Dodge Caliber Forums banner

What is a good way to remove tree sap???

8K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  geraaad 
#1 ·
over the past few days these little dots of tree sap have fell all over my 2010 caliber... there must be hundreds of them... i washed the car with very hot soap/water, and even tried rubbing alcohol on a spot to see if it worked... with ALOT of tedious work a few of the spots came off...

i am wondering if there are any easier ways to get these spots off??? i thought about buying a clay bar kit to see if that would work??? someone who details cars at work also said Easy Off would work as well... any ideas, esp on the Easy Off oven spray???
 
#2 ·



Follow up with a full claybar, then polish, sealer, and wax


I always recommend meguiars products. They are some of the best over the counter products out there. Unfortunately, most big box retailers dont carry some of the good meguiars products.

For the polish, i recommend meguiars number 7



For the paint sealer, meguiars number 21



and for the wax, either the meguiars gold class liquid, or the nxt liquid. Ive found that the gold class liquid is easier to remove, but the nxt provides a deeper shine



or



The reason why i recommend all of those products, is once you use a bug and tar remover, its going to strip all of the wax off. Since you are only going to use the remover on the spots where there are bugs and tar and sap, you are only stripping the wax off in certain spots.

the claybar will remove the rest of the wax and contaminants from the rest of the car.

The polish will provide light scratch removal, as well as give you a LOT deeper of a shine.

The paint sealer is the BEST product to use, because unlike wax, its made up of synthetic compounds, and will last for around 8 months to a year, where wax will only last 2-3 months, if youre lucky.


The reason you want to put a coat of wax on over the paint sealer is because it provides more protection, and will give you a deeper shine.

Most people dont realize how time consuming and how expensive taking care of paint actually is...
 
#5 ·
Claybar is meant more for small microscopic contaminants, the bug and tar remover is what you want to remove the sap

After you use that, since the bug and tar remover will only remove the bigger stuff, use the claybar over the whole car, and then use the polish, sealer, and wax
 
#4 ·
You could try using either bug & tar remover, Dawn dishsoap or WD40. Like anything test each area before using. Others that might work is carb or throttle body cleaners. I used that to remove stubborn sticker tape residue where the goo gone failed to work.

Do not use the Easy Off Oven Cleaner or for the matter any other oven cleaner. It will work I guarantee that but will also damage the paint as well. It is made for porcelain but not painted surfaces. Likewise it works pretty good as a paint stripper.
 
#7 ·
Meguiars bug and tar remover. Not sure if you will be able to find it in the store or not, because most auto stores dont carry any of the good meguiars products
 
#8 ·
wow please dont listen to the kid that put use wd 40 and whatever else the dumb **** he said to use i would like to see that kids car paint prolly looks really bad someone please delete that reply to this thread
 
#9 ·
and dont ever use dawn dish soap will remove wax from ur vehicle and all the other stuff he said wd40 dont ever try, carb cleaner never, or anything besides clay bar and wax and grease remover, bug and tar remover is alright but removes wax but so does wax and grease remover and clay bar but not as bad as bug and tar remover
 
#10 ·
Pretty much any product that is meant for removing bug, tar, and tree sap will strip the wax thats on the car off.

If the car has never been waxed/sealed, or polished, now is a good time for him to strip any of the wax and other product thats on there, remove all the contaminants that have built up, and lay down a nice coat of polish, sealer, and wax.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Yes it is a polish...








If you’re already familiar with this intense glaze, you’ve already come to appreciate how essential it is to a concours-quality finish. If this is your first experience with #7 Show Car Glaze, prepare to be wow’d! This is the very same product used by the expert detailers in the show circuit. For years they’ve relied heavily on Meguiar’s #7 Show Car Glaze to get the high-definition gloss finish that is so coveted by motoring enthusiasts.

Renowned for its superb glimmering finish, #7 Show Car Glaze is legendary among those who swear by the hand-rubbed philosophy. But it achieves splendid results when applied by orbital buffer or dual action polisher, also. This is a true showman’s glaze originally developed for the avid collector, serious enthusiast and show-car exhibitor. The depth of shine is nothing short of stunning!




Meguiar’s #7 Show Car Glaze is a true high-yield polish with no protective qualities. Be certain to follow application with a coat of top-quality wax such as Meguiar’s Premium Paint Protection or Meguiar’s Hi-Tech Paste Wax #26. The rich emollients and nourishing oils in #7 Show Car Glaze produce a very deep, heavy mirror-gloss shine. #7 is safe to use on all paints and clear coats.
They recommend using a wax, i recommend using a sealer and then a wax. Sealer lasts 8-12 months, where wax will last 2-3 months, if youre lucky. Wax after sealer for a deeper shine.

Meguiars does sell this polish as well:




But their professional line of detailing products, while more expensive, will provide better results.
 
#13 ·
I had my car parked underneath a tree that budded out in the spring. I had a ton of little sticky sap like spots from where the bud casings landed. I tried a couple different tar/sap removers with no luck. I also tried a clay bar without any luck. I had to use rubbing alcohol and a really soft cloth and hit every single spot. I then claybar'ed everything, swirl remover, and then a good base wax. In the end, it turned out ok. There are a couple of areas where I added some swirl marks from rubbing too hard.
 
#14 ·
I visited several of our local body shops to see what they recomended. I was told to use Simple Green. It worked very well with no damage when followed by waxing afterward. I have tried several different bug and tar removers with little success but one thing I did notice was all worked better when the metal was warm and the sap was soft.
 
#18 ·
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top