Tar on the car – how to remove tar spots safely
You have just washed your car.
It looks clean and shiny – but when you take a closer look at the lower doors and the area around the wheels, you discover a lot of small black dots that didn't disappear during the wash.
There is a good chance you have found tar or asphalt spots.
Tar is one of the types of contamination that regular car shampoo often has trouble removing. And the solution is not to scrub harder.
You need the right chemistry.
In this guide, we will go through what tar on the car is, where it comes from, how to safely remove tar spots, and why tar remover is an important part of a complete decontamination of car paint.
What are the black dots on the paint?
Small black dots, especially on the lower areas of the car, may very well be tar and asphalt residue from the road.
When you drive, the car is constantly exposed to contamination from the road surface.
The tires spin up water, dirt, and road material, and some of it ends up on the car.
This is why we often see tar spots on:
- The lower part of the doors
- Side skirts
- Behind the front wheels
- Around the rear wheels
- Wheel arches
- The lower part of the bumpers
- The back of the car
Tar and asphalt-based contamination can stick very firmly to the surface.
That is why the car can be freshly washed and still be covered in small black dots.
Where does tar on the car come from?
The primary source is the road surface.
When driving on asphalt, small amounts of asphalt and bitumen-based material can be thrown up onto the car.
This can especially be a problem with:
- Newly laid asphalt
- Roadwork
- Hot summer periods
- Extensive highway driving
- Dirty and wet roads
This is why you might experience almost no tar on the car for several months – and suddenly get plenty of black dots after one drive through an area with roadwork.
It does not mean you are washing the car incorrectly.
It is simply part of the contamination the car is exposed to out on the roads.
What do tar spots look like?
Tar typically appears as:
Small black or very dark dots on the paint.
On a white or light-colored car, they are extremely easy to see.
On black, dark blue, or other dark paint, they can be much harder to detect.
The spots can vary greatly in size.
Some are tiny.
Others can be larger and more obvious.
What they all have in common is that they often remain after a regular car wash.
Tar or industrial fallout – what is the difference?
It is important to know the difference because we use different products for the two problems.
Industrial fallout
Industrial fallout consists of iron-containing particles and often appears as small orange or brownish dots.
This is especially visible on white and light paint.
Tar
Tar typically appears as black or very dark dots and often stems from asphalt and road material.
That is why we also use different chemistry:
Industrial fallout → industrial fallout remover / iron remover
Tar → tar remover
If you have orange or brownish dots on your car, you can read our complete guide to industrial fallout on the car.
Can regular car shampoo remove tar?
Usually not very effectively.
A good car shampoo is developed for regular maintenance washes and can remove large amounts of common dirt and traffic film.
But tar is a different type of contamination.
If the black dots are still on the car after a thorough wash, it does not mean you should use:
More shampoo.
Or:
More scrubbing.
You must use the right chemistry for the problem.
And this is where a dedicated tar remover comes into the picture.
What is a tar remover?
A tar remover is a product developed to dissolve or soften tar, asphalt, and similar stuck-on contamination.
This means that the chemistry can do a large part of the work for you.
Instead of standing there scrubbing a black tar spot back and forth with a microfiber cloth, you can let the product work on the contamination.
It fits perfectly into our basic philosophy regarding car care:
Let the chemistry do as much of the work as possible.
The less unnecessary physical processing of the paint, the better.
How to remove tar from the car – step by step
The precise procedure always depends on the tar remover you use.
Therefore, always follow the manufacturer's instructions for the specific product.
However, a typical process looks like this:
Step 1 – wash the car thoroughly
Start by getting rid of ordinary dirt.
We do not want to be working on a surface filled with:
- Sand
- Mud
- Dust
- Salt
- Traffic film
Therefore, start with a proper car wash:
Pre-wash → rinsing → hand wash → rinsing.
If you are in doubt about the process, you can follow our complete guide to proper car washing.
If you want to go more in-depth with the first and perhaps most important step, you can also read our guide to proper pre-washing of the car.
Step 2 – find the tar spots
When common dirt and traffic film have been removed, the tar spots become much easier to identify.
Look especially at:
Lower doors, side skirts, the area behind the front wheels, and around the rear wheels.
On a light-colored car, the black dots will often be very clear.
Step 3 – work on a cool surface
Avoid working on very hot paint or in strong direct sunlight.
Car care chemistry generally needs the opportunity to work under the conditions prescribed by the manufacturer.
And most importantly:
Never let the tar remover dry on the surface.
Step 4 – apply tar remover
Apply the product according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Depending on the product, it can, for example, be applied directly to the affected area or via a suitable microfiber cloth/applicator.
Now comes the most important part:
Let the product work.
The tar remover must have the opportunity to dissolve or soften the contamination.
On some tar spots, you can actually see them starting to dissolve and run down the panel.
It is the chemistry that does the work.
Step 5 – remove the tar carefully
Once the product has worked as instructed, the dissolved tar is removed according to the product's instructions.
