Your nice shiny new car has gotten road tar on the aluminum wheels and those black spots stand out like a semi-truck at a Mini Cooper convention. What can you do? Well, with the proper cleaners and some elbow grease you can make them look like new again. A citrus-based remover, such as Citrus King Tar and Asphalt Remover, may be a good first choice because of its lesser effects on the environment. There are times, however, when solvent-based removers, such as those products sold in all auto parts stores, are the most effective way to remove road tar from aluminum wheels and other surfaces.
Apply remover to cool wheels. Allow to sit for a minute or two, but do not allow to evaporate.
Wipe road tar spots off of the wheel surfaces with a soft cloth which has been treated with solvent.
Wash the wheel with car wash soap and water. Rinse completely and allow to dry.
Check for stubborn road tar and reapply cleaner as needed until no spots remain.
Wax the wheel well with a good quality polymer car wax, such as Nu Finish, which is sold at auto parts stores and most larger department stores. This step is very important as it will help make cleaning your wheels easier in the future.
