With our 100+ degree summer in full swing this year, I'm looking at tinting my windows within the next month(after I get my A/C sorted out). I can get it professionally done by a reputable tint shop for about $180. However, Utah's tint laws are pretty sucky. While anything behind the driver can be as dark as you want...the front side windows can only go down to 43% light. Is a weak tint like this even worth the money?

 

I have 40% (43% VLT) on one of my cars and if I recall correctly it provides 33% heat rejection and 99% UV rejection. Also something like 50% glare rejection. So I guess you could say things are better with it vs. without. Plus I like the look of it. A personal decision though.

 

I like the look of tint...but have difficulty justifying $$$ on things that could end up only being cosmetic. I have to know that 43% will have an effect on the interior temperature of my car and protect my leather.

What will be the deciding factor is how much I have to spend getting my A/C into better shape.

 

I would go 30-35% and take my chances. With as bright as it is in UT most of the year, it'd be pretty unlikely for a cop to A) notice that you're slightly darker than the legal limit, and B) care enough to pull you over.

Go somewhere where they do a good job and get it even all around, and it'll be very difficult to tell that you went just a little bit too far

I went 30% all around in my 335d in IL (35% all around is the limit), and completely love it. I actually wish I had gone 20% though.

 

i have 20 on my ram and 5 (limo) all around on my beater. beater is dar as hell, but been there 6 months and nobody has said a word yet. ram has 20% factory tinted privacy glass on the back 3 windows, so i just had the shop match the front to the back. both car and truck have a 5% brow.

 

I have 20s all around except the windshield. It really makes a difference in the appearance of your car AND you do feel a difference with heat reflection.

In Texas, the lowest you are supposed to legally tint is 35 for the front, and nothing on windshield. My first and only time getting a speeding ticket, the cop looked at my windows, measured them, and said, "Looks like it's a bit dark, eh?"

I asked him if i needed to redo the windows, he said, "Yes sir you do", all while grinning and shaking his head, implying "no".

My point is: I'm willing to bet that a good number of coppers will not care that your windows are darker than normal. As long as you aren't crawling around neighborhoods at 5mph looking like a marijuana wagon, there's no reason to suspect anything. (P.S. I dont mod my cars like some of you may do, so i may pass the suspicion test more often).

If you are too scared to go under legal limit, i think you should tint to 43 anyways. The feeling of stepping into a tinted car after a nice parking lot cooking, even at 43, sure beats the naked greenhouse feeling.

 

I had my old Cadillac tinted at 20% all the way around. Illegal yes, but the cops never hassled me. Still thinking about doing my SC lexus at 20%, but then again I have the windows down and sunroof open half the time I drive that car.

20% BTW is what the back glass on SUV's is tinted. My personal opinion is just avoid that pitch black 5% limo tint, cops do notice that when they can't even see the outline of your head in bright daylight.

 

The thing is, with St. George, UT being a relatively boring city with not much going on.....the cops can be pretty petty about stuff like this. I talk to folks from Vegas(only 1.5 hours south of here) that get hassled for it all the time.

I'll probably stick with the legal limit. My leather seats are in good-ish condition...I'd like to stop them from deteriorating much more. Just hope the A/C shop doesn't break me on Thursday.

 

It has more to do with the UV protection on the tint and less on how dark it is. Look up huper optik tint and you see if a place by you can demo it.

 

I have some questions regarding the concept of window-tinting:

-Does it void your vehicle warranty or not?
-What kind of modification process does this involve?
-Are window-tinting practices sanctioned by the automobile manufacturers themselves?
-Would it be better to do the window tinting process from the factory or plant where your vehicle was made? Rather than vehicle tinting from the manufacturer?
-Do some vehicles already have window tint installed during the car-building process? (i.e. courtesy of the manufacturer when the vehicle was completed)

That's all =)

 

I can't imagine that it would void your warranty. A lot of cars come with tinted windows now.

 

Most dealers offer window tinting so voiding the warranty shouldn't be an issue. Normally it's contracted out to a local shop so you are better off finding a local shop and avoid the middle man.

Most shops are a good source of info. They'll answer your questions and show you demos of the various %'s etc.

 

CA is pretty strict on window tinting too. But I have rarely heard/seen people get at ticket for simply window tint. It's usually an add-on after they catch you with something else.

And during my commute to and from work, I've seen cars that basically do limo tint all around and cops don't care lol.

Mine is 20% all around, and it's definitely a must in the summer. And it makes your car looks 3x better.

Also, there are some window tinting shops (I went to one) that will either refund your money back or tint it to a lighter % if you show them a ticket due to window tint.

 

OP, I got the 3M Color Stable 50% tint (52% VLT), and I'm quite happy with it. If I was doing it over again, I'd probably get the 35 (39% VLT) which is what my friend got, but the 50% all around still dramatically helps with temperature and aesthetic appeal.

So yes, if you're worried about being legal, I still think it's worth it to get something at 43%. Also, have others are noted, some types of tint provide better heat rejection than others for the same amount of VLT%. The 3M Color Stable film is a carbon-polyester film, which provides better heat rejection than the traditional dyed tint. Ceramic and Crystalline tints provide even better rejection for the same VLT. Of course, the better the film, the more it'll cost to install.

 

If you have a lighter colored interior, that will make the tint seem less dark than it is. If you ever do come across a cop, pull open the sunroof shade for just a moment to brighten it up even more.