Hey all y'all,

So based on the advice from the other thread I created (https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/gene...w-tinting.html) I decided to get the tint done.

-I got several quotes in my city and opted for the cheapest one @$150 for the 5 back windows @20%. The average quote was $250 FYI (You get what you pay for?)

-The guy I spoke to said he had 8 years of experience and the product they used was "Global Window Films". The guy also worked out of a body shop called "Polcan Auto" in Edmonton, AB. I googled both the product and the auto body shop and didn't find any negative review so decided to go for it. Plus he said there was a lifetime warranty.

-The guy finished the job relatively fast. He originally booked me for 5:00, but I called in the AM and said I would be late due to uncontrollable circumstances. I asked him if I should reschedule but he said no and that I should come in anyways. The shop was supposed to close at 6:00 but he would finish my car. I arrived at around 5:30 and he was done by 6:30.

-I am worried that he may have rushed the job. Right now there is quite a bit of hazing and bubbling. It is quite visible. I tried using a credit card and my fingers to move them but they dont seem to move.

-Also from looking out the rear view mirror there seems to be some distortion and double visision when I look at traffic behind me. Perhaps there is some warping or something going on?

Did anyone experience these symptoms after they got their tint done?
I text the guy who did the job and he said that it was simply condensation and would dissolve but I am a little skeptical.

I kind of feel helpless and that I wasted my money at this point. The guy didnt even give me a reciept or invoice so not sure what would happen if the the bubbles and hazing dont go away.

Pics:

 

how much of that is on the outside of the windows? that tiny bubbling in the first couple pictures is pretty normal

 

Windows are a bit dirty but most of the haze seems to be from solution trapped between the tint and the inside window. For the record when you are inside and looking out it doesnt look as bad.

How long should I wait for this to clear before I make a phone call?

 

Did you take the pictures right after the job? If so, don't mess with it yet. Let the film settle in and dry. Part of the distortion you see is probably coz the tint is still wet. Wait a couple of days and let the sun do its job on your tint. The small bubbles "should" go away. The haze "should" disappear once the surface/film dries up.

Don't know about the "no receipt" transaction you just made. You don't have any ground to stand on. Hope the guy's honest enough when you go back and ask for a receipt and warranty info.

If the tint job doesn't work out and you don't have a receipt... then your next tint job would end up costing $400 . But you'll be smarter... Consider it as added tools in your "lessons learned" tool box. Good luck! Hope everything works out.

 

most of that will go away in a day or two, depending on the weather. You might have a couple of bubbles left, depending on the guy's skill.

if you have a sunny day, park your car out to dry it up faster. however, you should still go get a receipt/invoice from them.

 

Mine lasted 4 weeks, BUT I had two films placed. But yeah, most of that should go away.

 

Great, thanks for the reassurance. I took those pics a few hours after getting it done.
I guess I will wait and see what happens and post back on the status later.

 

I had mine done by a very high quality shop in ATL - it was $400 for formula one ceramic tint. Took them about 2 hours if I remember correctly for all 9 windows. I didn't notice any significant hazing, bubbling, etc immediately after picking up the car, but he still warned me about it. Said I should not roll down the windows for at least 24 hours, preferable 48-72, and I should try to park it out in the sun so it would dry faster. I would wait a couple of days, if it doesn't go away then there is a definite problem.

 

Go back and ask for a receipt- is there any guarantee for their work?
I had my tint done by my local Honda dealer as resolution for a complaint that I had made. They gave me paper work /lifetime warranty and same instructions as Enraged Gnome listed (even though mine was 3M tint & not Ceramic) e.g. not to roll down windows for 24-48 hours, never use ammonia, etc.
Even if it was a discount- priced place, they should offer some type of warranty.

 

the clouding is normal and should dry out in a few days. the bubbles might be a problem. you should take it back and ask the guy to push the bubbles out and give you a receipt.

 

man... i've had experience in installing tinting and vinyl... and i can say straight that, that is one lousy job...

regarding tinting: it is normal to have a slight hazing for the first few days after installation and it will go away after a few days exposure to sun...

it is also normal to have 1 or 2 tiny bubbles, and it generally will go away after exposure to sun.

your case is far from normal though. from what i can see from the photo, there are a lot of trapped solution in the film, and that won't go away easily. the first picture with a lot of tiny bubble also is not good.. 1 or 2 tiny bubbles are normal, but that many? is definitely lousy job. i am sure that the guy installing this is in a rush and probably don't have much light to work with...

