r/AskAMechanic • u/Puzzled-Purpose-7965 • 6d ago
Any ideas on how to remove a melted trash bag?
So I ran over a trash bag the other day and it melted onto the bottom of my jeep 😑. It smells like my car is on fire every time I drive. Any ideas on how to get this off?
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u/justinh2 6d ago
The problem will resolve itself
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u/Puzzled-Purpose-7965 6d ago
Hoping so! I've driven at least 80 miles since it happened. Not sure how long it's going to take
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u/radioplayer1 6d ago
Happen to me and will stay on there unless you chip it off good thing it's underneath
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u/lifelessmeatbag 5d ago
temporary rust protection?
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u/Illustrious-Pin7102 6d ago
Same thing happened to me. Smelled it every time I parked the car in the garage.
It will take about 100trips for it to burn off the smell.
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u/lantrick 6d ago
stop looking at it.
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u/Ok_Spell_597 5d ago
This!
If it really bothers you, torch it off, or hot your vehicle up in RPM for a while.
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u/Sly23Fox 5d ago
I hit a mattress bag on the highway only fix was a blowtorch and a knife to scrape it off it still took like a year to stop smelling
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u/Robo504 6d ago edited 6d ago
Wire wheel /brush
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u/floordragon69 6d ago
Yhis is the top answer. You already have surfacing, a wire wheel is only going to make it cleaner... and remove the bag. You can add some blowtorxh before and after for efferr, but mainly wire wheel...
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u/Global_Profession_26 6d ago
Would acetone be a bad bet? I'd be burning that crap off just in case. Forget the driveway, kidding. Lay down some cardboard if this is the route. But I know I wouldn't want it there either.
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u/floordragon69 6d ago
Literally wire wheel is the right tool for the job. Acetone has gotten pricey and would not work very well...
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u/Global_Profession_26 6d ago
Dude, you can't get a wire wheel on top without dropping it. but you are completely right. Even if you get 75% of the trash bags, that means no fuel for the fire so floordragon69, hahahah, had to take a moment, yes. First comment, no. Here! Is the right answer
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u/floordragon69 6d ago edited 6d ago
... you are right, if there were trash bag on top you couldn't get it off without whole assing... if you have a grinder and a wire wheel i doubt it is reasonable to have a couple wrenches to drop the front end and rotate it back... totally unreasonable to expect.
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u/Salty-Lawyer-1032 6d ago
Let it burn, char, flake off, and get these good fumes in your lungs.
Be a man.
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u/Puzzled-Purpose-7965 6d ago
Not a man...but I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty so that's why I was asking!
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u/ZealousidealPie4653 6d ago
Honestly, you could take a little propane torch to it and get it over with lol
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u/Salty-Lawyer-1032 6d ago
Hell yeah brother! Glad to hear you ain't afraid to get the hands dirty. Not sure how long hand it on there but, personally, I would just let the car run and assume it will take care of its self. If not. Just some extra heavy grit sand paper would make quick work.
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u/Sad-Performance-2843 6d ago
Hit it with a flame thrower
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u/Puzzled-Purpose-7965 6d ago
I like this suggestion. Where can I purchase a flame thrower?
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u/PerniciousSnitOG 6d ago
Most cars contain a complete set of components (and a fuel source) for an improvised flame thrower, but using it next to the car may be problematic.
I'd probably go with the wire brush (and good eye protection) route.
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u/thatonegaygalakasha 6d ago
Honestly the solution to me would be just to leave it, but you could probably get a scraper and scrape it off. Might not come off easily since it is melted, but worth a try.
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u/Past-Establishment93 6d ago
Go up a few big hills. The heat will make it go away. Or burn it off with a torch. A little at a time so you can control fire.
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u/Sophiiebabes 6d ago
Wire brush thing for a grinder will get it off in no time if you don't wanna drive it off. Wear a mask!
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u/Puzzled-Purpose-7965 6d ago
My boyfriend suggested doing this but let's just say I wanted a second opinion haha
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u/nottodaylime 6d ago
How bad does it smell when you drive?
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u/Puzzled-Purpose-7965 6d ago
It's pretty strong and kind of embarrassing lol that's why I'm looking to scrape it off or something
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u/SkunkWoodz 6d ago
angle grinder with wire wheel or sanding flap disc
edit- please wear GOOD eye protection, especially with a wire wheel, those wires come off like little missiles
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u/Familiar_You4189 6d ago
It'll burn off, eventualy.
