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Old 07-18-2017, 12:05 AM   #1
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How to remove road tar?

Our 2009 15' Escape was taken to Alaska prior to our purchase and it has road tar on the wheel wells and lower back portions of the body. Hpw do i clean those off? Thanks!
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Old 07-18-2017, 12:15 AM   #2
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I use Turtle Wax Bug 'N' Tar. Seems to work, but I suspect you will hear from others with a cheaper option.
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Old 07-18-2017, 12:15 AM   #3
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WD40 or Mineral Spirits will remove the tar, and won't harm the gelcoat. You will however have to wash off the residue and rewax the cleaned areas.

Be careful using specialized "removers". Some of them can actually stain the gelcoat.
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Old 07-18-2017, 08:12 AM   #4
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I spent an hour yesterday removing flecks of road tar off the front of our 5.0TA. I used Goof Off which seemed to work fairly well. I used a single layer of a microfiber cloth covering the tip of my index finger and LOTS of elbow grease but it worked.
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Old 07-18-2017, 11:20 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dodell408 View Post
Our 2009 15' Escape was taken to Alaska prior to our purchase and it has road tar on the wheel wells and lower back portions of the body. Hpw do i clean those off? Thanks!
Our 19 was taken to Alaska and it also came back with tar in the wheel wells.

I've always just used plain old solvent. Works really well. One thing that you have to be careful about is not making more of a mess in a wider area. Dab and deal with the spots as individually as you can. Don't wipe in big circles and spread the mess around and change the wiping cloth after each wipe. Get it cleaner and cleaner, don't smear it all around with a contaminated cloth.

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Old 07-18-2017, 11:32 AM   #6
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I find this gets off bugs and tar great, especially in the wheel wells. It can be purchased at Wal-Mart also:

https://www.amazon.com/SuperClean-10...=super+cleaner

And for less stubborn bugs, grime and black streaks. This actually makes the water bead, and can also be purchased at Wal-Mart:

https://www.amazon.com/Sprayway-Glas...=glass+cleaner
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Old 07-18-2017, 11:44 AM   #7
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I have road tar on the front storage box which has the lineX coating, removal is more of a challenge than the smooth fiberglass.
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Old 07-18-2017, 06:35 PM   #8
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Use Kerosene and a stiff brush not wire , only on the area to be cleaned . An old tooth brush on little spots work well . Rinse with soap and water right away . In the shade out of the Sun.
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Old 07-21-2017, 12:58 PM   #9
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Thanks to everyone for the help! I'll have a busy weekend for sure!
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