Colonel Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I've got an appointment for Tuesday to get the windows tinted. I was told they only have 3 kinds, 35%, 15% and something darker. I'm guessing I'm going to go with 15% and likely an "eyebrow". My Fusion already has the solar tint, or what ever it's called. It's pretty light. I'm wondering if there's anything I need a heads up about. (edit) Like on my Crown Vic, they took the connector to the in-glass radio antenna off when they tinted and I had no reception until I figured it out. When they went to fix it, they scratched the tint. I'd also like to see your tinted rides, how dark did you go, etc. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enormus Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I've got an appointment for Tuesday to get the windows tinted. I was told they only have 3 kinds, 35%, 15% and something darker. I'm guessing I'm going to go with 15% and likely an "eyebrow". My Fusion already has the solar tint, or what ever it's called. It's pretty light. I'm wondering if there's anything I need a heads up about. (edit) Like on my Crown Vic, they took the connector to the in-glass radio antenna off when they tinted and I had no reception until I figured it out. When they went to fix it, they scratched the tint. I'd also like to see your tinted rides, how dark did you go, etc. The tint shop should be able to tell you what is the legal limit they can apply on top of the existing tint. Whatever you do, don't exceed it. You won't pass inspection and tint is a huge pain to remove. Big mess. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Posted April 7, 2008 Author Share Posted April 7, 2008 So anyway.. I never expressed concern over tint darkness/tint laws or legalities. Troubles I asked about... and found... The black dots on the front and rear glass are really bad for tint. It's not sticking to them and you can't scrape them off and tint over them. Why I asked to begin with was to see about above such issues and see what others have done. I have no idea what to do right now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutnat Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 The black dots on the front and rear glass are really bad for tint. It's not sticking to them and you can't scrape them off and tint over them. Many people have had success getting the tint to stick with the dots. Perhaps take it back and ask them to try to fix it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bherman07 Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I have an appointment for my tint set for next Friday. I am going with the 15%. 35% is definitely too light, and 5% is illegal i believe. My friend just got his Tinted, it looks awesome. My Fusion is Black, i think it will look great! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevjur Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 I have an appointment for my tint set for next Friday. I am going with the 15%. 35% is definitely too light, and 5% is illegal i believe. My friend just got his Tinted, it looks awesome. My Fusion is Black, i think it will look great! here's 35% on an oxford white fusion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redneckford Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I went with 35% tint, just dark enough to do the trick but light enough the cops won't hound you over the trick to get the tint to stick to the "dots" is to get a heat gun and a stiff paint brush and heat the tint around the dots and tap the stiff paint brush around the dot's, the tint will slightly stretch covering the dots and when it cools the dot's will barely be visible. it took me about 3 times of doing it but it finally worked. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alkwky Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 I went with 35% tint, just dark enough to do the trick but light enough the cops won't hound you over the trick to get the tint to stick to the "dots" is to get a heat gun and a stiff paint brush and heat the tint around the dots and tap the stiff paint brush around the dot's, the tint will slightly stretch covering the dots and when it cools the dot's will barely be visible. it took me about 3 times of doing it but it finally worked. Can you please elaborate on this a bit? When I had my old car (98 cavalier) tinted, all they told me was to 'go outside and press on the tint so it sticks' and that didn't work, it's still bubbled to this day and it's only a matter of time before it starts to peel. I'm not wanting that issue on my new car! Do any tint shops do this sort of method? I don't have a heat gun... If it is DIY, when do you do it? The same day? The next day? When did you do the repeat sessions? Is there a particular setting or anything on the heat gun to use? I wouldn't want to badly melt the tint... Thanks! When I had my issues with the Cavalier, I was told to look into getting a glossy black vinyl on the outside of the rear windshield to cover up the top section of tint. Has anyone tried that? That would still leave the dots on the side visible though... