A while back, the sunroof on my '86 300E failed in the open position. To keep rain out until I could shut the sunroof, I used a bunch of clear packing tape to seal the gaps. This was a very bad choice, as it turned out... after only a few days, the tape hardened and crackled... and won't come off the paint. Any ideas how I can get the tape off without removing the paint?
Thanks,
Mika

Depends on tape , but a good try is WD40..

Or rubbing alcohol. It will take the wax off too, but that doesn't really matter.

Also, maybe a blow dryer to heat up the adhesive?

there is a product that helps you remove labels off products such as appliances .check with an appliance store and they may be able to help you.the hair dryer--not heat gun-- is an idea that i thought of also but if you are just removing adhesive you'll need some way of picking it off the paint. if you get that solution for adhesive MAKE SURE TO RINSE THE PAINT THOROUGHLY afterwards

__________________
'95 s500 (bought for wife but can't bear to share!!!) 125kms
'92 legend 180kms
'88 tbirdturbo(fantastic car-only regular maint.)120kms
'87 mustang gt(gone)
'86 tbirdturbo(gone)
'85 mustang gt(gone-but not forgotten)

home depot sells a product called "goo-gone" i think. works great on old tape, left over adhesive from stickers, etc. make sure whatever you use you wash the area throughly with soap and water afterwards.

__________________
"the simplest answer is usually the correct answer"

1991 190e, 2.6 (helga)
91,000 mi

3M makes a great line of products inlcuding an adhesive remover that won't harm auto paint. I used them and I highly recommend them.

Years ago I had a used '67 fastback Mustang (first car) that had the Mustang script running along the bottom of the doors. It was cracked and I wanted to remove it. I tried all kinds of products. I used the 3M decal remover (3M claimed it wouldn't harm the finish) and it worked great!

Often an auto parts store that has auto paint items will carry it.

Haasman

__________________
'03 E320 Wagon-Sold
'95 E320 Wagon-Went to Ex
'93 190E 2.6-Wrecked
'91 300E-Went to Ex
'65 911 Coupe (#302580)

Goo-Gone is very good at this - but do NOT use "goof-off" which is a similar product, but in my experience "hotter" and much more likely to damage finishes.

__________________
86 560SL
With homebrew first gear start!
85 380SL
Daily Driver Project

http://juliepalooza.8m.com/sl/mercedes.htm

Most adhesives are soluble in either mineral spirits or denatured alcohol. Use both to test on a piece of same type fresh tape. Neither solvent will hurt the paint, but you should wax the area after it's cleaned up.

If the above won't work, try lacquer thinner. It might mildly attack the paint, but not do permanenet damage.

Acetone will dissolve almost all organic materials, including the paint.

Duke

Diesel.



.

__________________
[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."

The part numbers for the 3M adhesive removal products are:

#08984-"3M GENERAL PURPOSE ADHESIVE CLEANER"-1 US Quart

#08987-"3M ADHESIVE AND DECAL REMOVER"-AEROSOL

Both work well-follow directions!

Thanks everyone! I'll give some of those suggestions a try!
Mika

3M adhesive remover is the stuff you want. Maybe with a plastic scrapper for the real hard stuff. Just make sure to re wax afterwards.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

And for the next time you sunroof does that, there is a manual crank you can access in the trunk on the left side behind the molding, just pull the flap forward and you can manually close it til you can get it repaired.

__________________
89 190E
2.6L
Arctic white
Grey leather
Sunroof
Pirelli P400 rubber
Smoked corners

I tried the manual crank first, but it wouldn't budge. The plastic nut actually started to crack, so I stopped.
I belive the sunroof rails are binding in some way; the motor still tries to work, but is unable to move the sunroof. It took a lot of muscle to shut the roof by hand.
Mika

In the past I have used a clay bar with stellar results--ie. dried spray paint from my brothers car. Will not harm the paint and I keep it in my detailing arsenal. http://www.meguiars.com/estore/product_detailpage.cfm?product=Quik-Clay-Detailing-System&sku=G-11
Other companies make it as well, but I happen to like Megs products. Good luck with the tape residue.