If a microfiber cloth is needed, use a clean and soft cloth.
And remember:
You should not stand there scrubbing hard.
If the spot does not come off, the solution is not necessarily more physical force.
It may be better to repeat the treatment and let the chemistry work again.
Step 6 – rinse and wash the area again
When the tar has been removed, any residue of both tar and product must be removed.
Follow the specific tar remover's instructions.
Typically, it will be a good idea to rinse the area thoroughly and possibly wash it again.
Now the black dots should be gone.
Can you scrape tar off the car?
We do not recommend that.
It can be tempting to use:
- Your fingernail
- A plastic card
- A scraper
- A hard sponge
But why expose the paint to unnecessary mechanical stress if the right chemistry can dissolve the problem?
Use a dedicated tar remover and let the product work.
Can you use gasoline to remove tar?
You will find many old tricks and home remedies regarding tar removal.
Gasoline and various solvents are mentioned, among other things.
But at Carfreak.dk, we do not recommend experimenting with random solvents on the car.
A modern car consists of much more than just ordinary painted metal.
You may, among other things, have:
- Plastic
- Rubber
- Foil/Vinyl
- PPF
- Ceramic coating
- Headlights
- Emblems
- Various surface treatments
Therefore, we recommend a car care product developed specifically for the task.
Then you also know which surfaces the manufacturer has intended the product for.
Can you use WD-40 against tar?
That is another home remedy you might come across.
But again:
When there are dedicated tar removers developed specifically for car care, we see no reason to start experimenting with products that are primarily developed for other purposes.
Use the right chemistry for the right task.
It is both easier and more professional.
Can you use tar remover on ceramic coating?
It depends on the specific product and the coating.
Tar can easily settle on a ceramic coated car.
A coating does not make the car immune to:
- Tar
- Industrial fallout
- Limescale
- Traffic film
- Insects
- Other stuck-on contamination
Therefore, a coated car may still need chemical decontamination.
Choose a tar remover that is compatible with the specific coating and always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
If you have a coating on your car, we also recommend our guide to washing and maintaining ceramic coating.
Does tar remover remove ceramic coating?
One cannot answer yes or no to that generally.
It depends on:
The tar remover + the coating + the application.
A quality ceramic coating is interesting, among other things, due to its chemical resistance.
But that does not mean that all types of solvents and car care chemistry can automatically be used on all coatings.
Therefore, always check the compatibility between the products.
Tar on PPF and foil
Here you must be extra careful.
PPF (Paint Protection Film) and vinyl wrap are not the same as regular car paint.
You should therefore not automatically assume that a tar remover that can be used on paint can also be used on PPF or foil.
Always check the manufacturer's instructions.
If the product is not specifically approved for the surface, you should investigate the compatibility first.
Should you use clay to remove tar?
Not as a first choice.
Clay is a form of mechanical decontamination.
It means that you physically work across the paint.
If we already know that the problem is tar, it makes more sense to use a dedicated tar remover first.
Our approach is:
Tar remover first → assess the surface → clay as needed.
The same principle we use for industrial fallout.
If the chemistry can remove the contamination without unnecessary physical processing, we start there.
Tar remover vs. industrial fallout remover
The two products are often used in connection with the same major preparation.
But they perform two completely different tasks.
Tar remover
Removes, among other things, tar, asphalt, and bitumen-based contamination.
Industrial fallout remover
Removes iron-containing contamination.
On a white car, for example, you may experience:
Black dots + orange dots.
The black ones may be tar.
The orange ones may be industrial fallout.
Therefore, the car may need both types of chemistry.
Read more about iron-containing contamination in our guide to industrial fallout on the car.
What do you use first – tar remover or industrial fallout remover?
For a complete decontamination, we will typically work systematically and follow the manufacturers' instructions for the specific products.
A practical process could, for example, be:
Thorough wash → tar remover → industrial fallout remover → assessment of the paint → clay as needed.
The most important thing is not to make the order a religion.
The most important principle is:
Remove as much stuck-on contamination chemically as possible before you begin mechanical decontamination.
Should tar be removed before polishing?
Yes.
If the car is to be machine polished, we want a thoroughly cleaned and decontaminated surface first.
We do not want:
- Tar
- Industrial fallout
- Sand
- Traffic film
- Other stuck-on contamination
sitting on the paint when the polishing machine comes out.
A thorough preparation can therefore, for example, be:
Wash → tar remover → industrial fallout remover → clay as needed → polishing.
It gives the polishing much better working conditions.
Should tar be removed before ceramic coating?
Yes.
When you apply a ceramic coating, the preparation is extremely important.
The coating must be on a clean and properly prepared surface.
We do not want:
- Tar
- Industrial fallout
- Limescale
- Traffic film
- Grease
- Polishing oils
- Other stuck-on contamination
under the coating.
If you are going to coat the car yourself, we recommend our complete guide to ceramic coating.
