Tree sap

parked at school under a tree looks like i got some tree sap on hood. What would you recommend to take it off? Like the bug/tar remover the manufactuers name blanks me right now.

What would you suggest?

 

On my vehicles I would use a Clay Bar to remove it before trying any harsher chemicals.

 

I'd recommend a diluted isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to remove sap. You can pick up a bottle for a dollar or two at Walgreens, etc. Any grocery store pharmacy would probably have it, too. Walmart will certainly carry it. It's cheap everywhere.

Here's a thread on Autogeek about mixing diluted mixtures of IPA. Keep in mind that when you buy it, it's already diluted to 90% or 70%.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ow-mix-ipa-inspecting-correction-results.html

It's often recommended to use a 10-20% dilution for wiping off wax/sealants. To be honest, you could probably get away with buying either the 70 or 90 IPA and just cut it 50/50 with water. Or 1 part IPA, 3 parts water. Spray it on a microfiber and wipe off the sap. I don't like to let IPA sit on the paint for any length of time, so after the alcohol wipe down, be sure to wash the truck right away or at minimum have a wet rag available to wipe the alcohol off. If you're wiping down the whole hood with the IPA, just give it a good wash when you're done.

If I just have a spot or two of Sap, I'll just put the straight alchchol on a cotton ball, dab the sap, then scrub a little with a wet microfiber (water).

Keep in mind this will remove any wax/sealant that is on the truck.

If it's just little specks of sap and its fresh, claying would probably work. But if it's dried or stubborn, personally I'd try the alcohol rather than scrubbing and scrubbing with clay. It's a judgement call on that one. Use the least aggressive method necessary.

 

Clay will get tree sap up. Depending on how long it has set up, you may have to buy a better clay than what a big box store offers.

 

I use a 3M rubber wheel on mine for sap droplets. Once the big droplet is removed satisfactorily, I finish it off with Meguiar's Scratch X.

This is the same method I used for debadging my truck.

Very quick, simple, and gentle.

Good luck!

 

rubbing alcohol and wax right after

 

+1 it works

 

Mineral spirits. WD 40. Rubbing alcohol. The 'bug remover' stuff is primarily petroleum product anyway, so save your $.

Fresher the drip, easier it comes up.

Any solvent that will remove the sap will remove the wax. If the vehicle has wax on it, reapply after it's cleaned up.

 

Butter

 

Use caution on the rubbing alcohol as it does soften paint.

 

I tried different kinds of butter . Nothing would touch Jackpine sap . That sap eats into the paint very quickly .
I think I used mineral spirits after trying a bunch of different products

 

In all honesty , butter works good on getting sap off your hands but its less effective on hardened sap