LuvMyTSX

Thanks for the tip.

BTW, your car looks good!

Alin10123

Any updates? did you wash your windows yet? Did the streaks come out?

Knox

Is that the Platinum with reflection or just charcoal?

CJams

Thx guys!

Madico CH20 (charcool) on he sides CH5 on the rear.

Knox

Sweet. Thanks. That looks really good with a hint of reflection like that. I'm having a hard time deciding on the Llumar Charcoal or the Stealth (hint of reflection) for my silver TSX.

Bass Mechanic

ill make the decision easy for you. go with the smoke tint. reflective tint is illeagle in just about every state.
im sure some here will say its not illeagle here in _choose state_ but i have many cop's insured and have been on ridealongs with several. the ones i ride with usually target cars with mirror or reflective tint.
they tell me most people dont realise its not leagle because they think as long as it meets the % limitations of the state its ok. the truth is its a road hazard because it reflects sunlight in peoples eyes.

Knox

I see. I'll consult with a local friend of mine who is the Police Chief here and see what his take is on it. Thanks.

CJams

The tint laws govern both the reflectivity and the darkness.

How dark can the windows be?

Darkness of tint is measured by Visible Light Transmission percentage (VLT%). In Washington, this percentage refers to percentage of visible light allowed in through the film only.

How reflective can the windows be?

Similar to sunglass lenses, some tinting film contain metallic elements that help in reflecting incoming light and reducing the glare and heat generated by visible light.

For example: In WA state the legal limit for the Darkness is 35%. And the legal reflective limit is also 35%.

So it's not illegal to have reflective tint. You just have to stay within your states reflective limit.


Here is a pretty good resource:

www.tintcenter.com

Knox

According to TN law, I cannot have anything reflective so, I'll go with black aka charcoal.

TSXdawg

Hey YVRTSX, I'm going to be getting my ASM TSX tinted soon too and being a fellow Vancouverite, I was wondering where you got yours done and if you got the felt lining as well?

Alin10123

Luv, my TSX, did the scratches come out when you tried to wash it?

thanks

CJams

LuvMyTSX- I was wonderin the same thing.

Alin10123

LuvMyTsx,
Care to give us a hand here?

LuvMyTSX

Sorry guys - I was in Cancun all last week on vacation.

Yes, most of the scratches came out after washing the windows. There's just one vertical one on my drivers' side window from when I accidentally rolled the window down the day after installation. Since I've been away, I haven't rolled the windows down since then so I don't know if more scratches will appear. For sure I will be back in the car tomorrow - I missed her while I was away!!

I used Windex with no ammonia to wash the windows, but I think I want to try something else, as it seems hazy/streaky to me - maybe because of the cold weather? Any suggestions?

Alin10123

Eeeer... you aren't supposed to use windex on tint. Try regular soap and water, that might get rid of the hazyness.
Good to know the scratches came out.
By the way, what do they mean keeping the thing clean? are they talking about the windows themselves? or the plastic peice in there?

LuvMyTSX

Well, multiple people told me to use Windex, including the place where the installation was done.

So, what kind of soap...dish soap like Dawn or Palmolive, or what?

Alin10123

The scratches technically should be covered under warranty if you do get a scratch right Cjams?

Alin10123

Using windex on tints is like using dishwashing detergent to wash your car. lol
The stuff that's used to wash your car should be sufficient. Or let of times even just a little mist of water and a paper towel is enough to clean most of the dirt off.

Alin10123

Cjams? everything ok? Haven't heard from you in a while.

Alin10123

For anyone that wants to see 35% on Savio's SSM, here is the link.

http://www.acura-tsx.com/forums/show...ighlight=tints

By the way... Savio... i thought you said you had Onyx according to the link and the pics? Which one is it?

keg1997

How do I post pics? I've finally got pictures of the tint that I chose....
TIA

Alin10123

www.photobucket.com

Open up a free account.

Upload pics to your account. The thing will resize your pics for you, then it will post a link for you to "copy paste" onto here. Choose the link that starts with [IMG] or something. Copy and paste that entire thing onto here. Then the pics will show here.

excited

Okay here comes a really dumb question:

When new cars come standard with the windows tinted, is this because something special has been done to the glass, or do they also put a layer on the surface of the glass?

Sorry for the dumb question.



Excited

Knox

Windows tinted from the factory are more than likely a specially blended glass with the tint in the chemicals that form the glass itself.

keg1997

Thanks alin!!

keg1997

I took several pictures- both in the shade and in the sunlight...
This is the Llumar Platinum 35% all around....I am very, very, very happy with my choice. It is different and classy but does not scream out to others to "look at me".

CJams

Nope! Scratches aren't covered under warranty unless the film is being advertised as Scratch free film. As far as I know, there isn't a film in the world that I would not be able to scratch. There are films that say scratch resistant gauranteed, but I bet I can scratch it. As a matter of fact, they have to scratch all the way threw it to cut it! I wouldn't sell it. It's a sales gimmick.

I also get people that return saying there are small chips and knicks in the film on their doors and they want it replaced. I then have to tell them to stop throwing the metal piece of the seat belt against the window when they un-do it. I like to call that the dreaded "seat belt monster."

Keg1997-Looks good! Do you have Navi?

