Anyone have CLEAR film ("tint") on windshield?

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97tbird

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The place I have in mind for tinting my BMW also has this clear Llumar AIR 80 film which you can put on the front windshield. in NC any colored/dark tint is not allowed on the front windshield (sides/back only), and I wanted some protection for the dash without using a sun shade...

Has anyone heard of/done this to their front windshield?

Here's the description of it from the place I might go to (Read the THIRD Paragraph):
http://tintedatmospheres.com/automotive/

I think this is the product:
http://www.llumar.com/en/AutoWindscreen.aspx

A different place, which also offers it, discouraged me from the clear "tint", as some customers complained of hazy/halo like vision at night due to the film on the front windshield, so I am a bit skeptical...

Any feedback would be great.
 
As a professional window tinter, I recommend against it. It's illegal and there's always the risk the water during the installation is going to fry something behind your dash. Plus it opens you up to civil liability in case of an accident.

If you wear polarized sunglasses you're in for a treat though. All kinds of pretty rainbows.

With LLumar products, I doubt you'll have any low-angle haze or halos. LLumar is the largest film manufacturer and they get the pick of the litter when it comes to polyester. But there is alway that possibility. I bet the customers complained when it was first done and before it dried/cured (which can take up to 30 days). The AIR 80 is a nice film too, great performance. The AIR 80 has a total solar energy rejection of 43%, which is almost as much as a lot of "limo" films.

Even AIR 80 is illegal in your state: http://www.ncdot.org/dmv/vehicle_services/emissioninspection/tinting.html (may not extend below 5 inches from the top or AS1 line)

But I doubt any cop would be able to see it unless they're already standing at your door.
 
Thanks very much for your input. I am also leaning towards not doing it. I guess a simple folding sun shade (good quality, not the flimsy ones) would give the dash some protection from the sun when the car is parked in the sun.

I am planning to go with the Llumar High Performance or Llumar ATC line...The lady at the tinting place said that the High perf line can interfere with GPS or the radio antenna embedded into the defroster lines on my BMW...is there any truth to that?

Any thoughts on the differences between these 2 lines?

Thanks again.
 
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I have some epoxy surfboards. Since epoxy degrades in excessive amounts of UV light, I bought a marine wax which claims to have UV filters in it.

The stuff I used ( Star Brite marine polish with ptef) is so slippery, I use it on my windshield as a rain x type product, and it IMO works better than rainx, and without the wiper haze or headlight glare. It also lasts for months.

I do wonder how much, if at all, it does reduce the UV that would make it through the windshield.

I bought a roll of reflectix, and made my own custom fit windshield insert. Nashua Flexfix tape works nicely on the edges, or to join pieces.
 
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Thanks very much for your input. I am also leaning towards not doing it. I guess a simple folding sun shade (good quality, not the flimsy ones) would give the dash some protection from the sun when the car is parked in the sun.

I am planning to go with the Llumar High Performance or Llumar ATC line...The lady at the tinting place said that the High perf line can interfere with GPS or the radio antenna embedded into the defroster lines on my BMW...is there any truth to that?

Any thoughts on the differences between these 2 lines?

Thanks again.


Yes, ATR contains a conductive metal and can reduce am/fm reception for cars with glass embeded antennas. Don't you hve a shark fin? I have noticed a reduction in gps getting my location in my cars that have metalized tint. Here's a video I made on how metalized film can reduce cell phone reception.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF7hWrCuZWo


You can have the best of both worlds if that shop carries LLumar CTX or ATX. Good heat rejection and no signal problems. ATC is nice but very poor heat rejection. I have tested atx, atc, and atr but didn't video tape it.


If you're worried about UV protection, don't. The PVB laminate layer in windshields stops most of the UV light. Tinting the windshield only reduces heat and visible light.

Something I have been meaning to test is breaking out my UV meter and testing a few waxes. For years I have been recommending my customers t wax or 303 their glass to make the tint last longer. I guess I should back up that recommendation with some data.
 
I would get the sun shade and call it a day..I put it up everytime I get out of the car..I have seen 5 year old cars down here that did not use the sun shade [or have any tint] and the leather in those cars looked like a nightmare.

Some people think they are smart by parking under trees to avoid the blazing sun..What the trees and birds did to their cars was another nightmare.
 
darkdan, Thank you for performing those tests.

Pretty much shows manufacturers can claim whatever they want.

Do you think the results would be different if the edges of the glass were blacked out with some electrical tape or similar?
 
Originally Posted By: 97tbird

Can you tell me which one would suite me best from these, in case they can't get the ATX or CTX ?


