Removing Window Tint

Wondering if anyone has dealt with removing window tint?

The current owner of my old E36 M3 wants to give it back to me for a few weeks to do a reset detail and asked about a few other little things. One of the things she was looking to get done was having the window tint removed.

At this point the tint has to be at least 17 years old.

I`ve never done anything with tint in the past, the car had come tinted when I bought it. How big of a bear is the stuff to get off? I`m guessing with it being this old it`ll be pretty brittle? How at risk are the rear defrost lines?

What`s the best process/products to use?

Also to add to the fun if I decide to do it is the car has (fixed back) race seats and a roll bar, which will make access to the rear windows a treat...


Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Steam the heck outta it and pray it comes off clean.
You will end up with glue on the glass regardless, so get a fresh knife and go to town scraping...
Different brands of tint leave different levels of glue behind on peel-off.

But steaming it to get minimize/maximize how much initial success you get away peeling it off

Tint guys have dedicated glue removers also post film removal.....
So hopefully glue or alligator tints does not leave you working past the quoted job....

I would not risk the rear IMO. I would defer said owner to a tint shop on the liability of the defrost lines...
Especially give the age.

Even on new tints (where I`ve changed mind on either tint percentage or just didn`t like the film), removing/cleaning glass takes more time than just putting new film on.
Glue remains...just a matter of how much

psst. How is INDY repair work going. Must be slammed given current market

It is plastic like any other plastic, clearbra, etc.. And yes, it may be really old...

Perhaps go to or call a known, trusted clearbra/tint shop and ask them how much they want to do this??? Get some ideas from them, if you do it???

I have used a heat gun - carefully - to remove plastics like these before and it worked great... Just carefully heat an edge, use a plastic razor blade, etc., fingernail, something not metal, to get the edge up and started, and I just heat a little, pull, gauge how good or not good it is going, heat more or less to adjust, and keep pulling it off...

And yes, a lot of glue remains on the glass and that will take a LOT more time to get all off... I have tried 3M Adhesive Remover, Mineral, Spirits, Steam, and the chemicals seemed to do best...

Very labor time intensive, especially if you have to do all 4 windows...And the back glass...The defroster lines in the rear glass, be real careful.. I don`t remember on all my other Bimmers how the rear defrost wires were attached... And then, again, All the glue that remains on the glass after the tint is removed... :(

Make sure the rear defrost actually Works-- before you attempt to work on it, so you may save a lot of grief, etc... And then, of course, make sure it still works, afterward...

Good Luck !!! :)
Dan F