Can tree sap really damage my car?

[RalphRover]

Hello

I have had tree sap on on my car bonnet for the last 1 - 2 months now and I’m wondering if this could damage the body work at all?

[LarsG]

It's not acidic so I doubt it will cause any harm except maybe giving you exhaustion trying to get it off.

[Pericoloso]

WTAF ?
First it was bird poo,now it's tree sap.
Wash your car more often.

[Vipers]

Pericoloso said:

WTAF ?
First it was bird poo,now it's tree sap.
Wash your car more often.

Seems obvious. Spent three hours Sunday washing, waxing, waxing wheels, inside vacuum, apart from wax, just a weekly routine.

Monday at work the birds noticed a lovely shiney car, and couldn't resist it.

Monday evening, out hose, five mins = clean car again. Can't stand dirty cars, especially mine.

[Wacky Racer]

Back in 1979, I had a brand new red Ford Capri, which was nine months old, parked under a tree for one night, and the sap completely destroyed the paintwork, getting underneath the paint.

Had to have the entire car resprayed, at huge cost.

Always avoid any trees now if possible.

[RalphRover]

I have tried washing the cars bonnet it’s just really hard to remove the sap, it’s not really bothered me until now

[av185]

Wacky Racer said:

I had a brand new red Ford Capri, which was nine months old,

[anonymous-user]

I regularly park under trees in various places as they are often the last spaces left. Most sap is just sticky and attracts the dust to stick but is easily washed off. Parked under a tree yesterday in Hol Inn Filton CP and don't know what the tree was but the brown sap is unmoveable the next day. It may well take a winters worth of rain and other crud to remove it if it's not actually etched itself in to the paint work. Never seen sap like it.

[RalphRover]

MikeStroud said:

I regularly park under trees in various places as they are often the last spaces left. Most sap is just sticky and attracts the dust to stick but is easily washed off. Parked under a tree yesterday in Hol Inn Filton CP and don't know what the tree was but the brown sap is unmoveable the next day. It may well take a winters worth of rain and other crud to remove it if it's not actually etched itself in to the paint work. Never seen sap like it.

Cheers mate for your reply, how long would you say it takes tree sap to etch the paint? Thanks

[paintman]

How long's a piece of string? Longer you leave it the more chance of interaction.

http://www.standox.com/content/dam/EMEA/Standox/HQ...

Scroll down to numbers 1 & 5 in part 2 for your issues. Note their advice on dealing with the deposits 'as soon as possible' & 'immediately'.

Edited by paintman on Friday 13th July 08:37

[Pericoloso]

It's an Evoque I believe.

Evoak tree possibly.......

[RalphRover]

Managed to get it all off today while the heat made it soft, can’t see any noticeable damage to the paintwork

[J-Dub]

Unless you let it rest for a long amount of time, I don't think the sap itself will damage the paintwork. You're probably more likely to damage the paintwork trying to remove it without proper products. That's of course whether you're particular enough to count swirl marks and light scratches as damage!

I let a large amount of sap sit on my roof / bonnet of one of my earlier cars and getting rid of it was such a pain that I just try to avoid parking under trees completely now.