[jetblackbmw325]

Here we are... got my car a month an half ago... started parking far away from any other car in the parking lot at work to avoid dings... but... i parked under a tree. Got the stickiest car I have ever got in my life from tree sap . I had to leave for 2 weeks right after and couldn't wash it. Now I took it to a detailing shop and they told me that instead of the standard $80 service they will have to work on it for a full day (!) and will cost me AT LEAST $250 (and probably it will be more).

Do you think it makes sense? Should I go ahead w/ it? It's jet black so it's very delicate as a paint , I don't have products and space to do it and I don't wanna screw it up . At the same time, a regular wash is $15-$20, so I was trying to understand if it made sense a full detailed wash for such a brand new car w/ no other scratches or swirls...

many thanks!

[Chesmu]

try doing it yourself, but if you're not careful you'll swirl the sh*t out if it. Might as well cough uo the 250.00 and get it done right. Hel, you paid 40,000 for the damn thing.

[Chesmu]

i can;t type worth shit

[E90Brian]

Cough up the dough if you don't have the expertise/facilities. Then stay the hell away from trees (especially pines)--I used to live in The City and it's not that tough (or pack a chain saw).

[uhaulball]

use wd40.... i had this problem as i live in a suburban area and had pine tree sap all over my fender.

spray the wd40 on and let it sit for half and hour. then spray another layer. and wait again. then just carefully pick it off. it works. i had a LOT of sap too.

where is the sap on the car. unless its on the hood, id do it myself.

[jetblackbmw325]

Originally Posted by uhaulball

use wd40.... i had this problem as i live in a suburban area and had pine tree sap all over my fender.

spray the wd40 on and let it sit for half and hour. then spray another layer. and wait again. then just carefully pick it off. it works. i had a LOT of sap too.

where is the sap on the car. unless its on the hood, id do it myself.

it's everywhere ... all over the car. my real concern is that the car is black

[Chesmu]

Originally Posted by jetblackbmw325

it's everywhere ... all over the car. my real concern is that the car is black

get her done by a professional if it is that extensive.

[saini023]

get it done..i paid $300 for my car to get fully detailed after house paint sprinkled all over my hood and side mirriors..regular washes couldnt get it out..worth the $$ to me if you wna keep the car looking good..

[picus]

They're basically going to hit it with a solvent then clay the snot out of it. It's not *hard* work, but it will be delicate and take a long time. I'd charge the same amount, so I say go for it.

[Chesmu]

Originally Posted by picus

They're basically going to hit it with a solvent then clay the snot out of it. It's not *hard* work, but it will be delicate and take a long time. I'd charge the same amount, so I say go for it.

Finally, the knowledgable put their two cents in...

[uhaulball]

well actually... claying doesnt really help for tree sap, i had this issue a few months ago.

[xcalibr]

did you try goo gone? it's probably hardened by now... so it probably won't work.

I dunno if I would recommend this method but... My sister's jetta had like 2 years worth of blackened tree sap on it. I got it off by putting it under a hair dryer at low heat while moistening it with a soaked rag. My thought was to melt the sap, but keep it wet so it doesn't dry out and just peel off the paint. It worked to pretty well... but obviously with 2 years of neglect, even after claybar-ing the sap stain didn't lift completely.

[uhaulball]

actually... u dont wanna moisten the sap because then it would just be gooey and hard to get off... what the wd40 does is make it completely hard and have no moisture so it is easier to get off.

[picus]

Originally Posted by uhaulball

well actually... claying doesnt really help for tree sap, i had this issue a few months ago.

There are basically two "right" ways to remove large amounts of sap. Clay with a light solvent, or a high concentration solvent. Most people spray a high concentration bug and tar remover (4* bug and glue remover, pb spray and blast etc..) or good old fashioned alcohol and water; let dwell and remove with a damp cloth. Only issue is on large amounts of sap this takes forever and uses a lot of product.

The other option is as I mentioned, a low concentration solvent not to liquify the sap but to detach it from the surface, then clay to remove.

FWIW, using WD-40 is just using a low concentration high lubricity solvent. Cheers.

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread....light=tree+sap

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread....light=tree+sap

etc etc.

[Hunter399]

Rubbing alcohol works wonders on sap

[uhaulball]

Originally Posted by picus

There are basically two "right" ways to remove large amounts of sap. Clay with a light solvent, or a high concentration solvent. Most people spray a high concentration bug and tar remover (4* bug and glue remover, pb spray and blast etc..) or good old fashioned alcohol and water; let dwell and remove with a damp cloth. Only issue is on large amounts of sap this takes forever and uses a lot of product.

The other option is as I mentioned, a low concentration solvent not to liquify the sap but to detach it from the surface, then clay to remove.

FWIW, using WD-40 is just using a low concentration high lubricity solvent. Cheers.

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread....light=tree+sap

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread....light=tree+sap

etc etc.

hmmm... u probably know more about this, i am by no means an expert, but when i used rubbing alcohol and water, and also nail polish remover, the sap wouldnt get off. by my own experience, only wd-40 worked. but i defintely donno about going to a detailing shop and paying 300 dollars when a newb like myself could do it u know what i mean?

[picus]

Originally Posted by uhaulball

hmmm... u probably know more about this, i am by no means an expert, but when i used rubbing alcohol and water, and also nail polish remover, the sap wouldnt get off. by my own experience, only wd-40 worked. but i defintely donno about going to a detailing shop and paying 300 dollars when a newb like myself could do it u know what i mean?

I understand - did you have a lot of tree sap on your car, and how long was it on? Thing is, a small amount of tree sap removed within the first week or so usually isn't a problem for people. Distilled water will usually take it off, or a light solvent like WD40. The problem most times is when it's pine sap, a huge amount, or it's been sitting for awhile. In any of those cases you usually need a stronger solvent, a lot of clay, and a few hours.

[uhaulball]

in fact it was pine sap... as those are the only trees in my driveway; i live in Long Island, NY (many many trees, and my yard only has pines) also, i neglected removing it for a month as it was the end of winter and i was gonna do a full detail.

[e90arctic]

There was one time when I tried most solvent based cleaners to no avail. What worked was Clean Green ( Simple Green there i think). Give it a bash on a small section.

[andrew 330i]

rubbing alcohol is the only product to use in order to remove tree sap safely & easily.