Bug bumper :(

[Theis]

I have a small problem atleast I hope it's small between my many trips from ft hood to Houston and back I have started to notice when I wash my car there are some bugs that just won't come off I have tried putting ww on before I wash and apc and still had a few left what should I do would it be smart to clay it off? Sounds painful thinking about it

 

 

Sorry no pics at this time

[J Tegeler]

I would say clay bar is going to be the way to go. If APC or WW doesnt touch them then move to clay then re apply wax or sealant to the area. That way they are easier to get off in the future

[mc2hill]

I hope you don't have the problem we have - love bugs! Often it will look like the bugs are there and you can scrub and clay but they will not come off. The reason is the bugs are gone but the acid in their bodies have eaten an impression of their bodies into the clear coat!

[Skywalker]

There are dedicated bug and tar removers that will work well at dissolving them, but ultimately you will probably need to clay bar the surface and polish as well. If left on too long, it may require heavy polishing or ever a repaint, so remove the bugs asap!

[BRZN]

My DD Company issued car can go 2+ weeks without a wash and sees lots of highway miles.

I've tried several ways but here's my current routine for a bug riddled front bumper:

1.) Spray well with hose.

2.) Prior to washing my rocker panels/wheels/tires/inner/fender wells (first actual steps in my wash process) I wipe the front bumper with my mitt just as I'd do with my paint - don't rinse off, this helps soften them up.

3.) Complete the above first steps of my wash process.

4.) Prepare buckets for a two bucket wash: hose down the entire car including the front bumper and wash the rest of the car.

5.) Come back to the front bumper last and wipe it with the mitt, and here's the scary part, I follow up the second mitt wipe of the front bumper with a small microfiber mesh mitt or pad(not an Adam's product, however the Adam's microfiber applicater may work just fine). Most if not all of the scratchy exoskeletons are gone and it's just their guts that remain. Damage is minimal to the paint this way and the bug remnants are usually all gone.

[Theis]

Alrighty thanks for the ideas will try asap

[Chewy]

If it's possible, take a soaking wet (hot water) rag and let it sit on the spot until cold. That should loosed the bug and allow it to be removed easily. If that doesn't work, clay is your friend. Make sure that you're not trying to remove what's heavily etched paint that looks like old bugs. Our Enclave has just that on the front of it. 105,000 miles and not enough washes or protection will do that.

[egott_91]

IDK if this scratches the car or not, but since I haven't corrected my SS yet and it was plastered w/ bugs on the front, here's what I did.

 

Sprayed the bugs with high pressure water to get off what that would do. Next, I took Waterless Wash and soaked the areas where the bugs were at. After that, I took the Trim and Lug brush and gently brushed where the bugs were. Then I hosed that area off and went back over it while washing the entire car to get the remaining bugs that I either missed, or did not want to come off with the brush. Like I said, IDK if this is advisable once the paint is corrected as to whether or not it will scratch the finish, but it worked really well for me. Plus the car is silver and you can barely see the scratches anyways...

[Chewy]

The brush will probably put scratches in the finish. They wouldn't be horrible by any means though.

 

Dry erasers work well too, but will scratch like a mother!

[egott_91]

I think once the car is corrected, I am going to do the same process as I did, but substitute the Adam's MF applicator in place of the trim and lug brush. That way I'm not getting a lot bug guts and carcasses in my wash mitts and reducing the risk of scratching the bumper and grille, even though you can't really see them anyways...it's going to be fun getting the lighting right to get this car corrected.

[Chewy]

I think once the car is corrected, I am going to do the same process as I did, but substitute the Adam's MF applicator in place of the trim and lug brush. That way I'm not getting a lot bug guts and carcasses in my wash mitts and reducing the risk of scratching the bumper and grille, even though you can't really see them anyways...it's going to be fun getting the lighting right to get this car corrected.

 

If my car's really bad, I take it to the coin op and use the rinse setting and hammer them off. I did this Saturday and it worked great.

 

It's all about having great protection on the front of your car.

[egott_91]

If my car's really bad, I take it to the coin op and use the rinse setting and hammer them off. I did this Saturday and it worked great.

 

It's all about having great protection on the front of your car.

 

This is true. I haven't had time to really "detail" the SS since last summer when I first started using Adam's. At that time they didn't have the Quick Sealant and I wasn't ready for machine polishing, so I went w/ the essentials kit and tried the polishing by hand and didn't really notice a difference. But it's only protected by a coat of Buttery wax since last July (sat all winter)...

 

But I agree. Once I have the time, it will get a strip wash, polished, sealed (2 applications on front bumper), and Americana. On the truck, it will get Machine Super Sealant plus Americana or Buttery after being polished.

 

I think if you have a good coat or two of sealant and a coat of wax where the bugs hit, then getting rid of them shouldn't be difficult.

[mc2hill]

Sprayed the bugs with high pressure water to get off what that would do. Next, I took Waterless Wash and soaked the areas where the bugs were at. After that, I took the Trim and Lug brush and gently brushed where the bugs were. Then I hosed that area off and went back over it while washing the entire car to get the remaining bugs that I either missed, or did not want to come off with the brush. Like I said, IDK if this is advisable once the paint is corrected as to whether or not it will scratch the finish, but it worked really well for me. Plus the car is silver and you can barely see the scratches anyways...

 

The brush will probably put scratches in the finish. They wouldn't be horrible by any means though.

 

I have used the Adam's Trim & Lug Nut Brush on the paint without any issue. When cleaning bugs I am sure to use lots of Car Wash Shampoo and rinse the brush often.

[Z71_Denali]

i like Adam's method in his Vol 6 instructional video:

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOd80YR2LUc]Adam's Polishes Video Vol. 6 - Chapter 07 - YouTube[/ame]

 

during a normal 2 bucket wash, i spray the bugs liberally with WW, out of direct sunlight, right after i've pressure washed the entire car. come back to the front last and the bugs just wipe away with ease.

[Chewy]

Yeah... Brushes just do NOT touch my paint. I tried it once. NEVER again...