Tint on tint question

Most tint laws are based on light transmission through the glass and tint, so you multiply the tint level times the existing light transmission through the factory glass, to get 37.5%.

 

Also, the interior color makes a significant difference in how dark the tint looks from the outside and whether or not you get nabbed by a cop. I had 35% smoke with light interior color and never got caught in CA in the 10 or so years I had the car. I'll probably do 50% all around (except the windshield) this time as the factory glass is already tinted ~75% and mine's misty gray.

 

I've been wondering about the tint levels for the Prius, which windows are tinted? Is it all four of the main door windows, just the rear door windows? With CA tint laws, you can't "tint" the drivers side and passenger side front windows (film tint). BUT factory tint is OK, you just can't darken it more. Now the rear windows is a different beast altogether.

 

Against the law in CA, but virtually everyone does it...I see LOTS of tinted front windows...and I myself own two cars that have front tinted windows and have never been sited for it even after being pulled over for other offenses...

Are the windows in all Priuses 75% tinted? Front and back?

 

The factory window specs are all in this post:

http://priuschat.com/forums/knowled...61167-2010-prius-window-specs.html#post840041

 

I don't think that's correct. Max is 70% for front side windows in CA. So if your front sides are clear (no tint in the glass), you can do 70% tint film. Any darkness can be used for back side and rear windows in CA.

 

Which is why the law is so goofy and confusing. I've read that the front windows can have 70% tint BUT only if it is factory installed. You can't take an untinted front window and add 70% tint to it (see below). But if the car comes with tinted front windows, you are fine, so long as they aren't tinted darker than 70%. My head hurts.

CHP-Frequently Asked Questions of the Highway Patrol

Can I put after-market tinting on the windows of my vehicle?
The main requirements for legal window tinting in California are:

1. The windshield and front driver's side and passenger's side windows cannot receive any aftermarket tinting.
2. If the rear window of a vehicle is tinted, the vehicle must have outside rearview mirrors on both sides.

 

I would recommend talking to the glass tinting shop first. The one I went to wouldn't tint over the tint that either came with my 2008 Prius, or had been added after the dealer got it from Toyota. And it wasn't because of the percentage of darkness. It was something about it either not looking good or not being possible.

 

From link:

"However, legislation signed into law effective January 1, 1999, exempts from the above prohibition specified clear, colorless, and transparent material that is installed, affixed, or applied to the front driver and passenger side windows for the specific purpose of reducing ultraviolet rays. If, as, or when this material becomes torn, bubbled or otherwise worn, it must be removed or replaced."

You can legally apply a near transparent tint (such as the ceramic Llumar Air Blue or the 3M Crystalline 70) to untinted front side windows as long as it's 70% light transmittance or above.

Also, the "factory tint" is actually tint in the glass itself. There's no film.

 

Does 70% light transmittance = clear (by definition of the law?) I think this is where the confusion lies with me.

 

The factory glass in the front doors is already at 75% light transmittance, so legally, your only option is the almost clear tint being suggested by the quoted post.

 

Llumar Air Blue is 78% so applying it to the already tinted factory front side glass would already put it over the limit legally (58.5% light transmittance). There might be lighter tints than the Llumar available out there. However, don't be afraid to drop down to 70% (52.5% overall) or 50% (37.5% overall) tint. I had 35% smoke tint on clear front side glass on a previous car for 10 years and never got pulled over in California.