Had to park under a tree in Orlando Airport remote parking for a week. After returning and washing noticed a 4" streak of that clear sticky pine-like sap dripped down the back door. Googled and got lots of info - some questionable like rubbing alcohol. Best sounds to be hand sanitizer. Then a bit of hot water. Before I dive in - any suggestions from you Gurus out there?
I would try dishwashing detergent first. It will remove any and all wax you had on the car, so that will need to be reapplied. The other way is to just clay bar the car on a cool day (you don't want the sap to be sticky).
DeanFL, I know goo gone is pretty gentle but have not used it on my car finish. But I would suspect it may be ok to use. If your still concerned, you can go to your local Autozone, PepBoys and they should have tar and sap remover there. Bob
WD-40 or better buy a product sold specifically for sap. I would under no circumstances use either acetone or MEK on my paint.
I just went through this about 2 months ago...and I tried a number of things...all with marginal results. I started with soap and water...the least abrasive of removers...and results were minimal. I then went to WD-40...and most of the sap came off but left was a hardened sap circle where the sap used to be. I then used goo gone and it took a little more off but at the right angle you can still see where the sap was when the light hits it just right. If you run your finger over the spot you can feel a small raised area where the footprint of the sap was. I have a couple spots on my car where "I" can see where the sap used to be. Most probably would not notice it but if you know where it is you can see it if you look hard enough. Sap is a tough one...might try the clay bar now that the weather has cooled off.
I'd suggest a citrus-based cleaner like Simple Green. Use it full-strength, let it soak in for a few minutes, then gently rub off what you can and use some more. It's possible the sap may have removed some of the clear-coat, which happened to my car when I left bird droppings on for too long. They need to be rinsed off ASAP, and not rubbed, because the grit in the sh.. will scratch the paint.
Thanks for all your help folks. Eventually, I used some warm water and a sponge which (over time) dissolved much of it. Then went over the remnants with a bit of WD40. Worked well - except that in my haste to get the warm water working I used the scratchy side of the sponge (one of those little kitchen things) and got some light scratches into the paint when done. Didn't realize it at the time and kicked myself later. Now using Scratch-X, worked well and will rewax. Glad I don't live/park near pine trees.
I used acetone with no ill effects. If you're not sure about a particular paint job, test it on an obscure area like inside one of the doorframe areas and look for clearcoat cloudiness at a minimum. I didn't totally soak the area, just used enough to loosen the sap and slide it off. . _H*
Always try to dissolve something with a solvent of like properties. Don't use petroleum products on sap from a tree. Alcohol comes from plants. Alcohol works great on removing tree sap and doesn't harm paint. An easy dab with a damp cloth and it's gone. I parked my car outdoors in Evergreen, CO for the first two years of its life and had this issue a lot.
I know this is going to sound weird, but try using a little bit of mayo and a paper towel. Make small circular motions on the sap and it should start dissolving away. I tried it on my previous Audi and it worked like a charm, other than the fact that I wanted to slap on a piece of deli meat and bread.
The universal stain/glue/chewing gum/road tar remover in Oz is eucalyptus oil on a damp sponge/cloth. Just a few drops does the trick for most situations, just rub it off. Then wash the area with soapy water. We buy it at the supermarket here, I don't know whether you can get the oil in the US but you you do have eucalyptus trees in California. hope this helps
We get a lot of tree sap here. I've always used rubbing alcohol to take the sap off. Never have seen any damage to the paint/clear coat as a result.
