Ceramic paint coatings care and Tree Sap!

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Carbster09

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Hello,

I just bought the wife her dream car a Macan. The car came with a Ceramic paint coating that is very hydrophobic. How do I care for this without damaging the coating? How long will it last; normally? And;, ... my big question is. I normally park in front of my house; no option. However there is a tree that drips, very small droplets of sap. These are smaller than pin head size; but hard enough to remove.

What do I do; firstly to remove this sap; it is hard to see. Secondly to keep the Ceramic coating?

Thanks Chris
 
Great questions, and welcome to AutogeekOnline! :welcome:


I'm going to start with this issue.

Carbster09 said:
I normally park in front of my house; no option.

However there is a tree that drips, very small droplets of sap. These are smaller than pin head size; but hard enough to remove.
Click to expand...

This is going to be your own going problem.

If you cannot park away from the tree and you cannot remove the tree, then tree sap is going to be a problem you either learn to live with or you're going to have to implement a frequent washing regimen. No other way around it.

Well there is one other way but it's not going to work well over time and that is to use a car cover. It takes a very passion and energetic person to put a car cover on a SUV day-in, day-out and then it's going to get sap on it and the only way to wash it is in a commercial washing machine. So the car cover option gets complicated, time-consuming and dirty.



How did you take care of the tree sap issue on the car BEFORE the Porsche Macan?


:)
 
And to address your other questions


Carbster09 said:
What do I do; firstly to remove this sap; it is hard to see.
Click to expand...


I guess I need to write an article on this as I post this same info all the time.

Here's the deal,

Tree sap, or more generally plant sap, is all different.

Some plant sap will dissolve and wash off our car when you wash your car with soap and water.

Some plant sap will not dissolve and wash of your car when you wash your car with soap and water.​



Water is a universal solvent, for example, it will DISSOLVE or break-down dirt. I know most people don't think of it as a solvent because it's not nasty or dangerous like the solvent's were all aware of, but it is a type of solvent nonetheless.


Here's what you need to do...

Get a quality car wash soap and a clean, quality wash mitt and wet the car first with lots of water, then wash half of the hood. Dry the entire hood and inspect. Compare the half you washed with the half you didn't wash.


Are the tree sap droplets removed?

If yes - Then removing built-up tree sap on your car is as simple as washing often - and washing CAREFULLY.

If no - Then you have a problem.


To deal with the ongoing tree sap problem, you're going to have to purchase a Tree Sap Remover and use it on all the horizontal surfaces before you wash your car to chemically dissolve and remove the tree sap.
(Cutting the tree down is starting to sound pretty good about now huh?)


After chemically removing the tree sap, now carefully wash the car. See my answer below.



Carbster09 said:
Secondly to keep the Ceramic coating?
Click to expand...



How to safely wash a ceramic coated car by Mike Phillips - Traditional Hose & Bucket Approach

Pro_Ceramic_Coating_Wash_076.JPG







Which I had better info for you but I don't. I think it's cool you bought our wife a very cool SUV - I hope it's silver or grey metallic.



:)
 
Here's tar remover options....

LOTS of options. Heck I didn't know we carried so many tar removers until you posted your question and then I thought I would share with you a few options. When I typed

Tar

Into the Autogeek.com search box, here's what it brought up, in the order it brought it up, so I'm not listing them in any order, it's just the order the search engine delivered.



CarPro Tar X Tar & Adhesive Remover 500 ml - $15.99


GYEON Tar 500 ml - $17.99


Optimum T.A.R. Remover 17 ounces - $24.99


DP Tar & Adhesive Remover 16 ounces - $13.99


IGL Ecoclean Tar 16.9 ounces - $29.99


GTechniq W7 Tar and Glue Remover 500 ml - $11.99


Meguiar’s Heavy Duty Bug & Tar Remover 15 ounce aerosol - $6.99


Mothers Speed Foaming Bug & Tar Remover 18 ounce aerosol - $6.99


Wowo’s Tar and Glue Remover 16.9 ounces - $8.99


Stoner Tarminator Tar & Sap Remover 10 ounce aerosol - $5.99


3D Gum-Tar Remover - 1 gallon - $34.50


CarPro TRIX Tar and Iron Remover 1 Liter - $26.99


Nextzett Anti-Insekt Bug + Tar Remover 16.9 ounces - $9.99


CarPro TRIX Tar and Iron Remover 500 ml - $15.99


Duragloss Bug Remover (BR) #471 22 ounce - $7.99


3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner 12 oz. - 38983 12 ounces aerosol - $14.50