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnyvet Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Few suggestions: Shop around and go to a reputable tint shop. Clean your ride very well beforehand, and most importantly, carefully inspect it, upon completion of the work. Just got my brand new 2010 FFH done, and they ended up etching/scratching the rear glass, after they had laid the film on the rear window to measure/cut it with their olfa. They must have had a bad blade or neglected to snap a new one. I immediately informed them. Tomorrow's day three, and I'll roll down the windows and see if they screwed anything else up, then we'll talk about a resolution to the problem. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonex293 Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 What level of Tint did you go with? I'm leaning toward a lighter shade (FormulaOne Comfort 50), but I'm also considering the next step darker (FormulaOne Comfort 38). I've got an appointment on Friday morning to have it done. -- Michael 2010 FFH Brilliant Silver, Light Stone Interior. Just got my brand new 2010 FFH done. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnyvet Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 What level of Tint did you go with? I'm leaning toward a lighter shade (FormulaOne Comfort 50), but I'm also considering the next step darker (FormulaOne Comfort 38). I've got an appointment on Friday morning to have it done. -- Michael 2010 FFH Brilliant Silver, Light Stone Interior. Hi Michael, I went with legal 35% all around (Tennessee law). Llumar High Performance Series, ATR 35 CH SR HPR http://www.llumar.com/pdf/en/LLumarAutoSpecsUS.pdf Would have loved to have gone darker, but with my bad luck, the law would have been all over me. Still looks a lot better, in addition of the benefits of solar protection. Good luck, and I hope that yours comes out unscathed! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonex293 Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Well I got my windows done last Friday. The dots in the rear window are giving them fits. All other windows look GREAT. The rear window....no so great. I just returned from them trying again to get the film to adhere to the windows around the dots......I'm still not real happy. They gave me three options... 1. Cut the tint back so it doesn't go over any of the dots.....I think that would look like crap... 2. Cut the tint back and put a piece of black vinyl tape over the dots....I think this would look better, but not great. 3. Leave it like it is. Hmmm, This shop gets high reviews....I checked before going. the trick to get the tint to stick to the "dots" is to get a heat gun and a stiff paint brush and heat the tint around the dots and tap the stiff paint brush around the dot's, the tint will slightly stretch covering the dots and when it cools the dot's will barely be visible. It took me about 3 times of doing it but it finally worked. Redneckford, I too would like more information on this method! I may just have to go get a good stiff paint brush. How much heat? -- Michael I've got an appointment on Friday morning to have it done. -- Michael 2010 FFH Brilliant Silver, Light Stone Interior. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robcy Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I went 20% all around. Slightly illigal, but it looks good. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnyvet Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I went 20% all around. Slightly illigal, but it looks good. Oh man, that "slightly" illegal film, simply looks awesome. How fussy are the cops around Orlando? You're gonna find out. My brother paid the fine a couple of times in Ft. Lauderdale, but kept it on anyways. I like that "take a walk on the wild side" approach to life, though! Still, you're braver than me. It would always be in the back of my mind, and I'd be busted within a month. Good luck. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robcy Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Oh man, that "slightly" illegal film, simply looks awesome. How fussy are the cops around Orlando? You're gonna find out. My brother paid the fine a couple of times in Ft. Lauderdale, but kept it on anyways. I like that "take a walk on the wild side" approach to life, though! Still, you're braver than me. It would always be in the back of my mind, and I'd be busted within a month. Good luck. I guess if the car was lowered, and I had a really loud stereo then I would defenitely get a closer inspection from the law, but so far I have had them for about 4 months, and (knock on wood) I have not had any trouble. I got pulled over for running a red light, and they did not even mention the tints. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysidx Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 I've got an appointment tomorrow to tint my 2010 SE, does anyone have any pics of the dot matrix after being tinted? I was told the only way to tint it completely was to use cheap and thin film, that would go over the raised dots. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonex293 Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 On my 2010 FFH, I had them place black vinyl over the dot matrix pattern and I'm happy with the outcome. Originally I was worried that it would hinder the visibility, but with the slope of the window it isn't a problem. Actually I don't even see the vinyl in the rearview mirror. == Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodeo Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 In NJ it is illegal to tint (at all beyond factory glass) the front side windows or windshield but as far as back side and rear window, you can go as dark as you like. