TSXgal

I'm considering tinting the windows of my TSX. I'm pretty worried about picking out the right shop and the best film - no puprle hue, no bubbling, no fading, and scratch resistant. From what I've read, ceramic seems to be the "best" although I'm not sure exactly why. Also, I'm not sure whether do get the tint installed at an independent shop or at a dealership. My concern is that a shop may go out of business (for some reason the tinting business seems to be rather unstable), rendering my warranty useless. Is it worth spending the extra cash and getting it done at a dealership? I would appreciate any tips/suggestions.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I'm very glad you got the right tense.


I have a ceramic tint on my TL.
IT's quite pricey! I paid $350 for all 5 windows.
Hyper Optik is the best!

there are three main materials.
1)dyed. and is exactly what the name implies. a film that is dyed. this kind of tint is the one that fades. usually the cheapest.
2 and 3) ceramic and metallic. will not fade and has the best heat reflection and UV protection.

also, a ceramic tint will have a different look to it, as opposed to dyed film.


as you can see, its reflective at certain angles.

I live in Houston, and the Texas sun isnt a joke.

TSXgal

Thanks for the info. Nice pic too, what tint percentage is that?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

legal 35%.

TSXgal

It looks really good. Did you install moleskin to prevent scratches?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

was just about to say.

GET MOLESKIN. if not, you will have scratches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



This 35% ceramic tint acts just like a 5% limo dyed tint, in regards to Heat reflection and uv protection.

TSXgal

Noted.

ceb

A few additional suggestions.

Depending on antenna location, metallic film may interfere with AM reception and may affect remote key fob range.

Ceramic film does not need to be dark to give you the same heat rejection. I'll be going with 60 or 70% Huper Optik to give me maximum heat rejection yet not impact my visibility at night, rain or (most importantly) at dusk.

The ceramic film also doesn't scream "tint" and looks very similar to SUV window tint.

Ask in your local forums about installers and don't go by price alone. Ask to see examples of their work - especially how they deal with "frit" and the third brake light.

tobwac

i would go to shops around your are and get quotes and also ask what film they are using then chose the shop that you like best.
I have 3m film 50%front 20%back 2+ year problem free my mom had her car tinted same film same shop 4+ year without any problem

TSXy Luster

I like Pinnacle for tints too. But also pricey like Huper Optik since it's ceramic.

Like ceb, I would tint just for the UV protection reasons and not to make my car look like a limo which is illegal here anyways. Check with your local laws.

Good luck and update us when you end up doing it!

TSXgal

Thanks all for the useful tips and advice!

I'll post some pics when I get the tint installed. I think I'll probably end up going with Forumula One Pinnacle tint as I can't find a tint shop that uses Huper Optik.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

actually...there are four groups of tint.
-ceramic (as justn has mentioned) and the most pricey. gives the most heat rejection (great for HOT and SUNNY weather states).
-non-metallic tint (good for navi and electronics friendly), it is a sort of high quality hybrid that mixes a little metallic properties and dye
-metallic (bad for electronics, may interfere with signals)
-dyed (the cheapest...turns purple looks bad etc).

i went through this research. big name brands: 3M, huperoptik, solargard, madico, pinnacle.

all the tint places i called for prices and info stated that ceramic is not that dark. none of them really pushed me to go for the ceramic tint (keep in mind it's the most expensive). they always went for the middle level tint, non-metallic but still high quality tint. this will give that smoked look similar to what you see on SUVs. none of them even considered offering the cheaper tint.

i ended up going with a tint guy that runs his own shop and was personable from the get go (gut told me, go with him). he uses madico charcool tint for most of his jobs unless the client really wanted ceramic. i researched madico and several other brands. and madico has been around a long time with a good long running track record. he also gave a great price to install. he hand cut all the tint for the windows.

get the moleskin. if the state you live in is known for tix, stay legal limit. ultimately it depends on how much you wanna pay and what type of quality in the install and the tint you are looking for. good luck.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Jamie!

ceb

Talk to us about moleskin. Do you guys the stuff from TintProtector or the generic stuff that comes from the tint shop?

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

my tint guy, laughed at me when i asked about the moleskin. kept insisting it was not necessary. i insisted that he install the moleskin based on everything i've read on here about the tint scratching. so begrudgingly he installed it on the front two windows since i dont' open my rears...ever. the pollen and other random crap that floats in the air around here is...not meant to be in my car.

he had a roll of self adhesive moleskin. hand cut and trimmed. voila. i've had NO issues with my tint or the moleskin. it's been almost a yr since install.

i know justn went with felt from a craft store and DIY'd.

ceb

TLtrigirl - who did your tint? Finding a decent tint place isn't easy.

tsxronald

5% all Windows!!

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

PM'd

TSXy Luster

and her next thread will be: "Need help dealing with a tint ticket"

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Yes, I did do it myself.


my tinter gave me two strips of moleskin.
when I applied them, i messed them up. the adhesive is very sticky and it has to be the perfect length to sit on the window blade.
I couldnt get it lined up properly and the adhesive started to streak on my window.
after a week or so of rolling the window up and down, the mole skin started to come off.

I went to a crafts store and bough a yard of felt.
you dont even need that much.

I didnt use any adhesive this time, just wrapped the window blade and the door panel holds the felt in place.

