lol the wonder works of tinted windows but why did u tint it florida legal when u live in alabama? i dont think you would get ticketed, you may get pulled over but when they learn your an alambama residence, woudnt they let you go? since it is possible that your not aware of florida tint (at least you can say that heh)

 

Well, the truth is, I had been driving that Camry for years with the really really dark tint, and the cops in Alabama had never messed with me. That dark stuff, however, makes driving at night much more difficult. As you surely must know, our Hondas have wimpy-ass air conditioners, so after I switched to the Fit, I wanted to get tint to help out with the heat. I was in Florida visiting my brother, went to a tint shop run by two ladies, talked it over with them and ended up deciding on this Florida-legal tint as a compromise between shade and safety.

 

DIY tints...

I've seen loads of folks posting about getting their tints done at shops, but has anyone done their own? How hard? I'm getting ready to do my own (only way I can afford it) and any pointers are really appreciated. Ordered full set, 35% front and 20% back, and 'eyebrow'.

 

eh, ive done alota "cheapo" mods, but i never plan on doing DIY tints, that is b\c theres a good chance it wont be quality work. let the profesioanls do this, as they can warrentiy thier work, if you go to the good ones. but hey, im not exactly sure how they work, but i doubt they would be profesional qualitty...

 

Well... I've done a lot of stuff that others pay to have done, including building my own home and working on older vehicles, so I am game for the try anyway. I'm bound to 'get it' by the 6th or 7th window. (insert fingers crossed emoticon of choice here)

 

well if they can come off, then of course it can be redone or taken off for the real work. sounds like you know what your doin, make sure u do pics!

 

Well just remember to keep the tint legal. I got a repair order today and I will have to get my 2 front windows and rear window re-tinted with legal tints.

 

to the OP..

You live in VA? as in Virginia right?

I hope you know that the legal tint for the Front is 50% and Rear is 35%..... Anything lower you will get a ticket....

 

Here in Mauritius it says that if u bought the car as it is, that is already tinted, whatever %, u may have, its legal. But if u bought a car, then tinted it afterwards, its illegal!
LOL

 

Did the side windows today - 35% front and 20% back, which is in legal limits for my state. I am trusting that the several mentions of 'they will go through a period of looking funky-failed for a while and then clear up' is accurate.

I am glad i watched several different 'how to' videos, as there were hints and tricks that helped. I really hated those rear wedge windows... what a pain trying to work around those seatbelt anchors! I wished I'd bought the hardcard with the tight angle in one corner. That would have helped a lot.

Be sure to's - wet the window well with your soapy water spray, even below the bottom gasket, and wet the tint well as you remove it from the backing. Align the top and sides, anchor lightly, slipping the bottom in behind the gasket before you fully anchor the top, and work from the middle out. Wet the non-glued surface of the tint as well, to ease friction when carding it.

Watch out for's - Do not assume that 'lint free' means anything at all on the label of the paper shop towels. It doesn't. Beware that the cuts on the tints may not be totally clean. I had a small tear come up in one. It hardly shows at all, and though I do think I'll have the company send me a replacement for it, it's almost not worth worrying about.

Got the heat gun and will do the shrink-shaping of the back window soon, and the windshield strip is on order.

I have to say that I noticed an immediate reduction in the heat on my skin and the interior where the sun hits... quite clearly effective from that standpoint. Too bad we can't tint that windshield!

 

For those wondering in CA, it's 70% in front sides, any percent in the back windows, and none in the windshield other than the top 4 inches.

I actually took the front side ones off on my Yaris. I got away with it for 2 years or so, then got two fix it ticket within a couple of months from each other. It was 25 bucks each then, but CA has raised fix it tickets to $50 each.

 

?? You got ticketed for *not* having tint on the front sides??

 

haha, I should have been more clear on my post. I had 35% on the front sides when I got the two fix it tickets, forcing me to give up getting them signed and paying the fee and just take them off. My bad.

 

Whew! I was gonna join the 'big brother steps over the line' throng.

 

sigh...the van i turned in for C4C had 5% (neutral) all around, except the windshield. 7 years, many pull-overs, never an issue, I already miss it...but I know I'll catch heat from the cops within a day if i slap 5% on this Fit - gotta drive thru Duluth and Johns Creek...both suburban cities outside Atlanta where the cops dress for combat, and often behave like they're "in the shit." There are dozens of Chicano and/or Asian owned tint shops in this area that'll do whatever you want...pretty much paint 'em black if you choose, so the temptation is strong.

35% or roll the dice with 20%....



This tint guide would lead me to believe that 35% would be just fine, but I recall a friends getting 35% on her Accord, and me having to fake my impression...seemed lame for the $ she spent. I'm leaning towards 20 in neutral.

 

The percentage of the tint has very little to do with the amount of heat that is rejected. This is true on Metalized or hybrid films. I just has this discusion with the shop that just tinted my Fit. I wanted 35% all around and he thought that it would be too light. I wanted to keep the car cooler. After doing the research the difference in heat rejection between 35 and 20 is only a percentage or two. (depending on the film) So unless you really want the "gangsta" look getting a car's windows really dark really doesn't help too much with heat.

 

Guess it's worth readin' up on a little more, then....my full sized van was the first vehicle I've had done in 5% - lots of windows and large interior volume = oven long time. I've gotten used to the darkness inside, and hate driving my wife's Jeep Liberty on sunny days - I feel like a vampire trying to escape the sun light. The Fit hasn't been all that bad...we'll see. If 35 and 20 are that close, then maybe it's not worth the worry...

Hmmm, almost forgot about this little gem:

OTHER GEORGIA RULES AND REGULATIONS
Medical ExemptionState allows medical exemptions for special tint. For more details about the specific terms of the exemption, consult your state law.

Looks like I've got some questions for my eye doc on next Monday's follow-up for the new Rx. Contacts increase light sensitivity...

 

This website seems to explain the whole tint/heat thing pretty well. Window Tint | Solar Gard | Glossary

I'm really anal about stuff like this, I do way too research. If I understand it right, in a nutshell. Cheaper dyed films actually absorb heat and rely on the window being cooled by the air rushing past it. Metalized films reflect the heat away from the window. Some companies make very light films that reflect a lot of heat. I choose a Hybrid film which has splattered metal particals to reflect heat and uses dye to darken the window.

In the case of the stuff I used Solar Gard HP Charcoal, the difference in % for heat rejection is only 5% when you go from 38% light tr. to 5% light tr. I only point this out so people don't feel they have to get a darker tin then they want to be cooler in the Fit.

I did have them put on a wide "eyebrow" on the front window, it looks to be about 5 inches from the inside. It really seems to help with heat in the front, and glare, I'll have to see if it bothers me too much when driving. I've heard of people getting motion sick because of the constrast. A weird thing is the strip looks way wider from the outside then it does on the inside.

 

...and I believe they fade into that ugly purple hue after a few years. That's where mine were heading after 6 years, not garage parked. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out...do it right, this time.

 

You are all doing the right thing, talking about it and "networking" so as to make the best informed decision.

Personally, mine is done Florida-legal, which is 20% rear, 35% front, with a 20% eyebrow for glare reduction. It isn't dark enough to be hassled over, it helps a lot with cooling the car, and it does look noticeably darker without looking gangster-ricey. And unless someone is really trying to discern, it isn't noticeable that the front and back aren't the same.
I like it much better than the 5% gangsta tint I had on my previous car, mainly because I don't worry that I will be hassled by the gendarmes.