Thank you John, made my mind up to go for the Bilt Hamber as an all rounder & not overly aggressive. New to detailing & your videos have been a massive help & source of information. Keep it up buddy.
It’s a solid video this Jon. I’ve had an awful intro into Tar remover going EU. I’ve ended up looking at alternatives. Common ones. Petrol. WD. White spirits. Maybe even weaken the EU with a white spirit mix. So don’t kill the rubber seals in spray bottles over night.
Brilliant, just what I was looking for was this video, been using Autoglym for years and thinking the 5L were getting expensive even though a great product and others telling me to try different products, so I've just ordered the Autosmart on your expert advice, thanks a lot, take care
I hadn’t appreciated Cleanser-Fluid as a tar and glue remover, I’d been using it solely as a prep like you would Eraser or Gtech Panel Wipe and using KKD Tartastic as the dedicated tar remover.
So glad I saw this video, I’ve just cancelled my Amazon order for Gtechniq W7 Tar and Glue Remove. Don’t want to risk damaging plastic surfaces on my rs3. Looks I’m back to wd40 and plenty of soap washing/wax..
Just thought I would post even though this is 3 years old, bought some BH today and they have it in 5L for £29.95 (14.95 for 500ml so no brainer the larger)
I have to be honest Jon I’ve never used any other tar and glue remover other than tardis so can’t compare to the others. That said tardis is a mega product and I believe it was yourself who said it takes no prisoners and my god you weren’t wrong. I cleaned my uncles car recently and there was a sizeable piece of tar on the drivers wing. It took a couple of hits but tardis got the job done quite easily 👍🏻
To me it sounds like there's 2 tar removers for 2 different scenarios... The odd job/only need 1 litre - Koch Chemie Eulex (£7.25) Bulk order for multiple cars/ 5 litres - Autosmart Tardis (£20 from an Autosmart rep, or £30 on eBay) Personally I think the £20 per litre for Tardis you stated in the video is a little harsh when you can get 5 litres for under £30 (works out at £6 per litre on ebay, or £4 per litre from a rep, making it the cheapest).
Hi Jon, can you please do a fallout remover (for paintwork) video similar to this? I saw your older video which was based for wheels so Korrosol wasn't in the line up. I'm interested to know if any of them will damage plastic ? Also on that note would you say Korrosol is the best ?
honestly mate. if you want the best use korrosol. If you want the cheapest buy 5litres of the carchem one when its on sale for like 14 quid. Thats really it. beyond this every brand will tell you theirs in the best.
a Question "affects plastics" "not to use on plastics" etc, how does that translate to the Plastic Trim parts on cars, esp the Textured plastics you find on the lower areas of the car that usually get the worse of the tar / same with wheel arch liners ? *is off to find local autosmart rep for a 5l can ,, two cars and the local "road repairs" are all the "pour tar in the hole + add some chippings " !
poly propalyene you mean. Well in my head its a form of plastic so that means dont use on poly prop trim either. that would include wheel archers... great question. I think its REALLY important to have one that passes the poly carb test isnt it.
@@ForensicDetailing yes one of the ones that Do not mark polycarb is a "must" imho,, ruined headlights/sidelights due to over spray would get £££ on the wallet fast, i Was swinging towards Koch Eu as a replacement for the autoglym i use now But following your test results on Just the polycarb ,, as above im hunting my local autosmart rep :D having used autoglym on wheel arch liners and the textured plastic trims im counting myself Lucky it didn't react or cause damage ,,
It was important for me to find a tar remover sold in the states that can be used dry AND wet. Came across Pure:est T3 Tar Remover which specificlly states it can be used wet or dry! I ordered some to try.
I was expecting to see CarPro's offering on here, TarX. I have it, it's OK, pretty mild stuff, seems to be turpene based, and has that orange smell. Works well on tar, adhesives take a lot longer. Leaves an oily residue.
I’ve used auto glum tar and glue remover everyday for the last 5-6 years always worked a treat never worried about it damaging paintwork even left it on over night if a car is full of tar
Hi I enjoy your content and channel and I’ve just subscribed. I have a detailing question for you. Why use expensive decontamination liquids when a clay bar or clay cloth does the same thing?
Have used Gaddis for years always could it good & no effort required to use never had any problems on paint or plastic washes off easily & is great on a cotton wool pad for spot removal rather than sprayed all over
Great vid. I have used Tardis for ages and it is especially good at removing tar from rear fenders and number plates of motorcycles. I get mine direct from Autosmart and the 5l tin was under £30. In my experience it is the best product by far. I
I have tried pretty much every tar remover out there, like you Jon, and have always gone back to AS Tardis. I love the idea of Valetpro with it being citrus, but it just doesn’t pack enough punch. I believe elite car care sell Tardis for around £30 for 5 litres 👍🏼
I use kerosene on tar on car paint, works fine, is cheap and a bottle of it can last for months or years. Plenty of tar spray during our hot summers here in New Zealand :-).
Kkd tartastic is my favourite for removing tar spots in particular. It's almost gel like consistency and long dwell times just pulls the tar spots straight off the bodywork.
I love valet pro, I have been using it on exotic motorcycles for cleaning chain grease and never had a probkem. But I think it has solvents in it and strips the ceramic coating, as I have seen gyeon tar hasn't solvents in it and it is safe for ceramic coatings. Is it right?
