Fishbulb

I want to put a bit of a tint on the front windows before the heat of summer starts; I did a search, and most people seem to be going with 20ish percent to match the back; that's too dark for me.

Does anyone have a pic of their RDX with a 35% or 50% added to the front? I know it won't match with the back, but I just want to take the edge off a bit.

I'd like to see a few pics of the results before I decide. Anyone have tint pics they could share?

Patronus

I had my stock windows measured for exactly this same intent. Here are the results:

RR window - 27%
RF window - 76%

So the stock windows have some tint already (and it has a green color cast to it). The guy at the shop advised 32% for the fronts to be able to create a final tint of close to 27%.

I have not done it, yet. Before you do, read this (Acura Service Bulletin July 2007):

http://www.in.honda.com/Rjanisis/pubs/SN/B070700.PDF

Fishbulb

That's interesting, thanks. I wasn't aware that the fronts already had some tint. Perhaps I'll just go with a 50%. Not looking for a deep tint like the back windows.

Regarding the link - good information, but I'll take a chance. I've never had a problem with tint on my other cars causing any issues.

aznboi2424

iTrader: (10)

go with the 35. I had 30 in the front and it wasnt dark at all. I could see well during night time and it provided a good amount of cooling and protection. although sometimes i actually wanted it to be darker so people wouldnt see me but then it might be too dark for night and def. not legal in cali

oasis3582

Have it professionally done. Any shop worth their salt will be able to match tints as you prefer.

Patronus

I was under the impression that ANY tint (other than factory) on the front side windows was illegal in CA.

wrestrepo

before you do it check you state regulation...I was pulled over and the meter read in the teens for the front windows and high 20s for the rear....with that said, I got a ticket and needed to remove the front tint (I got my car used from the dealer with the tints). I now need to go to court and deal with this $250 "violation"

I think that anything that you put on the front windows will look great because the interior of the car is already pretty dark and helps with the overall look. Now that I have my fronts removed it still looks like a fully tinted car...I am planning to put something next month...light probably..

aznboi2424

iTrader: (10)

Partly true. Tint cannot exceed 70 percent in cali for the fronts. With that said and with the factory tinted windows, you can legally only have 85% tint which they call UV tint because the only thing that it is really useful for is to prevent the UV from coming into your car, which is important in protecting the interior of the car especially the leather. It does very little in filtering out the light and not useful for keeping your car cool.

Even if any tint was illegal, 85% is soo light that it can not be detected my most peace officers. I was thinking about 70% or even 50% for the fronts but not risking to get a fix-it ticket, ill just stay with the lightest i can find to avoid any trouble. But if i know for sure that I could get away with 50% or 70%, then I would get it without thinking.

Im gonna be missing my 30% in the 110 degree heat

porsherules911

In NJ front tints are illegal but I believe mine are 35% and they match the rear perfectly. No fix it ticket yet

jakas

Here's a link to the tint laws for different states ...
http://www.iwfa.com/iwfa/Consumer_In...statelaws.html

aznboi2424

iTrader: (10)

Links to these sites are not always right. This site says 70% is legal and i have read many sites that agree but also many that say no tint. Best thing is to go to your local DMV site, law enforcement site, or state site and look up the vehicle code for tinted windows. but again, if its says no tint, then 85-70 will be fine but the darker you go, the more likely you will get pulled over. some places dont care while others are really tough.

Patronus

There is virtually no such thing as "no tint" these days. Factory provides some tint on almost all models. On the RDX, it is about 75% for the front side windows.

This could explain the discrepancy, some sites saying no tint probably means no aftermarket tint.

aznboi2424

iTrader: (10)

hmm that makes more sense now.
Ill just get the 85 to protect my interior. As for cooling, ill just park in the shade, crack the sunroof and put up the sunshade. crappy cali tint laws

VeNeNo

iTrader: (1)

I had mine tinted at the dealer before delivery. It matches perfectly they did a great job, and its garanteed for life!

Lrpba300

Probably not the best shot, but I had my friend that does my tints / clearBra's said that the legal limit for fronts in CO, is 27%. That's what the posted link for tints says also. He took a measurement through the front windows & said it has a 3% tint from the factory, so he put on a 30% tint & it came out almost EXACTLY 27% read. Looks pretty close to the back & isn't to dark!

LuvMyRDX

The tricky part about tinting in CO, and other places I'm sure, is getting someone to test the rear factory tint before applying anything to the front. If the rear factory tint is even 1% darker than 27% on a light meter, it is illegal to tint the front 2 windows in CO. Being a fan of dark tint I've investigated this thoroughly; even to the point of volunteering my windows up to a test from a local cop just so i could get the skinny on the law. Fortunately it was in a car that I had legal tint installed. The only way you can legally tint the front 2 in CO is if the factory rear is 27% or higher or there is no tint on the vehicle at all to start with (other than the bit of tint the factory glass has in it) and you use a tint that does not drop it below 27%.

I personally like to take my chances and use as dark as I can so in the case of the RDX I went with a film that I could match with the rear. Turned out 20% film was the closest I could find. Not a perfect match, but nothing you can notice from outside the vehicle. Couple that with the ebony interior and you've got some nice shade even in the sunniest days.

mzhao84

i tinted mine 35% all around (yes even on top of factory rear tints). This made the front a little darker than 35% because originally RDX windows are a WEE bit tinted and the rest close to 20% looking. You can BARELY see rear sides and back (although i did notice that the trunk window doesn't seem as dark as the rear sides, maybe because there's no "black leather" making it harder to see?) I'll post some pics over the weekend or something of the RDX when it's in daylight and at night.

