Tint...

[Rescue84]

Yeah, lol you should take pics of those personal cops with there cars done and say "hey you have it why can't I?"

Where do you normally take your runner to get inspected?
Same guy you have been using for years?
I trust mine (even though they lost my only good set of keys) and he is pretty good, he even extended my expiration date for the inspection to match up with my registration, a whole other 6 months, thats sweet.

I figure though if the tint matches to the factory back I can pass it off as factory all around.

Unfortunately no US vehicles come with factory tint on the front 2 rolldowns (that I know of) due to so many states having such strict tinting laws, so that may not work haha.

For inspection I have three different options: the local mechanic who does a great job, but charges an arm and a leg, the toyota dealership who will give me a free safety inspection (not emissions) for as long as I own the vehicle (I refuse to get my vehicle serviced there for a few reasons...) or the best choice, the car dealership my friend's father owns, it's a bit of a drive but things get done right and for the right price.

 

[Rock Slide]

After reading this I think we should submit this myth to the mythbusters.
I agree, has anyone one here had first hand experience?

Sounds like a good idea, but the tint myth is that over time (don't know the length of time) the tint will crack the glass. Only way I see the mythbusters could test this myth is to buy a used 4Runner, tint the sunroof and use it as their daily mode of transportation overt the next couple years. Then maybe every 3 months, they could report their findings.

I've recently found a tint shop in town that is supposed to be the "best-of-best" when it comes to automotive window tinting. They specialize in tinting only...no alarms, radios and whatever else someone might associate with these kind of shops. I'll call them today and ask them about tinting the sunroof and see what they say.

 

[broncosi]

Well i found where you can submit myths to be tested, heres a link to their website: LINK

 

[Rock Slide]

Well, like I said, I called this "high profile" tint shop a few minutes ago to hear what they had to say about this myth...

They said it's a complete myth. The guy told me that they tint sunroofs all the time and have done so for many years w/o a single problem. (Oh and they charge $35.00 to do it.)

He believes outside forces are causing the glass to break and not the tint itself. For example, cold weather, rocks and whatever else may cause glass to crack, but has never heard of tint being the reason. He said you wouldn't believe what reasons people make up for something happening to the car b/c they believe the tint caused it. He also recommended I visit Tint Dude and ask this question on the public forum. He said if anyone knows completely for sure, it's them. He said alot of tinting professionals visit that site regularly.

So, I registered and posted the question. If you want to read the thread (and hopefully answers), check it out here: Sunroof Tinting Question


Curious to read what they have to say.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Yeah,probably a holdover myth with a few problems on the T-tops on '70s/'80s Camaros which I saw a few problems up close but they were a problem from the factory and aftermarket tint made the issue worse. I'd still want the guarantee in writing tho'.

 

[Rock Slide]

Yeah,probably a holdover myth with a few problems on the T-tops on '70s/'80s Camaros which I saw a few problems up close but they were a problem from the factory and aftermarket tint made the issue worse. I'd still want the guarantee in writing tho'.

Agreed...but there are so many other factors in play that could crack your sunroof glass, that I don't know how you could prove your tint caused it to crack or not.

For example:
Say you're out at the golf course. Some one hits a golf ball off the course and it hits your sunroof and bounces off. (It might smash your glass, but for this example, let's just say it cracked it.) You come back to your car from playing a round of golf and notice from inside your vehicle, that your sunroof now has a crack in it. Granted I'd assume someone hit it with a golf ball, but what if you don't notice the crack 'til a week later. Then you don't know when it happened or what caused it.

In this case I could see how someone would assume the tint caused the glass to crack. It's the first choice that comes to mind.

I know the above example isn't the best, but it could happen.

 

[Rock Slide]

Okay, so after posting the question of "tinting a sunroof" to the tint professionals on tintdude.com, the census is, it's okay to tint your sunroof...if in fact it is tempered glass, just like all the other windows in your vehicle (minus the windshield).

I checked my sunroof and it is tempered glass. Now all 3rd gen and newer 4Runners should come with sunroofs made out of tempered glass, but it doesn't hurt to check to make sure.

You should be able to look in one corner of the sunroof glass and see the letters "TP" etched into it. TP stands for tempered glass. Now check all your other windows. They should have the same etchings.

However, your windshield is made out of a different kind of glass. It should have the letters "LP" etched into it. LP stands for laminated glass. I have heard you "may" (and use that expression lightly) experience problems tinting this kind of glass. However, I have had my entire windshield tinted on vehicles for the past 5yrs and never once have had the tint cause any harm to my windshield.

Again, for the thread I started on tintdude.com, asking if it's okay to tint your sunroof and what the pros said about it, here it is: Sunroof Tinting Question

So as far as any tint causing your sunroof glass to crack, it is just a myth...as long as it's tempered glass you're tinting! :bigok:

Glad to know that's one myth that has been debunked. Hope this has answered everyone's questions