Just how bad is tree sap?
Discussion
I moved into a new flat a couple of weeks ago and the car park is lined with trees. I never gave it much thought but every morning my car is completely covered with tiny spots of sticky tree sap. The windscreen from inside looks as if it's been raining very finely and lightly.
The only experience I've had of this is a friend of mine who parked his car under a tree at work. He never washed it mind, but after about a year the paintwork had gone completely dull and had no shine to it whatsoever.
Will it always wash off if I go a month without cleaning it, or is it case of washing it off every morning before it has time to harden? I could park it on the street away from all the trees but would rather avoid that unless it's necessary.
The only experience I've had of this is a friend of mine who parked his car under a tree at work. He never washed it mind, but after about a year the paintwork had gone completely dull and had no shine to it whatsoever.
Will it always wash off if I go a month without cleaning it, or is it case of washing it off every morning before it has time to harden? I could park it on the street away from all the trees but would rather avoid that unless it's necessary.
t is a squillion times worse and I always try and wash it off as soon as poss.Would a cover be any good or would it do the car more harm than good if I had been driving it in the rain and then covered it before it had chance to dry? It gets driven pretty much daily but would being undercover and wet through the night allow rust to set in?
Edited by The Turbonator on Sunday 15th May 15:53
swisstoni said:
Car covers are generally a pain on a car in daily use.
A clay bar used to get tree sap off. I don't think the sap does any lasting harm although it's not nice obviously.
As long as it doesn't do any permanent damage I'm not too bothered. As long as I'll always be able wash it off or polishing it off is the way worst case scenario, I'll just keep parking it in the car park. A clay bar used to get tree sap off. I don't think the sap does any lasting harm although it's not nice obviously.
Just wasn't sure whether or not it can cause permanent damage and dullness to the paint.
The Turbonator said:
Wacky Racer said:
I had to have my one year old (from new) red Ford Capri completely resprayed at a cost of £1000 in 1979, when I left it under a tree for 24 hours.
I now avoid them like the plaque.
I now avoid them like the plaque.
okay now I'm worried This was the red car shortly before it happened.
No tree sap can be as bad as this.
Took forever to rinse off with a pressure washer whilst trying not to rub it.
I have a daily that's parked under a tree, most of the other cars in my residents car park are also under trees and 50% of them have car covers. I've always been told car covers are bad for the paintwork - this true?
I can't take much more of coming out to my car and seeing this stuff all over it. Usually in the same place as the bird must sit in the tree above the car. Tempted to cut the branches off above my car!
Took forever to rinse off with a pressure washer whilst trying not to rub it.
I have a daily that's parked under a tree, most of the other cars in my residents car park are also under trees and 50% of them have car covers. I've always been told car covers are bad for the paintwork - this true?
I can't take much more of coming out to my car and seeing this stuff all over it. Usually in the same place as the bird must sit in the tree above the car. Tempted to cut the branches off above my car!
ashleyman said:
No tree sap can be as bad as this.
Took forever to rinse off with a pressure washer whilst trying not to rub it.
I have a daily that's parked under a tree, most of the other cars in my residents car park are also under trees and 50% of them have car covers. I've always been told car covers are bad for the paintwork - this true?
I can't take much more of coming out to my car and seeing this stuff all over it. Usually in the same place as the bird must sit in the tree above the car. Tempted to cut the branches off above my car!
Soak it in WD40 before you start. Works with varying success depending on the type. Took forever to rinse off with a pressure washer whilst trying not to rub it.
I have a daily that's parked under a tree, most of the other cars in my residents car park are also under trees and 50% of them have car covers. I've always been told car covers are bad for the paintwork - this true?
I can't take much more of coming out to my car and seeing this stuff all over it. Usually in the same place as the bird must sit in the tree above the car. Tempted to cut the branches off above my car!
I don't think it's actually harmful to modern paints, but depending on the species (such as pine) it can be a real pain to remove, it is not water soluble. Your wipers would be permanently fooked too, as would your screen visibility after trying to "wiper" the glue off.
If this is not the case then you are lucky.
If this is not the case then you are lucky.
It is dreadful. I parked in the south of france under a pine where there was a liberal dousing everyday for 2 weeks followed by a daily baking. I had no idea. It was a relatively new Discovery and nothing would shift it when I got back to UK. In the end as it became super hard I spent about a day scratching each spec off with a non - abrasive piece of hard plastic. But it was never 100%. I really felt let down by the Villa owner for not pointing this out but I have never parked under any tree again.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
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