I've been looking around the message boards and the web to find a solution to this problem, but...can't really find one, so here goes:

Seems I got back from a bit of a vacation to find my micah-black P5 with some (3) nasty and noticable finger tip-sized hardened globs of tree sap on it (1 on the hood, two on the roof). I tried using some Turtle Wax "Bug & Tar Remover," which worked fine on some of the smaller smatterings of sap, but these three big spots remain. These bad boys seem really hardened too...seems like i'll have to use a dremel or whatever to get them off!

I found this article - http://www.bmwworld.com/repairs/detailing/tree_sap.htm - which mentions "hitting the affected areas with a light-duty buffing compound to remove the hardened surface on the sap spots," but I really have no clue what a "light-duty buffikng compound" is. Any help? Or, does anyone have any other tips up their sleeves?

Thanks a lot!

- tim

 

I had the same exact problem....GRRRR

I tried washing it off the first time and it smeared it. Then about 5 days later I washed it again, with the extra scrubbing, and it came off pretty well.

I had some on my windows also. I just use some window cleaner and a razor blade. Came off easily.

 

For at work (I work at a car dealership) we use Methyl Hydride. It's totally safe on your paint, and dissolves the sap with no effort. I'm not sre where you could get some, but it's the industry-standard for removing sap.

 

Wow, methyl hydride sounds like a silver-bullet...but from what I read online, it looks like "methyl hydride" is just a synonym for "methane" -

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/pr...2/icsc0291.htm

The use of the warnings "Extremely flammable," "Gas/air mixtures are explosive" and that it causes suffocation and frostbite make it seem like something I can't pick up at Pep Boys or something that i'd want to mess around with in my driveway

 

You can probably find some at like a camping store or somehting for $2.... Wear gloves though, because for some reason that **** is COLD AS **** when it gets on your skin!