Tinted Windows---Opinions!

This is what mine looks like with dark 15% tint

 

If you have the Sat NAV in you car then you should be looking for a tint that is ceramic based, e.g., Huber Optik, or similar. This will not effect the Sat NAV reception. Do a search for "tint" and you will find a bunch of information in these forums. Here is another forum on tinting. Tintdude Forum

Keep in mind that California law limits the amount of tint you can apply to the driver/passenger windows. (Actually most tints are too dark to meet the legal requirements and you will likely have to sign a waiver to keep the tint shop off the hook.)

If you are not looking for the "limo look" B) , do not have the NAV option, and are willing to spend a bit more money then I would suggest you look into V-Kool . I did my Prius using V-Kool 75 and you can hardly tell the windows have been tinted. The IR rejection is very high with a resulting much lower in-car temperature. The downside is that it's a metallic based film and it will have some impact on Sat NAV reception.

 

How did that affect your dimming mirror? I just can't afford huber optik but was looking for as light as possible and the best IR rejection. If the mirror is ok that sounds pretty good. You DID notice NAV attenuation? I have read here B4 that it was not a problem.

May be cheaper to have done now as the rush is on in arizona in summer.

 

Since you have the dark grey interior, I would not go too dark with the tint. From past experience, the interior makes a huge difference in terms of how dark the tint looks from the outside. I would go maybe 35% since you are in CA. I have to get my Prius tinted soon too!

Justin

 

The Nav antenna is under the windshield, so unless you tint your windshield with a heavy metal film, Nav should not be affected. Mobile phone reception, on the other hand, might be a problem with metal film tint. Get a guarantee fron your installer.

With a dark gray interior, IR rejection is more important than visible light moderation in a hot climate. And check the law so you don't have to scrape off an illegal tint by the side of the road under the watchful gaze of the CHP...

 

#1. I don't have the dimming mirror. However, I didn't do the hatchback door. I think the dimming mirror is primarily visible light so since V-Kool is targeted at IR and UV there is not much attenuation of visible light. Take a look at the technical data on the links in my original posting.

#2. I wasn't worried about the NAV since I didn't have it as an option. I have since bought a Magellian RoadMate. I think I will install an external antenna this summer. It works okay but seems a little slow on acquisition of the sats. However, the tint shop that did the work indicated they had never really had any major issues with V-Kool. But that might have been related to the NAV antennt location, i.e., far forward on the dash.

 

Generally, I have no issues with using my mobile fone from inside the car. I'm on SprintPCS so coverage is pretty good in the SF Bay area.

 

V-Kool 75 is almost invisible. The only way you can tell the window is tinted is by noticing the difference along the edge at that point where the tint stops and the untinted window starts to allow the window to seat in the weather stripping. I was very careful about it because the other driver is adament about not having tinted windows and so far it hasn't been noticed.

 

Starbrite -

I'm in the OC. picked up my classic silver 06 package 8 with light grey leather 2 weeks ago. dealership tinted all my rear windows with the darkest ceramic tint they have... "limo tint". I know you don't want it that dark, but I wanted to share the following:

1. The auto dimmer rear view mirror still works, even with super dark tint, and I can still see things at night, so if you go lighter, you'll be fine.
2. Don't tint the driver or passenger front doors at all - it's not legal. As far as I know, CA law states you must be able to observe through a rear facing mirror WITHOUT looking through tint... either the center rear view mirror, or BOTH of the outside ones.
3. I thought going from nothing up front to BLACK in back might be a bad transition, but the stock solar reflecting glass (or whatever it is) on the car actually gives it a nice fade effect from teh front windows to the rear.

So the answer is, 1. make sure it's not metallic, and 2. go with your prefrences... on the rear windows only.

NOTE: they DIDN'T tint that little slice of a rear window at the bottom, but although I can clearly see the difference from the inside, it LOOKS tinted from the outside, and I decided a little better visibility through that area (low - rear) was a good idea, so I didn't complain. OH yeah - it cost me $200 through the dealership, using a third party.

 

Thank you for your experience with this tint. Huber Optik was offered to me with similar profile, nearly invisible, but at a comparatively higher cost, $600 ish.

So can you define "a bit more money" ? I would guess you shopped around.

 

I was told that it costs more and is much harder to remove tint film than it is to install it. I guess they are really confident it won't be too dark...

 

i got the legal stuff here in NC... though my car is registered in WI... and technically there i'm breaking the rules... shh!

so it's 35% all the way around, excluding the windshield of course.

we love it! the guy we went through does all the tinting for DH's dealership so DH already had gotten to know him and had seen his work.

our car has SunTek carbon-dyed tint. lifetime guarantee against fading, and won't interfere with NAV. we don't have NAV but that was one of their claims. another member here had his NAV-equipped 05 done and hasn't reported any trouble.

however, i've read here many times that the NAV receiver is up front. and since you don't tint windshields anywhere legally, it shouldn't be a problem whatever you choose to do.

good luck

my tint pic: http://priuschat.com/forums/album_showpage.php?pic_id=1453

 

Oooh! I'm glad you asked because this is actually something I know about! After tinting my last four cars, I've figured out the perfect formula. I haven't heard of anybody else doing it, but my tint guy has stopped looking at me weird now. :blink:

Leave the front sides "clear" - actually factory tinted ever so slightly. Legally, there's nothing more you can do there in CA. on the rear side windows, go with something like 20%. On the REAR window, go a bit lighter with 35%. The dark on the sides keeps the privacy up, and darkens the whole interior, while leaving the back slightly lighter allows you to see out at night better. Nobody can tell the tints are different (assuming the same color/brand!). I swear by this combination as the best all-around compromise.

 

With 15% on all the widows the only problem I have is seeing around sharp corners at night in the country. In the City its not an issiue because of the street lights and such.

 

Bill,
What tinting do you recommend for those of us living up here in the great pacific northwest. I pick up my sliver 06 from a Portland dealer this weekend since Seattle dealers could not help me out.
Thanks,
Carlos

 

AAH so no tinting for me? That was something I was going to check into.