Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Bug Tips [removing bug splatter from car]

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Concerning bugs on the bow:

Best tip: Always try to spray the bugs off as soon as you get home. Hit them from the side with the spray.

Citrol has worked well for cleaning them off, but it if they sit there awhile, they will be hard to remove.

Screenshot_20220803-103213_Chrome.jpg

Prevention:

Today I applied this product to one half of the front of the car.

Screenshot_20220803-103104_Chrome.jpg

I'll report back on whether fewer bugs stick to the treated side.
 
Good on you for experimenting. How slick a surface is (and resistant to things sticking to it) depends on the product. It’ll help a bit but things like tar, iron, sap, bird poo, and insects can be stubborn. If you’re looking for an easy spray solution I’d recommend something like 303 Graphene. Also how well a coating performs has a lot do with how well the surface is prepped.
 
That Citrol is supposed to be amazing and powerful stuff, but it will almost certainly strip any existing wax or sealant. Brian from Apex Detail (a well known detailing Youtuber) calls Citrol "the sealant killer".

So if you use Citrol on your paint to clean bugs or anything else, it is important to remove it completely and then immediately reapply your wax or sealant.
 
I put the CMX treatment on the passenger side.

My conclusion: It doesn't make a significant difference.

Did you notice if it was at all easier to clean off the bugs on the treated side?

If I had to guess, I wouldn't expect fewer bugs to land or stick initially to the treated side. But I would expect it would be easier to clean the bugs off than the non treated side.

It would also be interesting to compare this effect using an actual ceramic coating, the ceramic spray sealant you applied, and non protected paint.
 
If I had to guess, I wouldn't expect fewer bugs to land or stick initially to the treated side. But I would expect it would be easier to clean the bugs off than the non treated side
That was my expectation as well, but it wasn't the case. I hit the bugs from the side with jets of water from the hose twice during the test period, and as you can see, there were actually slightly more bugs remaining on the treated side.
 
That was my expectation as well, but it wasn't the case. I hit the bugs from the side with jets of water from the hose twice during the test period, and as you can see, there were actually slightly more bugs remaining on the treated side.
I wonder if the results might be specific to that particular Mother’s product. It would be interesting to redo the test with another ceramic spray like Griots Garage 3-in-1 Ceramic Wax and /or a light ceramic coating like Cancoat Evo.
 
I leave the bugs on between hand washes. I usually hand wash my Model 3 every weekend. I use a garden hose to remove the loose bug guts, then a soft car wash mitt and circular motion to remove the rest. I have never had an issue with unremovable bug guts. I use Turtle Wax Max Power car wash from Walmart and it works great. I also use a shammy to dry the car after washing so water spots don't accumulate as I don't use a water filter on my garden hose.