Remember, tar is petroleum based. If you don't use a solvent that works on petroleums, it isn't going to be impressed. WD40 works very well for me. It's also cheap and I tend to have it around for other reasons.
if this stuff turns out to not be petroleum based and thus not tar, what else could it be and how would i get rid of it? It is only a few scattered dark (black or brown) spots no bigger than a pea, and most feel almost flush to the paint, only a few are big enough to stick out
Road paving crews use diesel fuel to clean/remove asphalt from pavers and other equipment. They just sprayed it on and the tar just dissolved and ran off with it.
Try it on one of the more inconspicuous spots first, using a rag to soak the spot. Dont RUB as there my be sand in the tarry mixture.
If that doesn't work, maybe its not tar... Black paint?, ???
I used Tarminator on tar that had been on my paint for years. I had to spray it directly on the deposits, let it soak, wipe, reapply, soak, and wipe. Pretty much anything strong enough to dissolve tar is going to strip off your paint protection.
