[AWF10]

I was told by the tint shop that neither carbon or ceramic tint will interfere with phone, nav, sirius, etc. Both come with lifetime warranty. He said the only difference is ceramic tint will block more heat than the carbon tint.

Was quoted $230 for carbon and $320 for ceramic tint by Solar gard for all 5 except the front windshild since its illegal to tint it here in TX.

1) Would it be worth the extra money to get ceramic?
2) Is Solar gard a good brand?
3) What % tint should I get if I have black dakota leather?
4) What else should I be aware of for the F10 before I bring it in for tint?

Thanks for any input!

[bmedude]

Solargard is an excellent brand. I personally would go for ceramic tint. 35% is classy if you just want the look. If you want some privacy go with 20%. 5% is way too dark.

[F10550xi]

Here are pics of my car with 50% 3m Color Stable tint. The tint looks darker because I have a black interior and its a slightly cloudy day. If you are in Texas, I would recommend 35% because of the need for higher solar heat rejection. Anything darker than 35% IMHO looks juvenile or ghetto and is most likely illegal in Texas and most other states.

Info taken from the Texas Department of Public Safety website.
Side Windows to The Right and Left of The Driver
Sunscreening devices can be applied to the side windows to the right and left of the driver if the following conditions are met.

1. Sunscreening devices, when measured in combination with the original glass, have a light transmittance value of 25% or more.
2. Sunscreening devices, when measured in combination with the original glass, have a luminous reflectance value of 25% or less


I believe light transmittance value (LTV) is what is commonly referred to as the percentage of tint. In Texas, this must be 25% or higher. With 35% aftermarket tint + the slight factory tint that is present in all cars, you may end up around 30-31%. This is probably as close as you want to get to the legal limit to avoid any potential trouble from law enforcement. Also, having lighter tint in the front and darker for the back windows looks ridiculous. It is better the get the same percentage all around as its is balanced and symmetrical.

[AWF10]

Thanks for the info and pics...your car looks good.

[AWF10]

Ended up getting tint from solargard for my F10. Chose to go with 30% ceramic tint all around. Everything turned out good except tint place trimmed upper part of tint on rear windshild for the 3rd brake light. Wondering if I should go back and make them fill it in or redo it? Not sure if this is even worth the troubles...but damn it sure does look better.

[johnnyutah]

Originally Posted by F10550xi

Here are pics of my car with 50% 3m Color Stable tint. The tint looks darker because I have a black interior and its a slightly cloudy day. If you are in Texas, I would recommend 35% because of the need for higher solar heat rejection. Anything darker than 35% IMHO looks juvenile or ghetto and is most likely illegal in Texas and most other states.

Info taken from the Texas Department of Public Safety website.
Side Windows to The Right and Left of The Driver
Sunscreening devices can be applied to the side windows to the right and left of the driver if the following conditions are met.

1. Sunscreening devices, when measured in combination with the original glass, have a light transmittance value of 25% or more.
2. Sunscreening devices, when measured in combination with the original glass, have a luminous reflectance value of 25% or less


I believe light transmittance value (LTV) is what is commonly referred to as the percentage of tint. In Texas, this must be 25% or higher. With 35% aftermarket tint + the slight factory tint that is present in all cars, you may end up around 30-31%. This is probably as close as you want to get to the legal limit to avoid any potential trouble from law enforcement. Also, having lighter tint in the front and darker for the back windows looks ridiculous. It is better the get the same percentage all around as its is balanced and symmetrical.

Wondering if you have had any issues with the rear defrost performance since you had the car tinted. I am interested in tinting my 550 GT but the dealer suggested against it...saying 1. he has had cars come in with rear defrost issues after tinting and 2. removing the door panel to tint poses risks such as clips breaking or automatic window malfunctions.

Thanks F10550xi

[pyramid]

For your tinting considerations..

Cited from well known Indonesian tint shop: http://www.monza-autosport.com/



VLT = Visible Light Transmission. How easy to see the outside when you are sitting inside. Higher value = greater visibility.
TSER = Total Solar Energy Rejected. Higher value = colder cabin

Higher VLT + Higher TSER is basically what you are looking for, which means $$$