Nextzett Industrie-Reiniger Industrial Cleaner 33.8 ounces or 1000ml - $19.99


3D Orange 88 Citrus Degreaser 24 ounces - $5.99


3D Orange 88 Citrus Degreaser 1 gallon - $22.99


Chemical Guys All Clean+ Citrus Based APC 16 ounces - $8.99


Dodo Juice Basics of Bling Detailing Spray 500 ml - $15.99


GYEON Bug & Grime – 400 ml - $11.99


Mötsenböcker’s Lift Off from Stoner—Sticker, Tape, and Adhesive Remover 16 ounce - $7.99


Stoner Xenit Foaming Cleaner 13 ounce aerosol - $5.99


Ultima Elastrofoam Paint Cleaning System 22 ounces - $37.99


Wurth Clean Prep 15.7 ounce aerosol - $14.99


American Detailer Garage F Bomb Multi Purpose Cleaner Concentrate 32 ounces - $19.99


Optimum Power Clean All Purpose Cleaner 17 oz - $11.99


Optimum Power Clean 1 gallon - $35.99


Stoner XENIT Natural Citrus Cleaner & Remover 10 ounce aerosol - $5.99


Poorboy's World Bug Squash 16 oz - $11.99



Wow!




:)
 
I have been down this road with my F150 truck ( it is not a Macan, my CaymanS stays in the garage or driveway away from the SAP).

Many folks here will disagree, but my only solution was to cut many of the branches on the side if the tree that overhang over my driveway ( it does make the tree unhealthy but it is my neighbors tree n he is not removing it, maybe a slow death for the tree, oops).

In addition I had to go truck cover n my wife helps me with it. . It is a battle you will not win constantly removing the sap
(others will disagree,but this has been a real life situation, get a good cover and will have minimal marring and in 3 years toss it and get a new on)


:)
 
Markymapo said:
I have been down this road with my F150 truck ( it is not a Macan, my CaymanS stays in the garage or driveway away from the SAP).
Click to expand...


Thanks for chiming in and sharing.

I feel vindicated.


:dblthumb2:
 
My experience with tree sap comes from the various hardwood trees in my region. If you have any trees overhanging or even upwind then the sap will find you vehicles. Oak trees always emit fine particles and most will wash off with a regular wash with soap. I know my truck had the same issue when I parked near some trees at a shopping center. Paint surfaces and windshield would have some micro dots that you could see and feel after sitting all day in the heat.

Good listing from Mike showing all the chemicals that can help if just water and soap do not remove it.

So just accept that something will find it's way onto that beautiful car, it is going to take some TLC to keep it at it's best for the years to come.
 
Thanks for the replies. The Audi S4 Avant; my car gets the garage. The wife hates putting the Macan, its a Turbo :) in the garage. I have a good pressure washer and use snow foam w a good result. My issue is the "nice" Ceramic coating that was dealer installed. I am thinking any major "paint" correction will just cut right through this. I have used Carpro Tar X and it works well. I just wanted a little advice.
 
don't waste your time with Tarminator. It doesn't even work on "tar".

I had lots of pine sap, ate through the paint on my old car. Cut down the tree. 2 yrs later the oak tree behind where the Pine tree was dropped a branch across the roof of the car.

Full strength IPA will dissolve the Pine sap. I cut blue paper towels into fours. Use 1 or 2 new pieces for each pine splat.

White Pines suck.
 
Carbster09 said:
My issue is the "nice" Ceramic coating that was dealer installed.

I am thinking any major "paint" correction will just cut right through this.
Click to expand...


Any compound or polish that has the ability to remove things like,


  1. Swirls
  2. Scratches
  3. Water Spots
  4. Oxidation


means --> it's removing paint.

If you're removing a little paint, anything sitting on top of the paint will be obliterated.


:)
 
Hi Mike.

I too have the same question about how to preserve the ceramic coat when using a tar/sap remover.

I get small droplets of pine sap on my black car where I park at work. The whole lot gets it.

And although I can get it out with soap and water and a microfiber, it takes a bit of scrubbing and sometimes marrs the paint — to which I had to polish it out, then reapply Ceramic coat if there are enough marring.

