I am new to Prius Chat. I bought a Prius III 2010 back in February. It is scorching hot here in North Carolina, and the car is like an oven. I have decided to put a tint on the windows, and I have been researching NC laws, saying it has to be 35% light transmittance. My main goal is to reduce the heat in the car, and my choice is Formula One Pinnacle. I read that it works well with the electronics in the car. My main issue is how dark a tint should I get. I don't actually want it to be dark because I am not getting younger and my night vision is not like used to be. I also don't want to break any NC laws. I also have to factor in the existing tint on the windows, so any tint I apply will be darker. However, I don't quite know what those numbers are and how to calculate the total light transmittance when you combine the existing window tint and the Formula One tint. Any suggestions are appreciated.
I have a 30% tint in my 2009. (28% is legal in MS) I am 54 and it does not impair my view out, even at night.
You and I are about the same age and I know what you mean about night vision. The windows on my Prius are tinted 35 front and 15 rear sides and back. Areas with 15 on the windows are definately darker and cooler. When I had mine tinted I didn't worry about the darkness too much because I don't drive at night very often and I have the back up camera. With tint or without, I don't think the visability out of the rear window is very good anyway. But if you're really concerned about it being darker you should probably go with 35 all around.
North Carolina laws says the darkest you can tint all windows is 35%. I am afraid if I have the car tinted with Pinnacle 35 with the existing tint that it will be too dark and not pass inspection. I certainly don't want to get pulled over and ticketed for windows that are not legal. Anyway, there is also Pinnacle 40 and 50. The Heat rejection rate of all three are within about 5% from each other, so I suspect I won't feel a real difference in temperature between the 35, 40, and 50. I would like the windows to be darker for privacy and glare reduction, but I don't want to be so dark that it sacrifices safety.
I have 35% all around and it is noticeably cooler in the car. As far as night driving goes IMO 35% doesnt effect visibility. You can still see out just fine. http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...ons/80792-c-tinted-windows-2.html#post1129906 In these pictures I dont have the front triangle windows tinted yet
Oh, OK. I didn't realize you don't have any option with your other windows. I didn't even think about factoring in the existing tint percent on my windows until I read your latest post so I called my local (and very reputable) tint shop and they said there may be a some additional darkening from the existing tint, especially with rear 'privacy' windows on SUVs and the like, but there is also a variance in our state law that allows you to go over the 35% and still be legal.
Check out my signature, brah! BTW, please do not tint your front windows so people cannot see your face. It is very dangerous for other drivers. Not kidding. BTW, in CA, the law is ANY level tint on the back windows, but front cannot be tinted more than 30% (letting 70% of light in). Very good law.
I have 15% all round as of last night and its great. Its going to get a bit darker as the water dries but its pretty easy to see outside. But I have always been used to dark window tint (20% on my last and 5% before that). Just go with a darkness that you like the look of and you'll get used to how it feels driving with it.
I am also debating how much tint I should put on. Most discussions are focus on blocking the heat during the summer. I can understand this as the main reason for tinting the windows. However, I have not read anyone saying that they want more heat passing through the windows. Isn't getting more heat in winter as important as blocking heat out in the summer? In Ontario Canada, hot summer lasts less than 3 months. So my delimma continues as to whether to go with 30% tint or less.
The heat that window tint block is solar heat not ambient heat. The kind of heat that the sun shines directly into the window. during winter time, if there no sun out, there's no solar heat to block. There are many tint materials that rejects less solar heat. I've seen some 5% VLT tint that rejects 39% heat while HO ceramics 35%VLT rejects 60+% heat.
Ceramic tint also costs a bundle. I got 35% done all around on my Challenger. I just went to the same shop this morning actually and got 17% all around on my Prius. Plus 35% on the small glass on the back hatch to make it match. I went this dark because I carry gear and I dont want people to see in to my car. When I had my Pathfinder I had the rears limo tint and the fronts at 35%. With tint you see out much better than you see in. Just be careful how dark you go in the rear with no parking assist or camera....in the day its fine, but at night it can be a bit of a pain. By the way in CA...Anything over 70% is illegal in the front windows...so nothing...We all do it anyway
I have a black prius too, and I'm debating getting darker tint....it's just that the look of dark tint on a black prius reminds me of a ford focus for some reason, a car I really don't like the looks of. Call me crazy, I suppose I am
Just throw in my 2 cents - I had Pinnacle tint on my BMW 330i and LOVED it. Great product, wears well, and definitely makes a difference on hot Virginia summer days. My experience has been that even if you push it with the tint % wrt to the state law, it's not a problem. The tint law is aimed at gang-bangers, as long as you don't look like one, you're okay.
