Best Tar Remover for Car Paint 2024
Looking for the best tar remover for car paint? We know it’s not easy. First, let’s find out what we need. There are plenty of tar removers on the market, some of them are not effective but completely safe for car paint, while others are effective but may not be suitable for all car surfaces.
Tar Removers are a part of our full guide to Best Car Pre Wash, click on highlighted text to find out more.
To remove Tar from your car’s paint effectively, first, you need to identify what type of tar contamination you have. In our world full of marketing, we are getting many confusions and can take a tar remover that will not remove any tar from our cars. I had such a problem, when I took a bug and tar remover, to dissolve tar stains from my car, but it has zero effect.
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Best Tar Removers for Car Paint
Two main types of Tar Contaminations and How to Remove them
1. Soft Tar
Soft Tar can be considered only as a fresh tree sap. This is the only type of tar I think detailing brands can mean in Bug&Tar removers. Such type of contamination you can effectively remove with Tar and Bug removers. Despite statements of many car care companies, Bug&Tar removers are a complete waste of money for the removal of hard tar, or tar stains that are older than 24 hours.
2. Hard Tar
Hard Tar is harsh stains of tar, old bitumen, asphalt, or old adhesive stains. Such type of contamination you can effectively remove only with specialized Tar Removers which usually have solvents, or other active ingredients in its compound.
In this post, we will share with you a list of the Best Tar Removers for Car Paint that will be effective in the removal of Hard Tar and the Best Tar and Bug Removers for light contaminations.
Before we start, don’t forget that tar removers are strong chemicals, so always use tar removers outside or in a well-ventilated area, wear nitrile gloves and protective glasses, and read the manufacturer’s instructions before using the product!
What is Tar and How Does it Affect Your Car Paint?
Tar is a sticky substance that is formed from the by-products of petroleum distillation. You can easily notice it on light-colored cars. Tar on a car is sometimes black dots that you can feel to touch, or sometimes even massive stains, that cannot be removed with a regular car wash. It is commonly found on fresh asphalt, roads, and highways. Tar easily sticks to the surface of your car and is hardly removed. It can affect your car’s paint in several ways.
- Tar can cause discoloration, which is very unsightly. Check our guide to faded car paint repair if tar already caused paint discoloration or fading on your car.
- It can also cause the paint to chip or crack over time, which can lead to costly repairs.
Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Tar Remover for Car Paint
Picking the right Tar remover for your car can be challenging. There are several factors to consider when choosing the best tar remover for car paint, here are some of them:
1. Chemical Composition
This factor is one of the most important when choosing tar remover, and the most complicated one. You should find a tar remover that is gentle enough to not damage your car’s paint, but strong enough to remove the tar effectively. You can harm your paint when using unknown brands, or non-automotive tar removers. The majority of automotive tar removers are safe for paint, some can be even too gentle and not effective in removing tar.
2. Ease of Use
Ease of use is another factor to consider. You want a tar remover that is easy to apply and remove after using it. A high-quality tar remover doesn’t require too much effort to remove the tar stains.
3. Price
Price is also an important consideration because you don’t want to lose in quality as well as you don’t want to overpay for a product that is the same effect as a cheaper alternative.
4. Customer Reviews
Checking customer reviews can give you a good idea of how effective a specific tar remover is. Pay attention to reviews with before/after photos, to understand what severity of tar stains it can remove, and if it fits your tasks.
4 Best Tar Removers for Car Paint in 2024
Avoid using homemade or household tar removers as they can damage your car’s paint. In this list, you can find effective tar removers designed for automotive use. They can remove old tar, bitumen, and asphalt, due to the solvent-based formula, so you should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid any damage!
Powerful Tar Removers can be harmful to unpainted surfaces, if you accidentally damaged your exterior plastic, check our guide to the best exterior plastic restorers!
Gtechniq – W7 Tar and Glue Remover
A perfect solution for removing hard tar from a professional German brand – Gtechniq.
It is a powerful solvent-based tar remover that will bring amazing results, but be careful and don’t use it on plastic and rubbers. An additional benefit for those who use Gtechniq chemicals is that based on manufacture, W7 tar remover is safe for cars coated with every Gtechniq coating.
The most profitable in dollar per ml compared to other solutions here. Good for removing old tar.