I’ve been using Tardis for years, been my “go-to” product as well 👍🏻 Good to see my gut instinct on this efficient tar remover wasn’t wrong 😏 Thanks for this Jon, as always, I enjoy the videos, keep’em coming, good work👍🏻
superglue which are dried up on paintworks are the toughest to remove especially leftovers after sticking a loose car plastic logo...for a tar remover to remove the leftovers of glue that have dried up is truly a miracle...
Thanks for this video.. It's really helpful to see so many products being compared and also the biggest concern for me was the suitability if the tar and glue remover was to drip down onto the plastic trim and the risk of damage.
Dave after watching this review I went and bought TARDIS lot of bang for the buck but my question is will it remove and I hope it will remove when it comes to the end of the year or the start of the year to put a new wax or sealant down will it help me remove my old wax sealant base I'm going to be polishing afterwards IPA fluid all over it there are a lot of guys reckon this is a great aid in cleaning old wax and sealants I don't need to clay bar the car as it is only going to be a year old and has been actively kept
its "spelt" Koch Chemie. How its pronounced Ive been told a million times already by others.. I will always call it "ko-t-ch". It gets people commenting to correct me and that helps me with the algorithms. ;) ((playing around, much love to you my friend and thanks for watching))
Very well produced and presented comparison Jon. Many thanks. You just cost me more money as I don't have any on my shelves. At least I can get the right one first time now, made down the road from me as well.
I am glad you included the poly-carbonate test. I did mention the G&T damaging my headlights when you put up the video of your intention to run this test. And well done for pointing out that these products should always be used as directed. I will say though, the G&T directions on the bottle that I had suggested for exterior use only. No mention of plastics of other materials. Perhaps they have updated their packaging, however, last I checked, headlights were on the exterior of the vehicle. So I did use as directed. They just told me tough luck when I called for help / to complain... So not much good with the old customer service for me. I suppose to be expected when their £17/L product damaged the LED headlights on my brand new vehicle. That wasn't a cheap bill to swallow. I will say also though, previously to my attempt with the G&T, I had been using Tardis for years without issue, in the exact same way I had used the G&T. I know what I'll be using next time.
was that you Stu. I remember the comment its a great example of how comments infuence my thought process. So the G&T says its for user on exterior painted surfaces only, eg paintwork. You can argue they should put on there not for use on plastics or headlights as this would help. most do specifically state dont use on plastic. But I think this is also why the tardis is a worthy winner because it passed this test, so it reduces the risk.
@@ForensicDetailing Yeah, that was me. I actually screenshotted their webpage at the time, where the warning clearly stated exterior use only, but no mention of painted surfaces or materials, simply: "Warning: This product should only be used on your vehicles exterior. DO NOT use on any other surfaces." Just in case I needed it for future reference. So their own documentation was / is not specific enough. I have just checked there, and that is STILL what it states on their website. I would have expected them to have updated that by now. Here is the link for reference. www.car-chem.com/shop/glue-tar-remover So it is very good that YOU are providing the warning at least. And VERY good to see that you took on the comment, and ran a test yourself, and compared against other products. As I said above, I had been using Tardis for years prior, and I found it to be excellent, as you did too. So will be using that going forward now. A worthy winner indeed. I had high hopes for the Koch Chemie EU at that price, but I guess it wasn't to be, ha ha. Anyway, lesson learned now. Expensive, but learned. Their CS has certainly put me off ever considering their products again though. Thanks for all the great content you put up. Everytime I see the notification, I can't wait to watch another informative, well made video.
Good review Jon & great method of testing. To throw one in for consideration, strictly speaking it is a panel wipe, Upol Slow Panel Wipe. It works pretty well as a tar/glue remover & is extremely cheap for 5L as well 👍
@@diljithayre9379 not as effective as a dedicated T+G remover & needs a little agitation but works well while being more gentle. Being a panel wipe I have no worries it would damage clearcoat or plastics.
Super helpful thank you !! Have you any experience with Tar-Dah by ProKleen? I see they have a 5 litre for £23 and it's being advertised as "Safe for your paintwork, wheels and plastics", hmm.. would love to see a test on this one - also wondering about Troll's Breath and Dragons Blood Iron Contamination Remover both at £24 for 5L, they are manufactured by different chemical companies and sold by ProKleen UK
Really good test, enjoyed watching that 👍. Not a huge surprise Tardis came out on top, a lot of the pro's seem to use it and they have far more to consider than most amateurs. I think I'll switch once I've used up my AutoGlym 👍.
I was trying to find out the answer to this question about 6 hours before this video was uploaded and had car chem in my mind as it's cheap for a 5l (in the sales..) but didn't know the eu existed. And as I've been looking to move onto koch products I now know what to go for. Thanks
@@ForensicDetailing thanks for the advice, I've been searching online for hours and the autoglym tar remover gets a good rep and someone said it works to remove insects at the same time, so I'll look at your recommendation and weigh them both up.
I know this video is old now but I have a question about the plastics side of it all, I’ve scrolled through the comments but can’t find an answer. I drive a Mini, and they have a hell of a lot of plastic trim around the lower edge of the car, it’s not painted but I did cover it in the ceramic coating from GTechniq about 15 months ago. Would AutoSmart Tardis be okay/safe on the plastics? I’m ideally looking for something I can spray on the car and let it dwell for a minute before wiping/washing it off. Bilt Hamber sounded perfect, except I’d rather not remove the wax I already have on the car and have to start all over again. Is this something else Tardis would be safe with? 1) Does Tardis mark/damage black unpainted plastic trim? 2) Does Tardis remove wax and other coatings from paint?
