Has anybody else experienced/noticed small pin head tar spots on their cars this winter? I have never noticed them before, but now they are appearing all over my white Yeti and the wife's white Aygo (they stand out more on the white paint). Easy enough to remove with white spirit, but very annoying to say the least. I would expend some tar spots/streaks in the summer from melted tar........but in this cold?

The VW forums have picked up on this as well.

An X-Files case for Mulder & Scully I think!

Seen these before. Thought it was caused by some kind of insect?

Could it be the Mollases (spelling might be wrong!) they have started to mix with the Rock Salt to make it stick to the road (dark sticky substance)??

Mine has them too. It's due a renewal of its wax topcoat so will have to be thoroughly cleaned first - my usual regime of snow foam followed by shampoo gets everything off except the tar. I haven't tried anything stronger as that will definitely strip the wax. Just need the weather to hold off long enough at a weekend!

Not insects - definitely tar. When I rub them with white spirit they "run" just as tar would. I know the small back "fly poo" you are referring to though, as we get those on our inside window frames.

Yes could be molases - thanks.

Time to dig out the Tardis and clay bar

I also noticed this last week when I washed the car. There were a few tar spots but the bottom of the driver and front passenger doors had had a tar like film adhering to the paintwork. It was on the bottom edge of both doors but no damage was found. It came off easily enough with tar spot remover.

Jim

Same here - just along the bottom of the doors - weird!

A quick Google came up with "Artillery Fungus Spores" but they seem to be hard to remove and don't respond to solvents such as white spirit?

Had some on bottom of doors/wheelarch foils and came off fairly easily with warm soapy water, whereas tar would not ...hence my thoughts about it being Mollases (mixed with rock salt to make it stick to road...but could be wrong.

Edited 6 February, 201313 yr by kibby

Yep, I've had this too, along the lower door panels and the foil covers on rear doors. As has been said, the only thing I've found to remove them is white spirit. I thought it was tar but with this weather it's hardly melting is it!!

Crap happens; just enjoy your Yeti and give it a good clean when spring arrives.

Thought it was just the roads around here. Wondered whether it may be the increasing numbers of filled potholes.

A slightly kinder way of removing the tar spots is to use baby wipes. They're not that expensive either.

I agree with Kibby, it is the molasses they mix with the salt.

Mines so bloody dirty you can't see them!!

This sweet black stuff in with salt is why the sheep around here are developing kamikaze tendencies and are often found licking the road surfaces, completely disregarding any traffic. Mind you, when they're moving they're even more dangerous, having defunct collision detection systems, and totally random and unpredictable senses of direction. Hit one, and your Yeti will be a delightful abstract pattern of dark brown, light brown, deep red and a final wash of golden yellow.

I'd always associated minute aggregations of blackspot to be flies gobbing and preening in the sun, but this year? Uh-oh!

So my ha'porth of suggestion to add to the melting pot is - tree resin, probably from trees. Or maybe from leaves - the wrong kind - that lie around and get splattered and thrown up.

Or the fallout from the increasing use of woodburners, creating smoke and - resin?

Or stuff blown over us here in Blighty from the Sahara?

Or bird droppings containing disguised unpleasantness from scoffing berries?

Edited 7 February, 201313 yr by Freshacre

The only thing that will shift it appears to be white spirit, although I will give the baby wipes a go next time they appear. However, they are not insect poo or tree droppings as they are not on any horizontal surfaces (bonnet/roof). It is something being thrown up from the road. This comment from a Swedish Driver may hold the answer:

Here (Sweden) they use some chemical mix that's thrown out as a slurry. It works better than salt as it's got a lower freeze point, but is much more corrosive. They also like it because it's sticky and doesn't wash away so easily. It also suppresses the dust kicked up the studded tyres.

The result is serious red wet rust, and all the tar stuck to the car after the winter. In the spring everyone uses a degreasing product that is basically kerosene white spirit mix, than when left on the car for 20 mins and washed with hot water, removes all the tar. Of course, it also dewaxes the car, and can soften the glue used on plastic and chrome trim. It look like this is what you have experienced.

This or salt mixed with Molasses if left on car increases the potential corrosion effect compared with just Rock Salt /Grit which would be mainly washeds off with rain probably means a good idea to wash off properly.

Can't believe UK authorities spending more on 'chemicals' when they can barely do a decent job with traditional methods. (Or no job out in the country B roads).

I've made enquiries with South Lanarkshire and Glasgow City Councils to find out what the road grit is composed of. I'm still waiting for a reply, however I can confirm that Sandwell Council, West Midlands do mix molasses with road salt. This information was taken from their website.

Jim

Forgot to apply a link www.sandwell.gov.uk

Reckon it is Molasses then.

This or salt mixed with Molasses if left on car increases the potential corrosion effect compared with just Rock Salt /Grit which would be mainly washeds off with rain probably means a good idea to wash off properly.

Can't believe UK authorities spending more on 'chemicals' when they can barely do a decent job with traditional methods. (Or no job out in the country B roads).

I have to update your impression by praising Powys CC who do a magnificent job in all weathers. as compared to neighbouring Herefords where it seems to be skimped.

Reckon it is Molasses then.

Ah problem solved, cows love molasses so just park in the middle of a herd and let them lick it off :yes:

Ah problem solved, cows love molasses so just park in the middle of a herd and let them lick it off :yes:

with tongues like sandpaper you will soon have a new steel look yeti

I'm probably wrong, but I've a distant memory that hot ashpalt gives a harder wearing surface than tar based aggegrate mixes, with higher melting points.

My thoughts are that LAs are using "cheaper" tar for repairs, so giving rise to these spots.

I seem to think current road repairs last far shorter than older roads - are motorways surfaced to a different level?

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will shoot me down

Yup and me, found them all over the top of the wheel arches and on the lower side panels. Cleaned them with tar remover but very odd never seen them in winter before.