It's still nice and cool now..but Texas heat is unbearable in the summer. I'm planning to get my TL's windows tinted. What would be a good tint for look as well as combating the scorching heat of the sun?

1) Traditional black tint (how dark is good)
2) Silver/chrome tint (only can be seen when looking at from an angle) but if you're side by side, you can see the driver etc. Would this help reflect the heat well?

Also, what is the approximate cost in tinting? I would suspect that the second option will be more expensive.

Please let me know your opinion/suggestions. I don't know much about tints..thx.

 

The % for tint numbers is how much light is actually going through..

%35 is pretty good, which is what I have..

but if I were to tint again, I would do 35% all around, and the rear windshield would be 20%

I can see perfectly fine at night.

 

I got my windows tinted using Lumar, charcoal tint. Dont like the way the reflective tint looks. Also, I didnt want the tinit to cause possible reception problems with the NAV attenae. I got it all done for 160. The sucky part was that the tint installer broke the bolt cover above the back seat and also damaged the shiny black door trim on the left-front door. However, they were very professional about it and immediately ordered the parts from Acura and i got them within 2 weeks. I just popped on the new bolt cover and installed the door trim piece myself. Other than those two mishaps, the tint work came out very nice. The car looks great.

 

This is exactly what I have Bro

 

35% all around and I have no problems at night, but my wife commented once that when we were both driving that at night, it's very difficult to see inside my car.

Some people have noted that metallic tints may affect NAVI reception.

 

I live in Texas too and I know what you mean about the HEAT! I just got my new TLS done last week. I think from a looks standpoint, it depends on the color of the car as to whether the metalized films look better or not. Personally, in a WDP/black; I chose to go with 3M's best smoked film in 35% on all four doors and 20% on the back. With the black interior it looks darker.

The metalized film will definately outlast the dyed stuff.

But hey man, to each his own.

Good Luck

 

I went with the Lumar Centaur 35% all around and 50% over the entire windshield. Check my sig for pics.

 

I went with a cool 15% black all 'round and love it, not limo (5%), but just light enough to see OK at night. Very nice and private

 

I got 35% all around, nice smoke looks nice not to ghetto

 

I got 20% tints all around.

 

Just a note to those of you who might not be fortunate enough to live in a state with such laid back laws...be sure to know what is legal so that you don't have to remove it. Example, in VA, it's 35% on the sides and 50% in the rear...otherwise you are looking at a ticket and tint removal...

 

Anyone in the northeast should know.....35% is legally the darkest you can go. The police will not normally bother you , but I was in my friends car a few months ago and he was pulled over. The cop wound up blading his tint so that it had to be removed. I realize this is an extreme scenario, but better safe than sorry...and wasting a nice chunk of change. Personally...I am risking it with 20%. I would rather the privacy...all or nothing. :p

 

Just curious, how do the cops know if the tint is illegal? Do they use a testing device, and if so, do all cops carry it (doubtful). Is there some number written on the tint that indicates the %?

Another ques. I live in MD, where the law is 35% everywhere (except below the AS1 line on windshield). If I had 35% on front sides and above AS1 line, and 15% on back sides and rear, would I be a cop magnet? Or should I stick with 35% all over?

 

A smart cop can just look at your car and tell if your tints too dark, even if you roll down your front windows, especially if your back windows are very dark. Once your pulled over the cop will make you roll down your window half way and slip a light meter over it. The meter tells what percent the tint and glass are combined. Some cops dont really care about tint.

 

Metallic tint will definitely affect Navi reception, although maybe not to the point of completely losing your signal, especially when you're away from urban areas.

Another thing that metallic tint will affect is radar detector performance. The tint will reflect a lot of the radar signal away from the detector, but, most of the radar detectors out there have forward-facing sensors anyway, so it may not matter.

Also remember that the TL has "green" glass that may actually add to the darkness of the tint. If you're really anal about it, most state laws define a maximum total tint, so you have to take the glass into account.

 

Bronx02????? What the hell do you mean "blading" your friends tint? You mean to tell me that the cop put a knife or something to the tint. If so, that is some fu@ked up $hit, and I wouldn't have stood for it. Police have no right to destroy personal property, and what's to say that him blading it wouldn't have scratched up the glass?

If this is the case, I would report his sorry ass. If it were me in that situation, I would have put the blade to his face.

I guess it really is that bad with NYPD!?! They have a bad rep, I don't care what they did 9/11, it was really fire fighters and emergency pesonnel anyways.