I would not spray tardis onto the plastic and let it dwell. I would spray it into the cloth and just wipe off any tar spots. and repeat then rinse. tardis will hammer down a wax and prolly isnt great for a coating. the valet pro product might suit your needs more.
Autosmart Tardis is the 1 i constantly use as its just works best overall. I'm interested in putting it up against the infinity wax t and g to see how they compare.
Great video! I wonder if these tar removers can resolve paint drops from outside source (paint that comes from a wall or a construction place nearby). Do you know anything that can take these contaminants off the cars surface coat?
it honestly depends on the type of the paint.. .but im my experience they are not great at remove like automotive overspray. I turn to cellulose thinners or acetone or claying.. obviously being carefully with thinners on clearcoat.
@@flemmingjensen3202 if you dont understand how to use it sensibly they stay away from it. Cellulose thinner is a lot stronger but ive been using it for about 20 years to remove various paint oversprays or splatter thats got onto cars without issue.
@@flemmingjensen3202 it does not really matter you have to be very carefull with these materials which ever one you use. they are designed to disolve paint, so your right in a way.. but you just use them with commen sense, dabb on and straight off. if you spray them of apply them and leave them you could litterally swell up and damage your clearcoat reasonably quickly. But the same can be said of IPA above 70%. so its just apply commen sense I guess.
Hi john I use tardis all the time as I said to you before I use autosmart all the time will you try out autosmart's ruby wax and put up a video on it just to see what you thing about their ruby wax
FYI: Tardis is almost completely made up of White spirit and Xylene. This means you can make your own mix if you live outside the UK. Find a distributor of "Xylene Paint Thinner" and "White spirit", then mix 50/50.
Another great video. I suspect it is difficult to know where to strike value for money as a calculation but Tardis is less than £30 for 5 litres so actually does quite well on that front too. However my 5 litre can is over 5 years old and is probably more than I'll ever need so i get the logic of 1 litre equivalent.
Another great, well-researched video! As a hobby detailer, I have been using ValetPro Tar & Glue Remover for years, simply because it is mild and I don't mind going over an area twice (gives a bit more control I think), and because it is quite cheap (as you showed in the video). I have tested other brands as well, but I still come back for the ValetPro. I can imagine if you are a detailing company, you would opt for the AutoSmart or the Koch brand, because they are the most effective.
Pretty good test but I'd be interested in the results on different types of plastic. Car exterior trims use more than just polycarbonate - and I have definitely seen black trims (I believe to be ABS) bleached by Tardis and the likes. Similar for vinyl too, which can be damaged by strong hydrocarbon based tar removers. Poor respray jobs can even be completely removed by a hydrocarbon based tar remover, so I'd be wary of calling Tardis completely safe. However more mild limonene based ones are usually fine on the different plastics and aftermarket paint jobs.
on poly prop or acrylic yes me 2 but I think poly carb is the most sensitive. I think this is a fair point. Tardis is not a mild TandG you do need to be carefull with it. but its the worthy winner. I think you have to be carefull as a user with these products like you say. Its important to say anyone can do these tests and come up with a different winner as well.
@@ForensicDetailing Thanks for coming back to me. Normally I like brake and clutch as it's generally pretty gentle on paint, depending on brand. I'll do some test patches.
For a few days I have several barely visible tar points. But I will go on vacation for 3 weeks during which time I think other bitumen points will buildup. It is ok to wait 3-4 weeks and remove tar after returning from vacation or should I remove them immediately in order not to damage the paint?
Hi Jon hope ur well bud, any reason why you tested the eulex and not the Teerwäsche A (Tea) Tar & Glue Remover?? Read up on slims doesn’t suggest they are different, hopefully you can answer? Thanks very much
Bilt Hamber don't seem to list anything to not apply their Cleanser Fluid on to, so I'm going to assume that was the one that specifically was expected to be ok on plastic. Seems like a no-brainer to me, use without too much worry. If it's a bit slower just take your time.
I’ve got some Autoglym intensive tar remover but haven’t actually got round to using it yet. How did you apply it, would it be easier to decant it into a spray bottle?
autoglym put it in a bottle without a sprayer for a reason... if you spray these products around and overspray goes on the wrong thing then you can see the potential for damage. but sprayer can be good if you spray into you applicator or your just carefull. AG are cautious because they sell to the mass market and they get to see first hand all the things that go wrong.
This is a great review. Unfortunately not all of these products are as easily purchasable for me here in the US. I have a really tough test case, I have a wheel which is covered on the rough finished back side with I believe asphalt sealer that is very hard to budge, so I just slowly attack it when I'm ready to do a wheel-off cleaning, but the chemicals I have (a nearly empty can of solvent based remover that works well and will knock you out with fine, and Tar-X) don't allow me to remove to much at a single time without a lot of effort and product use.
