shahram72

I see my eye doc every year, I have a cataract in my right eye which is stable for now, not degenerating. I think it was caused by my radioactive iodine treatment for my thyroid cancer a few years back. I do not have near the light sensitivity I used to have, but I think that' normal. Tint won't affect the glare problem through the windshield. I think from all the recommendations I have here I am going to go ahead and get the 35% all the way around.

oo7spy

Stop thinking and do it.

Don't make me bring Maury Finkle in here.

db22

Aren't there 4 objectives here:
1 Protect the interior
2 Keep the interior cooler
3 To look "cool"
4 To stop others from seeing you.

Manufacturers could use UV resistant glass but it's expensive. I would love to see electro-chromic glass used all round so you could adjust each windows density with a menu.

GoHawks

I think the RL glass was already UV resistant.

TampaRLX-SH

I think only the side glass is UV protected. Otherwise the front and rear windscreen glass would show the coatings with polarized glasses, distracting the driver's view.

From www.hondanews.com....

"The side glass is a special UV-coated, heat-rejection design "green glass" that helps protect occupants from harmful UV rays and excessive interior heat build-up. In an effort to further reduce cabin heat-as well as to provide added rear seat privacy-the RL features a power operated rear sunshade along with manually operated rear door glass sun shades."


The glass all around is acoustics designed as well. I know when I had my windows tinted, the vendor told me there is now clear UV film available for the windshield to reduce UV. In my state, it is technically illegal to have ANY film on the windsheild, but being clear, who would notice?

oo7spy

I would like to retract this statement as it appears all of my dealer stickers have been removed by my tint shop. The Acura brand and glass type is still there because it is not a sticker.

I also think there is a UV statement next to the Acura name.

TampaRLX-SH

You can replace the Security Sticker if you wish. The can be ordered. From Acura OEM Parts, they are $1.59 for each window.

39885-S5A-A11 LABEL, IMMOBILIZER & SECURITY

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

why would you want the factory stickers in your windows anyway? just clutters the window up.

i hate having the state inspection and city stickers on my windshield, but i don't have a choice (well i do, but the law won't like it as much...revenue tix).

shahram72

Going off on a tangent here, but I always thought that security factory radios were a joke. I have NEVER heard of someone stealing a factory radio. Unless it has some value as a unique used part, like maybe ours does, then I could see the point, but who wants the CD player out of my Honda?

nj2pa2nc

NC did away with inspection stickers a few years ago-They are considering doing way with inspections.

chaqui74

shahram72

OK, it's been a while but they ran a groupon on a local tint shop so I went ahead and did it cause I got the RL and 2 side windows in my Pilot done for the cost of the RL alone. It's not too dark at all, you guys were right. In fact it could be a bit darker in the daylight, but then it would be too dark at night. Now I do notice some difficulty seeing in areas that are not lit up, but if there is ambient light at night, I can see out of the windows just fine. Thanks for all your comments guys. BTW, I went with Suntek 35% all the way around. I like 3M products but it's a hard to find brand here. Only one place has it and they are far from the house.

neuronbob

Told you it'd be fine! Not to mention you got to save some $$ too. Enjoy your now sharper looking car. How about a pic?

02type-s

My dad turned 50 this year, I had his windows on his TL-S done 35% front and 20 rear and a sunstrip on the windsheild. He LOVES it. Said he has never had a tinted car and doesnt know why he never did it before.

carrera

Another point that has not been mentioned here is the use of the side and rear shades. In addition to my 35% film, using the shades adds another layer of darkening to keep the car cooler during the day, and, of course, I can lower them at night for improved night visibility.

These shades are another feature of the RL I really enjoy - especially in hot Texas!

Just my $0.02.

Rob144

Count me in the minority who say "Don't Tint". I've had tint in the past, and agree it looks pretty cool.

I can't say that it really did anything to keep the interior cooler or preserve the interior. I cover the car when I'm parked at work, and when I don't I use a windshield sunshade and raise the rear sunshade.

The minuses for me were at night -- it makes it harder to see out of the car at night, and should need to use the interior light you can't see outside at all. While tinting materials and techniques may have improved in the years since I've had a tinting done, I'd be concerned about bubbles and flaws upon installation, damage to the interior by the installer (including water being squeegied into various crevices), eventual scratches that occur over time as windows go up and down, and degradation/discoloration of the film itself.

In California, I even got hit with a "fix-it" ticket for tinting. Ugh.

The ability to confirm eye contact with other drivers and pedestrians is another reason not to "hide" behind the tint. Plus, as TampaRL alluded, one can't be sure how the tint will behave with polarized sunglasses.

