Help- Road tar!

[jeffs42885]

Hello fellow detailers!

I have a 2011 Scion TC, silver in color. Heres my problem..

I wash washing the car the other day, and I noticed specs, spots, etc..all over the hood, fenders, doors, quarter panels..etc. I looked at it a bit more, and it appears to be tar. The best way I can explain it, is they look like POPPY SEEDS all over the car. I can scratch them off with my nail, but..there are alot of them, dozens all over. And I don't want to risk possibly scratching anything. Here is what I have tried

Clay (Adams)
Wash (Chemical Guys, P21S Total Auto Wash, Meguiars)..in a foam gun
Tarminator, spray on, and let sit for about 5 minutes, and then try again, nothing.

Coming into the winter soon, and I want to get a good coat of sealant and wax on the car for the upcoming wniter. What can I do. Any suggestions?

[LegacyGT]

Tar-X Amazing stuff on tar.

[embolism]

mineral spirits should work too

[bigbadbp7]

Tar X for sure! The spray head sucks on it so get another bottle, unless they changed. It if not its a pain in the butt.

[LuxuryMobile]

Mineral spirits is worth a try first, much cheaper and probably easier.

[opie_7afe]

try claybar, or use something with d-limonene in it....

[tw33k2514]

Really have no idea if it is safe, but when I was probably 17. I had a bunch of road tar on my truck, and it literally wiped right off with WD-40.

[Shane731]

Sounds like artillery fungus to me. Do you park near mulch beds on a frequent basis? Best way I have found to get them off is with a medium grade clay bar, like Meguiar's blue clay (http://www.autogeek.net/megovclay.html).


Artillery Fungus Tennessee Mobile Detailing (http://tennesseemobiledetailing.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/artillery-fungus/)

[CEE DOG]

I've got just the product for you Im the MAN. http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews/39864-review-carpro-tar-x.html

EDIT: Ohhhh, nice catch Shane! I didn't read the whole description of problem. Shane is right, that doesn't sound like tar. Shane is right on with his method. I have used the bug and tar sponge with good results on some of them but only clay did it for the rest as Shane said. Never had the chance to try TarX on them.

[mark58]

Go to your favorite store like home depot or paint store and get a Gallon of oderless mineral spirits (Paint thinner) and it will do a great job removing tar. Put some on a sponge and work it in. it will disolve all road tar. Safe on all paints. Yes there are many products for tar but MOST all of them are derived from oil base or mineral spirits. $5.97 a quart and its environment safe.

Search Results for minerl spirits at The Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?keyword=minerl+spirits&selectedCatgry=SEARCH+ALL&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&Ntpc=1&Ntpr=1)

[DaHen]

I looked at it a bit more, and it appears to be tar. The best way I can explain it, is they look like POPPY SEEDS all over the car. I can scratch them off with my nail, but..there are alot of them, dozens all over. And I don't want to risk possibly scratching anything.


From your discription it sounds like the same small bumps that I found on my son's car last week. They are difficult to see but ya can feel them when ya rub your hand across the surface and they are easy to knock off with a fingernail.

We came to the conclusion that these are fallout from a tree in his front yard near the drivway. Most of these bumps are on the top surface of the car but some are on the drivers side of the doors as well because he parks facing the house with the drivers side towards this tree. None show up on the passenger side. We assume that when these particles land on the surface of the car, they get hot from the sun and sort of melt onto and stick to the surface. We get these same bumps on the front of his house as well.

Yesterday, while the car was still wet from the rain, I used a new clean ice scraper and gently shaved these bumps off without inflicting any scratches or damage to the paint.