1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Tinted Windows---Opinions!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by StarBrite310, Jan 19, 2006.

  1. StarBrite310

    StarBrite310 ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2005
    335
    23
    5
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Three
    I am FINALLY picking up my car on Saturday! Black on dark grey leather. Anyway I am gonna have the windows tinted a bit. My salesman said I should go with the medium tint. He said it's just perfect, not too light and not too dark.

    Does anyone have any input on this? Or maybe some pictures?

    Thanks! :)
     
  2. benighted

    benighted New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2005
    530
    1
    0
    Location:
    Westport, WA
    This is what mine looks like with dark 15% tint
     
  3. mehrenst

    mehrenst Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2005
    439
    7
    0
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    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.
     
  4. craigcush

    craigcush Member

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2005
    157
    1
    0
    Location:
    Sedona, Az
    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.
     
  5. justinc

    justinc New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2005
    70
    0
    0
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    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
     
  6. Bill Merchant

    Bill Merchant absit invidia

    Joined:
    May 3, 2005
    4,096
    82
    13
    Location:
    USA | Oregon | Portland area | 97004 |
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    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...
     
  7. mehrenst

    mehrenst Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2005
    439
    7
    0
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II

    #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.
     
  8. mehrenst

    mehrenst Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2005
    439
    7
    0
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    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.
     
  9. mehrenst

    mehrenst Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2005
    439
    7
    0
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    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. :p
     
  10. JMcPhee

    JMcPhee New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2005
    202
    0
    0
    Location:
    Foothill Ranch, Orange County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    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.
     
  11. craigcush

    craigcush Member

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2005
    157
    1
    0
    Location:
    Sedona, Az
    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.
     
  12. StarBrite310

    StarBrite310 ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2005
    335
    23
    5
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Three
    I am getting my car from Longo and I trust them with the tint job. They said if I feel it's too dark, it's not a major deal to have them change it. They are so nice over there!!!!
     
  13. benighted

    benighted New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2005
    530
    1
    0
    Location:
    Westport, WA
    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...
     
  14. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2005
    9,810
    466
    0
    Location:
    MD
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    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
     
  15. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2006
    6,057
    389
    0
    Location:
    Northern CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    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.
     
  16. benighted

    benighted New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2005
    530
    1
    0
    Location:
    Westport, WA
    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.
     
  17. Walker1

    Walker1 Empire

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2006
    911
    6
    0
    Location:
    FL
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Two
     
  18. Walker1

    Walker1 Empire

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2006
    911
    6
    0
    Location:
    FL
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Two
     
  19. CarlosV

    CarlosV Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2005
    22
    0
    0
    Location:
    Seattle Area
    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
     
  20. tracysbeans

    tracysbeans Member

    Joined:
    Dec 25, 2005
    979
    0
    0
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    AAH so no tinting for me? That was something I was going to check into.