Need Tar Removal product

[2011 Kona Blue]

Looking to buy a good tar removing product to use on customers cars. Can you guys please recommend a strong tar removing product that eats through or really loosen up caked on tar. Tar that builds up around the wheel wells, lower part of the panels that have been on for years.

 

[conman1395]

I've used a few. For a while I liked Tarminator. Now all I use is TarX. It really is great and makes tar removal easy.


I drove from Lawrence, KS to Kansas City, KS (39 miles one way) last semester for every home Chiefs game while I was in college. I also visited my girlfriend the weekends she didn't come see me. There was road construction during time period and the amount of tar on my car and in my wheel barrels was atrocious. TarX made removing it really easy.

 

[2011 Kona Blue]

I've used a few. For a while I liked Tarminator. Now all I use is TarX. It really is great and makes tar removal easy.


I drove from Lawrence, KS to Kansas City, KS (39 miles one way) last semester for every home Chiefs game while I was in college. I also visited my girlfriend the weekends she didn't come see me. There was road construction during time period and the amount of tar on my car and in my wheel barrels was atrocious. TarX made removing it really easy.

Thank you. I detailed a vehicle today and it was 18 years old. The tar build up was crazy. I'm like ###. Ha ha. Really wished I had something today that would of ate through the caked on tar or loosen it up so I could wipe off easily.

 

[Marcov719]

Not exactly tar remover but I've found Meguiar's APC, Super Degreaser and sometimes even Wheel Brightener to work. It can take a few tries and good agitating to get it off but I've found them to work really well. I also carry Stoners Tar Remover and works well on most cases.

 

[dcjredline]

Tarminator here. Love it so far

 

[2011 Kona Blue]

Thanks guys. Any issues with using WD40 to dissolve and remove tar? Been reading on line and people seem to like WD40!

 

[PiPUK]

Thanks guys. Any issues with using WD40 to dissolve and remove tar? Been reading on line and people seem to like WD40!

Technically, WD40 has nothing to make it rinsable (as a dedicated tar remover would). This means that you need to take special effort to then clean the solvents away - a rinse with water is not enough. Worse, WD40 is specifically designed with additives which are highly water repellent, so not only do you have solvents which have no easy mechanism for removal, you have additives which are notably difficult to remove. What this all adds up to is something which has a high potential for leaving misc residues if you don't give a really deep clean after.

That said, this is one of these areas where detailers, who have limited experience with real tar removers, are willing to, half blindly, state that the above technical reasons are rubbish.

 

[richy]

Technically, WD40 has nothing to make it rinsable (as a dedicated tar remover would). This means that you need to take special effort to then clean the solvents away - a rinse with water is not enough. Worse, WD40 is specifically designed with additives which are highly water repellent, so not only do you have solvents which have no easy mechanism for removal, you have additives which are notably difficult to remove. What this all adds up to is something which has a high potential for leaving misc residues if you don't give a really deep clean after.

That said, this is one of these areas where detailers, who have limited experience with real tar removers, are willing to, half blindly, state that the above technical reasons are rubbish.

Well said. Although it's a PITA to have all these dedicated cleaners, I truly believe that having one for Tar is mandatory. I buy Tarminator by the 5 gal drum. I've compared TarX on some jobs and didn't find it significantly better, especially when you factor price into the equation. I buy the Tarminator in liquid form BTW.

 

[2011 Kona Blue]

Seems like this Terminator is the overall choice here. Thanks guys.

 

[addysdaddy]

Technically, WD40 has nothing to make it rinsable (as a dedicated tar remover would). This means that you need to take special effort to then clean the solvents away - a rinse with water is not enough. Worse, WD40 is specifically designed with additives which are highly water repellent, so not only do you have solvents which have no easy mechanism for removal, you have additives which are notably difficult to remove. What this all adds up to is something which has a high potential for leaving misc residues if you don't give a really deep clean after.

That said, this is one of these areas where detailers, who have limited experience with real tar removers, are willing to, half blindly, state that the above technical reasons are rubbish.

What would you recommend?