Tinting Windows (Must Read, Free Moleskin)

[Acura_Kid]

Originally Posted by tbncents

i finaly got my tints done.. i took acurakid word of mouth to go get it done by tom at theartoftint. i admit he does know what hes doing and but i got bubbles and it was not all that perfect.... looks like cvareless work, if he put more time into it i guess itll be more perfect and will be calling him up if he can redo it for me.

bubbles? where? the film needs time to dry and shrink some. if it's HO film then give it 30 days to dry up some, then if you still have bubbles Tom can squeegee them out. did Tom not explain this to you ??

[DrPsycho]

Wish I stumbled upon this thread just a few short days earlier. My 2005 TL gets delivered tomorrow, and out of convenience and the "wow" factor of seeing a tinted TL on the showroom floor, I opted for the dealer's tint offer (CDN$250 for 35%).


I had asked him about interference with the Nav, and he assured me that "it actually isn't a big deal in the end, things still work well." I might have to jump to the diagnostic screen to see if my GPS strength is buggered, or what.

On delivery, though, I can now ask about moleskin, and make be careful to make sure the 1/4 panels are done properly. Worse come to worse, I'm sure I can talk him into taking off the rear if there's interference, since I doubt that price he's throwing on a ceramic (he didn't seem to know the difference when I asked him).

I'll let you know in a few days, and will likely use the expertise in this thread to help make future decisions. Thanks, folks!

[Acura_Kid]

do not remove the rear unless you absolutely have to. you cannot just peel the rear film off, it might (and often does) rip the defroster lines off. the proper way (tedious and a all day affair) is to steam the film off.

ask what film brand and type they used.

see how it works before doing anything....

Originally Posted by DrPsycho

Wish I stumbled upon this thread just a few short days earlier. My 2005 TL gets delivered tomorrow, and out of convenience and the "wow" factor of seeing a tinted TL on the showroom floor, I opted for the dealer's tint offer (CDN$250 for 35%).


I had asked him about interference with the Nav, and he assured me that "it actually isn't a big deal in the end, things still work well." I might have to jump to the diagnostic screen to see if my GPS strength is buggered, or what.

On delivery, though, I can now ask about moleskin, and make be careful to make sure the 1/4 panels are done properly. Worse come to worse, I'm sure I can talk him into taking off the rear if there's interference, since I doubt that price he's throwing on a ceramic (he didn't seem to know the difference when I asked him).

I'll let you know in a few days, and will likely use the expertise in this thread to help make future decisions. Thanks, folks!

[DrPsycho]

No worries. I don't plan on doing anything about the tint for a bit yet. I plan on having a little fun driving around the new baby first.

I'm only talking out loud about the possibilities down the road if there are problems... and I don't plan on doing any of it m'self.

[mikey4226]

i'm looking into tinting my 2005 TL w/navi. i called around and the only place i found with a decent price and in my area (Plainfield/Naperville, IL) is a place called Z Tech.

they're charging $249 plus an extra $29 for a limo tint for the rear window b/c thats the only non-metallized tint they carry. they said they use a window film made by "Madico" and said it was the top of the line, better than Solarguard. I also asked if they used moleskin, but he said he never heard of it. I explained it a little and said it was needed to prevent scratching. they said they've done many TL's and haven't had any problems with scratching or anything. Also, they DO tint the rear 1/4 window.

I have not yet gone to the store to look at their work, see the tint colors, etc, but i was just wondering what you guys thought.....does this seem like a good deal or a reliable place to go?

also, here is a link for Madico and the specs on their window tinting products if it helps at all

http://www.madico.com/AutoSpecs.htm

thanks a lot for your input and sorry this got kinda long

[Acura_Kid]

Madico has been around for some time, definitely is not top-of-the-line.

i would not tint using limo film in the rear.

try Solargard.

Originally Posted by mikey4226

i'm looking into tinting my 2005 TL w/navi. i called around and the only place i found with a decent price and in my area (Plainfield/Naperville, IL) is a place called Z Tech.

they're charging $249 plus an extra $29 for a limo tint for the rear window b/c thats the only non-metallized tint they carry. they said they use a window film made by "Madico" and said it was the top of the line, better than Solarguard. I also asked if they used moleskin, but he said he never heard of it. I explained it a little and said it was needed to prevent scratching. they said they've done many TL's and haven't had any problems with scratching or anything. Also, they DO tint the rear 1/4 window.

I have not yet gone to the store to look at their work, see the tint colors, etc, but i was just wondering what you guys thought.....does this seem like a good deal or a reliable place to go?

also, here is a link for Madico and the specs on their window tinting products if it helps at all

http://www.madico.com/AutoSpecs.htm

thanks a lot for your input and sorry this got kinda long

[jdubb]

Acura Kid,

I finally found a compitent tinter in my area from a recommendation. He is the only one that actually aknowledged that the 3G TL if a tough tint job. Howevr he has not done many, but I still think he is better off than the guys who think is a piece of cake. I have seen a few in our area and they are not great.

He has never done the Moleskin before, but I am going to ask how much he will charge if I get him the felt. Also, it sounds like he does not slide the tint under the window mullion, but gets it close - he cuts by hand.