Ty for this. Great video as usual. Ordered 1 litre of Autosmart to remove tar from girlfriend car. Will keep you posted how it goes once the weather changes. T
Hi Jon I think I need your professional advice if poss. I have a black Citroen berlingo “black”and a few tiny white paint spots...someone advised me to use autoglym tar remover, what do you think 😕. Would tar remover do it
it probably wont be strong enough to disolve tar. you can clay it off and polish afterwards (use bilt hamber clay medium or regular) you can also use strong strong strong chems and they will strip is easily. but these chems you must be carefull with. dab on small ares at a time and buff off IMMEDIETLY or else you will damage the clearcoat. but I always use cellulose thinner to do this. other people will panic when I mention this chemical because its very strong stuff and if you mis use it you can do damage.
Brilliant review, Jon. Thank you for posting the video. I’ve had good results with AF Oblitarate, but will definitely try Autosmart Tardis as the trade seem to rate this, too.
I use Just The Tonic. It always works great at removing tar and that weight residue from the back of alloys. BUT, at one time, I used that same product on one refurbished Mercedes-Benz GLE AMG-Line alloy, and the clearcoat turned sticky, it rubberised and rubbed off onto the applicator pad. It was not Just The Tonic's fault, but the inferior quality of the 'After-Meerkat' clearcoat used on that one alloy. It always pays to communicate with the customer to ask if he's EVER had ANY paint done on ANY part of the car, to avoid this schoolboy error.
Hi Jon, such a great video - thank you for carrying out these tests! I have heard that AutoSmart's Tardis is a great product and to see the results was really beneficial. I will definitely give this a try on my CLK 320 😉
The behind the scenes low down on each product >>> Forensic Unplugged (hit subscribe for instant glory!)
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Instant glory 😂
Seen it. Great video, very well put together Jon.
Thank you John, made my mind up to go for the Bilt Hamber as an all rounder & not overly aggressive. New to detailing & your videos have been a massive help & source of information. Keep it up buddy.
I continue to be impressed with the Koch Chemie line. Thanks for the time & effort put into this review.
Another none bias video i know how much these chemicals cost and really appreciate the time, cost and effort you put in your videos john
Was hoping to see Tar X too! Oh well. It has worked great for me. Cheers!
I’m a big fan of that too.
I’ve started using Trix a bit too (combined fall out and tar remover). It works well on a car that you keep on top of.
Yep, big fan of TarX too. Tackles the heavier stuff, still easy to work with.
It’s a solid video this Jon. I’ve had an awful intro into Tar remover going EU. I’ve ended up looking at alternatives. Common ones. Petrol. WD. White spirits. Maybe even weaken the EU with a white spirit mix. So don’t kill the rubber seals in spray bottles over night.
Brilliant, just what I was looking for was this video, been using Autoglym for years and thinking the 5L were getting expensive even though a great product and others telling me to try different products, so I've just ordered the Autosmart on your expert advice, thanks a lot, take care
Thanks for the video. Isn't Turpentine a cheaper alternative to those products ?
Great video. I wonder how long they have to sit on the polycarbonate before they damage.
I hadn’t appreciated Cleanser-Fluid as a tar and glue remover, I’d been using it solely as a prep like you would Eraser or Gtech Panel Wipe and using KKD Tartastic as the dedicated tar remover.
So glad I saw this video, I’ve just cancelled my Amazon order for Gtechniq W7 Tar and Glue Remove. Don’t want to risk damaging plastic surfaces on my rs3. Looks I’m back to wd40 and plenty of soap washing/wax..
19 seconds since you’ve uploaded and I know it’s going to be a good video 😂
Just thought I would post even though this is 3 years old, bought some BH today and they have it in 5L for £29.95 (14.95 for 500ml so no brainer the larger)
I've just bought the autobead tar glue remover. What are your thoughts?
I have to be honest Jon I’ve never used any other tar and glue remover other than tardis so can’t compare to the others. That said tardis is a mega product and I believe it was yourself who said it takes no prisoners and my god you weren’t wrong. I cleaned my uncles car recently and there was a sizeable piece of tar on the drivers wing. It took a couple of hits but tardis got the job done quite easily 👍🏻
To me it sounds like there's 2 tar removers for 2 different scenarios...
The odd job/only need 1 litre - Koch Chemie Eulex (£7.25)
Bulk order for multiple cars/ 5 litres - Autosmart Tardis (£20 from an Autosmart rep, or £30 on eBay)
Personally I think the £20 per litre for Tardis you stated in the video is a little harsh when you can get 5 litres for under £30 (works out at £6 per litre on ebay, or £4 per litre from a rep, making it the cheapest).
Hi Jon, can you please do a fallout remover (for paintwork) video similar to this?
I saw your older video which was based for wheels so Korrosol wasn't in the line up.
I'm interested to know if any of them will damage plastic ?
Also on that note would you say Korrosol is the best ?
honestly mate. if you want the best use korrosol. If you want the cheapest buy 5litres of the carchem one when its on sale for like 14 quid. Thats really it. beyond this every brand will tell you theirs in the best.
@@ForensicDetailing Thanks mate, do you happen to know if it stains/damages plastics?
Can’t say that I’ve used a bunch of tar and glue removers, but I use Autobrite Just the tonic and always gets the job done for me
was about to say Autobrite just the tonic
I'd like to get the Tardis but can't find it in a small format. Just the large tins which is a lot of money
I've used tardis for 15 years now, great stuff
a Question "affects plastics" "not to use on plastics" etc, how does that translate to the Plastic Trim parts on cars, esp the Textured plastics you find on the lower areas of the car that usually get the worse of the tar / same with wheel arch liners ?
