Treesap On An Is350

Radiance · July 7, 2006

i just got a brand new IS350 three weeks ago.....and i noticed there are stains on the paint just above the rear left wheel.......it is brownish in color and is smooth on the paint when i touched it and the stain looks like two small drops that was running and dried. i took the car to a dealer last week.....and they said it was Tree Zap.....dealer tried taking the stain out with some kind of solvent...but no luck....service manager tells me the stain has seep into the paint already....and they will have to repaint the panel.....i was shocked at his recoomendation since the car is only two weeks old at the time.......i requested to talk to the body shop manager at the dearlership....and he brought the car back to the shop and tried to take the stain out.....he came back and the stain was much lighter.....but still visible......he said that is the best they can do.

my questions:

- is tree zap brown in color?

- can a stain penetrate the paint that easily?

- any suggestion to remove this stain? ...without repainting the side panel?

- as i run my hand over the stain area, it now is rough where they have applied whatever solvent on the sruface while the other surface on the car is smooth ....feels like they have taken the polish off at the stain area.....how should i patch this rough area with protection?

thanks for all your help.!!

Edited July 7, 2006 by SKperformance

SKperformance · July 7, 2006

I adjusted your title hope it helps.

I find it hard to believe that it stained that easily.

I would check your contract to see if you had some kind of paint sealant before delivery.

Tree sap can be brown to yellow usually a amber colour. Basically it is the fluid from a tree as it grows.

I would wax the area with a good wax on the whole panel and it should be fine. he dealer should have applied some wax to it after buffing the spot.

Do you have a picture of it?

Radiance · July 7, 2006

thanks for your insight 'SKperformance'

do you have a recommendation on a good brand of wax to use

do i apply at that location only or would it be best to do the whole car for even coverage.

i will try to get a picture to show.

thanks a lot.

SKperformance · July 7, 2006

You can do the whole car but it should have some type of wax already on the car.

Just the panel could suffice unless you are feeling extra active and feel like doing it for an extra layer of protection in case of more dropping elsewhere.

Also a rare shot in the dark is if the stain is not tree sap but brake fluid which will damage a paints finish also.

TOGWT · July 8, 2006

i just got a brand new IS350 three weeks ago.....and i noticed there are stains on the paint just above the rear left wheel.......it is brownish in color and is smooth on the paint when i touched it and the stain looks like two small drops that was running and dried. i took the car to a dealer last week.....and they said it was Tree Zap.....

my questions:

- is tree zap brown in color?

- can a stain penetrate the paint that easily?

- any suggestion to remove this stain? ...without repainting the side panel?

- as i run my hand over the stain area, it now is rough where they have applied whatever solvent on the sruface while the other surface on the car is smooth ....feels like they have taken the polish off at the stain area.....how should i patch this rough area with protection?

thanks for all your help.!!

Tree Resin (Sap):

(Appears like a dark brown/ red coloured raised surface mark) some of the most common resinous tree sap types are: White Pine, Maple, Oak, Popular, and Blue Spruce, none of which are water soluble, the acidic content of the sap will etch the paint surface, causing a concave surface. A lot depends upon the type of sap, which is actually a resin emitted from the tree, the resin deposits can be removed by-

Isopropyl alcohol (IPA), a solvent, or turpentine, which is made from tree resins, in severe cases it can be used to break down the resin in tree sap, use as a last resort only and use sparingly and do not rub hard and give it some time to work.

Or use detailer’s clay. Once you remove the sap deposits, the paint or clear may be cracked, which may entail some expensive refinishing. Factors as to the amount of time it takes to remove sap and what damage it has caused are dependent on temperature and time the sap has been on the paint surface. Be careful and take your time removing it, remember always let the products do the work for you.

Tree sap that is still soft can be removed by soaking with Isopropyl Alcohol (or Stoner’s Terminator) wet the area with the product and allows it to remain on the surface for 3-5 minutes, then wipe with soft dry towel. For tree sap that has hardened, carefully scrape the top of the spot off with a plastic razor blade to expose the softer sap inside.

Apply Zaino’s ZPC Fusion with a foam applicator and then remove residue or soak a towel with the solvent placing it over the sap and let soak for 10-minutes, repeat in order for the solvents to break down the sap, once it’s removed re-apply sealant / wax protection of your choice. If the paint has been etched the surface can be levelled with a suitable polish and then apply a paint protection

Insect honeydew (sometimes mistaken for tree resin(Sap) is excreted by aphids or scale insects that infest the leaves and branches Sticky residue should be removed as soon as possible as it could compromise the clear coat. Remove as per tree sap

SW03ES · July 8, 2006

Thats a tough one, I would try some sort of chemical cleaner, like Klasse AIO or even something like Prep Sol or P21S total bodywork cleanser and see what that does...

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stuck · July 12, 2006

I had the exact same type of stain, an amber colored stain that got on my car and completely dried and incorporated into the pain the first week I got my IS250AWD. it was tungsten Pearl so it was easy to see. I had a detailer try to take it off... he used thinner and actually scraped a chip of clear coat off, but before that the stain wouldn't come off. At that point I took it to the dealer, they tried to wet sand it, got lighter but didn't come off, eventually the dealer just repainted the L/R door for me...