Tree Sap on paintwork

[Fran]

Anyone know what is the best thing to use for getting tree sap off paintwork (silver metallic if thats relevant).

My car spends most of its life parked up and there isnt any parking space here that isnt under tree sap fallout... the sap has gone black and seems set solid. 

I have tried jetwashing and a certain amount of scrubbing with a sponge but although it is mproved a bit there is still a lot of black dots..

Any tried n tested remedies?

F

[Nordic]

Sap is a bugger to get off and will eat into your paint work like bird sh*t does.

http://www.sonax.com/sonax-e/katalog_product.php?show_cat=alc&show_product=390300

or 

http://www.autoglym.co.uk/enGB/product-proddetail.asp?v06VQ=GD

I have never tried it but I am told that mineral spirits and denatured alcohol act as a solvent to break up and dissolve the sap. Not sure what it does to the paint work on the car.

[nickliv]

You could try a clay bar, followed  by a quality polish. The clay bar will remove the sap etc. and the polish will stop it geting stuck again.

Or get a chainsaw and remove the offending trees in the dead of night.

[Lorry]

Are you sure its sap and not termite droppings.  It took the paint off my last Morris.  I'd recommend the chainsaw

[Steve Pyro]

I've found one of these to be quite useful Fran 

[termietermite]

Are you sure its sap and not termite droppings.  It took the paint off my last Morris.  I'd recommend the chainsaw

I have not been anywhere near Fran's car.

[Lorry]

No offence ment, but I have it on good authority that half digested sap is more toxic than the real thing

[Bob U]

Last resort?

[Fran]

I dont know... I ask a perfectly sensible question - go away for a couple of days - and come back to check my replies!! 

Thanks for all the useful suggestions I will bear them all in mind - possibly a bit of T-cut to start with and work up from there to BobU's offering .....!

At least now most of the leaves have dropped it shouldnt be so bad.

F

[Christopher]

Have you tried baby wipes?

They have a small amount of alcohol in them which is great at dissolving fly sh*t, so might help with the sap.

Plus they are not very abrasive so don't spoil the paint.

[nopanic - neil]

I dont know... I ask a perfectly sensible question - go away for a couple of days - and come back to check my replies!! 

Thanks for all the useful suggestions I will bear them all in mind - possibly a bit of T-cut to start with and work up from there to BobU's offering .....!

At least now most of the leaves have dropped it shouldnt be so bad.

F

I think I would be a bit careful with the T cut, as you can only do it so many times.

A way of removing stickers, i.e. the old BT ones on my van, was the use of WD40, strange but true. I peeled back the stickers by hand, and then removed the sticky gunk left over with WD40. Spray on to a cloth and rub gently or spray a bit on the paint work and rub with a soft cloth. I think it may be worth a try, in a small area first.

Good luck,

[Steve Pyro]

.... I think it may be worth a try, in a small area first.
 

Would that be in the cupboard under the stairs Neil?

[nopanic - neil]

.... I think it may be worth a try, in a small area first.
 

Would that be in the cupboard under the stairs Neil?

[nickliv]

A rag 'moistened' in petrol might work as well, but you will have to re polish the car, as all of the existing polish will have been stripped off.

Take it to a bunch of Polish (double meaning :- bloked from Poland. Who polish) blokes under some arches, and give them £40 for a full valet, and make sure they know the tree sap is to be dealt with properly. Alternatively, find a 'detailing' geek and flutter your eyelashes at him for a bit.

[Lazy B'stard]

If the WD won't shift it pop along to your local paint supplier/motor factors and get a can of Pre-clean (there was a branch of Autopaint international in Withington last time I was down your way- its about £10 for 5 litres) it shifts anything, doesnt damage paintwork and smells jolly nice too! Also handy for removing felt pen and crayon from freshly painted walls ( my daughter Lola thinks she is Jackson Pollock this week)