How to Remove Tar from Your Car

Driving on a newly paved road is fun, but there are many loose tar particles that may stick to your vehicle’s tyres. Moreover, the tar may be splashed on the paint, bumpers and other auto parts. If the tar settles on your vehicle for a long time, then automatic or manual car wash won’t help you remove tar from car. This is because tar is sticky and gooey. 

Let’s find out how to get tar off your car by using different products and convenient methods. But first, let’s get to know what tar is and why is it important to remove it. 

WHAT IS TAR AND WHY IT SHOULD BE REMOVED? 

Tar is composed of water and asphalt and is black in colour, used to patch cracks and holes on the road. Given its texture, it sticks to the vehicles’ tyres and later to the paint, in the wheel walls and bumpers. And if tar is left for too long, it may damage a car’s paint and ruin its look.  Also, tar on tyres if becomes hard may hinder its performance as well. Due to all such reasons, it is important to remove tar from car at the earliest. 

SAFETY PROTOCOLS TO REMOVE TAR FROM CAR

Though the process of tar removal from cars is simple and easy, but it’s advised to take preventive measures. Here’s what you can do before starting the process: 

• It is recommended to take care of your eyes and skin, even if you are using a gentle product or substance to remove tar from car. Therefore, it’s best to wear protection on the eyes and hand gloves. 
• Work on the tar removal carefully if you don’t want to discolour your car’s paint. Hence, don’t try to remove tar simply by scraping. 
• If the tar buildup is inside the wheel walls or on the tyres, it’s suggested to take your car to a service centre. Those in the UAE can also head to the AutoPro Centres by ENOC. Ask the technician to check the balance of the wheel that has the tar buildup. He might suggest you replace the car tyres if the tar buildup is hard and affecting its performance.  In case the technician asks you to change tyres, you can opt to buy second-hand tyres in the UAE. 

THINGS REQUIRED TO REMOVE TAR FROM CAR 

Here is a list of tools and products that you will need for tar removal from the car:

• Car wash soap and tools 
• A bucket
• Tar removal spray, peanut butter, WD-40 (whichever product you opt for) 
• Car wax
• Microfiber towel 

STEPS TO REMOVE TAR FROM CAR USING DIFFERENT PRODUCTS 

Before you start with tar removal, it is essential to first wash your car. No matter which method and product you are using, it’s advised to first clean your vehicle so that there is no dirt left, especially on the tar. If any dirt or mud is on the tar, the tar will absorb the product and neutralise it. In this way, the product you use for tar removal will lose its effectiveness. 

USING BUG AND TAR REMOVER SPRAY/SOLUTION 

Tar remover spray is one of the most effective and commonly used products. It is composed of various substances that dissolve the tar without damaging car paint. You can easily find tar remover sprays at automotive retail outlets as well as at online auto parts and accessories stores in the UAE. 

It is worthwhile to note that if tar is settled on the surface of your vehicle for a long time, you may need to apply the spray multiple times or elbow grease. You can also use bug and tar remover to do the needful. 

Here’s how you can remove tar from car using the tar removal spray: 

1. Wet the microfiber towel with the road tar remover spray or you can spray it directly on the tar, but make sure you don’t spray a lot on the tar.
2. Rub the wet towel in a circular motion on the tar and with light pressure. This process will break the tar gradually. You can repeat this step until the tar is removed and use more microfiber towels because the tar may stick back with a dirty one. 
3. Once tar is removed completely from your car’s surface, apply car wax. The car wax will revive the paint’s shine.

USING WD-40 AND ADHESIVE REMOVER 

WD-40 is used for multiple purposes. For instance, this chemical is used for lubricating various components of vehicles, protecting the metal from rusting, re-opens stuck auto parts and displacing moisture. You can use WD-40 or adhesive remover to remove tar from car. Both the products require oils to penetrate into tar and lubricate the area. With a small amount of pressure, the tar will slide off your car’s paint. 

Let’s find out how WD-40 will remove tar from car paint: 

1. Spray the WD-40 on the microfiber towel or spray it directly on the tar and rub the solution on the tar with the towel. 
2. Let the tar absorb the WD-40 and leave the solution for about 10 to 30 minutes. 
3. Once it’s absorbed, use the microfiber towel and rub the tar till it is completely removed.
4.  Make sure to clean the tar area twice before applying WD-40. 

It is worth noting that the same steps are to be followed if you use an adhesive remover. 

USING HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS 

Of the many household goods, peanut butter is one of the effective products that can help remove tar from cars with less hassle. Peanut butter is oily given its composition and can easily penetrate into tar and separate its molecules. The tar then breaks down and hence, becomes removable. 

Here’s how you can apply peanut butter: 

Take a small amount of peanut butter and apply it to the tar and rub. Leave it for 10-30 minutes, then rub it with light pressure to remove the tar using a clean microfiber towel.

Repeat this step if the tar remains on the surface. Usually, tough tar spots or the hard tar on the vehicle’s surface require more elbow grease and maybe more peanut butter. 

It is worth noting that peanut butter takes time to yield desired results.

If tar is on your car’s windshield or any other glass surface, it’s advised to avoid applying a lot of pressure to remove the tar. Applying too much pressure may damage the glass. Therefore, better use tar removal spray in this case. 

Here we end our guide on how to get tar off cars using different products. You must have noticed that removing tar is a simple and hassle-free process. And you can easily remove tar at home, even if you are not a professional technician. Make sure to remove the tar from your vehicle at the earliest. If the tar is left untreated, it may become difficult to remove and damage the paint. All these factors may affect the resale value of your car. Hence, if you are planning to buy a used car in the UAE, check that there is no tar spot anywhere on the vehicle and its tyres. 

Stay tuned to the top auto blog of the UAE for more repair and maintenance guides of different automobile parts, new car launches and a lot more.