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Tint % and beating the heat?

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Higgins909, Aug 29, 2020.

  1. Higgins909

    Higgins909 Member

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    So my 2010 Prius has 25% on all side windows and nothing on the front and rear. I used to think the small rear window had tint, but maybe not. I just had my AC serviced after failing to do it myself. It's just still so hot, that I'm thinking about trading it for another vehicle. Even though I really don't want to spend the money for such a reason. I also have a dash rug but I don't really know if it does anything.

    So at work sitting in the sun for several hours, I use a sun shield and crack all windows and it's still 124F in there when it's 104F outside. Today it looks like it hit 102F and my car was parked home all day and no sun shield or cracked windows. Was 134F or 138F in there. I had a 04 Honda Accord and do not remember having such issues. But it had full tint and a 4"~ bar on the windshield. I just don't remember what how dark the tint actually was. I remember I didn't have to flip the mirror when driving at night.

    25% is the lowest I can legally go on the front windows and I'm thinking a bar on the windshield might block my view, as the rear view mirror already blocks a lot of my view. I'm wondering if 25% all around would be good enough or if 5% on the mid to rear of the car would be much better.

    Does anyone know anything about tint and the heat?
     
    #1 Higgins909, Aug 29, 2020
  2. audiodave

    audiodave Active Member

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    Why nothing on that huge back window? 6 inch strip along the top of the front window is legal but with how long the window is you can get away with 8 inch.
    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #2 audiodave, Aug 30, 2020
  3. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    It's peak heat season here in Texas with a few weeks to go. Hot is hot.

    Seems extreme but if you do, you might look for another gen3 with the (somewhat rare) solar roof option; makes a significant difference.

    Many modern cars, hybrids in particular, have a loooooong sloping front windshield that lets in a lot of light. I have forgotten the name but I have a custom form-fitted accordian style fold out shield that works very well. Downsides: expensive, somewhat heavy, and harder to store due to accordian design.

    Another option: install a auto-start device (included with many alarms) to cool down the interior before entering. These work VERY well at the cost of fuel efficiency (and local ordinances in some places). The solar-roof package comes with auto-start too but the activation range is so short to be almost ineffective (IMO).

    GOOD LUCK!
     
    #3 fotomoto, Aug 30, 2020
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  4. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    The rear window is also makes a huge greenhouse. Tinting that would help.
    Aren't there tints available now that block infrared while being clear?
     
    #4 Trollbait, Aug 30, 2020
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  5. Higgins909

    Higgins909 Member

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    I was thinking I essentially had 2 windshields because of how the rear window is designed and I'm only blocking one of them. I don't have tint on the rear because I did what tint it has, by myself. I didn't think I could do the concave of the rear glass. I did a pretty poor job with the side windows. I've gotta figure out if a tint shop can remove it and how much extra that will be in time and $$. I've also got dashcams in the way and they're 3m double sided taped on, so I need to figure out how to properly remove those.

    If I do a front strip a website I found says I can do down to 25% and 5". I wonder how this will work because of the mirror position and the dots that are behind it. I just really worry about it taking a lot of my visibility away. I'm sure I will be looking through the tint.

    Went for a family dinner the other day in another persons car that had been sitting all day almost next to my car. And counting the co-workers truck I also rode in, other people vehicle seem to be so much cooler than mine, after sitting in the sun.
     
    #5 Higgins909, Aug 30, 2020
  6. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Tint DOES cut down on heat, but it also comes with some down sides.
    Nighttime visibility is degraded, some of the older tints can affect cell signals, and in some parts of the country even legal tint will work against you if you're the type that has occasional contact with LEOs since (a) it makes it harder for them to see inside your car and (2) it makes you stand out a little from the rest of the herd.
    It's not necessarily fair but young people are the ones that predominately mod their rides.
    This group are also (more or less accurately) credited for much of the buttwipery that occurs on the highways and byways of America.
    Of course....there's a diff in the southwestern states, where even octogenarians are shopping for tint these days.....
    "Climate change" at work.
    TIFWIW.

    So....
    If you get it done, get it PROFESSIONALLY done, otherwise in TX heat it will look like a bag of you-know-what in a very short time.

    Know the law (which you obviously do.)

    Be aware of the downsides - especially if you travel to other states often.

    Me?
    I learn to park in the shade, and failing that (my truck is in the sun right now) I use sun shades.....but then I tend to keep my cars for >10 years, and I'm always worried that even the high dollah tint will bubble up by then, and the "lifetime" warranty of the tint will have expired because it lasted longer than the lifetime of the shop that applied it.

    Good Luck!
     
    #6 ETC(SS), Aug 31, 2020
  7. audiodave

    audiodave Active Member

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    You must be tall. That windshield has plenty of area to do the strip along the top. 6 inches is allowed in my state but I know I could get away with more. But get the back done it's like a windshield in the back. Lol
    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #7 audiodave, Aug 31, 2020
  8. Mavi

    Mavi Active Member

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    I'd suggest 15 or 25% rear, 5% rear sides, 50% for the front windshield and front sides I'd go for 35% if you can legally get those. Also add a 5% windshield strip. Get a ceramic tint at the minimum. This will beat most of the heat during driving.
     
    #8 Mavi, Aug 31, 2020
  9. redhotz

    redhotz Member

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    I got ceramic tint all windows except windshield. At the time it was supposed to be the best at blocking sun heat from coming through. I don't know if it helped any cus I got it tinted when I first got the car.
     
    #9 redhotz, Aug 31, 2020
  10. Mavi

    Mavi Active Member

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    It helped... I used a tool to test the suns heat and my ceramic blocked approx 40-50% of heat coming through.
     
    #10 Mavi, Sep 3, 2020
    audiodave and redhotz like this.
  11. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

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    I went with SolarFX FXtreme2 70% Nano-Ceramic window tint in 2017 and have been extremely happy. It makes a huge difference on UV and inside temps. Last week we were running close to 107° and it was very noticeable compared to our other 2 vehicles without it. It's not a dark tint either as it allows 70% of the light in. I did not want to interfere with night vision. I have all black interior.
     
    #11 Mark57, Sep 3, 2020
  12. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    If we are lucky, Toyota will bring that IR reflective paint over here.
     
    #12 Trollbait, Sep 6, 2020
  13. Shepp

    Shepp New Member

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    The shade of the tint has a negligible effect on the heat blocking capabilities, allot of the solar heat isn’t from the visible light spectrum. It’s the quality and type of film that matters. You can get your car tinted for 100-150 or you can get it tinted for 400-500. Better film = better heat rejection.
     
    #13 Shepp, Sep 7, 2020
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