I've lived by the tint-free credo, because when I purchased my pre-owned '95 Legend sedan in 1997, I had the dealer remove the tinting as a condition of sale (and had to make sure that the rear defroster stil worked on every element).

So, count me amongst the naysayers on aftermarket tint.

02type-s

Modern tint will not affect polarized sunglasses, unless its junk tint.

Tint will NOT affect the defroster by any amount unless the installer razor blades the windows. (which is a no no)

Bubbles and flaws mean you took your car to the wrong place for tint.

Modern tint is PROVEN to help preserve interior and mildly help with interior temperature. If you think about it, its basic science.

I would venture to say, it has come leaps and bounds since 1997.

GoHawks

I've had the windows tinted on my last for cars...

1993 Acura Vigor (8 years tinted)
2001 Acura TL (5 years tinted)
2006 Acura RL (6 years tinted)
2012 Cadillac CTS Coupe (newly tinted)

And just had my son's 2009 Mazda 6 tinted

Absolutely no problems with any of the cars.

Robot919

Question: Approximately how much would it cost to tint a RL (all sides) for 35%? 50%? 20%? Does the price change according to the darkness of the tint?

I know the price varies depending on who you go to, but I am looking for a general estimate.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

% of tint does not dictate price. tint materials, complexity of the car (think VW bug with all the curves of a window or a VW/audi with the electronics), where you are located...these will dictate price.

quality mid grade tint, non metallic will run $200 to $350 depending on the installer. ceramic can run $350-$500. cheap dyed tint will be $100-$150. <--it's this stuff that will fade, turn purple, interfere with electronics etc. not sure how the RL is about scratches, but the TL is known for it and many get moleskin installed as well to prevent scratching.

Robot919

So it would cost around $200-$350 for a good quality tint. That's not bad at all, thats actually cheaper then I thought. Unless you mean $200-$350 per window...

I am really considering getting some then. Will take me a few weeks to save up for it, but I think it would be worth it. Only thing is the stupid New Jersey tint laws. Can't tint the front windows.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

the price is for the whole job. i waited 6 yrs to tint the TL...once i got it...i asked myself, why did i wait so long? i went with VA legal (50/35) since i didnt' want to be hassled. you could tint the front windows....risk tix. gotta pay to play i guess. or go with 50 and whatever is legal on the back.

shahram72

If you have to save up for a tint job, I hope your car never breaks. That's chump change in RL territory. You might want to save that money for future repairs, although I don't thin $200-$350 will fix much on this car. I paid $200, and they did a great job on all windows except the back. A few small bubbles. To make them fix it would risk damage to the defroster. This was the best place in town that tints super expensive cars, so not my fault. What can I say, I live in South Carolina, the armpit of the country. We don't even have street lights!

Robot919

Ok good, it's for the whole car. If it was that much for each window, I would say it's not worth it.

I have been thinking about getting tints long before I got my car, but haven't seriously thought about it until I officially got my car last month.

I find it stupid how New Jersey says its illegal to tint the front windows, but allows any % on the back windows.
http://www.tintcenter.com/laws/NJ/

Do you think 50% in the front would be noticeable to the police (enough to get pulled over)?



For you, $200-$350 might be nothing, but for me (a college student), that's a lot. And last week I had to bring the car in for a timing belt replacement/new wheels/6 year service so hopefully it will be able to run smoothly. (Luckily parents helped pay for that cause I couldn't afford it).

oo7spy

Tint (not tints) is a must have in TX. When I picked up Legend #2, the darkest legal and darkest available were on in a week. $225 for metallic Llumar on all 5 windows. Comes with a lifetime warranty that must be honored by any Llumar dealer. No bubbles, no scratches, no interior damage, & no defroster issues (although I don't need to use it cause it's TX.)


As for Rob's sentiments, I respect your opinion, but wholeheartedly disagree with almost every point you made. In August in TX, the interior can reach 150 degrees easy with no tint or shades. Like I mentioned, I have the darkest I can. I also use a windshield shade and crack the windows. However, when it is 113 degrees outside, there isn't much you can do to keep the interior from baking.


In response to Sharam, fearing you can't afford a repair isn't reason to not buy something. Hondas do not spontaneously combust. While I suppose I cannot stop you from living in fear, there is no need to instill your unfounded paranoia into others.

Robot919

(Couldn't find the edit button -.- so I had to make a new post)

For the $200, what type of tint was it? Did the person hand cut the tints himself/herself?

shahram72

It was Suntek tint, what most of the shops here have. It was not the cheap dyed tint and has a lifetime warranty. I think they cut it on the outside of the car for the back window, I did not see a machine cutter.

