Tint advice please

ceramic tint? never heard of that. I was told about carbon tint which is what I got and I love it. I was told it would never fade and it has a lifetime warranty.

 

from my limited understanding and research, there are generally 3 types of tint out there: dyed (solarguard, most other run of the mill tints), metallic (can cause interference will cell phones and handheld GPS units) and ceramic.

Dyed tints fade over time and can get that purpley effect going on. They aren't typically as efficient at blocking heat and light but are definitely a good deal from a pricing perspective. Can fade as soon as 2 years or up to 5 years regardless of warranty.

Metallic tints - all i know about these is that they don't fade as quickly as dyed tints, can have a mettallic/shiny appearance and can block signals for cell, handheld GPS, etc.

Ceramic tints - aren't always necessarily made of a ceramic material. These would be better classified as "non dyed, non metallic" tints. The carbon based tint above would likely be called ceramic. These do not have a noticeable fade over time, generally block more heat per light index (a 35% ceramic will generally block more solar energy (ie, heat) than a 35% dyed tint). These typically have lifetime warranties and do last longer. obviously cost is a barrier for this tint.

I personally went with a ceramic tint (Llumar F1 Ceramic 35%) on all my windows except the windshield...it was $320 installed in southern cali. I'm by no means an expert, but this is what I picked up in my research...

 

KCobby.....I had Geo Shield ceramic tint at 35% installed in my "09 about 6 weeks ago. I chose it because of the non-interference with Nav and Satellite. I really like it. It was installed on all the windows except windshield. It did take a couple of days to get accustomed to the additional tint look on the windows, but living here in the southeast it has helped a lot......

 

Some warranties cover fading - but as with most things, it depends on the dealer and the product that you choose.

I found the $3-400 range common online and locally...i figured the 320 price i paid was fair (though lower is always better ).

I chose the ceramic mainly due to the higher solar energy resistance and longevity. I wasnt really considering the metallic just because it doesnt make sense to me to put something on the car that has drawbacks like that...seems like it could be a liability further down the road or interfere with cellphones etc...

I'll try to get my car washed and get some pics up in the next few days so you can see what it looks like...

 

To all.

I know this is not the advice you want to hear, but I will give it and FWIW, I am an eyecare professional.

It is not a good idea to tint a windshield darker for extreme sunlight protection and then use that same tinted windshield for night driving. The tint will "hide" the things you need to see most under night driving conditions.

The best windshield for all around driving would be one with little tint. Additional comfort to the driver can be provided with sunglasses which can be removed at dusk. I don't mean this to be a sales pitch for sunglasses.

 

Any windshield tinting (except for a stripe at the top) is illegal in most locales. Most installers will tell you that (although installers put in illegal darkness of tint on other windows all the time. The owner bears the consequences if ticketed).

 

I just got my windows tinted on Saturday. The guy did give me a demonstration of the whiz-bang ceramic tint. It WAS noticeably cooler (under an IR heat lamp) than the tint I chose, but I've had the same tint on previous cars, and found it was quite excellent.

The film I went with was 3M metallic, in the darkest legal tint for my state. It's VERY dark. I had it done at the shop that did three out of my last 4 cars, and they did excellent work. Except for a couple bubbles in the passenger window and tinting over a decal on the inside of my back window (the small one), it's a great job. I'm going to swing by on Friday while I'm off to have them fix those two things.

Overall, I'd say the 3M metallic film will be more than adequate to block heat and give you privacy. Cost me $201 installed.

 

Oh, and I did ask about film for the front windsheild. There is some clear film that is legal here (Texas), but the shop hadn't decided to offer it yet. He estimated it would cost about $200 installed. I'm going to check with them in the spring, because when I drive to work in the afternoon, I get a lot of sun through the front glass, and it's HOT.

 

This is pretty true. The tint I just got, and the tint I had on a couple previous cars were all the darkest legal. It never bit me in the azz, but it DOES make backing up in dark areas quite tricky.

One major reason I like the dark dark tint is the privacy. At night if I park my car outside (like at the apartments I lived in) I put a sun shade in the front window. This makes it nigh on IMPOSSIBLE to see into the car in the dark. This is a theft deterrent. Most smash and grab thieves won't break into a car unless they can SEE a payoff.

 

Frayadjacent,

Thanks for the post about your experience with the tinting. Since I live in the hot southeast too, I understand the whole "heat thing."

My brother who is a deputy said the field test they use is if they can see their badge through the tinted side windows, they will pretty much let it pass. My 35% tint passed his field test!!

It took me a couple of days to adjust to the darker view out of the hatch. But now, even in the sun, the car is never hot. So I can deal with that!!

Rock on and enjoy your Prius!!!