Tree Sap Damage

Stephan

Stephan

Mr Detailer
I was detailing a Dark Grey Lexus RX 330 and after I washed the hood I noticed about 10 dime size raised bumps that had blackened and almost looked like tar. I sprayed a little bug squash and went over it with clay. It ripped the clay to shreds...

So I started picking it off with my finger nail being careful not to damage the paint, as it came off I could tell by the color and smell that in was sap. Once the bulk was off I took the rest off with clay...I then did the normal detailing steps...polish, glaze, wax etc...

Now after closer inspection I could still see bumps or what I thought were bumps, however when I ran my finger over the area in question it was smooth. So it appears that the sap from sitting there physically changed the look of the paint. It left it looking like a ring in the paint like the paint was pushed out.

Has anyone ever seen anything like this? I used a rotary with a orange CCS pad and some Optimum Hyper Compound (mainly because the swirls were that bad) and it would touch those marks. Just curious.
 
So you are saying that you polished with hyper compound and it did not touch those ten small spots,eh?

If it were me I would try to PP and a wool pad with the rotary to see if the heat and the chemicals might do the job. Although not the same type of thing but I had water spots that would not come off with polishing with abrassives and it took my spots off without much work. This surprised me quite a bit but was glad all at the same time.
 
It actually looks as if the sap pushed paint out from a center of a circle to an outer ring...it looks like it raised on the paint, or that atleast it should be but its not...I wonder if the sap actually damaged the clear coat...

I can try the PP next time...They are noticeable if you knew they were there, however because I knew they were there I obssessed with it...But the customer was happy I got the sap off...they asked me what they could do to stop the sap damage...my response cut down the tree...or get a car cover...
 
I agree with CW ..that a chemical polish like PP would be a better answer as it needs to remove the acids in the sap to clear it back up ;)
 
Most likely you are seeing permanent damage that has gone through the clear. Tree Sap is a solvent and will ruin the surface if given enough time to dwell.
 
Thanks all... Troy that's what I figured...you can tell it had been there awhile based on the hardness of the sap...
 
I agree with Troy on this one. Alot of my customers live in heavily wooded areas with lots of pine trees. It sounds to me like clear damage. The spot will darken and eventually crack up the clear inside the spot. Nothing you can do except keep an eye on the paint daily for sap.
 
Stephan said:
..But the customer was happy I got the sap off...they asked me what they could do to stop the sap damage...my response cut down the tree...or get a car cover...
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I am not a Pro detailer but my first thought would have been an up-sell of services. The more that you work on their vehicle the less they have to worry about tree sap damages. A weekly wash with a spray sealant for another kick up for the up-sell. It is for the benefit of the customer, the vehicle, you as the detailer, and it would help to avoid the calamity such as you described to get to that dimension.
 
cwcad said:
I am not a Pro detailer but my first thought would have been an up-sell of services. The more that you work on their vehicle the less they have to worry about tree sap damages. A weekly wash with a spray sealant for another kick up for the up-sell. It is for the benefit of the customer, the vehicle, you as the detailer, and it would help to avoid the calamity such as you described to get to that dimension.
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Great idea!!! and I agree and subscribe to that theory, but in the end its up to them to abide by it, and some people you can tell won't...so my honest suggestion was, just don't park it underneath that tree, because even though the car had some heavy swirling I could fix it, but the sap alone took me an extra hour....I will be seeing this this Saturday and I plan on mentioning it again...
 
Stephan said:
Great idea!!! and I agree and subscribe to that theory, but in the end its up to them to abide by it, and some people you can tell won't...so my honest suggestion was, just don't park it underneath that tree, because even though the car had some heavy swirling I could fix it, but the sap alone took me an extra hour....I will be seeing this this Saturday and I plan on mentioning it again...
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Ya, I guess my ideas weren't original.:wall Sometimes I am a little obtuse:redface: but with the best intent.:rockon All I know is.:hmmm:.. that was what I was thinking when I typed it:cheers::idea:surrender:notme::dnaughty.
 
cwcad said:
Ya, I guess my ideas weren't original.:wall Sometimes I am a little obtuse:redface: but with the best intent.:rockon All I know is.:hmmm:.. that was what I was thinking when I typed it:cheers::idea:surrender:notme::dnaughty.
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THey are good ideas, its just some people believe in the I just got it detailed it should last a year protection... And when I tell them thats not how it works, they tend to just put it to the side...but I do get customers who agree and have me maintain...
 
I have had my fair share of tree sap on cars. One of my clients keeps parking under his tree because it provides shade. It also provides loads of sap on his hood. Told him many times but they just don't listen! He's lucky so far as no damage is showing...

The way I removed baked on tree sap. Added a blob of AIO to affected surface. Then covered with a damp cloth (so the AIO doesn't dry). Let it sit for 10 minutes or more and then wiped off. (re-apply if required, but usually works first shot) I was lucky to have seen no damages yet on cars I have done.

But it's sad to say that if after claying & polishing the area is smooth but damage is visible, there isn't much you can do.

The only good thing to do is preach the do's and don'ts, but it's for them to follow what you preached!
 
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