Removing stickers, labels, decals, glue, sap...

bassman5x5bassman5x5 Member Posts: 1
edited May 2015 in General
I have tried several suggestions for removing tree sap from my truck without any great results. I would be thankful for any advise on how to clean the sap without hurting the finish. I have used: bug & tar remover, Lighter fluid, may,.....

See Also: Removing Stickers, Decals, Emblems From Your Car
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  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    because I've seen questions posted through out
    town hall (in different conferences) on this
    subject....

    Thanks to Guitarzan's (hair dryer) advise, I was
    able to easily remove the dealer sticker from the
    back my new van. No scratches this time.

    -Someone in another conference asked about removal of those garish (black/yellow) air bag warning labels on the visor. Just curious if anyone has been able to successfully remove those...?

    Pocahontas
    Community Leader/Coupes, Convertibles, and Sports
    Cars
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    I guess I over estimated the concern here... Don't worry, I won't feel bad if you have to ice cube this topic. ;-)

    Pocahontas
    Community Leader/Coupes, Convertibles, and Sports Cars
  • gusgus Member Posts: 254
    Well, we'll wait a month and see what happens!!
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    So did you leave your dealer sticker on? ;-)

    Pocahontas
    Community Leader/Coupes, Convertibles, and Sports Cars
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    pocahontas-

    The BEST way to avoid this problem in the first place is to INSIST that NO stickers be put on the car at all or you won't sign the papers! That should be on your list of things to say when you first go shopping for a car. MOST of them are UGLY anyway!

    My "5-STAR" dealer DID put one on despite the fact that I told them NOT to, but I left it because it's one of the nicest I've ever seen. It's a chrome sailboat with just the name Madison on it. That's the "short" name of the dealer and the town where he's located. It's right next to the words Chrysler on my trunk. I don't mind it at all or I would have had him take it off the day I went to pick up the car.

    fastdriver
  • jwolffjwolff Member Posts: 19
    I won't let a dealer place their logo on my vehicle unless it is a nice license plate frame ie it serves some function. Those garish logos usually do nothing but trap wax and dirt. 3M makes an excellent adhesive remover and you can pick it up at NAPA stores.
  • endries5endries5 Member Posts: 1
    I think this is a great topic for discussion! Do you have any wonderful suggestions or are you simply waiting to hear from others? We were lucky enough w/ our last new auto to get a dealer who put little adhesive stars, etc, as their logo. The pieces were so small they came off w/ no trouble whatsoever. Our other new auto must have slipped past the "advertising" guys because it had no dealer logo anywhere. Thank goodness because we were too caught up in the negotiating that I forgot to bring up the issue w/ the salesguy. Now we're in the market again & I really need to remember to put it on the purchase agreement that no dealer advertising shall be on our new car anywhere unless they'd like to pay me a monthly advertising fee!
  • cookwcookw Member Posts: 12
    I got a little wax on my new black rubber/plastic spash guards when I was waxing the car. Now I can't get the white residue off. I bought some mineral spirits on someones advice and tried that on them, but now they are even whiter than before. AARRGGH. Anybody have any advice on restoring them?
  • tom3ktom3k Member Posts: 91
    This is a little off-topic (I really want to know if I can safely remove the plastic plate the dealer put on the car (was there when I got there - was probably there within 2 seconds of rolling off the truck- It isn'e even on straight)).

    I recently used Meguiar's tire gel successfully to remove some (fairly fresh) wax residue on textured black plastic parts on my new Odyssey. I have also used Aromorall and Mother's Back-To-Black with success, but they are alcohol-based and are apparently bad for rubber/plastic parts in the long run. Meguiar's is alcohol free and contains oils to condition rubber (and seems to work on plastic as well. I haven't found anything yet that's OK for flat black painted parts (Mother's B-T-B is for that, but again, the alcohol base).
  • jeannettec1jeannettec1 Member Posts: 2
    I hate the gaudy air bag warning labels on my visors. I asked the saleswoman if I could remove them and she said she thought I'd ruin the visor if I tried. Have any of you tried? My warning labels are red, black and yellow on a white background. It doesn't look like a label that can be peeled off.