And $300 is a lot of money for anybody, I was not trivializing that amount. I just hate to see someone get grounded with this car because a repair is just too expensive. Mercedes mechanics have a saying, If you can't afford a new Mercedes, you can't afford a used one. I'll bet Acura mechanics would say the same thing. Hondas are wonderful cars (That's why I bought the RL) but nothing is bulletproof and anything can break at any time. Heck I had a FORD that acted like a Honda until it hit 131K miles.

We're all at different income levels here. I suspect there are 3 different types. The higher end who bought it new who's car payment is more than my house payment. The lower end (no disrespect meant, I've been there) like our hard working college student who wanted the nicest his budget would allow, and then the middle where I am. I had a budget several thousand dollars, maybe even $10K more than what I paid for my Acura, but don't like high payments, and like to drive nice cars at a discount. The difference is while I have a definite fear of an expensive repair($2000 should make anyone cringe), I know that the $16K I paid for my car DOES NOT BUY ME AN RL. You can't get something for nothing. I know I may have to put some repairs into it over the years. Hopefully not over $1000 a year average, outside of maintenance. It might be more than that, it might be less than that. I am taking that bet and should still get what I paid for in the end. Now for our other young gentleman here who spent at the top of his budget, what if his car needs a $2000 repair? He will have to go into additional debt for it for a long term, or maybe he can't pay for it at all. Heck, I would have to pay for one like that over a few months myself!

I am sorry and did not mean to instill fear in others but I have been on several car boards over the years including one similar to this (Lincoln Mark VIII forum), and I have seen the horror stories, and experienced a few myself. This board is great and we should help each other the best we can to do as much as we can ourselves to SAVE MONEY. But the systems on this car are so complicated, I'm not sure even the dealer is competent enough in all cases. We did EVERYTHING on our mark VIII's. I even replaced the entire air ride system and upgraded it with stronger compressor (car lowered 1" at 55mph and load leveled front to back and side to side). Others rebuilt engines, transmissions, and even added twin turbos or superchargers. Heck, it was a ford V-8, but not the old pushrod type. It had a OHC 32valve motor, high tech for Ford in the 90's. But it was basically like working on a hopped up Thunderbird and parts while expensive were half of Acura. I miss that car.. Point is, it was easy to work on compared to the Acura. This car is another animal. Lot's of mystery when something goes wrong where as in the Lincoln we knew (as a board) what was wrong almost every time.

It is entirely possible that this car will go to well beyond 100K miles without a single problem, and I hope that is what this young man and myself enjoy. Heck I kinda expect it from this brand. But the opposite is also possible. Guys, I don't worry about my car when I am driving it, only when we are talking repairs and money here. I just don't want anyone to be unprepared. I have to admit, I was a bit at first. Everyone here thinks I am paranoid. I think that's excessive. But I will admit I am absolutely terrified of being in a situation where I have to take it to the dealer and they hold my car hostage for several thousand dollars of a repair replacing en entire system because they cannot or will not diagnose a problem. Yes, I am paranoid of the dealer! Maybe I should have bought a simpler car, which was my plan (blame the wife). But I have this now and will deal with it.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

depends on where you live in NJ. some places i hear are really anal about it...others not so much. if you have a light colored interior and you keep your sunroof visor open to allow light in...the windows will look lighter than 50%. i have a black interior so mine looks darker than it does, but you can still see me. 35% tint with a black interior will be darker than it looks, but you see shadows and outlines of people with it. run a search in the NJ/NY section on the tint tix and see what it produces.


shop around for tint installers. find out if it's hand cut or computer cut (find someone who hand cuts). find out their products and research the products. my tint installer hand cuts the tint, uses madico products (the charcool line to be exact), and has installed tint on a lot of high profile owned vehicles (exotics included). he also got glowing reviews online. the thing that sold me was he remembered who i was from my email when i called him. he was reasonably priced compared to other installers in the area that used solargard or suntek products. i had researched the products the installers used and made my decision from there. i posted something somewhere on another tint thread about the differences on the types of tint available.

it comes down to the installer. my installer is a perfectionist and does great work. you dont' like it...he'll fix it no questions asked. plus supporting a small business is nice too!

oo7spy

Whether a college kid drives a Cobalt or an RL, if the transmission goes, they won't be able to afford the $2000 repair. I worked full tine as a college student and never could get my bank over $1k. Didn't matter if I bought $200 tint or not.

The beauty that Robot has bestowed upon himself is that he bought a car that is more reliable than a Cobalt. While the parts are more expensive, the frequency of repair is lower. In the end, he could very easily end up paying less by owning an RL. It comes out in the wash.

Robot919

The thing is, if my car needs to go in for a checkup/repairs, my parents will help me pay for it. So I am not too worried about that, because it is necessary to keep the car running well. But as for stuff like modifications (tints, new wheels, personalized license plate, etc), I am on my own because the car will be able to function fine without tints/new wheels/etc.