Alin10123

Interesting.
By the way Cjams, you mentioned you got the madico that doesn't scratch, what % and which of hte madico did you get? the charcool? or the onyx?
I've inquired about a local installer about madico. The guy i talked with wants to talk me out of madico and to their own house brand. They said that Madico sometimes has quality control issues and that their own brand is easier to install for the installer and it the same thickness, and has more scratch resistance than madico.

Is that true? Or is the madico one of the nicer tint films?

thanks

CJams

Alin- Here the deal with Madico...Basically Madico is more expensive. I still stand by it. Lets use a price of $1 per sq foot for Madico, most other films are going to cost about $.65 a square. There is a greater profit margin with the "house" film. As far as it being more difficult to install, it is a bit harder to shape and control. Turn that question back on to them and say, your tinters arent good enough to install it? Madico is a thicker film. That's why it's more durable.

Now that I have my own shop I have to decide on a certain film brand. I am going to keep certain types of madico. (currently the CH series) But i'm goin to carry Johnsons films as well. There will be an up charge for Madico. About $40 per car. You have to pay for the better film. But I will still offer it.

Madico had a quality issue with an old NS series of film. It was metallic and after a while it fadded. It never turned purple, i just got lighter. But madico replaced it free of charge for as long as YOU own the vehicle. Once you sell it, the warranty was done.

I use CH now. Madico scratches, I just haven't had an issue with the verticle lines on my car. It gets dirty and looks like scratches, but they wash away.

keg1997

No Navi but I do need to move my Sirius antenna. It is on the dashboard-just above the clock. I think the reception may have gotten slightly worse with the tint- but I can't be sure. I've been planning to take the car back to have the Sirius installer to readjust a couple of things about my Sirius install since a week after they did it. Nothing major- just a couple of things- one of which will now be putting the antenna on the roof. I was going to keep the antenna inside but just put it back on the rear package shelf. I'm pretty sure that since my tint is metallic in nature that I'll have some reception issues. So, it's going on the exterior-not where I wanted it but....so it goes.

Alin10123

Thanks for the info Cjams.

Ok... i've come to a conclusion that scratches are not tint specific. A member here replied to me here recently that has got the madico tint and said that he's got some really deep scratches. I've also read that the moleskin adhesive will come loose and make a big gooey mess that's impossible to clean up when it gets hot. Cutting the plastic thing out is not an option either.

Does anyone know of any other alternatives? My local tinting place was telling me about a replacement peice that when you take that plastic thing out you can replace it with a peice that's already lined with felt? They say that this peice is available from Acura. Anyone heard of such a thing?

waTSX

I think the only reason you aren't supposed to use Windex is because of the ammonia, and she stated she used ammonia-free Windex. Should be no problem. If anything, using paper towels would cause more issues. That stuff is terribly abrasive, being made from wood. A good microfiber cloth is your best bet.

waTSX

Keg, your tints look very sharp! Good choice of the platinums. Goes good with the SSM.

Alin10123

I guess. But you never know what other chemicals are in there.
I've always just used a wet paper towel to wipe the windows down and then just a cloth to dry it off. It gets pretty much everything off. Unless yuo've done something drastic, there's pretty much just fingerprints and dust on the inside.

flnsx

You need to install a small strip of mole skin. A 1/4 inch strip should do the trick. ½ and inch strips seem to be folding off the blade a bit which causes a bit of glue to stick to the glass. It’s not hard to remove the glue though guys.

The new stuff seems to be working better though.

Also make sure you clean the blade EXTEMLY well before you install the moleskin and it should not streak.

I have had mine of for over 1 1/2 years with no streaking and I live in FLORIDA.

You have to install it correctly. Take your time and it will pay off in the end.

I also include an extra strip for each window just in case you have problems installing it or feel the need to do it again in the future.

Cheers

Alin10123

Hey there Cjams,
Ok, i went back to the tint place i was talking about before and their house brand was "advantage". Do you know anything about that brand? They are telling me it's better than madico... but i'm going to go ahead and get madico based on your recommendation.

Also... since these guys are also distributors of madico, they've got all different kinds in stock. The guy was telling me although there's only one "color" of the charcoal kind. There are 2 different kinds. He says that madico makes "charcoal" which is a "cheap" kind and it's thinner. Then madico also makes "charcool" which he says is a double ply and it feels much thicker.

I'm going to try what you did and put the "good" stuff onto there and keep my windows as clean as possible. Then once a week i will take a credit card wrapped with a moist paper towel and clean the plastic thingy on the inside that presses up against the window.

Angie

Hey to all. I'm new here, but have been reading posts for about a month or so. Bought an '06 PWP/ebony/MT/Nav and need to wait "up to 90 days" for it. While I'm waiting, though, I totally need help with this tint thing. I know that drives some of you crazy, but with ebony interior, I'm going to need it. So, this question is for Keg, really, because we live in the same area--Hampton Roads, VA. Keg, where'd you get your tinting done and have you had any problems with scratches or anything?

KunalPatel87

What exactly is "grey" window tint compared to black/dark window tint?

acuradrenalin

I'm getting my 2005 SSM tinted tomorrow (yeah, I know....why did you wait so long?). I live in Tennessee so I'm going with the 35% black tint all the way around. This is the first automobile I've owned that I've tinted. I was just so impressed with the pics on here of you that have gotten it done that I am making the plunge.