    Jeannette
  • rea98drea98d Member Posts: 982
    The labels on my Thunderchicken are silk-screened onto the fabric, so the only way to remove them is reupholstering the sunvisors. The manufacturers deliberately make them hard to get off because they give important, albeit ugly, warnings. My grandfather would use a razorblade to take the dealer stickers off, and he could do it without damaging the paint. (He was an industrial painter for 40-some odd years, so he had lots of practice). My car has a design actually made into the tinting on the back glass, and another one that was tinted over, so the only way to remove them without ruining my back window is to replace it. Considering the expense and how wasteful it is to replace perfectly good glass, I'm going to live with the designs.
  • jefe5jefe5 Member Posts: 14
    The little plastic pieces that the dealer glues on the back of the car, exactly how do I get them off? I saw a hair dryer mentioned to get "stickers" off. Does that apply to the plastic stuff too. IF so, What do I do? Use the hair dryer as a hammer and knock them off? Don't mean to be dense, but really don't want to screw up my paint. I did see the reference to the 3-m adhesive remover from Napa. Thanks in advance somebody for taking me by the hand and leading me through this.
  • rea98drea98d Member Posts: 982
    There's only one way I know of to get them off, and that's to pry them off with something. You better use a flat plastic impliment, or you booger up your paint. Then use the 3M stuff to get any resedue off. Alcohol (not like beer!) works well too, but keep it off plastic and rubber. I man I go to church with runs his own paint & body shop, and when he volunteered his time to repaint the church van, I helped him sand it down, and he pulled the dealer emblem, along with all the ones reading "Ford" "Econoline", ect, off with a putty knife. Since the van was to be painted anyway, he didn't worry about protecting the paint. Nor did he put the emblems back on when he got done. No one that I know of complained.
  • bobs5bobs5 Member Posts: 557
    Some of those plastic emblems have plastic posts on the back which go through holes in the sheetmetal and is secured with a nut.

    Like an ear ring.

    I not sure if this style of emblem is still being used.

    If possible, look behind where the emblem is and see if it is mechanically fastened to the vehicle BEFORE you start prying it off, otherwise the sheetmetal can be bent and scratched requiring a lot more bodywork.
  • rea98drea98d Member Posts: 982
    Factory Emblems such as those that say "Mercury" or "Grand Marquis" were attached that way back in the old days, but dealer emblems ("Arrow Ford") never were. The reason being if the holes weren't punched in just the right spot, the emblem wouldn't fit on, and you have holes in the back of a car you were trying to sell. At some point along the line, the factory followed the dealers' lead, and took to using a very permanent glue. While helping prep the church van for a paint job (88 or 89 model Ford Econoline) the dealer tag was stuck on with strong, double sided tape that a strong solvent would scrub off, while the factory applied emblems were stuck on with some sort of glue that turned to plastic when it dried and required a power sander and a coat of paint to erase the evedence that it was ever there. The emblems on my 78 Mercury have the metal posts, but the ends of the posts are cone shaped, and once you forced it through the holes, the flat ends of the cones hold it in place. Put enough force on it, and it will come off, but it won't fall off going down the road.
  • prebmwprebmw Member Posts: 23
    If you have one of those ugly black plastic tags with the dealers name planted on the back of your car, I have any easy way for removal. Get a piece of dental floss and a hair dryer. First, heat up the area with the hair dryer. Then, while the area is still hot, slide the dental floss behind the plastic and it will pop rigth off. It worked great on my New Beetle last fall. Good luck!
  • booda3dbooda3d Member Posts: 13
    What is the best way to remove parking stickers that are pasted on the inside of the rear window?

    These decals cover some of the defroster stripes, so I sure do not want to use a razor blade or anything that will damage the defroster. Unfortunately, had to put them there to satisfy the security forces that patrol our parking lots.
    Have to turn in these decals when I retire and no longer will be coming to work.
  • rea98drea98d Member Posts: 982
    I'd try the hair dryer trick. If you can get enough off to turn in (I'm sure they won't want to reuse them), you can probably scrub the rest off with alcohol (the rubbing kind, not the Budweiser kind). For future reference, many of my friends leave part of the wax paper backing on their parking permits here at ACU, so that they have something to grab and pull when the time comes to remove it.
  • booda3dbooda3d Member Posts: 13
    rea98d:
    Thanks for the input. No they won't reuse the decals, they want them back for security purposes. This is a Federal Government installation and you can imagine how gun shy they are after the OKC bombing. Too late about leaving on the backing, they have been long gone.

    How long does one heat the decal with the hair dryer?

    If I had known that they wanted the decals returned when I retire, I would have used a spot
    of glue or a small strip of scotch tape, but did not think to ask when I procured them. One gets old too fast, and smart too late.
  • b3u12b3u12 Member Posts: 7
    LAST YEAR I HAD TO HAVE A CRACKED WINDSHIELD REPLACED.I ASKED ABOUT THE INSPECTION STICKER AND THE REGISTRATION STICKER ON CRACKED WINDSHIELD MAN TOLD ME "NO PROBLEM.HE COULD PEEL THEM OFF". HE SPRAYED THE STICKERS WITH A SPRAY CAN OF GLASS CLEANER.(ANY BRAND WILL DO). AFTER
    APROX 5 MINUTES THE OLD STICKERS WHERE PEELED OFF WITH NO EFFORT AND NO DAMAGE TO THEM AND PUT THEM ON THE NEW WINDSHIELD
    GIVE THIS A TRY.
    EDD
  • booda3dbooda3d Member Posts: 13
    Will give that a try when the time comes, and
    then if necessary use the hair dryer. If worse
    comes to worse, will take out the old windshield
    with the sticker on it and take it to security office and see what they want to do with the stickers and windshield then.

