Ceramic paint coatings care and Tree Sap!

[Mike Phillips]

My issue is the "nice" Ceramic coating that was dealer installed.

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

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.

[GN1013]

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??

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Mike.

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.

[Mike Phillips]

First, because this is your first post,

Welcome to AutogeekOnline!

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

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.

[Mike Phillips]

See this article to,

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



BLACK 2014 Maserati personally detailed and maintained by Mike Phillips







Forrest Green Edgeless Microfiber Towels

It's the TOWEL or MITT that is KEY to keeping your car scratch-free -Mike Phillips

[GN1013]

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).

[Mike Phillips]

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).

Good coating. Must be really sticky sap.

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.

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

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).

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?

[GN1013]

Thank you Mike for your suggestions. I think I will try the CarPro TarX and see what happens.

[Mike Hoekstra]

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.

[Mike Phillips]

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.

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.