Do you happen to live in the New Jersey area? Because if you do, then I may considering contacting your tint installer.

I am thinking of maybe just getting the back windows tinted (maybe around 35%, not too dark) because I really don't want to get unnecessary tickets. Or maybe if I get the front ones tinted it will be the highest % (which is 50%?, unless I'm wrong). So right now I'm thinking about 50% front 35% back or 35% back.

I read on another forum that this guy got pulled over multiple times because he had front window tints and eventually had to have them removed. But he said his was 5% so that's obnoxiously noticeable.

If I get only the back windows tinted, will the cost be cut in half (so instead of $250 it would be $125)?

I know what you mean, it's really hard saving money. I am the secondary breadwinner in my family, and that is a bad thing considering my salary rate is in the single digits (per hour).

And the only reason I was able to get the car I have now is with my parent's help in paying for it. Without them, I wouldn't even be thinking about getting tints or whatnot right now. But so far my car has been reliable and I hope it continues that way.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

^^sorry i live in No. VA. unless you want to make a road trip down.

5% tint will get anyone pulled over. 35% keeps it classy. of course the trend tends to be: older members go for 35%...the younger members go for 20% or darker. so...you have to go with what YOU want since it's your car. google NJ tint tix...see what you find then decide how you want to handle the front windows. i know certain jurisdictions in my area are VERY strict with the VA troopers being the worst. NJ tint laws are like CA tint laws-no front tint. keep in mind that factory tint (yes there is a hint of it in the windows of our cars) is around 70-75%. SUV tint is between 20-30%. gives you some idea of the darkness. limo tint is 5%.

there will be a few people on here that will tell you get ceramic tint. honestly, you are in NJ. it's not constantly sunny and hotter than hell like TX or AZ. many of the installers in my area dont' recommend ceramic tint (they didn't even push it when i asked about it). just do your homework. google is your friend.

oo7spy

What are tints?

shahram72

Gotcha robot, I had help from the folks as well when I was in college. Enjoy the car. Sorry if I sound so alarmist. This is the nicest car I have ever owned. Every car I get is the stripped down version (I'd rather have an F-150 XL than an XLT ranger) and for once in my life, the car is loaded beyond my imagination. I'm a bit overwhelmed. But I AM enjoyng the car. iPod sounds great in it, just put that in this weekend, but still have to run the cable.

Robot919

Classy, I like. And thanks for the different numbers, it really does help me visualize how dark the percentages are.

I will be going away internationally for 2 weeks starting tomorrow, so I will have time to think about it. And when I come back I will do some more research. Thanks for your help!

It's all good. You enjoy also. You should post a picture of your new tints in this thread. Question: How did you get your iPod to connect? Because my car doesn't have a port for an auxiliary cable to connect to it so that I can play music on my phone.

(Will be gone for 2 weeks so I'll read your reply when I come back)

oo7spy

Before you leave, can you please explain what tints are?

BDoggPrelude

It must suck to live in a state where the cops have nothing better to do than hassle you about how dark your windows are. In Colorado the law is technically 27% if you have all the windows tinted. If you don't have the front windows tinted you can have the rear windows as dark as you want. I've had tint ranging from 5%-20% on every vehicle I've ever owned and have never been questioned once about how dark my tint is...and I've been pulled over a lot. Also supposed to have a front license plate. Neither one of our cars have a front plate and I've never been hassled about that either.

oo7spy

I don't think the cops give a shit here either. Where they get ya is at the inspection sticker shop. They won't pass you with any less than 25% up front or anything below the AS1 line. However, no inspection means cops give a shit.

The key is to have a buddy who does inspections.



Obviously though, I haven't found that buddy.

shahram72

I'l post a pic as soon as I take one, I'm finally home, and it's dark outside now. As far as connecting an iPod, we're discussing in depth in the electronics section right now. Read those threads. I will say it sounds great, but I am disappointed in the interface as I have to select one by one to change album, artist, or playlist, so you can imagine, it's slow and tedious to the point of not being useable if you have a lot on your iPod. Just my opinion. My suggestion, just get an aux in, much cheaper and control the iPod directly, which is what I will be doing with this interface with the "DIRECT" option.

BDoggPrelude

We don't have inspections here fortunately. They used to do them in CO and have talked about doing them again ever since. Sometimes I wish we did so our roads would be a safer place, (bald tires, worn brakes, etc).

nj2pa2nc

My mom' neighbor is a Nj state trooper A few years ago a fellow trooper was shot on a traffic stop. The car had dark tint That made it very difficult to see Inside the car. Luckily the trooper survived and the drug dealer arrested.