KochChemie Teerwäsche A Tar Remover
Another solution for removing tar and bitumen from a German KochChemie.
KochChemie is a concentrated solvent-based tar remover. It needs to be applied undiluted. Then wait for several minutes, so the product can work and melt tar. Then, it can be removed with a pressure washer (we recommend this option) or wiped off with a cloth. It will easily remove even old baked tar.
Apply only on painted surfaces! Not sprayable. Find more information about product usage on the official website of KochChemie here.
Adam’s TAR Remover
Well-known brand from the US.
A powerful solvent-based tar remover in easy-to-use aerosol spray form. Easily removes hard tar, grease, asphalt, bitumen, glue, and adhesive residues. The product is safe for use on all clear coats, glass, and chrome. For better effect, wash your car first, and while your car is still wet, use Adam’s TAR.
CARPRO TarX Tar Remover
Here we have another solution from South Korea.
It must be the most expensive solution, but it’s worth its money. To save some cash better buy a 1-liter bottle. It works well for removing tar, adhesive, and insect splatter.
The best for cars with dark colors is because it has a color tracer, so you know where it has been sprayed, and it will be much easier to detect and remove tar.
5 Best Bug and Tar Removers for Cars in 2024
Meguiar’s Bug & Tar Remover
Bug and Tar Remover from Meguiar’s in easy-to-use aerosol foam spray format. Meguiar’s remover is safe for all exterior surfaces. Due to its powerful foaming, removes stuck bugs with ease. Use this product before a car wash.
Turtle Wax Bug & Tar Remover
Turtle Wax Bug and Tar Remover is another solution for removing bug remnants from your car’s paint. Bug and Tar Remover from Turtle Wax has an easy-to-use spray format and its advanced formula can help you to remove bugs and may help with fresh tar and tree sap.
NexGen Bug And Tar Remover
A powerful spray solution for the removal of bugs and tar from NexGen. It has a combination of solvents and specialty surfactants, that are safe for use even on plastic and vinyl. It provides powerful bug removal and can help to remove fresh tar.
Chemical Guys Bug Plus Tar Remover Shampoo
A bit unusual solution for this list from Chemical Guys. What makes it so unusual, is that it’s a shampoo for Bugs and Tar removal. It dissolves effectively dried and stuck bugs and can help in the removal of fresh tar. The product is safe for paint, plastic, glass, headlights, and chrome.
GYEON Q²M Tar
Not as powerful for removing old bitumen as options just for tar removal, but it is definitely the most powerful in Bug and Tar section, and it has its advantages. This solution is more suitable for those who need frequent pre-washing to remove fresh tar and at the same time not to remove previously applied wax, or to worry about damaging car surfaces. A good option for lovers of track days. The product is pH neutral.
Bonus Tip for Better Bug&Tar Removal
After giving some time for a remover to work and to start lifting and melting contaminants, use specialized scrub pads for effective and safe removal of bugs and fresh tar. For example, you can use McKee’s 37 Road Kill Bug Scrubber, it’s reusable and perfect for cleaning paint, plastic, and glass.
After using any type of Tar Removers, wash your car using two bucket wash method to remove any product residue.
How do you remove tar from car paint?
To remove tar from car paint use Tar Remover. Tar Remover should be used with caution as it is an active substance that can harm your skin, and respiratory tract, and damage plastic and rubber car body parts.
To avoid harm to health, you should use protective equipment (nitrile gloves, goggles) and work with anti-bitumen and tar removers in a well-ventilated area.
To safely use tar remover for your car, follow these steps:
- Wear protective gear.
- Pre-wash the car with Snow Foam.
- Apply tar remover to the car body, avoiding unpainted plastic if possible.
- Wait one or two minutes for the tar remover to begin to dissolve tar, bitumen, and bituminous stains.
- Take a clean sponge, after applying a little product on it and without undue pressure on the sponge, wipe the places on the body with tar.
- Rinse thoroughly with water.
- If it did not remove all tar, repeat applications in areas where bitumen remains.
- After removing the tar, be sure to wash the car with washing shampoo.
Conclusion. Best tar remover for car
I hope my top list will help you find the best tar remover for car paint, and it will remove all old and hard tar fast, in a safe way for your car and easy way for you.
If you don’t know yet why you need it or when it will be better to use it, you can check our post to find out how to make deep car paint cleaning by hand.
