Window tinting question

Mark55 · 08-07-07, 07:12

I'm getting daughters windows tinted for her birtday. anyways we pick the car up with her and her boyfriend. he has a nice rx8 with some nice tint on the windows. anyways we start looking at hers and notice that they did not go all the way to the top of the windows. they left about 1/4 gap at top because they said if you take it all the way to the top, that the seal will catch it and start to pull it off. my 06 tundra was factory tinted and is all the way to the top, and bf's rx8 (not factory tinted)is all the way to the top, are they right or just bs'ing us cause the screwed up?

todd@bsaw · 08-07-07, 07:33

They either screwed up or you cheaped out on where you got the work done and that's how they do every car. I have aftermarket tint on my car and it goes all the way up. A 1/4 inch gap is huge.

Joshua312 · 08-07-07, 08:27

Sounds like you were ripped off, never heard of such an excuse. Hope you didn't go too dark, I've been pulled over far too many times for mine and I can see through my windows to the other side. Just the other morning I was pulled over by a state cop, he even asked if I had ever been pulled over before for it and why I didnt take it off...ended up letting me go without any ticket...by the way I was also pulled over for going 15 over...oops

But anyways, I would demand your money back so you can have it done by someone who knows what they are doing. I always have asked to see an example of their work.

azifukare · 08-07-07, 09:24

sometimes installers short the top 1-4 mm especially if the windows burp when you open the door like on a bmw or porsche are you sure it is a 1/4 inch
i'm not entirely familiar with the rx but if the tint job is overall clean just have the two door windows redone if you can match the tint
llumar is the best tint product i have seen

paul34 · 08-07-07, 10:31

AFAIK there's usually a bit of a gap at the top.

Your factory tinted windows probably weren't tinted in the usual fashion, i.e., it wasn't done by a film. Most OEM tinted glass is done via injection into the glass itself - so its more of a "dye" in the glass itself rather than a film.

Where do you live? It's best to keep it legal. Otherwise, try not to go under 15 at the most... especially with who I'm assuming is a young, beginning driver of yours. Nighttime visibility is paramount. I'd recommend keeping it around 30% or so for her.

Danspeed1 · 08-07-07, 10:55

I won't sugar coat it,.. you got ripped off and need to go get your money back. I have 20% all the way around, and it looks like the glass is 20%. The guy who did my windows was capable, and the tint is a the absolute tip of my glass.

DG

sonyexec · 08-07-07, 11:37

The last 4 cars I have owned have all been tinted and they always leave a gap at the top of the window so that the rubber in which the window slides into doesn't begin to peel the tinting sheet away from the window.

Look at your window and check out the top rubber part to see what type of seal you have. Some cars the window just plows into a rubber seal other slide BETWEEN 2 pieces (usuall a hard rubber). If your window is the latter (and i think it is) this is why they leave the gap, now a 1/4" maybe a bit much but that would be the tinter's discretion.

I don't think it's that big a deal, pretty standard.

Mark55 · 08-08-07, 06:02

Alright, let me ask this to go with the orginal. They had a devil of a time with the rear window. could not get it with creases. after 2 tries they ran out of tint. told him i'd bring it back in a few days for hm to finish. he said he would have to try using 2 pieces to get it to lay right. this place does a decent number of tint jobs, what gives here?

qballjr13 · 08-08-07, 06:09

What kind of car does she have? And where did her boyfriend have his windows done? I would complain about the side windows and have someone else do the back window...if they use two pieces than there will be a seam that will be visible forever. I had 20% done on my side windows of my 4-Runner to match the back factory tint and it looks totally stock...illegal, but looks stock. Stock tint is a laminate between two pieces of glass, the glass itself is not tinted.

J.J. · 08-08-07, 08:05

I have gap on my tint job as well. It's more like 5 mm though. When the window are up I can't see the gap so I don't care. If I could see the gap with the windows up, then - would have them redone. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother!

audicoupej · 08-08-07, 09:13

Does the tint job look good? Was it cut to fit the window properly (minus the top gap)? Does it come with a lifetime warranty against, fading, peeling, and bubbling?
If so then you didn't get ripped off just because they left a gap. It all depends on the window tinter. Some leave gaps because it can eventually start to peel. Others take it right to the edge. The type of car makes a difference as well. Now that being said a good quality tint should be able to withstand peeling.

Now as far as the rear window goes; you do not want a two piece job done. It always looks like crap up close.

What type of car is it?

ManiZ · 08-08-07, 10:31

A true pro will never leave a gap. I drive a 350Z and in that car, the windows automatically lower themselves a quarter inch every time the door is opened to keep from colliding with the roof when the door is shut. Once shut, they automatically roll back up.

THAT is an installer's nightmare since there is no "don't roll down your windows for the 2-3 days to give the film time to dry". But the one I went to guaranteed there will be no issue with the auto up/down feature and sure enough, there wasn't. And yes, every mm of the window surface was tinted, no gap left on top.