# Tree Sap Removal - Help!



## D4XNY (Mar 9, 2009)

Hi guys, this is my first post, but only cos this one has me totally at a loss!

Now I own a Kuro Black 350z, which are known for not having the best paint in the world, prone to stone chips etc etc - very soft paint!

Anyway, i parked my car on friday night, at a friends house, drove it home yesterday, where i noticed tree sap on it, and thought i would just give it a normal wash to get rid of it..... dried it off, tree sap still there...

Ok so i thought this might be tougher to get rid of then i thought, next, i put a bit of fairy washing up liquid in a bucket, and tried that on a bonnet, stripping the paintwork of any contaminents and protection it had....

Dried off, still tree sap remained...

I then tried a clay bar on part of the bonnet with plenty of lube.... still this saps remained, and hardly any residue on the clay bar....

so after cutting my losses, i re waxed it, to protect it over night while i thought of any other remedies...

Today, took myself to a Care Care shop, where i bought some autoglym intensive tar. bug, sap remover, took it home, tried it on a sample on the bonnet, still no joy, 

Then the white spirit came out (often use this to remove remains of sticker glue) still no joy (maybe i didnt try this long enough to let the white spirit attack the sap..)

And then as a last resort, as i have run out of ideas, I tried a bit of G10 compound on a small area of a bonnet, and buffed it off, only to find that didnt work either...

So now, im not sure what to do, im either hoping in time, over a number of washes they will eventually go.... and thats about it.

I do have a portercable orbital polisher, which i guess could be my next trick, though to use with what, i dont know?

I have poorboys superswirl remover, and various other polishes and compounds, but they dont seem to be shifting by hand, and i dont want to do anything to vigourous as to damage paintwork.

If i could describe what the saps like, its hardly very raised, its like lots of tiny flat glue spots all over the bonnet and some on the roof, i tried rubbing my nail over one (very carefully) and that didnt even shift it, its almost got me so confused im wondering if they were there all along and are underneath the glosswork?!?! As paintwork on the bonnet wasnt the best when i got it, but im sure these tree saps are a new addition!

Im not sure if there any other suggestions available, but all are welcome, i appreciate the input, the paintwork is back protected, and i know what i have done so far has not damaged paintwork so far...

But tree sap on a black car, is not good!

Cheers

Dan


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## -tom- (Jan 27, 2009)

have u tried boiled hot water and failing that bit of tardis should shift it


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## D4XNY (Mar 9, 2009)

Oooo boiling hot water, good suggestion, thanks, and whats tardis??


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## -tom- (Jan 27, 2009)

D4XNY said:


> Oooo boiling hot water, good suggestion, thanks, and whats tardis??


tardis is a very strong tar remover, helps with stickers clue and tar. may help with the sap but try hot water first


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## D4XNY (Mar 9, 2009)

Just thought, I have a steamer, i can spray that on, and wipe while im at it, thats as good as/same as boiling water??


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## -tom- (Jan 27, 2009)

should be bud yes how well it will work i dont know but just take it easy


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## D4XNY (Mar 9, 2009)

Well it didnt even come off under steam?!!? Totally lost now, ims lowly beginning to think its been on my paintwork all along and i just never noticed it before!?!?


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## spitfire (Feb 10, 2007)

Are you sure it's tree sap as a claybar should remove that easily. It may be bird crap etching which may be removed by machine poishing but it can be severe and almost impossible to remove if paint laquer is thin. BTW Tardis probably wont remove tree sap as the sap is organic. Just because something sticks like glue doesn't make it glue

IMO stick with the clay for sap. If the paint is pitted it will be bird etching and need polished.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Tardis won't work, it only does Tar from what I have seen.

I'm surprised G10 hasn't shifted it, I was about to suggest trying SRP.

Get some pics of it up.


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## dcj (Apr 17, 2009)

Depending on the type of tree sap I,ve encountered the only two things I,ve ever had to use are a citrus apc for lime tree sap(on an Audi in very hot sun) and had no problem with that. The other is willow tree sap which is usually like big drops of glue and stays soft but very sticky. Tar and adhesive remover was no good as the residue was already sticky so didnt need to be softened. I used isopropyl ethanol on this and it wiped straight off.


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## wedgie (Apr 5, 2008)

TBH it doesnt sound like tree sap if you having so much of a hard time getting it off.When i had sap on my black integra, two light wipes with a wash mitt dipped in BH auto wash took it off without any problems


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2010)

Can't you use your finger nail and pick it off slowly.


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## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

Bucket of cold water soak a mf in it then it should wipe straight off!!


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## PremierDetail (Aug 23, 2008)

If it is absolutely hardened on there and nothing removes then paint thinner will have it off in a matter of seconds. Just be sure to not have the car in sunlight, and the panels are cold. If the paint thinner does not shift it then I would highly doubt that it is sap.


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