Tinted Windows

[salsaguy]

with my tinted cars (with front window same tint as rears) I usually roll down the opposite window if i see a cop  on my side so the light comes in and they can see in better so they don't notice the tint as much or just roll all of em diwn to be safe to avoid a ticket.

if cmax comes with light tint already then adding a med or light on top of that should be good and safe enough. i hate the 2 tone look with fronts not matching rears.

Edited May 31, 2013 by salsaguy

[armoredsaint]

getting mine tinted 50% fronts and 33% everywhere else  :rockon:

 

Edited June 5, 2013 by armoredsaint

[sHoootR]

Got our windows done yesterday,35% sides and back glass. Put on a 20% eyebrow...What a difference..

 

 

[salsaguy]

looking good. tint makes a white car so much better. white repels the sun so it's much cooler but the glass window is a magnet for UV and heat so it's a must on the C-Max with its huge front window.not too attached to the eyebrow tint though. report back the results and if it helps your mpgs with less ac use or a higher temp setpoint.did you get the 3M tint?

[Michigan Max]

I figured since Ford is nice enough to be going to send me a check for $550, why not get the windows tinted with my free money. 35% fronts and 20% rear.

 

 

[slampro]

Looking good MichiganMax. We are getting the same %'s. Was supposed to have ours done by the dealer on Thursday. One of the guys called in sick and there was only one guy doing it. He had 2 other appointments in front of mine, so it didn't get done. I got the car back for the weekend, and have an appointment Monday morning.

 

:camera:  coming soon.

Edited August 24, 2013 by slampro

[Michigan Max]

I got a guy here that's mobile. He comes to you. Called him up to make an appointment Tuesday and he had an opening right then. He was at my house in 30 minutes. He also blows away the price of the guy 2 miles away that has a shop.

[slampro]

Just picked up ours from having it done. 35% front, 25% rear.

 

Edited August 26, 2013 by slampro

[Trevor]

California law, says no tint front windows. Here's to hopeful for no tickets.  36% front windows, 5% back windows, and 20% rear hatch window. It's incredible how much cooler the car is.  The shop I got it done at (they did my last car a few yrs ago) charged $240.

 

 

[fbov]

 

You got just the lighting just right in this shot.

- the subtle shading across the hood showing the contours to direct airflow and the sharp edge leading up to the A-pillar

- the clear outline of a frame around the headlight nacelle, starting in the hood edge and continuing into the bumper and around the light.

- the mating of the nacelle with the fender following

- the little crease above the fog (in an SEL)

- wheel arches (not a personal favorite)

- body side creases and ridges

 

And finally, the right perspective; high enough the front end isn't bulubous, with a short focla length lens that the back fades into the distance looking anything but stubby or short, and the right color - really makes Ice Storm look GREEN.

 

Nice job,

Frank

[KAC]

Can I revive this topic? I'm wondering if everyone that had their windows tinted last year can share the approximate cost and brand that you used? Any brands having issues? 

 

Think spring!

:noobie:

[plus 3 golfer]

The dealer had 35% already on driver's, passenger's, and the two little front windows and had 20% on everything else.  The window tinting listed for $599 with lifetime warranty and was 3M color stable series.  I negotiated the window tint for free (I'll bet dealer markup was 100% on the tinting).  The color stable series cut film for the C-Max is $153 on e-bay (retail $204).  Generic film is selling for about $30 on e-bay cut for the C-Max.

 

I had the standard Suntek film put on my 2009 Jetta and had no issues in four years - 70k miles for $220 ish. 

[Braker]

i had mine done for 270 with the front strip. This is at a place in San Diego that does the best work around though and I have done several vehicles with them, they are always worth the extra buck. It is 25% 3M all around.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Braker

[Noah Harbinger]

i had mine done for 270 with the front strip. This is at a place in San Diego that does the best work around though and I have done several vehicles with them, they are always worth the extra buck. It is 25% 3M all around.

 

I'm also in San Diego and have been considering a tint - where did you go?

[Noah Harbinger]

California law, says no tint front windows. Here's to hopeful for no tickets. 

 

I thought California Law said 70% Transparency on the front windows - is that the transparency of the glass itself? 

 

A roommate got dinged for tint, but it was just a fix-it ticket. 

[Braker]

I'm also in San Diego and have been considering a tint - where did you go?

 

 

sdtint.com  they have two locations but the original one in La Mesa has been there a long time and that's where I go. The guy that runs the shop has been there forever and did my last car in 2008.

