Used to always do 20% tint on all my cars.

About 5 years ago just stopped doing it and preferred the clear glass. However with 2 kids in the back, and LA sun, and weak TSX A/C, it seemed Tint is a must. Black interior leather + Large glass area wasn't helping.

One of my concerns was, my wife has 35% ceramic on her car and I don't feel it is dark enough. So I was planning on 20% again. But after trying out the 20%+black interior=it was too dark.

Another concern I had is on the wagon the 3/4 rear windows and hatch has a OEM black surround and I didn't want it to stick out too much.

So ended up going with:
-65% ceramic (windshield)
-35% ceramic all around
-5% non ceramic moonroof

After testing it out for 4 days, my A/C which was at fan speed 3 at 67 degrees F, now I have been using it at 1.

Definitely has improved tremendously and am happy with it.

I can also leave my moonroof shade open 100% of the time, without the sun bearing down on me.

I still prefer the "BEFORE" look. But I can live with the "AFTER" it is more comfortable and it isn't "gangsta/ghetto" dark.

 

Here is the before and the rear area I was concerned with

 

Don't mind the faded window mouldings on both side. Car is at dealer getting new mouldings, under warranty. Not sure why faded (garaged all the time).

After

 

congrats!!!!!
and I hate opening my sun roof shade only to get sun in my eye.

you pushed me to get mine tinted.

also, how do you get away with the wind shield being tinted? writing your own 'scripts!?!?!?

 

Yeah do the sunroof it's excellent to have it open always without getting killed by sun

Yes you can do prescription or you can do 65% like I did which you can't tell at all, but heat rejection is very noticeable . So no problem with cops

Then again LA is home to Armenians doing 5% tint on their leased 3 series and Benz g class, so cops got more things to do than bother tsx owners

Also I use carpool lane a lot and go to airport a lot
Two places in la where bike cops bust you hard for tint this having see through windshield tint is a must

 

I think it looks way better with tint! How do you like the windshield tint? Any issues at night?

 

ahh, i had always thought wind shield tint was illegal, unless you have a 'script.

also, in Texas the car registration sticker is on wind shield, so that's another hurdle i would have to figure out with wind shield tint. either cut out square for sticker or use transparent "pocket" to display sticker

 

Thank you.

This is the first car I had with windshield
The tinter recommended it, as my concern mostly was heat reduction since the car's only purpose to shuttle kids around.

It has REALLY helped. I have them scheduled to tint the wife's front windshield too.

If you have a car where the windshield is sloped, this is fantastic.

0 issues at night.

If I didn't tell you, and you were sitting in the car, you wouldn't know it is tinted.


This "clear tint" is pretty amazing stuff.

 

Windshield tint IS illegal. However, people around here do LIMO on windshield (not sure how they see out).

65% ceramic, you can't tell its there.

I think a professional shop can do the cutout for your registration.

To me A/C speed going from 3/4 to constant 1 is significant and shows what a difference it makes.

I am happy with the result (not really the visual)

 

Of course the heat rejection of the 65 ceramic is quite similar to the heat rejection of the 35 ceramic.

 

never had my car tinted until my tsx and i love it. even though it was done by the 60 year old white guy who first owned it.

 

That looks great. Getting my wagon on Saturday and tint is high on the to do list. Since MA is 35% max it's great to see what it will look like on my car. The darker sunroof tint is a great idea too.

 

Correct. precisely the reason to go with ceramic in the first place

 

Finally. Congrats. Yes us Kalifornia folks need tint. It's all about the % for the shield. I've rolled around with 20% all around for the longest in the TL and 65 on the front.

The one thing I like about Kalifornia is that we don't have to deal with inspections, even though we have dumb emission laws.

 

Having lived in states with emissions vs inspection, I much prefer inspections. At least there is some semblance of safety checks done...

Eh..CA, such "strictness" but all the illegal stuff happens here....mod capital of the world

 

I was talking to EVS about this when I was getting quoted. It's sort of a gray area in TX. Statutes say (paraphrasing) front windshield tint must be above the AS-1 line, can't be red, amber, or blue, no darker than 25%, luminous less than 25%. The last part of the statute is the tricky part, it says that "clear UV film may be applied anywhere on the windshield without a medical exception"

The interpretation of what "clear" or "untinted" really means is the gray area. The windshield has some natural light transmission reduction ability already from the factory. Applying a 65% UV film will be pretty much "un-tinted" optically in that it isn't really any darker than stock but you've greatly knocked down the UV heat transmissibility.

