buy a "clay bar paint saver" kit. The one I used was "Mothers" brand, but there are also others that use the same concept. This product will not damage the paint and includes clay bar (reminds me of playdo), a lubricant, and a wax. It costs about $20 and is supposed to do about 3 vehicles. I had never heard of this product before, but I had a similar problem and discovered it. It works. Good luck.

Bob

[footprintsinconc]

go to walmart or any auto part store and buy yourself some clay bars from the automotive section. they come with a lubricator spray.

basically, you wash your car and then you spray the lubricant spray on a small part and rub the clay bar in circular motions. you should do your whole car with this method. you will be amazed at how smooth your car will feel afterwards. while doing this, you will continuously work the clay bar like playdo.

you have to make sure that the car is washed first and there is no dust particles, otherwise you will scratch the surface. once you drop the clay bar on the ground, just throw it away, DO NOT attempt to use it after working the claybar because soon or later the dirt particles will make it back out and you will scratch the car.

the other thing to keep in mind is, if and when you do run out of this lubricant spray, you can always get a CLEAN bucket and put car washing soap and some water. this will do the same job as the lubricant spray that comes with the kit at the stores. its cheaper and just as good.

you can get this clay bar from a automotive paint shop as well. their bars are larger. if you get it from them, split the bar in half just incase you drop the 1st half. this way you will still have some clay bar left and wont waste a big piece for nothing.

hope this helps

edit: i guess alpha beat me to it. i forgot to mention, i too like alpha said wont use half the stuff mentioned only because they arent good for the paint/clear coat. you willl be amazed at what the clay bar can do. this is what the professional use when detailing cars.

another tip for those who cant remove wax off of black body moldings: there are two ways of removing it. the first is to use a white eraser. the other is to rub the area with peanut butter, yes crunchy and organic peanut butter is fine too. after rubbing it in, just wash it off with soap. and it will be clean as new!! detailers charge big bucks for doing this, especially exotic cars, you know the owners who try to wax their own car and then cant get the white marks off the tirm.

[footprintsinconc]

BTW, anyone out there want to buy a one year old BMW 500 series, low mileage, runs great, nifty sound system but a crappy paint job though.

how much are you selling it for?