im thinking of getting a metallic tint done after having smoke tint on for the past 2 yrs. the problem is that the back window if tinted with metallic will mess with the navigation system. what do you guys think if i just get the sides tinted and leave the back smoke? will it be horrible or what should i do?

 

i dont think the metallic has any affect.

 

Some people claim that the tint effects the navi, I have a metalic tint on my car and haven't had any problems due to it. What I have noticed (and it happened before the tint too) is that if there are two roads very close side by side the navi sometimes places you on the wrong road. Also in NJ it sometimes gets confused since every road intertwines with the next. Other than that nothing.

 

My Navi does that with no tint LOL

 

I'll say that's most common NAV problem we have. Mine does that all the times. :o

 

I said it b4. Imma say it again. LLumar Tint film. metallic black. PT 28% on my car. No problem with Navi.

 

As a GPS engineer , allow me to say that any metal in the proximity of the antenna will attenuate the signal and weaken reception.

Whether metallic tint affects gps reception depends on the brand of tint and the metal content of the tint.

FYI: Your GPS antenna is next to your third brake light. It is not at the top of the rear windshield like most people are saying.

FYI: GPS signals are very weak as is, on the range of -160dB on the Earth's surface.

FYI: My "titanium" tint from Pro-Tint does not seem to cause problems with my GPS reception, although it must, at least in part, weaken the signal to some extent.

 

I agree..it might weaken it...but I don't think you'll have any problems. My NAV throws me off onto another st/fwy as well. LOL...i thought I was on the wrong FWY!

 

so what should i do?

 

Go with the metalic tint and enjoy it. Our Navi systems go crazy every so often regardless of tint. Llumar tint is in my opinion the best one to use.

 

Tint doesnt weaken the signal any more than the metal body of your car does. Hes right. that little plastic box at the top of the window is where the radio antannae wire connects to the glass antanna

 

The GPS antenna is mounted beneath the parcel shelf and receives signals through the rear windshield glass. Neither the parcel shelf nor the windshield glass is made of metal and can be pentrated by the GPS microwave frequency signals without too much additional loss. I can guarantee you, however, that a GPS signal will not be able to penetrate a solid metal surface like the car chassis/body. A signal of -160dB is so weak that even naturally occuring background noise from space is stronger than that. Trying to hear a GPS signal is like listening for a whisper at a crowded rock concert-- it ain't easy. Only through the miracle of spread spectrum technology and pseudorandom ranging codes can the receiver interpret the weak signals.

Bottom line, tint with a high enough metal concentration would completely block the GPS signal. So be careful what type of metallic tint you choose and test it out before you have it installed. Have them lay a sheet of the stuff over your rear windshield and make sure you still get a navi satellite signal.