Learn How Simple Things Can Harm Your Vehicles Paint
Your vehicles paint is one of the most important things aside from the mechanical side of things. This means that when the paint on your car is damaged or blemished the value goes down and it just looks bad. You can combat paint defects on your vehicle by being aware of the top things that can damage your paint and cause issues as time goes on.
- Tree Sap- Sap from trees can be a major issue if left on paint too long. Tree sap usually doesn’t travel far is it is quite heavy and has a honey-like consistency. This means it will tend to fall on your paint when you’re parked directly under a tree. If you see blotches or dollops of an opaque substance on the surface that are a bit sticky you need to act fast as tree sap can stain your paint permanently if you aren’t careful. The chemicals in the sap tend to bond themselves to the paint and may leave a haze or halo where they once were if you don’t clean the paint properly. Use a clean, lint free rag to wipe the majority off and then follow up with a good rubbing compound and spray detailer to remover any sap residue.
- Animal Droppings- Bird droppings are the worst! They make your car’s paint look like crap (there’s a bad pun in there somewhere) and can cause permanent damage. If droppings are left on the paint for extended periods of time it can leave a halo shaped stain in the clear coat or paint and can be nearly impossible to get out without wet sanding and buffing the surface. If the droppings are still fresh/wet you can just wash it off with soapy water and a clean rag. Then follow up with a spray detailer or rubbing compound. If the droppings are dry start by soaking the area with soapy water to break it up. Then continue on as mentioned before.
- Bugs Splatter- It’s an unfortunate world where fast moving vehicles and bugs suspended in air don’t match and the bugs lose the battle. This means the front of your vehicle is usually littered with fallen bug soldiers that you need to remove. These can often get dried/bonded to the paint. It isn’t a good idea to just brush them off as the paint or clear coat could have dirt on it that may scratch the surface. We suggest starting by power washing the area with a warm soapy water. This will knock the majority of the debris off and you can continue on cleaning the surface with spray detailer to take any residue off the paint or clear.
- Road Tar- This is one of the worst things that can get on your paint. Driving down a freshly paved or repaired road may cause road tar to splatter onto the lower parts of your car and stick themselves on. If it’s hot when this happens they will bond to the paint and can be a real pain to get off. Whatever you do, DON’T just brush the tar off. You can try using a pressure washer at close range to remove a lot of the tar. Stubborn pieces require more work and you may need to use a plastic razor blade to scrap them off. You can then carefully use a spray detailer or rubbing compound to rub the area out and remove any paint defects.
All of these everyday scenarios can happen to you and should be repaired as soon as possible. We offer a full line of Car Care supplies that will bring the luster back into your paint or interior.