DopeTL04

This place is on route 1 north in edison. Its called Tint shop and here is the number: 1-888-815-8468.. I asked the guy about the felt, and he said he has done other 04 TL's and said its not necessary because they have never had problems with it before and no one has come back. Must be the kind of tint they are using. They only charge $170 for the whole car and do a perfect job as well. Only one large piece on the back as well. Let me know how its goes!

rets

Tints shops is at 790 Northern Blvd, and Best Tire is at 736. Check Map.

Both of them are in the south side of Northern Blvd. If you drive from West to East, you will see Infiniti, Cadillac, Jaguar, then 736, tires, and Auto Wash (790).

It's worth of going there to take a look since Tints shop has done more than one 04TL...

cable

thanks dope04tl and rets. i'll check them out and decide which one.

dope04tl: is the Tint Shop a part of a really big white building or is it stand alone? its kinda near the catena dealerships right? if that's the one, i remember when i brought my old car in, they quoted a lot for it. maybe they changed their pricing system.

rets: i think i may know where you're talking about, not sure though. but i can just take northern until i spot it.

PoochaKannInc

Tint shop is attached to a car wash place. It will be right next to a Best Tire place. It is not that big of a place, but they keep it neat. You should see a blue sign hanging that says "The Tint Shop". I just "mapquest"'ed it, and got there.

DopeTL04

Yea, its more south of ray catean. It a white building with aqua coloring, and its connected to a auto body shop called edison collision. Maybe they did change there pricing, but 169.99 is excellent for the job they do. They actually do professional tinting for company building as well, that is why they are so good! Def check em out!

PoochaKannInc

Sorry for the delay guys...if anyone is still waiting for my pics of the tint, check out my album at acura-inspired.

http://www.acurainspired.com/gallery...1147&uuid=1190

rets

PoochakannInc, it looks good. Great. 35% Onyx True Black, right?

(P.S. since you park next to GaleForce SSM last time, we have all known your plate number... don't need to wipe out now... via pics, we even can guess where you live... :o)

PoochaKannInc

I knew someone would bring that up... . Still prefer to wipe it out though, I'm neurotic!

And yes, Onyx True Black...thanks!

J RIDE 81

Anyone who has gotten their TL tinted missing a piece on the very rear side widow. A piece of plastic prevents the tint from going over. It's noticable from the outside. Should I take my car back to the shop? Any advice would be well appreciated. Thanks.

Vffr1

A good tinter can slip the tint under that rubber piece on the rear quarter windows. Ask the tint shop to fix it.

My 2 cents.

Mike Smeezy

rets

PoochaKannInc, there are a few guys like you having this good price. While I called there last week, a lady said tints with felts would cost $265-295... something wrong??? Should we talk to any specific person there? What's your technique to get $200 done?

Thanks.

Mylriahd

Maybe someone can just point me to an existing thread, but what is felting? I'm new to tinting and know nothing about the process; I want to have an idea of whatto expect when I take my TL in and not get screwed for ignorance. Thanks!

rets

Besides this one, http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65819, you should be able to find more by searching "tint" or "mole skin"...

saltyFISHscales

I just called several tinting guys in So Cal, and one said they will not install the felt because they dont want to mess up the door panels and he charges $185 for all windows. The other guy was chargine $245 plus $25 per door for the felt install. I think i'm going with the first option, he has done 20 installs and never had a customer come back with complaints on the scractching...

GaleForce

Thread is still alive? My car was over at Car Tunes today to get the tint, remote starter, and FM modulator installed. I'll post pics when I pick it up today.

PoochaKannInc

Try and talk to Joe (he is the person actually doing the tinting). As I mentioned earlier in this thread, one of my friend's knows Joe which is how I got a lower price. I think that 265 is a little high, and you should be able to negotiate that down. Try telling them that a few TL's have gotten it through the Tint Shop for $200. I'm not sure if that will work, but he should lower it from 265. Hope this helps.

Edit: Galeforce let us know about your experience and waiting for the pics

edwards

Guys,

I really need your help! The first week I pick up my car(November 11,2003) I had it tinted. I did not know you need a felt.
Make a long story short, all of my window is scratch everywhere. I didn't know about this site until about a month after I pick up my car and had it tinted.

