To tint, or not to tint?

[AntRyv]

Getting excellent feedback from everyone on the forum very quickly. Figured maybe I am not the only one that had this thought OR struggle…

SoCal sun with no parking garage space or cover does a number not only on paint but on the interior. How are you all conquering? Are you running tints? If so, what percentage? Any recommendations down in San Diego?

Thanks crew

[dr_011]

I'm running 18% ceramic (SunTek) all around and then use a WeatherTech windshield screen. Love it, works great.

[BMWE46M3]

It will certainly help reduce the interior heat gain in your SoCal sun which will also provide UV benefits to prolong the life of the interior materials. However, I would suggest going with a good quality tint like LLumar ceramic which includes a lifetime warranty. Additionally, you need to talk with your selected installation shop about the recommended percentage. I'm in Raleigh, NC and we're limited to 35% on the sides and rear so they recommended 40%. Why? Because the factory glass may already have some kind of very low percentage tint within the glass already which will effect the meter readings when you get your car inspected. And, at least in NC, the meters may not all be calibrated the same in each inspection shop so a bit of error needs to be included as well. So unless you want to replace your tint annually, it would be prudent to err on the side of caution and use a good product and have it installed by a reputable shop. Hope this helps...

[cobra]

I went with 35% ceramic tint side and rear. It makes such a massive difference - wish I would have done it the day I bought the car.

[ugaexploder]

80% ceramic windshield tint, 20-40% everywhere else. please inquire your local tint installer about the dot matrix in the rear glass. if they don't address it properly, it will look like shit.

also, in terms of ceramic tint, 3m crystalline is considered top by most but there are also other good brands such as autobahn, llumar. Autobahn i3 is a less expensive ceramic, a good installer should have options to show you what type of clarity and color difference there is between suppliers.

of course legality differs state to state, in GA 32% is the limit. this all goes out the window if you can get your physician to supply you with a medical waiver for a "medical-related" issue such as sunlight allergy 😂

with that said, you should almost never get messed with having 20% because it still outlines a silhouette of all passengers with a little bit of ambient lighting. At nighttime, it can appear pitchblack if there is no ambient lighting. As I get older, it really comes down to visibility and functionality...the less light you allow in to the car makes it harder for your own eyes to adjust and compensate for the lack of lighting.

[AntRyv]

You guys are saints, will be inquiring locally in a few spots I found near me in San Diego county this week

[maw1124]

Mine is "Florida Legal"... probably 20-something in the rear, 30-something on the sides. Garage kept car under a cover, but the FL sun is a bit more extreme than Deigo.

maw

[AntRyv]

Minty! Looks beautiful man

[EthanolTurbo]

You guys are saints, will be inquiring locally in a few spots I found near me in San Diego county this week

I have a really good tint guy in San Diego. He just did my E39 M5. He gives a good cash deal if I send you over. He's located in Pacific Beach.

[AntRyv]

EthanolTurbo that would be greatly appreciated brother

[L0okitzRaj]

80 percent all around including windshield in Xpel XR prime. Most of the stats beat out crystalline fyi.

The 80% makes it look not tinted. I’m thinking of doing 50% to be a bit darker, but still classy

[ChapterM3]

I've been asking myself the same question about whether or not to run tint - this is a great discussion, however, I think it could be even better to continue the discussion with photos of each car with the % of tint applied, and the manufacturer, could we do that?!

I'm personally not running tint because I'm not really a fan of totally blacked-out windows, especially for me running carbon black. I do however want to protect the interior more than anything else - I'm wondering if a 18% would do the trick, dr_011 could you post a photo of yours?

[ugaexploder]

I've been asking myself the same question about whether or not to run tint - this is a great discussion, however, I think it could be even better to continue the discussion with photos of each car with the % of tint applied, and the manufacturer, could we do that?!

I'm personally not running tint because I'm not really a fan of totally blacked-out windows, especially for me running carbon black. I do however want to protect the interior more than anything else - I'm wondering if a 18% would do the trick, dr_011 could you post a photo of yours?

Something to keep in mind regarding to what most people are talking about when they mention percentages which is visible light transmission (VLT). This number has very little to do with "protecting" the interior. There is a common misconception that you must go darker to achieve greater protection in terms of UV, infrared, and solar energy. This is simply not true. Going with a darker tint has more to do with VLT and glare reduction.

As you can see from the chart below, 20% to 90% tint provides 99.9% UV block, 20% delta in solar energy, and only a 5% increase in infrared rejection between 20% and 90%. Most ceramic tints offer this type of protection, so this is not assumed for all types of window tint.

3M Crystalline Chart

[ChapterM3]

Amazing explanation and chart, thank you for this 🙌

[ugaexploder]

Amazing explanation and chart, thank you for this 🙌

Absolutely, no problem at all! I wouldn't overthink it too much though. With Carbon Black on Black leather, lighter window tint is actually going to look darker on your car due to your exterior paint but also more importantly your interior. Black interior doesn't reflect as much light as lighter colors so a 35% tint will look more like 30%.

I would say if your eyesight is really good, go with 20%. It's funny because when the suns out, darker window tint actually helps you see better since glare is drastically reduced. However, if it's raining or very dark without street lights, your visibility will be very poor the darker you go. All that said, you live in LA...plenty of lights and sunshine. I would run 20% on sides and rear, and 80% on front. You almost have to run tint for blk/blk imo