TSXgal

Hi all - I was just quoted $560 for Formula One Pinnacle on 5 windows and moleskin on all 4 doors; is this reasonable? The shop has a really good reputation, but this seems a little high to me. Also, they said they would need to remove the door panels to install the moleskin - any idea if this standard practice?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

i had to remove the door panels to apply the felt around the window trim/blade.

so yes, they do have to.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

my tint guy...literally pulled up on the panel to release the top of it and pulled the window strip out (a 20 second process)...he didnt' remove the whole thing (the panel). so...i guess it just depends on the experience of the installer. then he just put everything back together and all has been good.

and $560 for ceramic with moleskin is INSANELY $$$. are you sure you really want ceramic?? do you live in a hot weather state?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^oh, I guess you could just pull on the door panel enough to where you could take out the strip.

my first time doing it, and i didnt want to break anything so i opted to take out the 4 screws and pop the panel off.

TSXy Luster

yeah 560 seems a tad bit high........ mine quoted me at $360 for Pinnacle Formula One

ceb

Prices vary widely by area (lots of competition means lower prices) and the quality of the installer.

I suspect that SoCal is cheaper than NoCal because there is a tint place on every corner and both are cheaper than Boston where it is very hard to find a tint place.

TSXgal

Yeah - I think the high price is due, at least in part, to the fact that a lot of dealerships in the area use them for tint so they have a good reputation, allowing them to sustain higher prices. I feel like ceramic is a must because it gets really hot here in the summer and my car sits out in the hot sun, uncovered, when I'm in the office. Also, I have Nav and XM and, from what I've heard, ceramic is the best to avoid signal interference. My thought is pay more now, so I don't need to fuss with it in the future.

ceb

Agreed, but a dealer recommendation means little. Dealers go by price alone and generally get crappy tint installed while making $100 or so on the side from the installer. Ask to see their work and see if you'd be happy with that.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

the tinter for my dealer sucks. bubbles...EVERYWHERE (it was on one of their TSX wagons).

ceramic and non-metallic tint will not interfere with the electronics in the car. i've had no issues with the tint on my TL in terms of XM/radio/BT etc.

and yes, norcal summer heat (albeit dry) can be a bear (i remember it well...i miss it). i'll take that over the heat and humidity we get in my area

jspagna1

I went with 40% 3M tint on my wife's TL. Along with the factory tint it brings it down to about 33%. Very happy with the outcome. Word of mouyh is the best way to find a good tint shop.

listrats

LOVE that tint...

nj2pa2nc

Many of the roads I travel on have no street lighting. They are very dark at night. I would like to know how the visibility is with tinted windows.

ceb

Simple way to find out. Most sunglasses are in the 35% range. Just put on a pair of sunglasses whenever you look out the side windows.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

if you keep the tint level civil at 35% (combine that with the factory 75% tint, it'll be closer to ~30%), the night time visibility is not bad. any darker than 20% and it gets difficult to see anything.

granted when you're driving you should be looking through your windshield.

keep in mind that SUV rear window tint comes with around 20% from the factory (just to give you an idea). i dont' find the visibility to be bad at all. i have 35% in the rear windows of my TL and 50% in the front (VA legal)...i'd prefer 35% all around BUT i don't really want to feed the local counties or state a revenue tix.

the trend will be the younger follks here will want darker, while the mature folks go with civil at 35% (just dark enough to give some privacy, and just light enough to see profiles or silhouettes in the car).

nj2pa2nc

the legal limit in NC is 35%. When you get the car inspected each year if you have tints they charge you an extra $10.00 to make sure they are legal. Those dark roads I travel on also have lots of deer so I need clear visability. Thanks for your info-I think no tint for me. I have lived without it this long.

ceb

Scanning for deer is hopefully done out the windshield which shouldn't be tinted as all and is illegal in most (all?) states that have tint laws.

Factory tint is about 85% but you can easily do a ceramic 60% that will provide better heat rejection than the 20 or 30% stuff most shops put on.

I think TLtrigirl may be overstating the amount of tint on the rear windows of SUVs. Manufacturers err on the side of caution to assure that their cars will comply with all tint laws and most are in the 35-40% range. We have a few SUVs in our motorpool with 35% on the front windows and that is darker than the stock tint on the rear windows.

Going to a very dark tint will affect the operation of the dimming inside mirror.

My bottom line. Ceramic tint will enhance UV and heat rejection and can do that without adversely affecting the visibility.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Very great thread, ladies and gents!

ceb

Damn, so you mean this thread is off topic and doesn't belong on this forum.

Let's get it pointed in the right direction.

I wanna plastidip my windows to match my car and double up on limo tint on my windshield. If I get stopped it is only because those lazy donut boys have got nothing better to do.

ceb

Let me go off topic for a moment again

Before getting tint you need to ask yourself why you want tint and you have to understand why tint laws are in place.

Do you want to:

Tint just for looks - that "cool" factor?
Tint for best heat/UV rejection - go for 50-70% ceramic tint
Tint for theft protection? - Bad idea. Maybe people will break in just to see what you have in there that they can't see. If you have really dark tint then you're a baller and must have some dope in there.

Tint laws are in place to protect you and other people from yourself. Most states have a 35 to 50% front window law and a 35% rear (side and back window) law. That means that 50 to 65% of visible light is reduces - like I said before - wearing dark sunglasses all day - and you can't them off at night. It is like driving at late dusk without any headlights and you'll feel that pedestrian on bicyclist before you see them.

Cops dislike tint because the can't see what's going on in a car as they approach it.

If you decide to get a darker tint than what is legal in your state decide how risky that is. Will you get stopped? Are you ready for multiple tickets? If you are stopped locally, then you'll be on their radar if you don't remove your tint following a fix-it ticket. Will your insurance company refuse coverage to fix your car if you are involved in an accident and visibility was a factor? Will you be able to see at night? In the rain? At night in the rain?

nj2pa2nc

I scan for deer and other wildlife using both front Windows and of course the front windshield. After having a few deer hitting my vehicles I try to keep observant. Especially areas of many trees and brush.