Removing window tinting
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,566
Likes: 49
From: Illinois
Removing window tinting
I'm thinking of removing the window tinting from my GS. See attached picture. Am I nuts? Has anyone else done this? I think it detracts from the exterior color.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,659
Likes: 2
From: California
make sure you be careful when removing the tint on the rear glass.... excessive heating could damage the antenna's .... rear view heating etc etc..... I was at a tint shop when another customer was having a fit because the tint shop ruined her car's rear glass's antennna or something like that.... makes sense though.
can anyone confirm this?
can anyone confirm this?
Pole Position
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,056
Likes: 0
From: Washington
Originally posted by UptownGS
make sure you be careful when removing the tint on the rear glass.... excessive heating could damage the antenna's .... rear view heating etc etc..... I was at a tint shop when another customer was having a fit because the tint shop ruined her car's rear glass's antennna or something like that.... makes sense though.
can anyone confirm this?
make sure you be careful when removing the tint on the rear glass.... excessive heating could damage the antenna's .... rear view heating etc etc..... I was at a tint shop when another customer was having a fit because the tint shop ruined her car's rear glass's antennna or something like that.... makes sense though.
can anyone confirm this?
James
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,566
Likes: 49
From: Illinois
Thanks for the compliment. It's just not my style. Here's the way I look at it. If I had bought the car without the tint, would I have gone out and added it? The answer is no, so I figure I may as well remove it, especially if it is the reason my radio sounds so poor.
Pole Position
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,056
Likes: 0
From: Washington
Originally posted by UptownGS
make sure you be careful when removing the tint on the rear glass.... excessive heating could damage the antenna's .... rear view heating etc etc..... I was at a tint shop when another customer was having a fit because the tint shop ruined her car's rear glass's antennna or something like that.... makes sense though.
can anyone confirm this?
make sure you be careful when removing the tint on the rear glass.... excessive heating could damage the antenna's .... rear view heating etc etc..... I was at a tint shop when another customer was having a fit because the tint shop ruined her car's rear glass's antennna or something like that.... makes sense though.
can anyone confirm this?
James
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Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 271
Likes: 13
From: Texas
Keep the tint it looks GREAT and protects the interior. I have the exact same car. You are going to create alot of opportunities for damaging your interior when you splash water all over your windows. How long have you had the car? If it has been under 3 months give it a chance to grow on you, if you have had if for years well you will never like it. I know lexus charged $405 adder for the tint when the car was purchased.
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Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,566
Likes: 49
From: Illinois
Thanks, guys. I've only had the car for a month or so, and we're just coming into summer. I think you're right. I'll give it a few more months and maybe it will grow on me. Hopefully the crummy radio sound has nothing to do with the rear window tinting.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3,736
Likes: 0
From: CLUBLEXUS USA
How dark is your rear window? My tints are pretty dark, I believe darker than yours from the pics u provided, but my radio still works ok. Maybe the kind of tint material has something to do with it?
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,566
Likes: 49
From: Illinois
I don't know how dark the tint is, but I don't think it's all that dark. Someone asked me if it was metallic, and I looked closely at it, but I couldn't see any metallic reflections. If it is affecting the antenna, I wonder if I can add a second antenna to the radio. I'll make another post about this.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: MD
I think the tint looks great, helps to keep the car cool in summer and warm in winter (extra layer of insulation).
I agree with Jet864- some steel wool and 409 SHOULD get the tint off the rear window without any problems, as per my tint shop in Miami.
However, I had 9-year-old 3M tint on my Ford SHO which delaminated so bad that the only way to get it off was with a scraper, which destroyed my defroster lines (had to get new rear window). The newer stuff shouldn't be as bad.
Good luck
Bill Boshnick
I agree with Jet864- some steel wool and 409 SHOULD get the tint off the rear window without any problems, as per my tint shop in Miami.
However, I had 9-year-old 3M tint on my Ford SHO which delaminated so bad that the only way to get it off was with a scraper, which destroyed my defroster lines (had to get new rear window). The newer stuff shouldn't be as bad.
Good luck
Bill Boshnick
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,659
Likes: 2
From: California
alot of times what tint shops wont tell you is that if you use titanium tint..... it will degrade your antenna on your rear window.... also there is a particular brand that has been selling like hot cakes but from my perspective after 2 years the tint looks hazy when looking through it.
The only brand that I really feel comfortable when using tint is Johnson. Just FYI..... tinting can be a real headache for such a simple mod.
btw is that 5% or 20?
The only brand that I really feel comfortable when using tint is Johnson. Just FYI..... tinting can be a real headache for such a simple mod.
btw is that 5% or 20?