Can anyone tell me what's the tint used (in %) for the stock rear door windows and tail windscreen?

 

Can't help with the numbers; but I specified 'one level lighter' when I had my fronts tinted on the '13...looks like it was designed that way!

 

Here is an old thread talking about it. Not sure if it is still accurate.

https://acurazine.com/forums/first-g...ge-rdx-822352/

 

Great info, but that's for the first gen, is it the same level of tint in the 2013+?

 

About 20%

 

Thanks. So as I understand there is a factory minimal tinting of 70-80% on all windows and on top of that they have put a 35% tint film to achieve that shade, correct...?

 

My understanding is that the factory tinting for front side window is about 70-80% light transmission, and the rear and back is about 20-25% light transmission. It is done though pigment in the glass, not from film. When you apply film, your final light transmission rate is the combination of factory rate and the film rate.

 

I see. So there is no film on stock windows. Everything is inside the glass, cool.

 

Correct. No manufacturer would put film on glass at the factory.

 

FYI, this link has the "law" for each state, seems legit
Auto Window Tint Laws | TintCenter Window Tinting

 

Unfortunately the rear tint that my 2016 RDX comes with is all I can get.

"Tinted windows / window glazing
A person shall not install, replace or cover the window glazing in a windshield or in a left or right side window of a motor vehicle that is beside or forward of the driver with a transparent, translucent or opaque material. Fine $57.
Tinting of the headlights and the rear taillights is illegal as noted under the Regulations for lighting. Any colour other than the colour specified for that specific location is in violation of the Regulations. Fine $57"

LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME.

 

What....??? So you are saying there's no tinting allowed legally anywhere in Canada?

 

The rear glass is fine, but driver and front passenger side window, as well as windshield, is illegal in my city (Calgary, Alberta). Not sure if it is the same in every province/city.

 

Wow, I thought my State tint law (Virginia) is too strict (50%) for front driver and passenger windows. How can they enforce transparent film? I know 3M or Llumar has clear films for reducing heat and uv protection without tint.

 

Tinting your windshield is illegal in all 50 states. People still do it. If one decides to go darker than the laws allow... then be prepared to pay to play. Some jurisdictions are strict in their enforcement while some others are not. It all depends on where you live.

 

It s even more complex than that. Assuming your state allows 35% and you are driving through a state that only allows 50% then you can be ticketed - although most jurisdictions will overlook those infractions if they believe that the windows are legal in your state and there are no safety concerns.

Remember that tint laws serve two purposes. They are set to allow you to have the correct visibility and allow for law enforcement to see what is going on inside the vehicle when approaching for a traffic stop. Some states have primary tint laws meaning that you can be stopped merely because of the tint while in most states the tint laws are secondary - meaning that it is an infraction but there has to be another reason for the stop (unless the tint is assumed to be a safety hazard in which case it can be primary - dark tint, at night, in the rain).

With modern tint, the only reason for dark tint is aesthetics. Ceramic tint with 70% VLT (visible light transmission) that equates to about 60% once installed gives you better heat rejection and UV protection that a conventional 20%.

The reason no state allows windshield tint is that because even if it is "clear", it is not optically correct, often has some bubbles, is harder to clean and scratches far more easily than glass. Almost all modern automotive glass has UV protection built in and every windshield has it built in - the reason why "transition" glasses don't work in cars.

Even in states where tint laws are primary, it is seldom the real reason you are pulled over - the LEO has some reason why he wants to stop you (wrong place, wrong time?) and the tint gives them a very obvious reason.

You can't generally tell the difference between 60 and 70% or 40 and 30% so if you are in the legal ballpark you "should" be OK, but cops do carry tint meters and once stopped, could very easily whip it out and test your tint.

Now that we have a pooch, I may get a nice 70% ceramic tint that works out to about 62% on the front side windows on my TSX.

Getting back on topic - the OP can drive by a tint shop and ask them to measure the existing tint on each row of windows. Post that here and others will know as well.

 

Tint laws that allow no tint in the front windows serve no purpose, after all the reason to have tint in the front windows is to protect yourself from the sun and debris in an accident, CA pisses me off the most, it's sunny all the time, yet you're stuck driving with the sun burning your left side, they should allow 50%, which is almost nothing anyway, cops can't claim they can't see see the driiver with 50%.

 

ceb thanks for elaborating on the tint laws. I would have assumed as much in the reasoning behind the laws.

Another reason is the protection/safety of the police officers so they can have reasonable view of the people or person inside the vehicle during a traffic stop. This is why some of the front side window tint laws are the way they are. VA had tried to get the front window tint % to 35% from 50%, but they "shelved" the legislation indefinitely.

Certain jurisdictions, whether primary offense or not, tend to be a little more liberal. Just don't give the police officers an excuse to pull your over or they might add the tint ticket to your list of violations. Not all police officers carry tint meters (my tint guy knows people in law enforcement). IIRC he said that the state troopers have meters, but local PD do not carry them all the time (they have to be "checked out").

 

I assume that bt CA you mean CAlifornia and not CAnada (the sun all the time was a dead giveaway ). AFAIK, California allows 70% tint on the front side windows. Combined with tint already in the glass (about 86-88% in "clear" glass), a nice 80% ceramic will give you about 70% final VLT. That will reduce heat transmission, increase UV protection and keep you legal.

You DO NOT need dark tint to get protection from heat and UV.