How to tint your windows

[nissanh]

Check the State laws and buy the appropriate tint film.

You'll need tint film, Sharp blade (box cutter), a rubber piece (I do not know what it called) You can buy it from walmart, I think it is called tint kit or something, and a spray bottle.

Fill the bottle with soapy water.

Use isopropyl alcohol and a cotton wool and clean the inside of the windows.

place the tint film on the window and cut a piece that will cover the entire window

If you are new, start with the passenger rear window. Just spray the soapy water on the window and all around the window.

Slowly remove the film from the sticker.
Special care: open about 4 inches and spray the soapy water on the sticky surface of the film. Keep removing the tint film in 4 inch increments and spray soapy water every time. (if you don't spray, the film can stick to an unopened film and you have to throw the film).

Remove the tint film from the sticker and make sure the tint film is 100% sprayed with soapy water.

Now, spray soapy water again on the window and all around.

Place the tint film on the window and make sure the entire window is covered.

Now, with the rubber piece came with the tint kit, slowly press the film to the window to dissipate the soapy water between the window glass and the tint film. (film now sticks to the window). Start from the center and work outwards.

When you go to the ends (TOP and two sides, not the bottom), use the rubber piece to squeeze out the soapy water. Use the box cutter to make a clean cut at the ends.

When you are ready to cut the excess tint film from the bottom, remember to keep extra 1/2 inch to 1 inch piece to go into the door. I used a screw driver to make some space between the door panel and the window to push the tint film in. Use the rubber piece to squeeze the soapy water out.

Give few hours to dry the tint. DON'T PUT THE WINDOWS DOWN UNTIL IT'S FULLY DRIED

That's it.

 

[Stick Figure]

I have always been a fan of door panel removal. It allows you to clean the glass farther down and get the tint farther below the window seal with out pushing the seal into the door.

 

[1blink]

My front windows are starting to peel. I have been postponing a visit to the tint shop. Is it feasible to get quality results as a beginner with part store film?

 

[nissanh]

My front windows are starting to peel. I have been postponing a visit to the tint shop. Is it feasible to get quality results as a beginner with part store film?

I say you would. When I did my first tint I got a good result. Only problem was the edge where the door lock knob is. May be I am not careful enough to get that corner correctly.

You have to scrape the old tint film with a sharp blade. There will be residual glue on the window. To remove this, use isopropyl alcohol.

 

[Doc2012]

I just took my windows out and laid them on my carpet......

 

[shootmymime]

i did black magic window tint 20% on every window. (besides the front)

it lasts about a year until it turns a slight shade of purple. but i have found the rears last longer because they already have factory tint. so that helps.

but take your time. make sure its not windy out when u do it. use plenty of spray and use a sharp razor

 

[Stick Figure]

Is it feasible to get quality results as a beginner with part store film?

Can you lay down cheap tint properly? yes you can. It just doesn't last and scrapping old tint off sucks so I would recommend doing it right the first time. Look for a metallic or ceramic tint not a dyed film that will be purple and peeling right away.

 

[Brentif]

I would highly recommend that people do not use dyed or metallic films on their car. Dyed films have a really short lifespan, they start to fade and/or turn purple within about a year. Metalized films will do a great job with heat and glare, but you run the risk of interfering with cell/gps and radio signals with these films. I would advise you to use a carbon based or ceramic film, and using a quality tint shop to do the work for you. Being that the glass is fairly flat you probably wouldnt have to heat shrink much if any of the windows. But on a standard passenger car the rear windows will need to have the film shrunk with a heat gun.

Just my $0.02

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I prefer a professional job with a lifetime warranty and very good quality tint. I had my Ford Focus done with 20% with the back window and sunroof done with 15% and cost me $220 out the door. I was quoted under $250 for a full job on a 3rd gen.

I'd suck at installing tint so I didn't think a couple hundred bucks was really that much.

 

[98OzarksRunner]

I prefer a professional job with a lifetime warranty and very good quality tint. I had my Ford Focus done with 20% with the back window and sunroof done with 15% and cost me $220 out the door. I was quoted under $250 for a full job on a 3rd gen.

I'd suck at installing tint so I didn't think a couple hundred bucks was really that much.

I agree. I've done it a time or two and it's hard to do and almost impossible to get all the dust and lint off the glass, so you have little bubbles. Cheap tint also usually comes off in a year or two (lots of nice big bubbles). I paid $240 to have mine done, with a lifetime warranty, and it looks perfect, using top-notch materials.

 

[Brentif]

$240 is not a bad price at all for our runners. I used to do sales for a tint company so I didnt pay but the tint on mine was more than twice that much. Of course I have spectrally selective IR blocking film, when you step up to this (SPF Films) or 3M Crystalline you are going to spend BIG money ($225 just for a windshield, yikes!). For a full 4 runner (sunroof and windshield) with 3M Crystalline your looking at $900!

 

[Brian757]

I have 20% on my front windows and 5% on all rear windows. My sunroof is at 35%. My windshield has 5% above the AS1 line.
And, the only tint film I use is LLumar.
LLumar Window Films: Professionally Installed Automotive, Residential and Commercial Products

 

[SCRunner12]

That's a lot of work. A place by me charges $50 for the front windows, which I might do when I have some extra cash laying around. I do want to do the top strip of the windshield since the sun always shines in my daughters eyes right through that spot.

 

[blizz86]

That's a lot of work. A place by me charges $50 for the front windows, which I might do when I have some extra cash laying around. I do want to do the top strip of the windshield since the sun always shines in my daughters eyes right through that spot.

Good price. lol i always hated that stupid strip of untinted glass across the windshield when i was a kid. I think one of the family cars had one and the other didnt, so i would always have a fit in the one without the strip. That thing was blinding!!!

 

[Brian757]

Oh yeah! I had to tint my windshield because I hated when the sun would shine in through there, I would swing my visors down but the sun would shine in between the two visors and the rear-view mirror. I finally did it.

 

[BlackCat914]

I had a friend of a friend tint all my windows (5%) for $160. Lifetime warranty. You couldn't pay me enough to tint my own windows. That sh1t sucks.

 

[Brentif]

You couldn't pay me enough to tint my own windows. That sh1t sucks.

tell me about it, I used to install Clear Bras on cars, and to this day I still try to avoid doing it for friends because it is such a pain in the arse.