How Do You Remove Road Tar?

[GreatWhite]

The front of my RV and a bit of the side panels on my TV have some road tar on it.. the front of the 5er around the storage area has quite a bit of it.

I tried Turtle Was Bug n Tar remover.. not very successful.. Tried WD-40.. about the same results. Water and that purple cleaner don't really touch it.

I thought about diesel or ATF fluid.. but haven't gone there yet. Ah, yes.. also tried some Toluene or Acetone.. not sure which. Another thought might be paint thinner..

BUT, thought I'd check here to avoid possible issues..

[HOOK]

Takes a little effort but Purple Power.

[tweber502]

I personally use Zippo lighter fluid. A small amount on a rag and tar just wipes right off. I then wash the area and re-wax. Have the can left from when I used to smoke. Tim

[1retired06]

Lighter fluid is great for removing decals as well. Fantastic works also on lots of outside dirt, and supposedly does not take off the wax.

[bethandkevin]

Brakleen is readily available in parts stores and works well.

[steves]

WD40 - will take it right off and no damage to paint.

[dieselguy]

I'm a farm boy ... coffee can of diesel fuel and a shop rag works well. Follow up with a little soap and water. Re-wax if you want.

[GreatWhite]

Purple Power doesn't work.. WE-40, as mentioned.. is s-l-o-o-o-w.. but eventually works.

Not sure what Brakleen is.. I'd not use brake fluid.. that is powerful stuff.. and hard on paint.

Yah, diesel, as mentioned, was going to be my next choice.. rub some on.. let it sit, wipe off, rub some more on, etc.

The local detail guy didn't have anything for removing it.. but, he's a hurry in.. hurry out.. detailer that does good work.. but, doesn't mess with some things.. like road tar.

[nosticks]

Sounds like you have more than a little road tar grime, more like tar globs. Soak a rag with mineral spirits, hold on globs for a few moments. Should soften and wipe off. Wash with Dawn, rewax.

[Irlpguy]

I have found the cheapest and most effective way to remove road tar is to simply use gasoline, soak it well it will not hurt the paint, then wash well with dawn and re-wax if you wish.

If you really want a tough thing to remove drive over a freshly painted white center line when you really don't want to and try getting that off when it has hardened, no fun and almost impossible, still have a bunch in the wheel wells on my TV.

[jcurtis934]

I use Crystal Boat Soap from West Marine full strength. The yellow road center line paint is as bad as the white to remove. Still have a bunch of it underneath. I just look at it as an upgrade to the bottom...sort of like a racing stripe. John

[Overlord]

Around 1968 I worked for Rub-A-Dub Car Wash, and they had us use a rag dabbed with a small pint can of gasoline , can you imagine that!

It worked for removing the road tar, quite well actually, but I don't think that I would recommend it to anyone just from the safety standpoint. Also, it is most likely not so good for the gelcoat.

On the safety side, diesel fuel would be much safer to use than gas. Regardless of what product you use, don't forget to re-wax.

[bethandkevin]

Not sure what Brakleen is.. I'd not use brake fluid.. that is powerful stuff.. and hard on paint.


Brakleen is a brand name of brake cleaner solvent sold in aerosol and bulk form. It removes any petroleum based product without staining or leaving any residue. It works well for taking grease and oil out of fabric as well. Usually $3-$6 for an aerosol can.

[JandC]

I used acetone on my 3400RL to get the tar and junk off the front. Decided it was too much like real work so I bit the bullet and bought some Rock Tamers. The front still will get dirty on long trips but I have not had any tar or chips to worry about.

[richfaa]

Diesel fuel.....

[GreatWhite]

Thanks all.

Diesel works, won't attack the finish and is easy to remove the residue.

[grampachet]

I used to use oven cleaner to remove painted signs on our trucks when we sold them. The painter told me it would work. So I used it on an old one. It worked very well. Since then I used it many times with no ill effects at all. Spray it on, let it sit for 5 or ten minutes and wipe off the painted sign. It never left any marks at all on a factory paint job. Then I tried it on an old military fire truck that had been repainted red. When I was done I had a green door. It took off the second coat of right down to the factory paint. I have used this to remove graffiti too. This is only my experience not a recommendation.

[sgtpp214]

Surprised that Turtle Wax Bug and Tar Remover didn't work for you. I just finished washing the Monty today and used Turtle Wax Bug and Tar Remover and it worked like magic. Swear by it. Tar had been there for about 2 months.

[navybanker]

This discussion reminded me of what a World War II army veteran told me they used to wash uniforms in the field - gasoline. He was assigned to a fuel distribution unit in Europe. To them gas was easy to get and use. He said the uniforms dried quickly! Now, Patton probably would not have approved of this.