i'll describe here the basic step in installing window tint (the same with vinyl) and see, whether your guy skip any of this step:
1. make a template of your car windows.
2. cut the window tint according to the template, taking car you need to have a bit extra film on the edges to compensate shrinking.
3. for the front and back window, after templating, spray solution on the window, put the film on it (don't peel n stick just yet). and then use heat gun, so the film will shrink and taking the shape of the arc'd (arched? my english is bad) window.
4. clean the inside of your window thoroughly, going minimal twice with the cleaning solution and wipe.
5. spray the whole window with cleaning solution and put your tint on the window. it should stick due to the water.
6. peel a bit of the tint starting from the side and stick it to the window while pushing the solution out. we usually use a lot of solution here to keep the tinting from sticking to the window before we are able to put it in position. by pushing the solution out, the tint will stick to the window, and a bit harder to remove.
7. if you mess up here, you still had a chance to peel a bit from the sticking tinting, apply more solution and try again to stick it by pushing out the solution.
8. work your way gradually to the other side until they all stick.
9. done. give it a few days in the sun without touching it, cleaning it, or worse rolling down your window...

after you're done, you should not see anymore solution trapped inside. it should be smooth, no bubbles, no anything. in your case above, the guy didn't take his time pushing the solution out.. if i were you, i'd have the guy re-do the tinting or get your money back.

i have some tricks to mend that, but success depends on how long that tint has been there.. too long, and it probably won't work at all.. but in any case, here's what you can do, if the guy won't take responsibility:

1. you will need a pin/needle, credit card/atm card, a piece of cloth/tissue, and heat gun (optional)
2. burst the bubble with the pin.... seriously... use your head though, don't make a big hole in it. just prick it with your pin. the solution or air should seep through the tiny hole
3. cover your card with a piece of cloth and push the solution/air from the bubble edge towards the hole you just created.
4. patience... this is hard to do, and do it extra slowly. put too much force in it and you might rip or scratch the window tint. do it over and over again with slight pressure. the trapped solution/air will gradually seep through.
5. you can use heatgun and put heat on the small bubbles with only air trapped inside. it should help to reduce the bubble. take car not to put heat on one place for too long, otherwise it will shrink too much or worse yet.. melted..
6. i should warn you though, that whatever you do, at this point it is near impossible to have smooth tint... you probably will be left with a ripple in your tint, due to the tint already expanding from time covering the air/solution bubble. but i think it is still much better than having the bubble

now, the success of this attempt will depend on how long that bubble been there.. the longer it has been since you first put it on, then it might not do anything, since the glue on the tint has dried up, and that part of the tint won't stick. so i can't guarantee anything. your first and best bet, is to confront the guy, to redo your tint...

best of luck, and sorry for the long post

 

^^ditto^^ print out that post and bring it to the guy who tinted it and have them re-do. Froggin around will not correct the bad job. You want a proper job from the beginning.

 

UPDATE:

So as most of you accurately predicted, almost all the hazing and bubbling is gone.

However, there are quite a bit of small dust particles and very tiny little bubles around them on certain spots(most notably the small rear windows). Overall the tint looks ok, and the small bubbles are not a big concern.

I have a feeling the guy did a rushed job and didn't clean the windows properly before installing the tint. However, I did learn a lesson from this experience: You get what you pay for. Next time I will go to a more reputable place instead of cheaping out.

Thanks for all those who gave feedback.

 

Glad it sounds like everything worked out... so far... (confetti, whistles, fireworks)... If you're ok with it then good. Let's just hope the tint job lasts for a while... Good luck!

 

I paid $349 CDN 2 years ago for professional job. They do tint for the local Honda dealership. Super job. Yes expensive but worth it.

This year I took my new Caravan in for front windows and windshield. Debit machine was not working so instead of $180 got it done for $125 cash

My tint

 

That's why I looked for the lifetime guarantee and at $180.00 I think I got a good deal .
I could have done a better job than that.

 

Phew! I am glad for you that most of the issues are almost gone.. quite stressful at first seeing all the imperfections... at least looking at the bright side... what you had paid to the guy is not a total write-off and lets hope it will stay this way for you..... and you save some $$ as well......

 

Thanks. Yea overall the tint is acceptable.There are tiny bubbles as a result of the dust particles being trapped in between the film and the glass, but no one has really noticed except when I point it out.

The good thing about this whole situation is that I learned not to be so cheap. In the future I will pay for quaility product and service.

 

I am learning that as well... thanks for posting...

 

I called my Honda dealership to ask who they use to do their tinting and they recommended a company called Looks that Sell. They did my Fit in about 2 hours and that was 4 years ago. It never looked hazy or had any bubbling at all. That tint job looks lousy - I would request a total refund and take it to someone else and have them redo the entire process. If it looks like this now it is going to look worse a few years from now! Hope you can get it fixed!