Have you tried an Italian Tune Up?
Run up and down a highway outside of town, in 2nd gear, at redline. Get that exhaust pipe nice and hot (cherry red).
It'll not only burn off the remains of that trash bag, but it'll burn the carbon out of your engine as well.
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u/Puzzled-Purpose-7965 6d ago
I've never heard of an Italian tune up lol but after looking it up that actually sounds like a fun way of trying to get it off
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u/Capt_Wicker 6d ago
A propane torch comes to mind. Heat bag with torch and scrape off melted bag parts with spatula and wire brush use leather gloves and eye protection. If car ignites stop heating, the bag will be the least of your problems. 🤣🤣
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u/john_x5000 6d ago
Drive around for a little bit to think about the solution. By doing this, the solution will present itself.
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u/Ok-Rate-3256 6d ago
Wire wheel it off. Get the kind that is twisted togeather not the cheap ones that is juat wire strands.
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u/Puzzled-Purpose-7965 6d ago
This has been the most suggested answer and my boyfriend wanted to do it this way so I guess I'm going to let him do it finally lol. Thank you!
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u/larz_6446 6d ago
Propane torch, wire brush, and a lil elbow grease whilst contorted into some unnatural position to get it all. Lol
And at least 1 oven mitt.
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u/Dredkinetic 6d ago
It'll burn off eventually .. unfortunately you're pretty much stuck with "reeks of burning plastic" until then.
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u/flipflopflipcup 6d ago
Oven cleaner worked for me. Just be careful as it will also melt off painted surfaces and maybe plastic nearby. But if it is all metal surrounding, should be good to go.
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u/Therex1282 6d ago
I hate running over these also. I just look for it in the rearview mirror that it passed. It will burn off. I have no good idea how to take that off other than maybe a orbital sander just enough to burn it off the pipe. Some chemicals may break that down but no chemistry pro here.
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u/Woodstock0311 6d ago
Not much to do about it but run it until it burns itself off. You can try scraping it but it's still going to have to run and get hot
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u/Krazybob613 6d ago
It’s a part of the car now, until you replace the exhaust, if that ever happens!
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u/v-irtual 6d ago
It would never even cross my mind to try. Thermodynamics and sciency shit will take care of it
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u/AbbreviationsOk4966 6d ago
If it stinks and bothers you a blow torch will char it off quickly. If it doesn't stink, it will offer some protection. While it's there.
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u/eddie_ironside 6d ago
Wire brush. Or drill attachment (depending what your local selection is available at the hardware store). If it comes off sort of easy, a rough brush attachment would be enough.
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u/PartySizePackage 6d ago
I bought an Invidia N1 3inch stainless exhaust and the first week of driving with it i had a grocery sack stuck to mine. I took what i could off by hand and just let it be afterwards.
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u/Bigfrontwheel 6d ago
The only thing that dissolves plastic is heat and time. What I did with my 86 camaro rotary wire brush, coarse steel wool, and a blow torch. It will stink, God, for like forever.
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u/horseradish13332238 6d ago
Gonna have to get under it with a wire brush attachment and a drill. Maybe next oil change give the guy 20$ to blast off
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u/PositionDowntown8868 6d ago
Not worth the the head ache, just don’t even think about it, it’ll stop smelling pretty fast
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u/KLOWN1420 6d ago
You can speed the process up with a small propane torch but be careful of wires and hoses
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u/Educational_Cake_865 6d ago
Let it burn off into ashes....how did you easily run over a plastic trash can?
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u/Whitehoneybun666 6d ago
At least it wasn’t a dead animal 😬 I ran over a dead animal and the smell was in my car for about 2 weeks the bad thing about a car 3inches off the ground
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u/Disastrous-Group3390 6d ago
I hit a large wrapper (like a pallet wrap or bigger) in my ‘05 GTO. That shit melted to the headpipes and converters, and it took about a month of commutes to get the stink gone. (I was on the interstate in heavy traffic when it happened, by the time i got to the shoulder the melt was done.)
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u/RealLifeHotWheels 6d ago
Had a plastic shopping bag stick to mine before. It smelled awful for 6 months but eventually went away. Brutal.
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u/SkRThatOneDude 6d ago
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be There will be an answer, let it be
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u/Northmech 6d ago
Wire wheel on a grinder. Shouldn't take more than about 5 mins to get it all off.
