I just bought a used 2006 Acura TL and the tint needs to be replaced. I took it to a detailing place nearby and the guy told me it would cost $300 just to remove it because he claimed it is 3M film and it is very baked into the windows. He told me some people might offer to do it for $100 but they would not do it properly so don't accept it. He claims the back window tint needs to be removed with a very fine abrasive cloth and not a razorblade. He then said it would cost an additional $200 to apply lifetime warranty tint.
What do you guys think? His prices sounded like bullshit to me. The tint does indeed appear to be baked in, and it is very streaky and bubbly and definitely needs to be replaced. However, I do not think it should cost $300 just to remove it. What are your thoughts?

 

I will say in NJ a few years ago when they had full vehicle inspections, my TL failed as it had 50% tint on the 2 front side windows- I had to pay $65 to have it removed from the 2 windows, passed inspection, then had it reapplied. $300 is a lot no doubt, but if it's for the all the windows (except the windshield), it unfortunately may be the case- the rear window removal of the tint is more important as you want to maintain the rear defogger wires, so extreme care is needed (you just can't peel the film away).

As for what film I'd recommend:

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...omotive_Films/

I have this on the wife's SRX and there's no heat transfer into the car- it's definitely more pricey than regular metallic/ ceramic film, but it really does block the heat from the sun. Just don't cheap out and get the dyed type film. I'm surprised the 3M film would need to be removed (should be a permanent product) unless it was installed improperly.

I have Llumar film on mine (which is less expensive) and it's also a very good film. I'm sure others here will chime in with their film of choice.

 

The back window is all that I would have removed by a shop and remove the rest of the tint yourself with some tint removal fluid. The back window removal is the tough part, since you can damage the defroster lines with a razor. Abrasive cloth sounds very shady and would be a no go for me. Check other places to see what they charge for the removal.

 

Go to any store and buy a clothes steam cleaner. I used my wife's and it was a piece of cake taking 8 year old tint off my windows that had faded super bad from extreme heat and sun exposure.

The "hardest" part is to remove the panels around the glass, as a good tint job puts the tint behind panels, like a door panel.

To start, heat near the top of the glass just enough so you can put like a razor blade behind it and lift. You're not cutting the tint, just lifting it a little until you can get your fingers behind. Continue heating from the side facing the glass. I found if I heated from the interior side, this clear residue would come off which stuck to the interior pieces. At first I thought I destroyed my interior but it turned out that it would come off with some more steam and wiping. Whew.

Have a small towel handy, and start peeling. If you peel too fast, you'll leave some of the glue behind. Find "goo-gone" or something similar to wipe the remainder of the glue off. The first window took me about 45min (including panel removal and re installation) but once I knew what I was doing it could do a window in 20-25 minutes flat, all in.

I've seen steamers for like $30-40. It's totally worth it. Keep in mind this is super hot steam you're dealing with, so don't burn yourself!!

 

For removal, soapy (dawn) water in a spray bottle and a razor blade and some paper towels (to wipe glue off razor blade) are your friends! After starting on one edge, remove film, and then spray soapy water all over, left over glue, then use razor blade to scrape off old glue. I let the professionals do the rear window (would hate to destroy the defroster lines). I have removed tint a number of times, and after leaving the car in the sun, and being meticulous with the razor/soapy water, haven't had issues since! I would never pay for removal of tint on any windows except the rear, as stated above. It really is that easy!

 

I have also found that tint removal fluid ( in the tint isle of the auto parts store, $3) dissolves the glue left behind, making it much easier to get off. The fluid is basically high ammonia windex, so it's not oily like goo gone or WD-40 and doesn't mess up any other surfaces in the car.

 

When I remove tint on a rear window at work I use a heat gun and from the outside heat the glass up an pull your old tint off slow and watch for your defroster grid, If it won't pull of easy you may not have it hot enough. 99% of the tine the glue will come off with the film if you have it the right temp. As for the side windows slpr04ua6 has it right, soap water and razor blades, pull tint off spray window with soapy water and scrape with a blade being careful not to hit your door panels and cut them

 

Heat guns can be risky, as they heat up much much hotter then a steamer. The water you end up with is fairly minimal, however heat guns can burn stuff... Also, how do you heat the glass from the outside and pull the tint from the inside, especially on a back window??

 

with a friend(s)

 

That shop is taking you to the cleaners.