And with TX going to a 1 stupid windshield sticker program now, you won't have the garage monkeys razorblading off the inspection sticker anymore which would foul the front tint job. The registration sticker that comes in the mail is easily attached and removed if you know what you're doing. When I put mine on the windshield I'll stick it to my pants a couple times to get some fine lint on it so it barely sticks.

As soon. As I get reregistered this month and ditch the inspection sticker, the wagon goes in for tint including the windshield, much like 2012wagon did.

 

Congrats on the new tint and it looks dope! I'm also leaning towards getting the front window shield tinted, purely for heat rejection.

I would've asked where you got your tint, but your in the LA area where i am in the north bay area (Milpitas). I dont really trust Yelp... but would love recommendations from Acurazine (Budgeted to $350 for all around).

 

^^

Thank you

Ah good ole milipitas. I had a 92 Acura gs-r back in the day when I lived 7 years in Bay Area
I got a ticket from milipitas cop for having non oem tails

Tails were oem

I had to get letter form Honda NA and go to court to prove car wasn't modified on the tails

What a city.... Asian invasion to say the least

 

Along with tint, I covered my roof with a brushed aluminum look vinyl to help reflect the heat. It worked far better than expected.

 

wow this is a great idea speed2000

 

Looks pretty rice

If I have to make my car that ugly to go outside
I rather stay home

 

Not feeling that roof.

 

I'm not a fan, but I'm curious about the results...

Did you test it in similar conditions? Same outside temp, same duration of exposure? Because 30+ degrees difference is not insignificant.

Although, I'm curious what that will do for transmission through the roof and if it really helps keep the car cooler.

 

^^
should PROBABLY also put them on all the doors
or move to Greenland

 

Temps taken at exact same time although the high temperature was off the spoiler over back window which is plastic so it shouldn't have been as hot as the metal roof would have been. I did notice on the way home after installing the vinyl that I had to turn the A/C down twice as it got a bit cold inside the car.


The main reason I did it was because doing research before I bought the car about the only issues I could find was dashboard blistering in areas of the country like Texas and Florida. I wanted to keep that from happening and so far no blisters and the car is four years old with 80,000 miles. I rarely use the a/c unless its above 90 degrees so I would say it does keep the inside cooler.

 

easy way to keep dash from blistering.....use a sun shade... takes all of 5 seconds...i use mine everyday

 

^
Well said

 

2012, where did you get your tint in LA?

I had never thought to tint sunroof.. that's sort of brilliant... 65% windshield you say.....

 

Easier way, park in a garage.

 

yeah because everyone everywhere has access to one everywhere they go..




csb.

 

A company that does the Tint for Fletcher Jones. Guy comes to your house and does it, you tell him the film. I have used him for the last 6 years or so on 5 cars. No issues.

65% on windshield-you cant even tell between my tinted one and a non tinted one. I know people keep freaking out about it, but its really CLEAR tint..... there is no visibility issues.

 

I thought not parking the garage, voids the Acura warranty

 

Not quite right (aside from the grammar which is certainly not correct ). The mere fact that you are adding a plastic film can cause issues. Assuming that you get no bubbles, even the best tint will not be optically correct and will scratch much easier than glass.

 

Very little will void the entire warranty. In this case, the warranty on your oil cap stays intact - but nothing else will be covered.

 

sorry never learned grammer

windshield has no bubbles

I am ok living my life dangerously and optically incorrectly

not sure how it will scratch

I don't touch it


but hey its my car, and I do as I like

 

Looks good. I may consider getting the moonroof done now.

 

you should

helps very much

I haven't closed the shade
even in the 90+ degrees we have had recently

 

can you get a pic of how the sunroof looks like on the inside of the car after tint?

 

Sure. I will grab one for you in a few hours

However, it just looks slightly darker than stock from inside
fully black from outside

 

Here are two pics for you in different angles

One I opened the "tilt" feature to let some light in so you can tell

I also took the car outside, temperature is 82 degrees, sunny no clouds, sun right ABOVE car brightly shining

Hopefully the pics give you an idea (if you compare it to yours). Sorry I have no before pics of inside the car