Do you think it is a good idea to give him a shot? Any chance if he has any questions that I could fire them your way.

Thanks,

J-dubb

[Acura_Kid]

well, i suggest you or he remove the inner wipes before tinting, this way the film can be cut low on the glass. you want the film to always be below the wipes so that during roll-down the film does not have a chance to catch and peel.

he sounds ok as long as he takes his time...

Originally Posted by jdubb

Acura Kid,

I finally found a compitent tinter in my area from a recommendation. He is the only one that actually aknowledged that the 3G TL if a tough tint job. Howevr he has not done many, but I still think he is better off than the guys who think is a piece of cake. I have seen a few in our area and they are not great.

He has never done the Moleskin before, but I am going to ask how much he will charge if I get him the felt. Also, it sounds like he does not slide the tint under the window mullion, but gets it close - he cuts by hand.

Do you think it is a good idea to give him a shot? Any chance if he has any questions that I could fire them your way.

Thanks,

J-dubb

[lxlsamiamlxl]

Got the moleskin today, Thanks AK!

Sam P.

[fjd73]

Do you happen to know of a good tint location in Houston? I recently got a tint job done on my Mercedes C320, and they are having problems getting my private windows correctly even after a 2nd attempt. The tinter could not get past the rubber edge which left me with some ugly corners on my private windows. From reading some of these posts I believe I am equipped with enough information to get find a better qualified tinter, but if you happen to know already know one in Houston, that would even be better. Thanks for the help.

Originally Posted by FastBackJack

Thank You. Whenever I see an Accord, TSX, or TL in my area I always know that it was done at our shop, because it was done correctly. I can see others empty space hack jobs 100 yrds away. Just doesnt look good. Similar situation with Mercedes. However the open space is larger and easier to see. We do those correctly also.

Main thing here: Tinting can have a big effect on your car. In some situations it can "make or brake" it. Tinting is something that takes years of practice to get good at. Whenever in the market ask around, get opinions, and look at live examples or photos of a shops work. Ive seen a good tint job make a piece of S@*T look good, and a S@*T tint job make a nice car look horrible.

BIG THUMBS UP TO ACURA KID FOR BRING THIS MATTER TO EVERYONES ATTENTION!!!!

[Heat03]

Hi there Acura Kid !
I'm new to the forum and new to Acura as of yesterday..
05 TL with Nav.

I just picked up my car from the tint shop a few hours ago, then I read this thread... lol

I don't know the manufacturer of the film, I believe he said it was 3m high performace and with metalic...
I had no idea that this would interfere with the Nav..
seemed to be working fine on the way home..

Is this going to be a problem? Should I go back and get the windows redone without metalic?? The film is not even dry yet and could be redone with ease tomorrow...

Your advice is greatly appreciated.. thanks !!

[Acura_Kid]

what % film is it (very dark or light)? navi will still work with most metallized films, however, metallized films reduce the satellite signal (all RF signal), so in the case where you may get a weak signal for whatever reason it will now probably be lost in that situation....

did you also notice anything with the lower FM stations??

i would just keep what you have for now.....

Originally Posted by Heat03

Hi there Acura Kid !
I'm new to the forum and new to Acura as of yesterday..
05 TL with Nav.

I just picked up my car from the tint shop a few hours ago, then I read this thread... lol

I don't know the manufacturer of the film, I believe he said it was 3m high performace and with metalic...
I had no idea that this would interfere with the Nav..
seemed to be working fine on the way home..

Is this going to be a problem? Should I go back and get the windows redone without metalic?? The film is not even dry yet and could be redone with ease tomorrow...

Your advice is greatly appreciated.. thanks !!

[Heat03]

thanks.
It's 20% all around, high performance, black (or dark grey)

The Nav seemed to work fine all the way home so I'll cross my fingers lol
All of the FM worked fine and I also check the AM, they worked fine too.

thanks again.

[Acura_Kid]

Originally Posted by Heat03

thanks.
It's 20% all around, high performance, black (or dark grey)

The Nav seemed to work fine all the way home so I'll cross my fingers lol
All of the FM worked fine and I also check the AM, they worked fine too.

thanks again.

checking now does not help.... i'll bet you had a few that just came in, now they dont.... as long as you receive what you need its all good

[AcuDan]

Boy....this forum is nearly scaring me out of getting my windows tinted.

So what is the bottom line for someone with a 2005 TL w/ Navi who wants to get a tint job? Sounds like SolarGard True Grey takes the cake? Any other good non-metal films?

Also, anyone have any thoughts on whether the window tinter should remove the window from the door (as opposed to doing an "in-glass" tint)? The last car I got tinted, the window tinter I used (California Auto Tinting in Campbell, CA) took out the windows, slapped on the film and put them back in - result was a fantastic window tint. Because the windows are actually taken out, you get a perfect tint job that covers everything, even those pesky 1/4 windows. My only fear now is that the TL's radio antenna is actually on the window now (sort of like one of the orange defogging lines) and I'm hesitant to have the back window (or any window for that matter) taken out of a two-week old car. On the other hand, all tinters take out the door panel anyway, so taking out the window would just a matter of taking out a couple of extra screws and clamps. Any thoughts?

Thanks