Factory tint % ?

Honestly the laws dont allow for much darker then stock if you want to be completely legal...At least here in NY. But for the most part cops will let you get away with less then that if you are careful and dont go too dark.

I went with, sides 35% / Hatch 20% I think it looks nice and is darker then legal here in NY but is on parr with what most other vehicles have. It does not draw attention at all. And helps a ton in summer not needing to run AC very often.

Dan

Window Tint (35% sides, 20% hatch)​

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35% front 15% sides and hatch

 

I did a 70% front and 40% back combo about a month ago. I highly recommend the 3m crystalline tint. I am in pa and basically tint is pretty much illegal after 70%. But my pip doesnt look too dark i dont think. It is alot cooler though with the crystalline.

 

Very nice tint.

SCH-I535 ? 2

 

That's your best bet. Most tint people will put on what you want. They also know the law, and what might slide. Best to stay within legal tint. It's a hassle and expensive to have it put on twice and removed once.

 

You can bring your car to a tint shop for free estimate. They will tell you the number.

 

uropip,
Thanks for the great research on the factory tint %! I understand some state's laws define their legal % in two different ways:
1) % of light that 'can pass through' (that is what the 83.6% meter reading is)
2) % of light 'blocked' (per the above meter, factory glass blocks 16.4% of the light)

Since this is confusing to me and my Calif law allows NO aftermarket tint, I want to be clear on how this works (so I can decide how much I am willing to push it here in CA).
From what you say, your state law allows for a meter reading of 35% (% of light that 'can pass through' or 65% light blocking), so you can add an additional 48.6% over factory 16.4% of light blocking.) You are lucky your laws allow that dark of tint, cool.

 

So I am researching to tint our new PIP's windows, but here in Calif. the law allows no aftermarket tint on front drvr & pass. windows, so I am researching what is least likely to get called on by CHP and local Po Po. I'd love to hear from other CA folk's experience with their tint decision. It would be helpful to all with the tint question, you would post your tint jobs, including % used on various areas. (pictures taken in low light make it hard to diferentiate shade %'s)

The local tint shop that a friend likes, said if you ask ten people, you'll get nine different answers. Here is his opinion:
70% Too light, most people are disappointed that it is too light.
50% He recommends for front driver & passenger windows (here in CA) as it does not stick out too much to CHP.
35% Most popular, but he feels it is asking for trouble with CHP/police.
15% He ecommends to me for backseat windows and hatch*. Said this is the OEM 'Privacy Tint' on most mini vans and SUV's from back seat doors back including hatch*.

I am just starting this tint research, so have paid attention to tinted cars yet. It may be different when I see it, but my mind wonders if a large difference in tint shade, say 50% to 15%, between front windows and back seat windows, might look a bit off. Would it look better with a less drastic difference, like 50% to 35% between front win. and back seat windows? I guess putting 15% on large part of hatch would look OK.

I would like to know the factory tint on the small hatch (already dark tinted) window. I would like to 'add' less tint to this so it still can be used to actually see out of.

* Hmmn, if I ADD 15% tint (85% light blocking) tint to the rear hatch, to the factory tint of 83.6% (16.4% light blocking), would I have an effective 1.4% tint?? (98.6% light blocking). The tint guy above did say he did not take into account various OEM factory tints. I'm told the darkest aftermarket tint is 5%, usually referred to as 'Limo Tint'. I don't want to go THAT dark!

My leanings at this point for...
Back doors and hatch:
Seems to achieve a defacto '15% 'OEM mini van/SUV Privacy Glass tint', I should add only '35% tint' (max) to achieve about an 18.6% tint.
Front drvr. & pass. windows:
Adding 50% tint would yield a defacto combined tint of 33.6%. Hah, legal in Mass 9but not CA of course ;o)!

 

510bg, Thank you for the picture! If you are in Calif, have you had any reactions from police or CHP with 35% on fronts?
How well can you see out of the back sides and hatch windows? Theoretically with the math, with 15% tint (85% light blocking) tint added to the rear hatch, to the factory tint of 83.6% (16.4% light blocking), would I have an effective 1.4% tint?? (98.6% light blocking).

In real world terms, is it really that dark? (darker than the 5% 'Limo Tint').

 

uropip,
So, did you get the 50% tint done? If it is not too much hassle, if you were able to get a second meter reading to see how close the combined measured light transparency is compared to 'the theortical math'. ;o)
(would they write you up if you were a hair over on your self submitted inquiry?)

 

Yes, it will be interesting to see what the digital reader sees vs. the math of adding factory tint + your added 38% tint.

 

Click on attachment in post #49 to see Gen III window specs. I was impressed when I could feel the sun temp difference on my hand while half in the shade of the window on my Prius v.
Park facing west or east | Page 3 | PriusChat

 

Thank You chazz8 for pointing to the window glass spec sheet PDF! I'd move the link to it here if I knew how.
(and to johnny zero for posting in the linked thread!)

From Factory Spec. PDF: (assuming ALL Gen III's 2010- 2013 are the same)
Front door: 91% UV cut rate, 49% Solar Heat Reduction Rate, 75% Visible Light Transmission Rate

I think the light transmission is what the testing 'Tint Meter 100' tests, so interesting that the meter perceived more light transmission than factory spec calls out. Interesting that uropip in Mass. had his tint tested at 83.6% by a state meter. Curious that the factory specs from pdf differ by 11% ? (83.6 - 75 = 8.6 / 75)

Googling Tint Meter model, one site claims 2% accuracy.
TM100 Window Tint Meter

 

From the same link that chazz8 listed at the end of his post johnny zero also mentions:
"How can the darkest piece of glass, reduce the least amount of heat? (rear hatch lower) Can this be something lost in translation, it really is the percentage of heat transmitted?"

I had not thought of the factor that the after market tinted glass is black now. So would the glass 'surface' absorb/retain potentially more heat than non coated glass? While maybe yes, I guess the bottom line is the heat actually transferred into the car to raise the interior temperature is greatly reduced. (Dave is over thinking again ;o)

 

I scheduled an appointment to have our PIP tinted next Monday with 50% front door windows, 15% for the back and hatch. (15% is what mini vans and SUV's come from the factory with on their rear windows)

I am still wondering if I should ask them to use the lighter 35% on the small already tinted (below the spoiler) window. I don't want that to be too hard to see out of, especially backing at night. Anyone else choose a lighter tint for the hatches lower window? Nyone wish they had not gone as dark on that little hatch window?