[Noah Harbinger]

sdtint.com  they have two locations but the original one in La Mesa has been there a long time and that's where I go. The guy that runs the shop has been there forever and did my last car in 2008.

 

Sweet, the La Mesa location is a block from my old High School, and I pass the Sorrento Valley location on the way to work every day... It's nice to know someone's had a good experience there, before going myself.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Noah Harbinger

[mtb9153]

I thought California Law said 70% Transparency on the front windows - is that the transparency of the glass itself? 

 

A roommate got dinged for tint, but it was just a fix-it ticket. 

Good luck with that in CA.  I got dinged repeatedly and finally got tired of it and removed it.

[KAC]

Thanks to everyone who responded with info!

[stloumax]

Sorry to revive this once again  - but I finally got our Sterling Gray C-Max tinted. When I got it back, and drove it home, I noticed black tape, that is practically invisible on the OUTSIDES of the rear window, and rear quarter windows, bordering the dots on the glass. I didn't know why he did that, so I called up and asked, and he explained that the margin between the film and the end of glass (especially with the dots present) shows up as a silverish gap. And this black tape - to them - was the best approach that conceals this gap.He said they use this method on a lot of cars, especially Fords. The guy is very reliable and experienced, so I trust him in a way.

 

Yet I am sort of befuddled also, and want to pursue this more as I do not want a tape, however unnoticeable, on the outside of the car. It will catch dust, and might even fade out. It is offered with Lifetime warranty, so I am not concerned about the fade, just the aesthetics of a tape on the outside of the glass. My wife did not notice it, until I pointed it out to her. I noticed all the cars in here with tints on, and I cannot see any black tape anywhere. 

 

Have you heard of this being even an issue with you all?

 

Thanks, and glad to be a member in here finally. Been a lurker for a while!

Edited April 30, 2014 by stloumax

[ScubaDadMiami]

I noticed all the cars in here with tints on, and I cannot see any black tape anywhere. 

 

Have you heard of this being even an issue with you all?

 Are you talking about the dots that are around the rear view mirror? I can't really get your description. Perhaps some pics would help.

 

I had my windows tinted by the dealer. I did not have a strip put across the top of the windshield. I don't know of any "tape" on mine.

[stloumax]

I know - I was re-reading my post, and I can see the not very helpful description I gave. 

 

So - let us take the case of the rear quarter glass. Prior to tinting, this glass, on the inside has those small dots all around the near edge where it starts to become opaque, right? (The same is around the rear hatch window glass, just around the border on the inside, these hundreds of tiny raised black dots.(

 

If I am making sense so far - what the tint guy did was put the film inside as usual, but then these dots interfere with the clean install look, and (apparently) ends up giving a silverish hue at the place where the dots are. So his solution was to very artfully apply black tape on the OUTSIDE, outlining the window shape, right where this silver hue can be noted.

 

So - in this image I scored from this site of someone else's C-Max, you can sort of see the hue on the rear quarter panel.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lin1jjxq3yzhd24/TintedRearQuarter.JPG

 

I will try and post a picture of mine tomorrow.

Edited April 30, 2014 by stloumax

[plus 3 golfer]

No black tape on mine.  So the black tape covers the dots and extends to the glass edge? If so, that's a good distance on the rear hatch. I wonder what the glass looks like without tint--- are the dots still showing a silver hue?  It would seem to me that the raised edge of the tape on the glass could allow dirt buildup (like on pinstriping and clear bra) and may require extra cleaning and lift up if not careful.  I would presume the tape is easy to remove should it become problematic. 

[Ponypower]

Hachman your car looks awesome, getting mine tinted tomorrow 35% all around.

[stloumax]

Plus 3 Golfer, thank you. All good points, and no, it does not extent to the edge, just enough to cover the silver hue - and in fact after discussion with one of the employees there today, he agreed that even he does not like to put the tape on it, and apparently the boss who is a bit of a perfectionist insist they do it since he does not like the silver hue that shows up because of the dots on the edge of the glass.

 

I can see his point and for that matter cannot fault him (but he could have asked first, sure), but we are removing it as soon as I can get the car back over there. Trying to get some pics here so all can see.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dilb0wlj3c3kxoa/RearHatchGlassTape.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/a7285oyse22vdkv/Rear%20Quarter%20Tape.jpg

 

Like I said, they took their time applying this tape, and it looks professionally done - but I do not like nothing sticking on the outside of the car, since they tend to attract dust and dirt, as you said.