    They should have told me when they issued the stickers that I would need to return them if I got rid of the car or transferred or retired and was not coming to the office anymore. Would have fastened them with a small strip of tape that would have fit between the defroster filaments.
    What a bunch of buttheads.
  • dzajanodzajano Member Posts: 1
    Here's a trick I learned from a car salesman who drove several different cars each week. He commuted through a toll tunnel and had to have a sticker fastened inside the windshield to use his (discounted) commuter ticket. The sticker was supposed to be permanently attached by peeling off the clear outer layer and exposing the adhesive. This fellow left the outer clear protective layer intact and placed a drop or two of mineral oil or baby oil on the tag. It stayed in place when applied and was very easily removed.
    For those who need to attach a permanent sticker to the inside of a glass surface, but are concerned about getting it off later, you might wish to try this. The layer covering the adhesive will have to be transparent for this method to work.
  • jjackson43jjackson43 Member Posts: 27
    I saw a post that indicated using glass cleaner seemed to work to remove window stickers. Has anyone tried that (or anyother approach) for exterior pin stripe removal.? I am thinking about removing mine, it's been on for 11 years, so I anticipate it will likely not come off easy, even with heat applied.

    Thanks, John
  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    John, have you thought about the fact that the paint under the stripe has not been exposed to the same elements as the rest of the car and will be a different shade?

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • rea98drea98d Member Posts: 982
    The length of time on a hair dryer is sort of an inexact thing. Depends on what the glue is, how long it's been on there, ect. Just heat it long enough for it to start separating.
  • obiggsobiggs Member Posts: 33
    Has anyone removed the SLE/SLT emblems on the cab
    of a 1999/2000 GMC or Chevy pickup?? If yes,how?
  • ntombintombi Member Posts: 4
    I have a six-month-old car, and I want to put a couple of bumper stickers on it, like I've always had on my other cars. This is my first new car, though, and I don't want to mess up the paint when they get old. Anyone have any suggestions for removing fading bumper stickers?

    My other option is to get a "bumper sticker caddy," so I can suction them to the inside of my rear windshield.

    Thoughts?

    Ntombi
  • br459br459 Member Posts: 12
    Ntombi, what will the bumper stickers say?
  • ntombintombi Member Posts: 4
    I wondered if anyone would ask that.

    Well, I have several, but the total message of them is that I am pro-choice, I vote, and I believe strongly in the separation of church and state.
  • bnormannbnormann Member Posts: 335
    I hid the last two posts because they were "very" OT and liable to lead us into the flames. Feel free to read 'em but I will delete all posts that reference them.

    Thanks, your host, Bruce.
  • this_is_nascarthis_is_nascar Member Posts: 199
    My inside driver's side door on my new Impala LS must have had a sticker underneath the armrest. It's a bit stickly to the touch and I'm looking for a way to remove the sticky stuff without damaging the door covering.

    Any suggestions?
  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    I've seen advice in other places that one product called Goo Gone or another called Goof Off (I think these are the names) would take care of this. I don't have any personal experience with either. Anyone else have any thoughts?

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • perusseperusse Member Posts: 1
    prewbmw posted:

    Get a piece of dental floss and a hair dryer. First, heat up the area with the hair dryer. Then, while the area is still hot, slide the dental floss behind the plastic and it will pop right off.


    prebmw,

    You da man. I used the dental floss and blow dryer trick to get the dealer plastic tag off of my Honda Odyssey. It was incredibly easy. I did have some tape residue after I got the plastic emblem off but that washed off easily with mild soap and water and a little elbow grease. Couldn't even tell it was there.

    On the window sticker question, I used the product "Goo Gone" to remove the sticker residue on glass. It came off easily.

    Hope this helps...
  • jane_panther1jane_panther1 Member Posts: 1
    Use nailpolish remover. It works.
  • PyroCPUPyroCPU Member Posts: 5
    Will the dental floss/hair dryer procedure work for car logos too? I'm thinking of removing my "Civic" and "EX" logo for a more understated look to the back of my car. Although the "H" has the twin posts at the back of the logo, the "Civic" and "EX" do not. They are, however affixed by some gummy adhesive though.

    Does the dental floss approach leave some of the adhesive on the paint?
  • bill11770bill11770 Member Posts: 29
    a heat gun works better and faster than a hair dryer. I find that you don't really need the dental floss, unless you want good hygene when using the heat gun. If you heat the remaining adhesive, you should be able to rub them off eventually. Although i never used it, I'm sure that "goo gone" stuff would be better to take off remaining adhesive.
  • rea98drea98d Member Posts: 982
    Nail polish remover is nintey-nine point ten percent Isopropyl rubbing alcohol, so don't use it on anything alcohol would damage.
  • woodytxwoodytx Member Posts: 19
    I've got bumper stickers on the plastic bumper of my 91 Acura (white) I haven't put any on the painted metal, yet, as I've been told that they'll stick to the paint too well. Any advice?