My questions is, where do I purchase 3M tints? and the felt.

I cant stand it anymore with all those scartches and I do not want to pay for another tint guy to take off and put on new tints.

I spent too much lately and need to save some money. So I guess I will be doing the tinting myself.

Thanks guys for all of your help.

DopeTL04

How long after you got the tint did you notice scratches?? I got my tint like a month ago, and no felt, my tints are fine!!

rets

edwards, your dealer should be responsible for re-tinting, maybe they have life-time warranty, too. Check it out.


For some easy felt-installation, you could check this. http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?p=800837 and see flnsx's post...

criss

I noticed my first scratch 2 weeks after it was done on the driver window and just noticed one on the rear passenger side window yesterday (3 weeks later)

cable

thanks for the info guys. the only thing that is holding me back right now is cause my car is leased. i tinted my last car and it was leased. had to take it off when i returned the car, which was a pain. so right now, i'm just deciding whether to tint or not and whether to pay for the felt.

edwards

I notice it the next day, but I did not tint it at the dealer. I got the tint done in Queens on Northern.

When I went back to them they said it was dirt in the rollar thing or somthing like that, and I got really piss off after that. But what can you do, I did not know it was because of the felt.

edwards

I feel for you because I have scratches all over, from top to bottum!

DopeTL04

I guess it happens if you get dirt caught in there somewhere. I've had my tint for a while without felt and dont have any problems. I guess im just gonna have to make sure no dirt gets in there

edwards

I wish it was that simple but I did not have it done at the dealer. I had it done in Queens on Northern.

DopeTL04

I did not have it done at the dealer either.. I got it done elsewhere

moeronn

Which places did you call? I called a few places around the Orange area to get quotes and heard about the same info as you. I called:
-Classic Auto Tinting on Tustin in Orange
-Mike's Tint Shop
-Xlint Tint in Anaheim

rets

Thanks, PoochaKannInc,

I've spoken to Joe, who seems to be a decent guy with skills and experiences. He offers $225, four side windows plus rear window (by one piece). I'll schedule my time to tint my car.

Did he remove your 3rd brake light cover and tint the whole rear window for u?

Did he tint well in all small corners of each window?

Just try to make sure he's done all of them completely.



BTW, he also do the clear bra... $175...

HuKaShI

Hey rets,

Is the $225 price including the felts?

rets

HuKaShI, yes, that's the price with felt... before TAX... so it should be around $245.

BTW, he carries some good films, I guess... not smoke-black-like tint... Solargard, Global?, Mexi?... if you have Navi, he won't put Onyx...


(he probably put tints for my stupid dealer, too, who charges $295 before TAX... maybe he did for them in the past, not now...)

ccin1492

Anyone know of a good place in the San Diego/Orange county area?

PoochaKannInc

To answer your questions:
-I think he did remove my brake light cover, if he didn't he's still got the tint all the way up to the cover, so it looks professional.
-The small windows came out well too, he was able to get the tint all the way in there.

Good luck!

hmdsc

I have been told by a few people to go to a place in Hemet. They qouted $159.00 all windows for any % shade with a lifetime warranty. They do not do moleskin however. In fact they had never even heard of it, although the salesman did admit he has had a few requests for it. I will continue to look around before making any decisions.

HEMET AUTO GLASS TINTING 426 W FLORIDA AVE HEMET CA 92543 909-766-4223

ccin1492

Wow! That's kind of far from my stomping grounds. I'm going to look around a little more.

Thanks though for the info.

Xpditor

Did you get your car shipped to you yet from Rick Case?

I drove 45 miles to West Palm Beach to have Tint King do my tint. They are a premium shop to begin with, using Formula One premium film. Then, I had them put their best "Pinnacle" ceramic tint, 35% on the sides and 15% on the rear window. Our Navi manual says not to put metallic tint on the back window. It cost $228. The shop manager has a new TL so I knew he was experienced with my car. It cost a little more but was worth it. Those little quarter windows on the back doors are a bitch but mine are done perfectly and the tint goes all the way behind the rubber seals. They use a computer to cut the patterns.