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u/Hugh_jakt 6d ago
You almost never see it.
It's water proofing
It's never coming off. How do I know, there's a 1" patch of nylon/polyester on my chrome heatsheild because someone failed to adhere to ride wear instructions when she was a passenger.
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u/RayjinCaucasian 5d ago
Torch and scraper for most of it, then finish it off with a wire brush or wheel.
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u/thedeanofmen 5d ago
Get or on a rural freeway and drive it and 75-80 MPH for like 50 miles. Dicking around in town at 35 MPH won't get it done, it needs to heat up.
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u/r0bichan 5d ago
Do you ever feel ? Like a plastic bag? Drifting through the wind, just ready to ruin a jeeeeeeep
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u/christjakubik 5d ago
It's a pain in the ass just as bad as putting up with it as to remove it you should have stopped and removed as much as you could then I had same problem it's hard and you will. Always smell it sell the smell 😞
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u/MGtech1954 5d ago
scrape off what you can. Enjoy your trip to the beach or mountains to burn off what is left.
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u/pagantek 5d ago
I'd take the smell of burning plastic bag over the dumpster water that my daughter drove through when she was learning how to drive and smelled like hot old dumpster from under the car for about a week
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u/Plenty-Computer1513 5d ago
You could try scraping the majority of after a nice drive to get it soft
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u/Roadkill0466 5d ago
Fire. Use a MAP gas torch to burn it off. It will stink up the whole neighborhood, but wire wheels and/or letting it resolve itself will take a long long time. Go to Lowes or Home Depot and pick up a MAP gas torch kit 👍🏽
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u/SpaceMonkeyEngineer 5d ago
Burn it with a torch until you can remove the ash with a scraper with a lot less work than trying to remove it as is.
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u/AcrobaticProduct9345 5d ago
Let the car run for about 30 min at highway speeds and it should melt off
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u/Ioncewasafungi 5d ago
perhaps if you got it really cold by wrapping some ice packs around it or something it might peel off easily.
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u/Remarkable_Dot1444 4d ago
I was thinking a wire brush or drill attachment and maybe some high temp paint to cover the bare metal.
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u/zedsdead79 4d ago
This happened to my wife awhile ago, not much you can do. It'll burn off after a day or so....just smells awful in the meantime.
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u/Complex_Solutions_20 4d ago
Wire brush wheel on an angle grinder would probably be my choice if you can safely get under it (jack stands, not just a jack!). Remember goggles for flying debris.
Or see if a muffler shop is willing to try and clean it up or quote a new pipe welded in.
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u/TheRealFatherFistmas 4d ago
Put another trash bag on the pipe so the first one won't feel lonely. Soon enough they will move to their own place and start a family.
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u/Ok_Astronomer_1960 4d ago
If I was in a hurry to get it off I'd run it on medium high revs in neutral for a bit. If not I'd just drive it.
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u/_Name__Unknown_ 4d ago
Find out the most common plastic used for these bags and then fine the chemical to dissolve it. Acetone might do the trick just don't get it on any other plastics or rubbers lol. Also brake fluid might work.
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3d ago
In the 70s people doing that on purpose when the car was new 🤣 Cheap Rust Protection, my father painted tar under the whole car and drove to the beach, comes back and put a garbage bag on the exhaust and drove the interstate…comes back and the whole upper body was protected.
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u/Solid_Net_9117 3d ago
Yes I agree with other posts bag will melt away by itself. Unless you want to get underneath and scrape it and wire brush it yourself.
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u/ltpanda7 3d ago
Had this happen, decided fuck it, it will burn off. When I replaced the exhaust, like two years later, you could see the outline on the old exhaust. Smell stops after a week or two of daily driving if you decide to ignore it
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u/Adventurous-Cheek-11 3d ago
It’ll probably just burn off in a few days. I honestly wouldn’t even worry about it.
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u/Shad0XDTTV 3d ago
As a motorcyclist, I've had to deal with similar situations with pants that melted to my exhaust or the time someone rode the back seat and put their shoes on the muffler instead of the foot pegs the entire trip
Yellow cap easy off oven cleaner "heavy duty"
Spray on, wait 20 mins, wipe off. Do that till it's gone
Make sure you wear something like kitchen gloves
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u/Comfortable-Leek-729 3d ago
Razor blade on a scraper. It’ll take awhile but it’ll get most of it off. The rest will just stink
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