My husband got hit on the interstate by a piece of tire in the road. It left tire marks on the hood and fender of my car. How do I get it off without ruining the finish of the car?
By Linda Shaffer from Norfolk, VA
Today's cars have a clear urethane coating over the paint to make the finish more durable. If the tire did not abrade the clear finish you may be able to fix it your self.
First, I would wash the area to see if that removes any of the tire marks. If not, I would purchase a can of adhesive cleaner or tar remover at the auto parts store and rub that on the tire marks. The cleaner will not harm the finish.
If the tire marks are still there then the area should be compounded. You can do that yourself or an auto detailer can do the job. Every car dealer should have a detailer on staff or you can find one in the yellow pages.
Take a soft cloth and pour a little cooking oil and apply it to the tire mark. This will not harm the paint of your car.
An item sold for campers is called Black Streak Remover. I think you can even get it at Wal-Mart near their automotive department where they sell camping related products. I used it on my white car when something got streaked along the side. I think it was a bicycle handle. Whatever it was, this stuff took it off without ruining the finish.
WD-40 will remove tire marks from paint, just spray it on and wipe it off. I have been a mechanic for 34 years and have used that on near everything.
Here's an easy and cheap way I removed my problem. I used a paper towel and rubbing alcohol, and it came right off!
My white car has been "kissed" by the very big tires of a 350 pickup. Needless to say the back fender is now coated with rubber from those tires.