Pinnacle. Hands down. ATX/CTX is the "ceramic" they let us peasants buy since we're not FormulaONE dealers.



Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
darkdan, Thank you for performing those tests.

Pretty much shows manufacturers can claim whatever they want.

Do you think the results would be different if the edges of the glass were blacked out with some electrical tape or similar?


Most likely, the meter is measuring about an inch in from the edge or so. So depending on tape size it would be measuring no UV light because nothing is going through the tape.

I was actually truly shocked, I was expecting them all to block about 50% of UV light.
 
Not trying to be a smart ----- or anything, but there is only one windshield on a given vehicle, so you don't have to designate it as the "front" windshield. All the rest of the glass are just windows...
 
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Originally Posted By: grampi
Not trying to be a smart ----- or anything, but there is only one windshield on a given vehicle, so you don't have to designate it as the "front" windshield. All the rest of the glass are just windows...


I'm just glad no one has called it "tints" yet.
 
Grampi - Thanks for the windshield word-use correction.

DarkDan: I called another place and they do have the CTX - wants $270 to do the BMW - pricey?

They also said that the high performance Llumar (ATR?) does have metal BUT that it wouldn't interfere with my glass embedded FM antenna...and that many people have tried it etc etc and no complaints...IDK to believe them or not...

Do you think I should try the ATR or just be 100% safe and go with CTX?
 
Originally Posted By: 97tbird

DarkDan: I called another place and they do have the CTX - wants $270 to do the BMW - pricey?


A lot cheaper than I'd do it. Good price, if they're good installers.

What's the model and year of your BMW? Some of them take extra work (felting the hard rubber seals to prevent scratching).

Quote:


They also said that the high performance Llumar (ATR?) does have metal BUT that it wouldn't interfere with my glass embedded FM antenna...and that many people have tried it etc etc and no complaints...IDK to believe them or not...


A lot of window tinters are stuck in their ways. They don't see that technology is moving forward and would rather operate just as they always have. Also a lot of them don't want to pay the money to have CTX sitting on their shelf (it's expensive and lower demand).

It will. Especially AM. It certainly will when you hit the defroster button. Just google "tint AM radio" and you'll find all kinds of people complaining about radio reception issues after getting the wrong tint.

Keep in mind, many people don't complain because either they don't use the radio (I haven't used mine in years and I don't think I've ever listened to AM), wouldn't draw the connection between tint and the radio, and it only reduces reception and not stops it. So if they live near a radio tower, not a problem, live far away and you might no longer get that station.

When ATX first came out LLumar had these awesome little displays with an AM radio and different films so you could see how metalized tint reduces radio reception on glass embedded antennas. After all, you're putting something conductive across the radio antenna, how is that not going to impact reception?


Quote:

Do you think I should try the ATR or just be 100% safe and go with CTX?


Since you have access to Pinnacle, I'd get that assuming both installers are equally good.

Pinnacle 35% - 54% Total Solar Energy Rejection
CTX 40% - 47% Total Solar Energy Rejection
ATR 35% - 38% Total Solar Energy Rejection
 
Thanks so much for your time.

I'll stay away from ATR and metallic tints then. My FM screws up when i turn on the defroster even without any tint !

The place that quoted $270 for CTX is reputed to have the best installer in my area with 22 yrs of experience and the place is listed as a Llumar trained/certified on Llumar's website.

The car is a 2005 330Ci coupe.
The place does offer felting of the rubber seals, but I am not sure if my car needs it. Any way to check?

I am assuming the Pinnacle is going to be more $$ than CTX?
 
The Pinnacle may or may not be more expensive. You'd have to call and find out.

IIRC, your BMW will need felt on the bottom seals. Silly BMW, the bottom gasket has two sweeps and the top one is nice and soft and the bottom one is hard rubber.


I guess if I had paid attention you list your car in your signature. LOL.
 
Looks like CTX might be my best bet.

I am in contact with both shops inquiring about further options/prices, felting about windows, etc.
Luckily they both communicate rather promptly via email

Will update when I hear from them again.
 
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This is a picture of my friend's Mazda 3 at the tint shop. We had FormulaOne Pinnacle 35% on the rear windows and Llumar Air Blue 80 on the front windows.

Clearly, it's obvious that the front windows have a slight tint to them, even though that picture was shot in direct sunlight. However, the front windows did have a very noticeable factory tint on them-- and I am not sure that the windshield has the same factory tint?
 
Also, there's the debate about hand cut vs computerized cut. The Mazda was done with hand cut.
 
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