Clay bar ?

 

I live in the woods and have that problem with pine sap. Goo Gone works, but it takes a lot of soaking before you can even budge it.

 

Goo Gone won't hurt the clear coat? How do you get it to stay put on the hood, etc- soak it on paper towels? I'm DEFINITELY a fan of Goo Gone!

 

WD 40. It's clear coat safe, obiously oily, I've used it when debadging. Worth a try.

 

I know you said you've tried a few of the products but I had great experiences with AutoGlym's Intensive Tar Remover - need to let it soak but it did the trick on a number of things without damaging paint (also excellent at de-greasing the cooker hood! - but does make the kitchen stink!)

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Goof Off is significantly better than Goo Gone and won't hurt the clear. You could have sap burn already though, just be forewarned. Even when it comes off the clearcoat may be gone.

 

Hand Sanitizer like Purell or a store brand works perfectly.

 

I have hand sanitizer and Goof Off / Goo Gone...

Any consensus of what I should try? If Goof Off won't hurt the car, then I'll go with that... seems the most powerful. Great suggestions.

 

those goo removers are meant for painted surfaces as far as I'm concerned.

 

I've used Avon Skin So Soft - it works.

Also try eucalyptus oil. I know that it works for heavy duty grease so it might work on sap.

 

Hand sanitizer (any brand):

Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer 8 oz

 

When i worked at a dealer detailing cars we used really hot water mixed with ammonia. This was primarily to remove the coating that came on the new cars but worked great on tree sap.

 

Jeesh, so many options. The stuff on there is as hard as a rock, so I'm not sure what to try first . I'm thinking goof off, which is stronger than goo gone. I have both.

 

To add one more, if you have one, use a heat gun to heat up an area then immediately follow up with a pad with wax on it and scrub with that a bit. I bet you could get that sap to messy liquid state you could work with. How big is the area of sap? All over the car?

 

We used vinegar at the detail shop I used to work at. Diluted vinegar also works great for cleaning really nasty windows (smokers, etc.) You'll be using a lot of elbow grease, but it will loosen up.

If the sap has hardened up to the point it can't be taken off with a finger-nail; expect to atleast buff/polish/wax the paint after removing the sap. Wet-sanding may be required as well; be gentle and go slow if this is the case, factory clear is usually VERY thin!

 

We used vinegar at the detail shop I used to work at. Diluted vinegar also works great for cleaning really nasty windows (smokers, etc.) You'll be using a lot of elbow grease, but it will loosen up.

I've also had success using white vinegar to remove a big blob of sap. Not on my Forester though; it was on a car I owned previously.

I never thought of trying a heat gun to soften it first. That would probably allow you to gently pry off the bulk of the sap with a fingernail so there would be less soaking involved in getting off the remainder.

 

As a auto detailer of 23 years. Try this, go down to the local Drug store. Purchase some Rubbing Alcohol (try and get the highest % around 90 if possible) useing a clean cloth soak it in the Alcohol. Useing light circular motions rub the spot where the sap is. As it shrinks in size. Change the dirty part of the cloth to a clean part. The sap will have contaminants in it. If you rub it too hard it will scratch the clear coat. It may take about 45 seconds to remove one spot.

Try that

 

I once used alcohol in a small spot on my '91 Volvo. Ate away the clear coat - left a permanent dull spot.

 

Some sap is resin/tar based and these solvents will work, but you may be dealing with a sugar based sap - think maple syrup.

They most resemble hard candy, and solvents do nothing - I'd try HOT water and lots of it.

Upside is it's very safe.

S

 

I've used Tar X with good results.

 

You should park under more sap trees and get an even coat all over the car. This will protect the paint for a long time. :icon_eek:

 

And 10 million years from now, archeologists will dig up this BIG lump of amber and wonder what kind of creature this is that got trapped in the sap.

 

I detailed for 10 years. We would always use a combo of adhessive remover such as 3m general adhesive remover and a heat gun. Heat up the sap then give it a wipe with a soft cloth with the solvent on it. should come right off. the link is a little over priced, but it had a good picture of the can. you can get it cheaper on amazon.
Great deal on 3M Automotive - 8984 at ToolTopia.com

 

Also, try to use different types of waxes. They will soften the sap and make it slick to wipe up.

 

....frankly, "waxes" and even AIO's are not likely to do anything to remove hardened tree sap. Solvents, decon products, abrasion, heat, forceful manipulation (i.e. scraping, picking, claying), etc. are probably all that will work at this point (if at all).

 

TOOTHPASTE! Seriously. White, non-gel toothpaste removed a bunch of spots of sap on my car as well as a black door ding. I did that this past weekend and it worked wonders. I've heard that Goo Gone can remove paint from a car which is why I stayed away.

 

From the perspective of a stringed-instrument player who uses tree sap (rosin) on the bow hair, I can tell you that rubbing alcohol works wonders. It's how we get excess rosin off the strings.

 

Try Olive Oil it wont hurt paint and if you cook you have some already.

 

Try turpentine. It is a sap-derived solvent.

Like dissolves like

 

TFR

Here in the UK valeting companies can get their hands on a product called tfr Traffic Film Remover not sure if its available in the US simply spray it on from a spray bottle allow to sit for 10 minutes and power wash away, it gets rid of moss also and does not harm plastics

 

This is what I tried so far and still can't remove the hardened tree sap from my hood:

Alcohol (soaked in paper towel left on stain for 5 or so minutes)

White distilled vinegar (hood now smells like an Italian Salad)

Plain boiling water

Commercial Bug and Tar remover

Meguiars Polishing Compound

Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound

Dawn Dishwasher detergent

Now this is getting scary:

Gasoline (just a small amount right on the stain and wiped off quickly)

Mineral Spirits

Brake Cleaner (nasty stuff)

Charcoal Lighter Fluid

None of the above would budge the tree sap.

Only thing I haven't tried yet is WD-40. They say you have to let it soak for awhile. Tear off a piece of paper towel spray it with the WD-40 and put on the tree sap stain. Let soak for about 5 minutes or more.

Maybe claybar?

Maybe bring to body shop and have hood repainted?

Getting desperate, any help appreciated.

Note: Not from pine tree. Have no idea what kind of tree it is, the **** that did come off was dark brown in color.