Removing hardened tree sap

[emaxxman]

My 98 Accord was sort of neglected (washes here and there) for years. I'm now in the process of rejuvenating it.

I noticed a spot of what appears to be hardened tree sap on the trunk. It's a small drop that I managed to "pick" 70% of it off. The remaining portion won't come off with regular washing. The little drop of remaining sap is very firm but not rock hard.

What can I use that is paint safe? The over the counter products are either only bug & tar or have pretty scary warning labels about not using it in the sun, don't let it soak for too long, etc.

Clay?
Degreaser? Is diluted 1:1 Simple Green safe for car paint?

Or do I need to polish it off?

[BritOn2wheels]

emaxxman
Buy yourself a bottle of P21S Paintwork Cleansing Lotion and give it a try. IMHO this is one of the best pre-wax cleaners on the market! If your 98 Accord has any signs of acid-rain spots or road tar deposits you'll find yourself going over the whole car with this stuff.

[ScottB]

http://www.autogeek.net/poorboys-bug-squash.html

I recently used this on some hardened sap, allowed it to sit for 1/2 minute, and it came up. Works well on tar also.

[Malibu Jim]

A lot of clay advertisements claim their product removes hardened sap, but I've never tried it.

[Kelso]

rain x. wax the area afterwards though. we use rainX at work to remove sap and it does a phenomenal job...just put a little on a towl and even rub the area or just let it soak for a few seconds and then rub lightly. works every time. like i said, wax the area afterwards and try not to get rainX on too much of an area

[emaxxman]

rain x. wax the area afterwards though. we use rainX at work to remove sap and it does a phenomenal job...just put a little on a towl and even rub the area or just let it soak for a few seconds and then rub lightly. works every time. like i said, wax the area afterwards and try not to get rainX on too much of an area

Kelso,

Are you referring to Rain-x bug and tar remover?

[Kelso]

nope. the windsheild rainX i have found that bug and tar removers cant remove anything so dont try cause there is better chemicals...

[ScottB]

its probably the high alcohol content in rain-x .... has anyone ever tried rubbing alcohol directly ??

[pogo123]

its probably the high alcohol content in rain-x .... has anyone ever tried rubbing alcohol directly ??
Yes, I have and it works well. The reason we get so many different suggestions for removal is that each sap is different, so you may have to try several different products to find the one that works best on the kind of sap you have. I heard that Turpintine will work well on some types also but I've never tried it.

[SpoiledMan]

I tried rubbing alcohol on some sap and it did very little. If you can find some Meguiar's Medallion Paint Cleaner that stuff is death on sap and most other things that have "appeared" on the paint. If you find some snatch it up as it's disappearing for good.