James D. Halderman is an ASE-certified master technician, a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the author of 12 textbooks. Submit your automotive care questions to Halderman via e-mail at jhalderman2@juno.com, or write him in care of: Wheels, Marketing Publications Department, Dayton Daily News, 1611 S. Main St., Dayton OH 45409.
Wheels: Phil writes by e-mail: “Recently, a bucket of driveway tar dropped out of someone’s vehicle and opened up all over the road. When driving through the area, some of the tar got on my paint and inside the rear wheel well of my 2008 Chevrolet Silverado. I have two questions related to this incident:
• Will the tar ruin the paint and cause corrosion if left there?
• What is the best way of removing this? Bug and Tar has had minimal impact and scraping it with a plastic putty knife has been equally unsuccessful and has superficially scratched some of the paint.”
Halderman: I think the solvent effect of the tar can stain the clear coat on your truck. It is the staining of the clear coat that I am mostly concerned about. If the color of your truck is dark, then a stain may not be noticeable. If, however, your truck is white, silver or any other light color, then the tar, I think, could stain the clear coat.
I do not think it will lead to any rust, as it will likely remain on the surface. I would suggest the following actions:
1. Contact your insurance company. It often can refer you to a shop or service to have the tar removed. The cost of the repair may also be covered by your vehicle insurance minus any deductible.
2. Contact a body shop for recommendations.
Sometimes, and more often than not, what you try will not be the correct product to use. Using the wrong product could result in more damage.
As you mentioned, attempting to scrape off the tar resulted in fine scratches being “installed” in the clear coat. While the clear coat is a protective clear layer over the paint, it is only a few thousandths of an inch thick, if that much.
If you want to do it yourself, use some sort of solvent that will loosen or dissolve the tar.
Some solvents that could be used include:
• WD-40
• Bug and tar removal (as you mentioned)
• Mineral spirits
Again use caution and consult with a professional, if possible.
James D. Halderman is an ASE-certified master technician, a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the author of 12 textbooks. Submit your automotive care questions to Halderman via e-mail at jhalderman2@juno.com, or write him in care of: Wheels, Marketing Publications Department, Dayton Daily News, 1611 S. Main St., Dayton OH 45409.
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