My tree dropped some leaves and they had a little sap on them. Is the best way to remove it by using grease and wax remover? Or does WD 40 work better? I'll add some wax after I'm done of course.

 

Wash the truck or at least the area with sap and use a clay bar especially on the area afterwards. You will be amazed with all the junk the clay bar gets off the top surface of your paint. Also I would put a good coat of wax on afterwards.

 

Put a small dab of the cheap clear Wal-Mart or other in store brand of hand sanitizer on the sap. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and then use your fingernail to scrape it off. I use this method on my travel trailer awning and bunk ends (I have a hybrid) and it works like a charm.

 

x2 Hand sanitizer works wonders. Dab it on rub it off. Shouldn't even need to scrape it.

 

Two years ago we had a bad storm come thru here. It was so bad that we thought a Tornado had went thru our development, and directly thru our yard. Trees were uprooted, snapped in half, bent in half but didn't snap in two, and branches piercing things, I mean really bad. It was reported as being a Super Cell that came thru. No electric for days, and so on. We still have huge trees laying on the ground, leaning against other trees. Well, behind our house is a row of tall pine trees. The Cell came thru there and snapped most of them in half, landed in our yard, driveway and up the street. Thank God nothing hit our house and pool. We had pine needles sticking in our wood siding like hypodermic needles sticking straight out. We have a metal pole building that I keep my Truck and T'bird under. That saved them from serious damage. But it didn't save them from the pine branches, needles and sap. I had to remove pine cones and needles from both vehicles, and from inside the grill of the truck. It was in front and took most of it. Once I was done pulling the sticky needles off, both the truck and T'bird (plus my sisters car), where completely covered with sap. Imagine the truck looking like a porcupine, and then plucking it like a duck. I thought it was gonna take days to get off of both vehicles. But I'll tell ya what saved me. I used, are you ready...Turtle wax spray Bug and Tar remover. I would spray it on about a 12" section, let it sit for a minute, and then worked it with my fingers. I could feel the little pins of sap disappear. Then buffed it clean with a towel. It was easy, no hard rubbing, and left a nice shine. I had to do the entire truck, including glass and trim. And then do it to the T'bird. But it wasn't as bad as the truck because it was behind it. Took one and a half bottles, and four days to do it. Whew..........

 

Thanks for the info guys. I will try the hand sanitizer after I wash it.

I'll throw some wax on it when I'm all done.

 

It sounds like it would be a bad thing but if you wash it off right away its does no harm. Mineral Spirits (paint thinner) and a soft rag........does real good

 

Rain x will take it off easy, just wax after

 

Rubbing alcohol(main ingredient of hand sanitizer, and dry gas... We used to use that as well back in the day) takes it right off. I'm a painter, and keep a bottle of it in my tool box for tree sap. Plus I used to live in an area called Oldham PINES. Tree sap on your vehicle, is just the way it is in that area.

Don't let the sap stay for too long, it will eat into your clear. In fact after you remove the sap, the spot where it was, may be swelled a bit. Clear coat is porus, and will absorb it a little. Given time it will dye down. Just don't give it that chance to absorb.

 

Another good solvent is spirit of turpentine. *Which is refined pine sap/resin.
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