Good Afternoon all
I bought a 2012 F250 6.2L 4wd recently, truck came from Canada,
Noticed a sticky residue along button of doors, around hinges, inside front and side edges of hood, some of the goo is in the A/C coil, doesn't have much odor, maybe oil, comes off with degreaser, doesn't look like it came from engine as that is clean, could this be something they spray on the roads up there? Doesn't seem to harm anything just messy if you rub up against it? Any ideas

 

Could it be a rust preventative?

 

It is an oil mixture that many Canadians spray on the underside of their vehicles for winter use. It is a thriving business enterprise north of the border.

 

I live in the great white north and have never heard of this!! Maybe I need to get out of the igloo more often?

 

Maybe you do. I do not make this stuff up. Here is what your CAA has to say on the subject -

I only know about this because I have a friend who resides south of me in Windsor, ONT he does it.

 

If it isn't rust-proofing there are lots of tricks that dealers use to 'clean' vehicles prior to sale. It sounds like some residue from them cleaning the truck to prep it for sale. Maybe a quick lube of the joints so nothing squeaks. I would clean it up and see if it comes back before I investigated the issue. Just my .02

 

I guess I never figured Ontario as part of Canada!

 

I don't doubt the other answers but I've seen excesses of armour all accumulated where prep people went overboard under the hood

 

I agree with Dave. There are so many different sprays and treatments used to slow down the rusting process. They range from used oil, fresh oil, dripless oil (has penetrants), Fluid Film, Ziebart like asphalt/tar undercoating, Krown or Rust Check water displacement, wax-like treatments, grease like treatments etc. Since you found the substance in all of the usual places these treatments are applied, you can bet it is a rust inhibitor treatment.

Personally, I wouldn't clean it all off unless you live in a rust free climate. This post reminds me ... I have to book an appointment to get mine done again before the fall.