*is off to find local autosmart rep for a 5l can ,, two cars and the local "road repairs" are all the "pour tar in the hole + add some chippings " !
poly propalyene you mean. Well in my head its a form of plastic so that means dont use on poly prop trim either. that would include wheel archers... great question. I think its REALLY important to have one that passes the poly carb test isnt it.
@@ForensicDetailing yes one of the ones that Do not mark polycarb is a "must" imho,, ruined headlights/sidelights due to over spray would get £££ on the wallet fast,
i Was swinging towards Koch Eu as a replacement for the autoglym i use now But following your test results on Just the polycarb ,, as above im hunting my local autosmart rep :D
having used autoglym on wheel arch liners and the textured plastic trims im counting myself Lucky it didn't react or cause damage ,,
@@ForensicDetailing do you know if autosmart are able to "work" during this 3rd lockdown ? *still waiting on a reply from the local rep,,
@@andrewdodwell1324 im not sure mate I would guess they would be allowed to stay open.
It was important for me to find a tar remover sold in the states that can be used dry AND wet. Came across Pure:est T3 Tar Remover which specificlly states it can be used wet or dry! I ordered some to try.
I was expecting to see CarPro's offering on here, TarX. I have it, it's OK, pretty mild stuff, seems to be turpene based, and has that orange smell. Works well on tar, adhesives take a lot longer. Leaves an oily residue.
gyeon tar maybe similiar :)
Thanx for doing this review sir .
I've used tardis for years
When you buy it from a autosmart rep it is a very cheap product
I’ve used auto glum tar and glue remover everyday for the last 5-6 years always worked a treat never worried about it damaging paintwork even left it on over night if a car is full of tar
Hi I enjoy your content and channel and I’ve just subscribed. I have a detailing question for you. Why use expensive decontamination liquids when a clay bar or clay cloth does the same thing?
You can just clay but it makes ckaying easier to de tar and fallout removerm. But yes you can skip chemical decon
Have used Gaddis for years always could it good & no effort required to use never had any problems on paint or plastic washes off easily & is great on a cotton wool pad for spot removal rather than sprayed all over
Great vid. I have used Tardis for ages and it is especially good at removing tar from rear fenders and number plates of motorcycles. I get mine direct from Autosmart and the 5l tin was under £30. In my experience it is the best product by far. I
I have tried pretty much every tar remover out there, like you Jon, and have always gone back to AS Tardis.
I love the idea of Valetpro with it being citrus, but it just doesn’t pack enough punch.
I believe elite car care sell Tardis for around £30 for 5 litres 👍🏼
can you put the kochkemie one in a spray bottle directly from the bottle and spray it onto the tar spots ?
There's a reason there is no trigger spray with most of these.
@@ForensicDetailing i find it hard to apply? any tips
Great to see Autosmart products being reviewed. I use tardis for tar remover and removing vinyl glue residue. Can’t fault it!
I use kerosene on tar on car paint, works fine, is cheap and a bottle of it can last for months or years.
Plenty of tar spray during our hot summers here in New Zealand :-).
Kkd tartastic is my favourite for removing tar spots in particular. It's almost gel like consistency and long dwell times just pulls the tar spots straight off the bodywork.
I love valet pro, I have been using it on exotic motorcycles for cleaning chain grease and never had a probkem. But I think it has solvents in it and strips the ceramic coating, as I have seen gyeon tar hasn't solvents in it and it is safe for ceramic coatings. Is it right?
I’ve used the Gyeon and it’s pretty good. I’m using the TacSystem now and I would say it’s good as the Gyeon but cheaper
One of my favorite tests of yours. Thank you Jon
I’ve been using Tardis for years, been my “go-to” product as well 👍🏻
Good to see my gut instinct on this efficient tar remover wasn’t wrong 😏
Thanks for this Jon, as always, I enjoy the videos, keep’em coming, good work👍🏻
What’s the best stuff to remove glue left behind from a car wrap?
Tardis
superglue which are dried up on paintworks are the toughest to remove especially leftovers after sticking a loose car plastic logo...for a tar remover to remove the leftovers of glue that have dried up is truly a miracle...
Jon, what about the Tetrosyl panel wipe which you have previously suggested as a good tar removal product?
Thanks for this video.. It's really helpful to see so many products being compared and also the biggest concern for me was the suitability if the tar and glue remover was to drip down onto the plastic trim and the risk of damage.
Surprised Koch didn't win based on its very good value for money. Shows how good Tardis is 👌🏼
To be fair, I got 5L of TARDIS for £18 or so last time I bought it which would bring the price per litre down even further
@@ctreanor93 I've run out of Tardis now and Koch seems to be available at more places so gone with that for now
I’m looking to remove left over insulation foam and glue from my campervan. Would these work on such heavy residue mate?
Glue yes not sure about insulator foam M8.
Dave after watching this review I went and bought TARDIS lot of bang for the buck but my question is will it remove and I hope it will remove when it comes to the end of the year or the start of the year to put a new wax or sealant down will it help me remove my old wax sealant base I'm going to be polishing afterwards IPA fluid all over it there are a lot of guys reckon this is a great aid in cleaning old wax and sealants I don't need to clay bar the car as it is only going to be a year old and has been actively kept
Loving the highlander reference!
Top video John.