Of the products you listed, are any effective at sap removal + safe for clear coats??


:)
 
GN1013 said:
Hi Mike.
Click to expand...

Hope you don't mind, but I edited your post and hit the [ENTER] key here and there to break up the huge chunk of text into smaller bite-size segments to make it easier to read.



:cheers:
 
First, because this is your first post,

Welcome to AutogeekOnline! :welcome:


GN1013 said:
Of the products you listed, are any effective at sap removal + safe for clear coats??
Click to expand...


I think you mean,

Of the products you listed, are any effective at sap removal + safe for CERAMIC COATINGS after installation?



Good question.

Hard to know. Anytime you take a chemical and RUB it over another chemical, you have to ask yourself,


Does rubbing Brand X Sap Remover ADD more coating to my car?

Probably not.

What is the opposite meaning for the word ADD?

Subtract


It's a micro-abrading thing.


Sap is a tough problem. I'll stick to what I wrote about some sap is water soluble and some isn't.


If you find that washing your car with water and a car wash soap solution removes the sap - then I'd say the sap where you live and part your car is water soluble and that would be the safest way to remove a large volume of sap off a car where this is a continuing problem.

Besides moving or driving a junker car to work.

There's also the car cover option.

Buy a good but also cheap car cover and after sap season - throw it away. Get a new cover each sap season.


:)
 
Thank you Mike. And apologies for the miscommunication. Yes I meant to ask which Sap remover product is safe on a car that already has ceramic coating on it (CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0).

I do a very thorough wash using Foam gun and High pressure rinse (repeat 2x), followed by 2 bucket wash system with multiple MF towels and third rinse. And the sap droplets still does not come out. Clay bar doesn’t work either. I have to take warm soapy water and literally carefully scratch it off with fingernail and pray I don’t mar up the paint (which I have done a few times already).
 
GN1013 said:
Thank you Mike. And apologies for the miscommunication. Yes I meant to ask which Sap remover product is safe on a car that already has ceramic coating on it (CarPro UK 3.0).
Click to expand...

Good coating. Must be really sticky sap. :(


GN1013 said:
I do a very thorough wash using Foam gun and High pressure rinse (repeat 2x), followed by 2 bucket wash system with multiple MF towels and third rinse.

And the sap droplets still does not come out.
Click to expand...

So this tells us that the type of sap coming from the trees where you park is NOT water soluble.


GN1013 said:
Clay bar doesn’t work either. I have to take warm soapy water and literally carefully scratch it off with fingernail and pray I don’t mar up the paint (which I have done a few times already).
Click to expand...


I'm afraid there's no simple, easy or quick solution to this type of problem that's within your control. I've had good luck with both CarPro Tar X and Stoner Tarminator Tar & Sap Remover and I'm sure out of the list of product choices there are other top notch product that will work just as well.


Sorry, not sure what else to say?


:dunno:
 
Thank you Mike for your suggestions. I think I will try the CarPro TarX and see what happens.
 
No ceramic coating, but my neighbor's son came home from Tennessee after leaving the Army. I've NEVER seen such thick, set-on, piles/patches of what the hell is this stuff? sap in my life on his pickup. After trying a few things starting with glass cleaner (which has worked very well in my own experience), soap/water, and an APC, Blackfire super degreaser mixed 1:4 with water, a plastic razor blade, microfiber, and a gentle touch is what the solution was.
 
Spikey Mike said:
No ceramic coating, but my neighbor's son came home from Tennessee after leaving the Army. I've NEVER seen such thick, set-on, piles/patches of what the hell is this stuff? sap in my life on his pickup.

After trying a few things starting with glass cleaner (which has worked very well in my own experience), soap/water, and an APC, Backfire super degreaser mixed 1:4 with water, a plastic razor blade, microfiber, and a gentle touch is what the solution was.
Click to expand...


And this is what a true professional does, tests and experiments using the least aggressive approach possible looking for the magic recipe that works.

Like I mentioned previously in this thread, trees, bushes, shrubs, plants - they are all different. And this means their sap is different. Some sap will break-down and dissolve with water, (glass cleaner is mostly water), while some will require a stronger, hotter solvent and in some cases a mechanical means will be required.


Thanks for sharing Mike.


:dblthumb2:
 
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