3M SMR for removing Tree sap

R

Red Wolf

New member
I washed the car this weekend and much to my dismay I found numerous blobs of what I think is tree sap. I tried using a clay bar,this was not too successful, So I decided to try my 3M SMR, this worked, much better then the clay bar. I applied it in a straight line, from 2 directions on tough spots.



Just wondering if anyone else has used SMR for this?
 
I detail a friends truck and minivan that are exposed to tree sap. It's so bad in places that it feels like sandpaper during the initial dawn wash. I needed to use clay to remove the remaining sap on the paint and then FI 2 followed by SMR to get rid of everything else on the paint.
 
You must have caught it early or have weak sap!

Just did my ma's car and the only thing that would work on poplar sap is bug and tar remover and lots of elbow grease.

May have been on it for a long time though.
 
Here's a tip for tree sap.... let the car sit in the sun for about 30 - 60 minutes so that the sap can heat up and be more plyable. Then wash the car with normal soap. This should help the sap come off MUCH easier and if the wash still doesn't take it off, try abrasives.
 
Thanks for the response, I don't have a garage and live in the woods so my car is surrounded by trees,mostly hardwood.

You can hear the bumbs on my windshield when I turn on the wipers.

Hopefully it will not be raining on my day off and I will be able to spend more time cleaning it off.
 
I wouldn't use SMR to remove tree sap. Abrasives are for polishing out scratches. What you need is a solvent. There are several products on the market "bug and tar" or "tree sap" removers. They will remove your wax too, but won't remove any paint.



Here's another trick - take an ice cube, and hold it over the sap glob until most of the cube is melted - i.e., to get the sap as cold as possible. This makes it hard and brittle - and, especially if your car had a decent coat of wax to begin with, it can generally be popped off with a fingernail.
 
One of my regular customers parks their car near a pine tree, so sap removal is a regular exercise for me. Nothing works faster nor safer for me than simple old isopropyl (or denatured if you like ) alcohol. Rewax afterwards.



Just hope you get it before it mars the clearcoat.
 
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