I like your reviews and watch them from time to time. One thing - Koch Chemie is spelled KOH HEMEE ;)
its "spelt" Koch Chemie. How its pronounced Ive been told a million times already by others.. I will always call it "ko-t-ch". It gets people commenting to correct me and that helps me with the algorithms. ;) ((playing around, much love to you my friend and thanks for watching))
@@ForensicDetailing fair enough ;) out just hurts my ears xD
Very well produced and presented comparison Jon. Many thanks. You just cost me more money as I don't have any on my shelves. At least I can get the right one first time now, made down the road from me as well.
Vasco pre wash tar remover! Spray on, dwell for 20 minutes and rinse off. Excellent product!
I am glad you included the poly-carbonate test. I did mention the G&T damaging my headlights when you put up the video of your intention to run this test. And well done for pointing out that these products should always be used as directed. I will say though, the G&T directions on the bottle that I had suggested for exterior use only. No mention of plastics of other materials. Perhaps they have updated their packaging, however, last I checked, headlights were on the exterior of the vehicle. So I did use as directed. They just told me tough luck when I called for help / to complain... So not much good with the old customer service for me. I suppose to be expected when their £17/L product damaged the LED headlights on my brand new vehicle. That wasn't a cheap bill to swallow.
I will say also though, previously to my attempt with the G&T, I had been using Tardis for years without issue, in the exact same way I had used the G&T. I know what I'll be using next time.
was that you Stu. I remember the comment its a great example of how comments infuence my thought process. So the G&T says its for user on exterior painted surfaces only, eg paintwork. You can argue they should put on there not for use on plastics or headlights as this would help. most do specifically state dont use on plastic. But I think this is also why the tardis is a worthy winner because it passed this test, so it reduces the risk.
@@ForensicDetailing Yeah, that was me.
I actually screenshotted their webpage at the time, where the warning clearly stated exterior use only, but no mention of painted surfaces or materials, simply:
"Warning: This product should only be used on your vehicles exterior. DO NOT use on any other surfaces."
Just in case I needed it for future reference. So their own documentation was / is not specific enough. I have just checked there, and that is STILL what it states on their website. I would have expected them to have updated that by now. Here is the link for reference. www.car-chem.com/shop/glue-tar-remover
So it is very good that YOU are providing the warning at least. And VERY good to see that you took on the comment, and ran a test yourself, and compared against other products. As I said above, I had been using Tardis for years prior, and I found it to be excellent, as you did too. So will be using that going forward now. A worthy winner indeed. I had high hopes for the Koch Chemie EU at that price, but I guess it wasn't to be, ha ha.
Anyway, lesson learned now. Expensive, but learned. Their CS has certainly put me off ever considering their products again though.
Thanks for all the great content you put up. Everytime I see the notification, I can't wait to watch another informative, well made video.
Thanks for the vid John. Folks, call you local AS rep. £20 for 5L. The guys and I chipped in for 25L £75. Deal. 👊🏻🙋🏻♂️
is the Tardis any good for removing baked on brake dust from diamond cut wheels?
no. fallout remove or acid. used correctly dont allow to dry and stab it with atlasta brush.
Good review Jon & great method of testing. To throw one in for consideration, strictly speaking it is a panel wipe, Upol Slow Panel Wipe. It works pretty well as a tar/glue remover & is extremely cheap for 5L as well 👍
Did you find the product that you used just as effective without worrying it would damage lacquer and plastics
@@diljithayre9379 not as effective as a dedicated T+G remover & needs a little agitation but works well while being more gentle. Being a panel wipe I have no worries it would damage clearcoat or plastics.
You know what I've actually got that stuff in the garage the slow panel wipe I didn't click until you wrote it down thanks bud save me a lot of hassle
Another excellent video. As ‘weekend warrior’ the info Jon puts out is invaluable to me 👍🏻
Many thanks for all the effort you put in!
Gyeon Tar remover CAN damage plastic headligths lense. I found that the hard way.
It will also remove unlacquered paint too ... found out the hard way on unpainted wheel centre caps, and unlacquered badging!
Very surprised to see you include an autosmart product
Super helpful thank you !!
Have you any experience with Tar-Dah by ProKleen?
I see they have a 5 litre for £23 and it's being advertised as "Safe for your paintwork, wheels and plastics", hmm.. would love to see a test on this one
- also wondering about Troll's Breath and Dragons Blood Iron Contamination Remover both at £24 for 5L, they are manufactured by different chemical companies and sold by ProKleen UK
Really good test, enjoyed watching that 👍. Not a huge surprise Tardis came out on top, a lot of the pro's seem to use it and they have far more to consider than most amateurs. I think I'll switch once I've used up my AutoGlym 👍.
I was trying to find out the answer to this question about 6 hours before this video was uploaded and had car chem in my mind as it's cheap for a 5l (in the sales..) but didn't know the eu existed. And as I've been looking to move onto koch products I now know what to go for.
Thanks
Have you ever come across a sticky dash? Just wondering if you would use a tar and glue remover on a dash or would this be too harsh?
Absolutely brilliant. In-depth review on the products.
just wondering if there's a decent tar and bug remover product in one? I'm considering the nano spray which looks to be good but not sure.
starjnagloss forst isnt bad mate for a water based one.
@@ForensicDetailing thanks for the advice, I've been searching online for hours and the autoglym tar remover gets a good rep and someone said it works to remove insects at the same time, so I'll look at your recommendation and weigh them both up.