Lrpba300

I have to disagree with you on SOME of what you said. I have several cop friends & they don't all agree upon the "interpetation" of the tint rules. My wife has worked in the judicial system for CO for years & has asked several judges what they say. It has NOTHING to do with what is on the back windows. if the tinting comes on the vehicle, (ours is a smoked process, not added tint!!!) the law is FEDERAL MANDATED that all states are to accept. They can say how much level of tint can be on the fronts & windshield. Ours is 27%, period! Have them use a light pass through test card & see it. The cops may not like it, but it's legal. If you want darker, you are taking a chance of beng busted! I've never been busted. I have been stopped for other reasons & the cop says my window tint is illegal & I say, it's 27% pass through & they don't even go any further.

LuvMyRDX

I know each officer will have their own opinion and I definitely know there are judges out there that are more lax than others on this subject, but the actual law is the car can be no darker than 27% all the way around or clear on the front door windows and any %-age on the rear sides and rear window. One thing I am not clear on is how that applies to the factory tint and the legality of adding anything to the front door glass if the rear is darker than 27%. I'll definitely take your word for that as I've been told both ways...yes you can do the fronts with no ramifications and no you cannot and have it remain legal. Hard to say on that one. Check this link out from the CSP. Doesn't say anything about factory tint and I think local dept's can differ, but it's at least what the state law is.

http://csp.state.co.us/faq_detail.?FAQ_ID=91

For some reason it's not saving the complete link when I post this up. Type in a c f m without the spaces in there between the . and the ? and it'll go. Interesting it won't let me put those 3 letters together without deleting them out of my post.

Lrpba300

OK. I think we can agree on the front windows can't be darker than 27%. Right? Ok.
Now, reading the link to the CSP, it says that YOU can tint all the rear windows to however dark you want, as long as leave the fronts as is.(It says 70%, which isn't very dark). it then goes on to say that if YOU tint the front windows, all the windows can't be darker than 27%.
IT DOESN"T say ANYWHERE on there about what you can, (except for the 27%), do if the REAR WINDOWS ARE DONE AT THE FACTORY!!! If that was the case, they would be saying, "you can't tint your windows in the front b/c the factory did the rears the way they wanted??? No.....it talks about if YOU do after market tinting. Not factory tinting. That's what makes the difference!
My friend that ownes a business in C/S & does prob close to 80%+ of the tinting for all cars in Motor City. He wouldn't risk his reputation, company,etc. if that was the case. I KNOW he has checked it out completely. If he's wrong, mygod, there are tons of cars driving around C/S & area that are all illegal!

PS. I posted an error in my previous post. I said if it's 1% darker in the rear, it makes the fronts illegal. Wrong. Sorry

LuvMyRDX

Agreed!! But I do have to say there are A LOT of cars up in this area that are illegally tinted for sure. They must be very lax about it here cuz the gal that does mine has had her Jeep blacked out to 5% for years and part of the windshield done too and she's never been stopped for it...at least that's what she tells me. Dunno why anyone would want theirs like that, but to each their own. haha At any rate...I like your interpretation of the CSP law. Your point totally makes sense when you look at it like that with regard to factory tint.

Until next time...

Koolmaster

I had mine done at 35%, it looks almost the same like rear

Lrpba300

It's all Cool! So, did you get yours done? I don't like it if you can't have at least some tint on the fronts.

LuvMyRDX

I actually did get mine done at 20%. My wife and I both like the tint a little on the darker side. Makes the inside of the vehicle feel a lot more private...hense the term privacy glass I guess. haha It's a little dark at night, but we're used to that since the last 4 or so cars we've owned all were at least 20%. I think we even went down to 15% on the Ridgeline. It's a must with 300 days of sun/yr in CO.

Lrpba300

Cool!(hahaha)

BufSol50

I'd advise that you first check with the local law enforcement agencies in your state.

Most window tint issues are determined by the State Department of Motor Vehicles in your state. Most front window tint limits are either 30-35% your state may be more or less but whatever it is, make sure it's legal before you put it on your vehicle. The last thing you want is the long arm of the law with at tint meter giving you a vehicle repair order making you remove the tint and having your vehicle reinspected to verify that it was removed. Been there, done that.

I've got a Pearl white RDX and the front windows are 35 % tinted and it looks great.

Good luck.

Lrpba300

uh...I thought that's what LuvmyRDX & I we're talking about was the legel aspect of tinting the front windows. jakas posted a link for the state's %'s. What part of that did you miss? What part did I miss. I've always done mine at 27% & that's what the CO state law says!

Patronus

Remember that the factory front windows already have some tint to them. According to my installer, if I apply 35% tint to the front windows, they will end up somewhere in the high 20's as measured by a handheld device.

Lrpba300

Yes, I know. If you'd read all the posts, I mention that in a post about my installer. He does tons of cars here in C/S CO. If he puts on a 30% tint, his reader shows a % of 27 w/ the tint thats on the glass already! I wonder if different tint type's, readers, etc. are different enough to get diff. readings?? That's scary if that's true! I would hope all states use the same light readers.

Stylinhonda

What brand tint are you guys using?

Just got mine done in a 35% and they look good on the outside, but on the INSIDE you can tell the front two are either a bit darker and or a different shade of tint than the factory tint. More blueish in a way.

moto94536

i tinted my 2010 honda pilot with llumar atr ch. charcoal.
5% rear, 35% front at the shop.

I tested it with tint meter. it read 4% rear, 30 %, 32 % front.

so it is depend on the type of film you use.