To tint or not to tint?

[wicked677]

Considering having my windows tinted, not dark just a light smoke, few questions first:

- Do Audi offer tinting? If so what is the rough cost?
- Some tint jobs look bad whereby you can see the heater lines and silver outline, would this be the case with my A4 windows?
- Not sure if the mirror dim would work properly?
- Will it devalue the car, are people put off by tinted windows at resale or part-ex?

Thanks

[theskyfox]

Hi,

I think window tinting is quite a personal choice. From a legal perspective, you can have the back windows tinted as much as you like (Limo tint is kinda cool) but the fronts can only be very slightly tinted. Exact guidelines can be found on the VOSA website.

In Answer to your questions....
1. Yes Audi offer tinting in the factory when you first get the car built (if buying new) but otherwise they just end up subcontracting someone else to do it. I can't remember the exact cost from mine, but as a ball park figure I believe it was £200 - £300. I have dark smoke which makes it impossible to see in the back of the car from the outside on a bright day or at night but still lets you see out.

2. Some look bad - Yes its worth paying someone good to do it. You can still see the heater outlines, but they arent *that* noticeable. I think mine are just a different shade of black, not silver.

3. Mirror dim is a little hit and miss. Mine still seems to work ok, with light smoke I doubt you'll have a problem but it might not be the case with limo tint.

4. Done properly, I can't see it devaluing the car. If anything its usually listed as a positive optional extra. Personally I think it finishes the car nicely and I would tint the windows on any saloon I bought that didn't already have it.

hope it helps.

-Andrew

[neebsta]

I had it done on my A6 Avant and the 'silvering' around the dot matrix looks terrible IMHO. I have been looking for the 5 pieces of glass with the acid dip tint from breakers yards to make it look a factory job - haven't managed yet!

I have yet to see one film tint on an Audi/VW that looks close enough to OEM. The only time my A6 tint looked good was doing 70 on the motorway! The company that fitted my tints were really good - you just can't achieve a result without the silvering.

[hejikibob]

Has anyone got a silver B8 with tints they can share a picture of? I have considered this myself as I have the same shape as Wicked667 but I can envision it looking good. I need to see a car with it done.

[wicked677]

Thanks guys, will enquire w/Audi - this is how dark I would go I tihnk

http://imgc.classistatic.com/cps/blnc/130211/688r1/801987b_20.jpeg

[gdallas]

definitely tint mate... best £180 bucks ive spent in a while... love the way it transformed my motor

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[kodkod.84]

Just a query to those with factory privacy glass- is it a film tint or actual smoked glass?

[wicked677]

definitely tint mate... best £180 bucks ive spent in a while... love the way it transformed my motor

2280922810228112281222813

May I ask you email these to me so I can see closer? I want to see what the back window looks like in fullscreen? Can I PM you my email?

[neebsta]

It is acid tinted glass - it looks loads better than a film tint. No bubbles or silvering. My mrs has the factory tint on her Passat Estate (11 plate) looks great.

[gdallas]

ye send me your email and i'll send them on. cheers
G

[derekm]

Factory privacy glass is the best as there will be no heater lines or silver bits round the edges. The privacy glass is proper darkened glass, no films tints etc.

With tints you will always be able to tell they are tints and not privacy glass. lines and silver edges will alway be visible to varying degrees.

[hejikibob]

ye send me your email and i'll send them on. cheers
G

Can you send them to me as well. It's the same shape and colour as mine.

[gdallas]

ye send me your email, no probs

[hejikibob]

Thanks :)

What tints did you have on that? They look quite dark on the back but I can't tell if you had the fronts done?

[gdallas]

It's just the normal level of tintage lol... I got mine dine here, they done an excellent job, very impressed. mini graphics company in glasgow vinyl graphics car window tints tinting mini graphics company in glasgow vinyl graphics car window tints tinting (http://www.solarglasstech.co.uk)

[gdallas]

It's back 5 only btw

[wicked677]

Thanks for the pictures to my email BTW, just checked with my insurance and it's an extra £15.76 for more and less than 30%. Surprisingly they are also offering to cover 30% on the front windows too. Apparently front windows is an option with Elephant even though totally illegal lol as she was going to quote for those too even though I don't want them..

What level of tint do you have gdallas?

[gdallas]

cant remember but it was whatever the most common level of tint is in uk.

[wicked677]

Just drove to a tint shop in Kidderminster called tintdevil, doors shut and nobody answered the bell. Probably not the best place to go it would seem... Unfortunately I live out in the countryside, can't leave my car in Birmingham for the day either as 20 miles away. Looks like dealer is my option, considering the weahther with mobile specialists.

[Guest 2]

Any tint on the front two windows and windscreen is totally illegal. You can have any level of tint on the rear, dealer won't tint your windows and if they do they'll bring in an outside firm and charge a surcharge on top.

[wicked677]

Spoke to a lady from Worcester Audi who gave me a contact number for a contractor they use. Left a voicemail, nothing back so far... wrong time of the year it would seem, guess they're all in hibernation for the winter!

[theskyfox]

Any tint on the front two windows and windscreen is totally illegal. You can have any level of tint on the rear, dealer won't tint your windows and if they do they'll bring in an outside firm and charge a surcharge on top.

Not quite entirely true...front windscreen can be tinted up to 25% and sides 30% (1st April 1985 or later). When speccing a new windscreen (e.g. after a crack or so) you can opt for a solar-tint/UV windscreens for example which I believe are about 5% tinted. I don't think I'd want to be the wrong side of a road-side check though!

more info here Tinted vehicle windows: the law - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/tinted-vehicle-window-rules)

-Andrew

[Guest 2]

Not quite entirely true...front windscreen can be tinted up to 25% and sides 30% (1st April 1985 or later). When speccing a new windscreen (e.g. after a crack or so) you can opt for a solar-tint/UV windscreens for example which I believe are about 5% tinted. I don't think I'd want to be the wrong side of a road-side check though!

more info here Tinted vehicle windows: the law - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/tinted-vehicle-window-rules)

-Andrew

Must be different for us in Northern Ireland then as were allowed zero tint on the front windows (factory uv tint obviously allowed) but anything after that is 3 points and a fine.


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[theskyfox]

Must be different for us in Northern Ireland then as were allowed zero tint on the front windows (factory uv tint obviously allowed) but anything after that is 3 points and a fine.


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Ouch! I've just been looking online..there seem to be some horror stories about people being pulled and told to remove it even with a low tint here. There seems to be a grey area as well - if its factory tint glass then it seems to be ok at the front (at the respective 25/30%) but some sources seem to suggest that having tint film on your fronts/sides will get you into trouble. Personally I'd just stick with it on the back....

-Andrew