I've always used autoglym tar remover and in all seasons and its good stuff does the job!
I know this video is old now but I have a question about the plastics side of it all, I’ve scrolled through the comments but can’t find an answer. I drive a Mini, and they have a hell of a lot of plastic trim around the lower edge of the car, it’s not painted but I did cover it in the ceramic coating from GTechniq about 15 months ago. Would AutoSmart Tardis be okay/safe on the plastics? I’m ideally looking for something I can spray on the car and let it dwell for a minute before wiping/washing it off. Bilt Hamber sounded perfect, except I’d rather not remove the wax I already have on the car and have to start all over again. Is this something else Tardis would be safe with?
1) Does Tardis mark/damage black unpainted plastic trim?
2) Does Tardis remove wax and other coatings from paint?
I would not spray tardis onto the plastic and let it dwell. I would spray it into the cloth and just wipe off any tar spots. and repeat then rinse. tardis will hammer down a wax and prolly isnt great for a coating. the valet pro product might suit your needs more.
Is 'adhesive an stain remover' (Koch) the same as a glue and tar remover?
yes its for tar and glue.
Thanks for the video! Noob question, Does Tardis therefore also act as a panel wipe?
And improvised one only really. its designed to disolve tar and glue as opposed to remove traces of grease and oil like a panel wipe
@@ForensicDetailing Thanks for your reply, love your channel, I am learning so much!
Autosmart Tardis is the 1 i constantly use as its just works best overall.
I'm interested in putting it up against the infinity wax t and g to see how they compare.
Another Beltin vid pal random head pick do u have any tips for cleaning mmi screens? If so product or method
Great video! I wonder if these tar removers can resolve paint drops from outside source (paint that comes from a wall or a construction place nearby). Do you know anything that can take these contaminants off the cars surface coat?
it honestly depends on the type of the paint.. .but im my experience they are not great at remove like automotive overspray. I turn to cellulose thinners or acetone or claying.. obviously being carefully with thinners on clearcoat.
For God's sake, stop using acetone. It melts plastics and worst case it could melt your clear coat. 😵
@@flemmingjensen3202 if you dont understand how to use it sensibly they stay away from it. Cellulose thinner is a lot stronger but ive been using it for about 20 years to remove various paint oversprays or splatter thats got onto cars without issue.
@@ForensicDetailing I thought it was the opposite... Are you sure?
I know, cellulose thinner is made partly from acetone.
@@flemmingjensen3202 it does not really matter you have to be very carefull with these materials which ever one you use. they are designed to disolve paint, so your right in a way.. but you just use them with commen sense, dabb on and straight off. if you spray them of apply them and leave them you could litterally swell up and damage your clearcoat reasonably quickly. But the same can be said of IPA above 70%. so its just apply commen sense I guess.
Are you going to try any bits from constellation chemicals?
Excellent review, don’t suppose you know which solvents will remove graffiti do you?
Acetone or cellulose thinner used with care. It can damage far paint
Hi john I use tardis all the time as I said to you before I use autosmart all the time will you try out autosmart's ruby wax and put up a video on it just to see what you thing about their ruby wax
He wont be able to get it because it was limited edition and sold out early 2020.
Ok thanks John for trying to get the Rudy wax from autosmart as I said thanks for trying all the best with your new wheels very nice😊
Managed to get some of the car chem one on my black plastics after it trickled down the paintwork, did leave a bit of a mess behind
what's your opinion on chemical guys stuff, got a few of there product but yet to use due to the weather
is the Koch Chemie Eulex safe to be used on car bumpers to remove glue?
FYI: Tardis is almost completely made up of White spirit and Xylene.
This means you can make your own mix if you live outside the UK.
Find a distributor of "Xylene Paint Thinner" and "White spirit", then mix 50/50.
Well done to you for mentioning white spirit. £4.00 for 2 litres.
De Solv It Sticky Stuff remover is brilliant for getting adhesive residue off the car paint, especially when taking badges off.
Hi there how would you use tardis? Is it dilutable? Or raw
Not diluted able m8
Cracking work! I was looking nervously at that 5L of TARDIS in the shed for a minute there after the vfm round.
Great video again, always enjoys the musical interludes...Been using AG for a while but will definitely switch when I need to refresh supplies!
Hi Jon, thanks for the review, I have motorcycles as well as a car, how would you remove tar and such from all the plastics?
Tardis on a cotton wool pad works fine on a motorcycle for spot removal of tar. Just be gentle 👍
@@kris955i2 thanks for that, I was thinking autoglym after watching the video, no damage, no residue....
Koch Chemie ordered. Thanks for the detailed Vlog Jon 👍
Does it harm the clearcoat or wax
Wax yes cc no if u use it properly
Another great video. I suspect it is difficult to know where to strike value for money as a calculation but Tardis is less than £30 for 5 litres so actually does quite well on that front too. However my 5 litre can is over 5 years old and is probably more than I'll ever need so i get the logic of 1 litre equivalent.
Another great, well-researched video! As a hobby detailer, I have been using ValetPro Tar & Glue Remover for years, simply because it is mild and I don't mind going over an area twice (gives a bit more control I think), and because it is quite cheap (as you showed in the video). I have tested other brands as well, but I still come back for the ValetPro. I can imagine if you are a detailing company, you would opt for the AutoSmart or the Koch brand, because they are the most effective.