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHITEHOUSE Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 For those that are going to tackle a tint job on your own here's something else to be aware of before you start. The side windows are no problem because they are flat. On a previous Ford Focus I tried to tint the back window, but I ended up having a pro do it. The problem was the curve in the window - it made it virtually impossible to squeegee out the air and flatten out the tint. I watched "The Tint Guy" who came to the dealership to do it (he was impressed with my job on the side windows by the way) and this guy was good. He used the heat gun/brush trick to get the tint to stick around the dots. Then to deal with the curved window he cut the tint a little wider than the window.....and dusted it with Baby Powder. Then, like an artist, he used the heat gun to shrink the tint to the window. The Baby Powder helped the tint move on the window and when he was done it looked like a million dollars....except he only charged me $100CDN to do it! We now have a 2010 Black FusionSEL and I'm trying to find this guy again - because I will not attempt the back window on my own. I still the Focus that we used to have and the tint looks great to this day (5 years later!) Cheers 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krusej23 Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 How much did it cost for you guys to get tinted? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJE Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 I have that dang dot problem too! I was thinking of putting on a spoiler to cover it up. They look pretty cool too. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360206677099&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acdii Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 For the back window, if you want to do it yourself, it is rather easy. You start by cutting the film to rough shape, then on the OUTSIDE of the glass, spray soap film and lay the tint against the glass with the removable liner on the outside, away from the glass, the same way that it will be going inside the car. Then take a squeegee and start laying the film down until you can go any further with it without risking wrinkles, trim the film for an exact fit, then take a heat gun and start in the middle, heat the film while squeegeeing until the film is formed to the glass, let it cool, trim it again, then remove the film, go inside and lay it like you would any other window, it should slide right into place. On the dots, you need to heat the film up enough to soften it, but not distort it, then press it against the glass with a stiff brush until it cools, and it should stay. Be patient with it and you should have a good job when done. You can use the same technique for getting the proper film size for the other windows by cutting the film on the outside of the window, then trimming it in place before installing it inside. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sithil Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Not sure what the dot issue is you are all taking about. I had mine professionally done about a week after I got the car. Cost was around $120 for all the doors and the back window. Getting dark when I took the pic so looks darker than in the daytime and is also from Iphone so not the best quality, but I have 10% on the back, 15% on the back doors, and 20% on the front doors. No eyebrow since cops key on at. Not sure of other states but here in Louisiana legal is 40%, basically meaning 50% tint is the only "legal' tint to put since factory even though it looks clear actually has a 5-7% tint. A 50% tint will yield about 41% light pass through when checked with a meter. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acdii Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 Here in IL, the law is, 35% for all windows, or if the rears are darker than 35%, the fronts can be no more than 50%+- 5%. The problem is you can't buy 50% tint in any of the stores, only online. I haven't decided yet if I will go with 20% or 5% for the rears. I also haven't decided on a color. Since the Sport windows are all clear, I can get a bronze, gray, or a blue tint instead of smoke. The Flex will be gray since the rears are already tinted from the factory. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdwells Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 I just had my 2010 tinted with Formula One Pinnacle tint since my car is Tuxedo Black I figured I would go with the best tint I could find. Pinnacle Series - FormulaOne High Performance automotive film I can't believe the heat reduction of this film! You can feel the sun coming through the front window compared to the sun coming through one of the tinted ones. Huge difference in heat. I had all the windows except the windshield done and I'm probably going to go back and have that too as well. Mine cost about $350 to tint with this high performance stuff. Regular tint would have cost $179. Before Tint After Tint Plus I love the look with the new tint. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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