Tree Sap or Industrial Fall Out?

[Sinkhole]

Hey all. Just picked up a 2016 228i Convertible. We've had the car for a week and today was my 1st chance to get to clean the car really well. It was cleaned at the dealer but not waxed yet. I got out of work and my sole intention was to wash the car and give it a good coat of Ultimate Liquid Wax. When washing the car i noticed a ton of small spots on the car on that are a bear to get off. at first I thought it was iron spots but they fleck off with a fingernail. Bug and Tar remover doesn't seem to loosen it up much. It seems to come off vertical and composite surfaces, like the mirror caps and front bumper, much easier than horizontal surfaces like the hood. I'm not sure if it is some kind of tree sap or some kind of industrial fall out. I'm guessing my next step is to probably try to clay bar it off? Any suggestions and or help is greatly appreciated. below are some images of the contaminant.

[amblin83]

Re: Tree Sap or Industrial Fall Out?

The reason it's much more difficult to remove on the hood is because high temp of the engine and sun 'baked' it onto your paint.

clay is the best bet but it can easily cloud the paint surface if you're not familiar. There's a trick you can try: roll yourself a few pieces of toilet paper, soak it with bug&tar remover then stick it to the spots with masking tape, wait five minutes and see if it's softened enough to wipe away.

remember: NEVER attempt to use fingernails to remove any spots, the majority of CC is only 2-4H, it will scratch . And only apply bug remover when the paint is cool.

[Top Gear]

Re: Tree Sap or Industrial Fall Out?

No, Sinkhole, I wouldn't clay these, myself. Clay can mar too easily, or drag bits of this stuff around, and then you'll freak and want to wipe that too hard with something else, etc, etc. I'd do something like amblin says, in soaking the rings before nudging them away, like using Ultimate Wash & Wax Anywhere (UWWA). Who knows what the stuff is, but it looks and sounds like the rings will come away with some patience, and then you can put some extra love on those areas with the UW, which is a polish-wax, or maybe use a polish over the car before waxing.

[amblin83]

Re: Tree Sap or Industrial Fall Out?

Yeah... maybe I've been doing something wrong, but I've tried pretty much every clay lube I can find and think of but it still caused more problem than cure. It created spots of holograms and left sticky stuff all over the place.....

toilet paper with bug&tar may be slower but much easier and safer .

[Top Gear]

Re: Tree Sap or Industrial Fall Out?

Right, claying is not for cleaning, but for removing invisible bonded contaminants from an otherwise clean surface. Even then, it is a LOT of work that can cause more scratches, smears, etc. I haven't clayed in years, but my paint is baby smooth. See my 4-Step thread for how I do it without clay. However, for a spot fix of a scratch, I'll occasionally clay, and I'll clay glass.

Anyway, the OP's stains look like they will wash away.

[twisty roads]

Re: Tree Sap or Industrial Fall Out?

spray WD-40 on the spot and let it sit for 30-60 seconds. Rub with either your fingertip (not nail) or a MF towel. Repeat if necessary. Follow-up with your LSP/wax in that area.