OMG the bugs!

[fasteddie7]

I needed to take a four hour road trip from PA to Ohio. Upon arriving and looking at the front of my white model s, I now feel like there are extinct insect species as they are now on the front of my car. Anyone who has experience, are chemical bug and tar removers safe on the sensors up there, or do I need dish soap and good old fashioned elbow grease?

 

[steve841]

Personally, dawn and a sponge.

The coatings- xpel and others- help so much, that's motivation enough to invest.

 

[jelloslug]

I needed to take a four hour road trip from PA to Ohio. Upon arriving and looking at the front of my white model s, I now feel like there are extinct insect species as they are now on the front of my car. Anyone who has experience, are chemical bug and tar removers safe on the sensors up there, or do I need dish soap and good old fashioned elbow grease?

Never use dish soap. If you clean it with water and car wash soap soon afterwards they will come off easily.

 

[jelloslug]

There are also temporary bug barriers that you can spray on before you on a trip. They allow you to just wash the bugs off with a hose.

 

[Electric1]

Griot's garage sells a product called "Bug Brigade" that you spray on before a road trip that makes it a little easier to remove the bugs. Also you should remove bugs as soon possible because the bugs are acidic and may stain your paint. I'm sure the acid can't be good for the wraps either.

 

[steve841]

Dawn is all I have used on all my cars. All perfect, including my last MS. Perfectly safe.

 

[Don85D]

Most detergents will remove surface applications like Zaino so I avoid them for car washing. A mild detergent for the purposes best.

We have also seen the front of our vehicles covered in a heavy layer of dead bugs after driving through prairie farm land. Borage seemed to be the worst as it attracts bubble bees.

The best approach to cleaning is a towel soaked in hot water that you lay over the affected area and leave it there for an hour to more. The bugs will then wash off easily. Tar and tree sap are bigger problems and my only solution has been solvents which also remove any topical treatment of the paint so they need to be reapplied in that area.

Bugs on cars are a good sign that the car is being used for touring.

 

[JHWJR]

Windshield squeegee at a liquid dinosaur station.

 

[Doug Wb_m2]

I expected to find a thread complaining about the new firmware release.

I'll 2nd the use of the coatings. First time I have ever had xpel or Opticoat done to a car and removing the bugs from the car was much easier after a recent trip than ever before.

 

[Stirthepot]

Dawn is all I have used on all my cars. All perfect, including my last MS. Perfectly safe.

Dawn is awful for your paint, too harsh, literally dries out clear coat and had zero lubricity when washing so you will wind up with swirl marks everywhere. I have OCD about my car, the below is my car after 18 months, no swirls at all and it is swirl free. stick with a quality car shampoo. (or was, just traded it in last week for a new S) .

i also had expel on the front and i put a ceramic coating on the car, both make bug removal easier and safer.

 

[BLKMDL3]

I needed to take a four hour road trip from PA to Ohio. Upon arriving and looking at the front of my white model s, I now feel like there are extinct insect species as they are now on the front of my car. Anyone who has experience, are chemical bug and tar removers safe on the sensors up there, or do I need dish soap and good old fashioned elbow grease?

Pics of the bugs? I get them too. Just wash the car right when I get home. Chemical Guys sells a special bug and tar soap.

 

[cranker2k]

Windshield squeegee at a liquid dinosaur station.

This is exactly what I did! go to a gas station to clean off bugs on front bumper!

 

[OlderThanDirt]

Best solution for bugs I've found so far......Optimum No Rinse.

Combine that with a coating and or wrap and bugs wash off almost the same as dust.

 

[Petra]

Best solution for bugs I've found so far......Optimum No Rinse.

I'll second this. I keep a bucket, some quality microfibers, a spray bottle, and ONR with me when I travel--a quick stop by a grocery store for some distilled water and I can wash the car anywhere. Spray wash concentration ONR onto the bugs, let sit for a moment, wipe the bugs off with an ONR-soaked microfiber, dry, and you're good as new. ONR works pretty well as a glass cleaner, too.

With Tesla's paint, definitely avoid letting bugs sit and cook onto the car for any significant period of time... they will etch the clearcoat (ask me how I know ).

 

[BradWI]

Windshield squeegee at a liquid dinosaur station.

You can also pick up something like this:

Amazon.com: Rain-X 9425CDX Liquid Filled Refillable Spray (8" Squeegee, 8 fl. oz): Automotive

and fill it with whatever cleaning solution you think works best. Keep it in the trunk/frunk and you can clean it off anywhere/anytime.

 

[OlderThanDirt]

That's the same as I do Petra. If they are really nasty ones. Lay a soaked microfiber towel on them and let them soak a bit. They soften up and wipe off.

Above is after a quick clean up while Supercharging in Idaho Falls. Just arrived after 650 miles from Las Vegas. And yes the grasshoppers in Idaho are Huge and they splatter!!

 

[jelloslug]

I'll second this. I keep a bucket, some quality microfibers, a spray bottle, and ONR with me when I travel--a quick stop by a grocery store for some distilled water and I can wash the car anywhere. Spray wash concentration ONR onto the bugs, let sit for a moment, wipe the bugs off with an ONR-soaked microfiber, dry, and you're good as new. ONR works pretty well as a glass cleaner, too.

With Tesla's paint, definitely avoid letting bugs sit and cook onto the car for any significant period of time... they will etch the clearcoat (ask me how I know ).

You can mix up some ONR in a spray bottle and use it for spot cleaning.

 

[EV-lutioin]

Keep the front of your car waxed, the little buggers can't stick to the paint if there is a layer of wax in between. I use PF1 Crystalline on the wrapped portions of my car and Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax on the rest.

 

[deonb]

Based on the title I thought you just installed a new software update!

 

[mrElbe]

I had so many bugs on my nose cone when crossing the border, they nearly got me for importing dead meat.