Here we go through the entire process from preparation to application and maintenance.
How often should you use tar remover?
As needed.
Tar remover is not a product you need to use at every regular car wash.
Does the car have no tar spots?
Then there is no reason to use it.
If, on the other hand, you have just driven through roadwork and discovered hundreds of black dots along the car's sides?
Then it makes sense.
The need depends on, among other things:
- Where the car drives
- The amount of highway driving
- Roadwork
- The season
- The car's design
- How much material the wheels spin up
Use the product when the problem is there.
Should a brand new car have tar removed?
It may be necessary.
A new car is not automatically a perfectly decontaminated car.
Before the car reaches you, it has been through:
- Production
- Transport
- Storage
- Possible rail transport
- Ports and terminals
- Transport to the dealer
Therefore, a new car that, for example, is to be polished and ceramic coated should still be inspected thoroughly.
If you find tar, industrial fallout, or other stuck-on contamination, it should be removed before further treatment.
The complete decontamination before polishing or coating
If you want to go all the way and prepare the paint thoroughly, the process could look like this:
1. Pre-wash
Removes as much ordinary dirt as possible without physical contact.
2. Hand wash
Removes the remaining ordinary traffic film.
3. Tar remover
Removes tar and asphalt-based contamination.
4. Industrial fallout remover
Removes iron-containing particles.
5. Limescale remover
Used as needed if the paint has mineral deposits or water spots.
If you have problems with limescale, you can read our guide to limescale spots on the car.
6. Clay
Used as needed if there is still stuck-on contamination after chemical decontamination.
7. Polishing
The paint is corrected and the finish is improved as needed.
8. Panel wipe
Polishing oils and other residues are removed before coating.
9. Paint protection
For example, a ceramic coating.
That is the difference between:
"The car looks clean."
and:
"The paint is actually properly prepared."
8 mistakes you should avoid when removing tar
1. You start scrubbing
Let the chemistry do the work.
2. You use your fingernail
That is unnecessary mechanical stress.
3. You use random solvents
Use a product developed for car care and the specific surface.
4. You work on warm paint
Work under the conditions recommended by the manufacturer.
5. You let the product dry
Keep an eye on the surface.
6. You assume the product can be used on PPF and wrap
Check compatibility first.
7. You go straight for clay
Remove the tar chemically first.
8. You polish the car with tar on the paint
Decontaminate the paint first.
FAQ – tar on the car
How do you remove tar from the car?
Use a dedicated tar remover intended for the specific surface. Let the product dissolve or soften the tar according to the manufacturer's instructions and then remove the contamination gently.
What do tar spots look like?
Tar is often seen as small black or very dark dots, especially on the car's lower doors, side skirts, and areas around the wheels.
Can car shampoo remove tar?
Regular shampoo can struggle with stubborn tar. A dedicated tar remover is developed specifically for this type of contamination.
Should you scrub tar off the car?
We do not recommend that. Let the right chemistry dissolve or soften the tar so the need for mechanical action is minimized.
Are tar and fallout the same thing?
No. Tar is typically black/dark asphalt-based contamination, while fallout consists of ferrous particles and is often seen as orange/brown dots.
Can you use tar remover on a ceramic coating?
It depends on the product and the coating. Use a tar remover that is compatible with the specific coating.
Can you use tar remover on PPF?
Only if the specific product is suitable for PPF. Always check the manufacturer's instructions.
Should you use clay after tar remover?
Not necessarily. Assess the paint after the chemical decontamination and only use clay if there is still stubborn contamination.
Should tar be removed before polishing?
Yes. The paint should be cleaned and decontaminated thoroughly before machine polishing.
Should tar be removed before a ceramic coating?
Yes. A ceramic coating should be applied to a clean and correctly prepared surface.
How often should you use tar remover?
As needed. Tar remover does not need to be part of every regular maintenance wash.
Conclusion – use the right chemistry instead of more effort
Tar is a perfect example of why good car care isn't just about scrubbing harder.
You can wash the car again and again.
The black dots may still be there.
That doesn't necessarily mean you need to use more force.
It means you need to use the right chemistry.
A dedicated tar remover is developed to dissolve or soften tar and asphalt-based contamination so it can be removed with minimal unnecessary mechanical stress.
And especially before polishing or ceramic coating, it is important that the paint is free of tar, fallout, limescale, and other stubborn contamination.
At Carfreak.dk, you will find products for the entire process – from pre-wash and shampoo to tar and adhesive removers, fallout removers, limescale removers, clay, polishing, and ceramic coating.
If you want to learn even more about proper car care, you can continue with:
How to wash your car correctly – complete guide
Pre-wash of your car – how to do it
Fallout on your car – how to remove it
Limescale spots on your car – how to remove them
Ceramic coating for car – complete guide
How to wash a ceramic-coated car
Then you will have the foundation to go from:
"The car is washed."
to:
"The paint is actually clean, decontaminated, and ready for the next treatment."
