acherp93

Getting into my car this morning I noticed I had what appeared to be water bubbles on my hood. Being my OCD self, I tried to wipe them off, but noticed that they were hard and would not come off. I tried taking it with my fingernail and used detail spray to no avail. Does anyone know how to remedy this without destroying the finish? It is the Designo Matte Alanite Gray paint.

CarHopper

My guess would be warm water and patience. I'm sure some detailing guru's are in here though.

bhamg

What I would do too. Hose the car down to take any dirt off. Fill a bucket with very warm water and take a quality cotton hand towel and (dunking it regularly to keep the towel hot and wet) go gently with a front to back (not circular or side to side) motion. GL.

ChrisD63

Try Dr. Beasley's matte finish products.

acherp93

I have chemical guys's matte finish detail spray and it isn't doing crap. I have heard of people using nail polish remover and applying it via cotton ball. Gonna try the warm water tactic first, but keep the suggestions coming. The struggle is real!

jarjoug

Try it on one bubble. WD-40, should remove it after a bit of time.

Sidv22

+1. wash the affected part gently and spray some WD-40 and keep it on for a while.

acherp93

Gonna go the WD-40 route. Best method of application for this situation?

SaphGreyC63

Try Goo Gone. All natural organic blah blah blah. has worked great for me . Just make sure to wash with soap and water after.

http://amusingtreasures.com/wp-conte...4/Goo-Gone.jpg

jarjoug

Not an expert here, but I think WD-40 will work. Just be careful. Good luck man!

Critter

Very warm water with lots of soap if the area is large, use lots of the warm soapy water to soften,
or place cloth over area and apply the warm solution to the cloth
then wash with sponge
Goo gone if small area.
DO NOT USE NAIL POLISH REMOVER ,

acherp93

Attempted to wash with warm water, little to no effect. Have ruled out nail polish remover. WD-40 and/or goo gone are my next choices, although I am reading some horror stories about goo gone:0

Critter

Lots of soap and very warm water, take it very slow, more soak time than wiping.

zcct04

I occasionally get sap on the car from the oak trees around here. It's never been a hassle (altho I'm not dealing with matte paint).
Did you have them only on the hood? More specifically, did you get any on your windshield, and if yes did the washer fluid and the wipers take them off? If yes, I'd go back to the warm soapy water approach and try a little harder. I don't know crap about detailing but putting WD40 on matte just scares me.

acherp93

Hell man, scares me prolly twice as much lol. I've had little sap deposits and stuff and never had a problem taking it off with the detailer and a microfiber. But this stuff is hard to the touch. It's almost like some kind of hardened glue, I'll post a picture.

acherp93

507AMG

I had a black car which (had clear coat) had the exact same type sap spots. First a warning, do not park in direct sun light until you get them off. Even on a slightly warm day with direct sun they will act like a magnifying glass and burn/bubble the paint quickly.
Now, what worked for me was Mayonnaise! Cannot remember where I read to try it but it did work. I believe the process was to cover the spots and let the mayo sit and soak in. Hood should be slightly warm (run engine for bit) to help the oil in the mayo soak in. Then carefully begin to rub off using more mayo in the process.
Good luck and let us know. BTW, I have no idea if this is different on Matte paint.

Cavu

I used 99% Isopropyl alcohol. It scared the hell out of me, but it worked great. Put a little on a cotton ball, close your eyes and try not to think about it.

roadtalontsi

https://mbworld.org/forums/sl-class-...niversary.html

"Difficult Soils
• Pre-soak difficult soils to loosen and soften
• A soft bristle toothbrush can be used gently if necessary
• A pressure washer can help remove stubborn soils
• Remove insects with Mercedes-Benz Insect Remover (Order A002 986 11 71 11)
• Remove Tar and Tar Stains with Mercedes-Benz Tar Remover (Order A001 9864071)
• Use VM&P Naphtha to remove tree resins, fuel stains and other difficult soils
(Commercially available at hardware and paint stores as a type of paint thinner)
• Use Silicone Remover for waxes, oils and greases (Commercially available at auto body
paint stores)
No other products should be used on Magno Matte Paint
"

Yidney

I actually had a big tree in front of my house cut down because the sap drove me nuts. I think it was sick. Do not use nail polish remover. It has acetone and will eat your paint. As someone else said, use regular old alcohol. Alcohol will take your wax off, but it won't hurt your paint. Some top detailers wipe cars with it before applying sealer.


And make sure the car is clean before you do it. The sustained rubbing in a small area will leave fine scratches if there is any fine dirt in the area or on your cloth and then you'll have to rub those out.

oswiff

rubbing alcohol worked great for me. i bought the CVS brand and applied it to either a microfiber or a cotton ball. took it right off.

i had a g63 in magno night black.

i also tried wd40 but it leaves a little residue which i had to then clean off. more work then necessary.

Note- the sap on my car didn't look like yours, yours look like droplets of liquid. mine were pretty much flattened out.

good luck.

Autosport7

Looks like superglue, not sap. I have never seen 100% perfectly clear sap before. I have also never seen "hard" sap either, stiff sap, yes, but hard, no.
I would say use a thin razor laid flat on the surface (so it doesn't gouge into the paint) to get under it and pop it up, but if it is a type of glue it may pop the paint or clear in that area too.
If you are able to get the majority of it off using WD-40, or if there is some left over residue, I would use a claybar for the remaining bit.

ab0bab0i

Used this for my previous car and worked fine.

Dan Wang

Mercedes Tar remover which I believe is citrus base will work also. Soak rag with solvent and let sit on sap for a few minutes. Let it disolve. Gently wipe. It should come off easily. If not, put a few drops on it directly (out of direct sunlight) and let it sit some more. Gently massage in using your finger tips. Try not to touch the paint, but its ok if you do. Only massage the sap if you can. Wipe off again. Then use isopropyl alcohol to wipe off the tar remover solvent. Use Dr Beazley detail spray and sealant.

acherp93

I have come to the conclusion that it is some kind of glue. Someone attempted to glue the gas compartment and failed. The driver's side key hole has been glued as well. So, suggestions on removing it?