Pretty good test but I'd be interested in the results on different types of plastic. Car exterior trims use more than just polycarbonate - and I have definitely seen black trims (I believe to be ABS) bleached by Tardis and the likes. Similar for vinyl too, which can be damaged by strong hydrocarbon based tar removers. Poor respray jobs can even be completely removed by a hydrocarbon based tar remover, so I'd be wary of calling Tardis completely safe. However more mild limonene based ones are usually fine on the different plastics and aftermarket paint jobs.
on poly prop or acrylic yes me 2 but I think poly carb is the most sensitive. I think this is a fair point. Tardis is not a mild TandG you do need to be carefull with it. but its the worthy winner. I think you have to be carefull as a user with these products like you say. Its important to say anyone can do these tests and come up with a different winner as well.
Bilt Hamber don't mention anything to specifically not apply their product to, winner for me.
Another great video Jon. Tardis is much cheaper if you buy in 5 ltr around £35.
Interesting thought about the plastic thing jon. I never thought it was a problem. A lot of people use them on plastic arch liners 😯
prolly less of an issue on poly prop but need to be carefull still I think
It’s interesting that they say that you can’t use on plastic tho when most cars do have plastic arch liners and what else do you use aha
If you're just doing a 1 or 2 off, and assuming you're then going on to do further work on the car, any reason not to use brake and clutch cleaner?
you can use petrol if you like mate but with solvents you need to be carefull. brake cleaner might swell and damge the clearcoat not sure.
@@ForensicDetailing Thanks for coming back to me. Normally I like brake and clutch as it's generally pretty gentle on paint, depending on brand. I'll do some test patches.
For a few days I have several barely visible tar points. But I will go on vacation for 3 weeks during which time I think other bitumen points will buildup.
It is ok to wait 3-4 weeks and remove tar after returning from vacation or should I remove them immediately in order not to damage the paint?
it wil be fine to wait mate.
Hi Jon hope ur well bud, any reason why you tested the eulex and not the Teerwäsche A (Tea) Tar & Glue Remover?? Read up on slims doesn’t suggest they are different, hopefully you can answer? Thanks very much
Bilt Hamber don't seem to list anything to not apply their Cleanser Fluid on to, so I'm going to assume that was the one that specifically was expected to be ok on plastic. Seems like a no-brainer to me, use without too much worry. If it's a bit slower just take your time.
its a paintwork cleaner mate. bilthamber.com/product/cleanser-fluid/
I’ve got some Autoglym intensive tar remover but haven’t actually got round to using it yet. How did you apply it, would it be easier to decant it into a spray bottle?
autoglym put it in a bottle without a sprayer for a reason... if you spray these products around and overspray goes on the wrong thing then you can see the potential for damage. but sprayer can be good if you spray into you applicator or your just carefull. AG are cautious because they sell to the mass market and they get to see first hand all the things that go wrong.
@@ForensicDetailing good point, how did you apply it then?
This is a great review. Unfortunately not all of these products are as easily purchasable for me here in the US. I have a really tough test case, I have a wheel which is covered on the rough finished back side with I believe asphalt sealer that is very hard to budge, so I just slowly attack it when I'm ready to do a wheel-off cleaning, but the chemicals I have (a nearly empty can of solvent based remover that works well and will knock you out with fine, and Tar-X) don't allow me to remove to much at a single time without a lot of effort and product use.
I’ve been using Tardis for years but I’m going to grab a bottle of Eu to test for that price
Ty for this. Great video as usual. Ordered 1 litre of Autosmart to remove tar from girlfriend car. Will keep you posted how it goes once the weather changes. T
Hi Jon I think I need your professional advice if poss. I have a black Citroen berlingo “black”and a few tiny white paint spots...someone advised me to use autoglym tar remover, what do you think 😕. Would tar remover do it
it probably wont be strong enough to disolve tar. you can clay it off and polish afterwards (use bilt hamber clay medium or regular) you can also use strong strong strong chems and they will strip is easily. but these chems you must be carefull with. dab on small ares at a time and buff off IMMEDIETLY or else you will damage the clearcoat. but I always use cellulose thinner to do this. other people will panic when I mention this chemical because its very strong stuff and if you mis use it you can do damage.
Brilliant review, Jon. Thank you for posting the video. I’ve had good results with AF Oblitarate, but will definitely try Autosmart Tardis as the trade seem to rate this, too.
Been waiting for this one👍👍👍Great video as always John.
Love using Cleanser Fluid but it's about time I gave Tardis a try. Never used it.
Hi mate, would you say cleanser fluid removes mostly all of the black tar spots for you?
I use Just The Tonic. It always works great at removing tar and that weight residue from the back of alloys. BUT, at one time, I used that same product on one refurbished Mercedes-Benz GLE AMG-Line alloy, and the clearcoat turned sticky, it rubberised and rubbed off onto the applicator pad. It was not Just The Tonic's fault, but the inferior quality of the 'After-Meerkat' clearcoat used on that one alloy. It always pays to communicate with the customer to ask if he's EVER had ANY paint done on ANY part of the car, to avoid this schoolboy error.
Hi Jon, such a great video - thank you for carrying out these tests! I have heard that AutoSmart's Tardis is a great product and to see the results was really beneficial. I will definitely give this a try on my CLK 320 😉