Tinted Car Windows?
 

Does anyone have/had tinted windows on their car(s)? We're considering them on at least one of ours, and would appreciate any input.

Main questions are pros & cons, % level of tint, night visibility to the sides and rear, maintenance and durability issues, etc.

Thanks in advance...

I gave up on tinted windows after having several cars with them and struggled to see at night. The front window is never tinted, but the side windows made it difficult for me to see left or right, especially going around a corner.

Thanks for the input. Nightime vision with tinted windows is a concern of mine too.

I must agree with having problems with the night vision. They sure do help keeping the interior a bit cooler however they are offset with problems driving at night. Virtually No maintenance needed .

If one uses the maximum "darkness" tint
 

allowed by FL law, there is no problem with night time vision.

Far too many people feel they must have much darker than necessary to be effective. And there are far too many retailers that will apply the darker than allowed.

The legal tint is effective to blocking the heat of the sun as well as the UV and does not interfere with night vision.
I am sure there are some folks who could possibly have a problem no matter how light the tint.

Most sport utility vehicles come with the back side windows and rear window tinted. They do meet the dark specification for the state of FL. No problem seeing through those either.

btk

Here are the legal specs for tinting in Florida;

http://www.tintcenter.com/laws/FL/

I've read about a newer type ceramic tinting I am considering for my Prius....

Frank

I am satisfied with mine. Definitely cooler. Just roll down a window in the sun and feel the difference. No problem at night.

As a Ret. law enforcement Officer, please dont do it, makes our job more dangerous when you cant see what is happening behind the wheel after a traffic stop.

If we all don't do it then it would be easier to spot the bad
 

guys....eh?

Why don't the police stop the guys who have the blacked out windows? If it is illegal...stop 'em....ticket 'em and have them remove the tint.

The reason the darker than legal is available and seen on many cars here in Florida is there is no enforcement of the violation.

Where I had mine tinted (legal tint), they would put on the darker than allowed if...you did not say where you got the job done...and they would not give you a receipt!

btk

btk

I always had mine tinted to be within the law but still had a problem seeing at night especially when in an area without other lighting such as street lights. The tint shops always had darker than allowed by law that was called "Limousine Tint". Apparently limos are allowed to have very dark windows for the passengers. Notice the Villages trolley. You can't see into their windows at all. Of course it only runs during the day.

Thanks for all of the information.

Here in IL the maximum legal tint is 35% which is a little lighter than the FL law allows (28% on side windows). If I have it done, still not sure, I'd go even lighter to maybe 40% to make sure I'm in compliance with the law and avoid it being too dark for for my nightime driving comfort.

I've always had mine tinted with the legal %, no problems with night vision. It goes a long way toward keeping the car cool. If you have problems with night vision after tinting you may need to see an eye doctor....gn

Probably a good idea to to the eye doctor before getting the windows tinted.

Wonder why no one has converted transition lense technology to car window glass. That would be the ultimate.

My guess would be that as long as the tinting you get is compliant to Florida law, the police would not have a problem with it.

Frank

There may be new and improved tints now. The place we went had several choices. Some may be better for night driving than others. They even had one for the front window. Seems like I remember that it did not change the vision at all-just reflected the heat. Would work on side windows too. We used Shawn at Underglass 3M, just south of 466 on 441. 753-5267.

Thanks again for all of the input. Right now I'm leaning towards a 50% tint (this allows for 50% of the light to enter the car) on the front and back windows. It's very conservative, but will allow us to see how we like it, and would be legal in most states, including here in IL.

Have em and like em. Certainly keeps the car much cooler. Have not noticed any problem driving night.