As to moleskin/felt: I bought the kit one of our members put together ($25 delivered) and did it myself. It comes with complete instructions and color photos of each step. It was a snap and I have the satisfaction of knowing it was done right because I did it. You don't break any seals when doing it. The panel pops off and pops back on. There are four screws to remove on each door.

80% of the heat comes through the front and back glass. My black TL is so much cooler now. It's amazing. The AM reception and the GPS was not affected in the least.

I would post pictures (I have them) but I don't know how to do that and this forum won't let you attach a picture to a posting. (???) I would email them to you Willhaven, but you have your email blocked on your profile.

XP

Xpditor

Actually, I just added those pictures to my album on SnapFish (link is below). They will want you to register to view the pics but it is safe and free plus you can then post your pics for free. And for registering, they will send you 10 free prints of any of your digital pics that you upload. :hitit:

Xpditor

A tint shop that uses computer cut patterns is the only kind I would go to. The other method is to lay the film on the outside of the window and cut it with a razor, then move it inside. The razor can cut your rubber seals or scratch the window.

My little quarter windows are tinted all the way behind those rubber seals. A good tinter has no problem doing that. I would take it back. (Unless you got a down and dirty $69 Flea Market tint job).

XP

Xpditor

For all of you people who say you don't need the moleskin/felts- you're on borrowed time. Most Acura dealers won't tint without installing moleskin because of all the come-backs. Of course the fly-by-night tinters (and some good ones) will tell you you don't need it. Of course they haven't had a problem. It's the car owner who has the problem.

The son of my Acura salesman had to re-tint his car because of scratched tint and then took the car to the service department. It was 3 days after the re-install and he had not yet put the windows down. So, in front of the service manager and Acura rep, he put the windows down for the first time. When he put them back up, they were scratched! Acura put the moleskin on his car after that demo.

Mercedes also has this same problem with tight hard rubber wipers. Close tolerances. They are great for keeping the glass clean but they raise hell with the softer tint films. Acura actually has two inner wipers in the door. It's the bottom one that causes the scratching. If you put your front windows all the way down and shine a light in the slot, you can see both wipers (towards the front where the window slopes). You will also see that the outer wiper has the moleskin on it.

A forum member, flnsx, has put together a kit with the moleskin (X4) and step by step instructions with color photos for $25 delivered. I got that and installed them myself before I got the tint. It was easy. Now, I have peace of mind.

Warning: if you have Navi or listen to AM radio, do NOT use metallic film on the back glass. The Navi manual warns against it on p. 3. It WILL interfer with your GPS antenna which is below the package shelf in the rear. That exterior antenna is for the satellite radio- not the GPS.

Look for ceramic film if you have Navi. It's more expensive and better film than metallic. Formula One makes one called "Pinnacle". That's what I got.

See www.formulaone.com for more details. (No, I'm not connected with them.)

rets

Well said... lots of tinting guys do mention some Mercedezs require felts too.

But, not all Acura dealers know this yet, at least my stupid dealer still insists they have no problem now...
:o

Xpditor

My advice: don't mess with the 3rd brake light housing. It doesn't touch the window in any TL I've looked at. It's kind of cantilevered out from the headliner. It has a rubber skirt on three sides which seems should press up against the glass. But it doesn't. I thought something was wrong with mine because I had a 1/2" gap between the rubber skirt and the back glass. I complained to the tinter that they had messed it up. They told me to take it to the dealer, get it fixed, and send them the bill.

I went to the dealer and looked at 3 new TLs. They were all much like mine with a gap. My gap may have been an 1/8" more- maybe. Not enough to have those greasy handed mechs all over my supple Corinthian leather! :ar15: I can live with it since the new ones come that way.

I don't know if it's a screw up or if it was designed that way for better air circulation around the light. I know the housing on my Maxima melted from the heat of the bulbs after a few years. Put a hole clean through it.

Point is, they don't need to drop it because they can tuck the tint under the lip no problem. Room to spare.