    BTW, these are the plastic kind of stickers, not the paper type.
  • bigfurbigfur Member Posts: 649
    the best stuff ive ever used in a body shop is the 3M general purpose adhesvie remover. comes in a small red tin can.
  • pjyoungpjyoung Member Posts: 885
    I have a 99 Chrysler 300M. To "protect" me, the legal department has apparently recommended placing bright yellow Air bag warning stickers on the visor. They really detract from the looks of the interior, and well aware of the hazards of airbags. These things seem to have been applied with crazy glue or something because the just won't budge. Does anybody know how to get them off, or is it easier to order replacement visors from that hopefully don't have the stupid warning?
  • rea98drea98d Member Posts: 982
    I can't say for Chryslers, as I've never ridden in a late model one, but my 95 T-Bird has those visor warnings silk-screened onto the visor. My guess is that if you order new visors, Chrysler will pull them off the same assembly line the visors headed for final assembly on the car come from, and will have the warning. If you can't remove them, the best thing to do would be to get the visors recovered at an upholstry shop.


    Now, does anyone know how to remove duck tape residue from a car? The best thing i've found is alcohol, and that's not perfect.
  • chandra7chandra7 Member Posts: 4
    Just wanted to let you all know that the best thing i've ever used to remove any type of adhesive residue is good ol' WD40 - spray it on, let it soak in for a few minutes and the adhesive slips right off. Have also used Goo Gone and Goof Off with excellent results, but those aren't always laying around. I think everyone probably has a can of WD40.

    Chandra
  • keynook2keynook2 Member Posts: 2
    Although very flammable and damaging to some plastics. I have yet to find anything better at removing glue (including acetone, rubbing alcohol and Goo-Gone) than gasoline. Just pour about 1 tsb. of gasoline onto a paper towel and rub lightly on to the decal or glue while making sure it isn't damaging the paint or plastic (usually won't if you make sure it gets on only what you're trying too get off). Rinse area off with water when done.
  • jwkessler1jwkessler1 Member Posts: 99
    Rather then using a lot of hard to find or dangerous solvents, I have found cooking oil works to safely remove label goo.

    If something stronger is needed, try kerosene. Small bottles of scented lamp fuel are readily available in many places. I have also successfully used charcoal lighter fluid in some cases.

    Gasoline seems way to dangerous, though for years my dad used it to wash off engines and other car parts, and to clean paint brushes. He never blew up, but I think he was just lucky.

    Nail polish remover is alcohol and acetone. I would be very cautious using it with plastics.
  • hb396hb396 Member Posts: 15
    labels, stickers, etc. is to use a hand held hair dryer and heat the item to be removed.
  • mazdadrivermazdadriver Member Posts: 1
    hi-yesturday i decided to take the sticker that the dealer had put on my car although i had told 'em i didn't want one off. everything went fine until the last little part which left some sticker glue on the car.....from what i can gather here...can that 3M stuff remove that safely??? thanks for any help in this matter.
  • joe166joe166 Member Posts: 401
    Of course that 3M stuff will remove glue residue most of the time. That is what it is for. However, far be it from me to ever use the right stuff for the job. What is the challenge there? Sometimes just alcohol works fine. Sometimes you have to go a little further and try WD-40. That works on most things. Acetone works but will sometimes fog plastic and will definitely remove all waxes and some paint if it is not cured (old). Goo gone works great and it is citrus based so it does little harm. There are lots of things that will remove the residue as you have seen from this forum, but sometimes it is just a matter of rolling the residue on your finger and picking it off. This is not brain surgery, but do as little as possible in order to avoid side effects like taking off something you like.
  • ceilidhceilidh Member Posts: 1
    I'm still am searching for a posting with a solution to removing those horrid warning labels from my visors. My car is a 98 GS 300 with the same type of material on the visors as on the headliner (I call it mouse fur!). WD40 works great on painted surfaces but can you ever get it out of the "mouse fur" if it works at all? Any hints, successes. Somebody must have gotten those dang things off! Thanks
  • pilkopilko Member Posts: 22
    I tried to remove the thick residue from a nasty window sticker with Isopropyl alcohol, Paint thinners and glass cleaners. I eventually got the mess of using Go Jo hand cleaner. The rough particles in the product seemed to help. I suppose it may be possible to use it on fabric as it will wash off with water once the goo has gone.
  • tpmillertpmiller Member Posts: 45
    Guy removed a large sticker on visor of a new Dodge QC only to find a smaller sticker underneath!
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