Window tinting, how dark is too dark?

[Jet-Star]

I'm getting my windows tinted as soon as I can make a decision on this and i'd like a bit of input & advice on what to get.

I called up the local tinting bloke and got a quote for my EF, $440 for all of the windows including the front in the "Privacy tint" which he said was 17% darker than legal.. But im a bit worried i'm going to go and spend all this money on getting dark dark windows then getting pulled up for it and getting a canary.

Should I just stick with whats legal? Or have people found the cops to be pretty good with window tints? My car is clean and I never get harrassed by the local police so I don't want this to be the one thing they don't like and start picking on me for... How ever I've never heard of anyone being picked up on their windows being too dark so i'm thinking I should be right as long as I don't draw attention needlessly.

What are peoples thoughts on the subject?

[Ives]

Well, I've never heard someone busted for illegal tints. I know some people with window tinting darker than the legally allowed and they're fine.

As for me, I got darkest legal tint.

[MO]

Stay legal..less hassle.

[FPV8U]

I think it really depends on the colour of the car, my XR8 is Black and i have pretty dark tint and don't have any issues.

Obviously the same tint on a Bright Yellow car is going to look alot darker.

[Jet-Star]

Originally Posted by FPV8U

I think it really depends on the colour of the car, my XR8 is Black and i have pretty dark tint and don't have any issues.

Obviously the same tint on a Bright Yellow car is going to look alot darker.

Its Dynamic White..

[trick_xd]

Originally Posted by FPV8U

Obviously the same tint on a Bright Yellow car is going to look alot darker.

Why Pick on me for .....



35% is the darkest you are allowed to go on the front window. and the 2 front doors . as you have 2 rear view mirrors (1 on each door) you can by law weld a metal plate over all the rearward windows ( think of food service vans)

My windows are 20% front and 5% rear ... been like it for a long time and no problems.

[xm_coupe]

As Far as i know you can have as dark as you want on the back windows but front has to be 35%.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by sick_ET

As Far as i know you can have as dark as you want on the back windows but front has to be 35%.

there seems to be a lot of confusion over how dark is legal. i had to have my tint removed to get my car passed through regency here in s.a. according to them the tint has to allow 65% of light through. this means it can only block 35%.

if you go down to a tint place and ask for 35% tint this is in fact the amount of light transmitted i believe so still illegal. most factory tints are about as legal as you can go.

having said that i had mafia tint on my old xr6 wagon and never got looked at once. if i was a bit worried due to a cop being in the area i'd just wind down the fronts.

[eb_5litre]

Your in Victoria.... I'd be considering removing the factory protective film before thats deemed illegal.

[[Tonko]]

They were defecting people at springnats for that.
Plus, if your insurance company finds out, then you are up **** creek...Because they can blame alot of accidents on the basis you could not see...

[Unco]

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rd...621/0/VSI2.pdf

stick to your local state laws and you'll be fine.

[Kev_BLNXR8_Ute]

Had a mate get done for window tint....
He ended up fighting it and getting all these tests done to prove it was only darkest legal.

Usualy if you go darker than legal you have to sign a waver sheet saying you wont hold the company that did the job resposible.

Your insurance can be waved if you tint is to dark.

Also you are not allowed to tint 100% of the front windscreen. You can only tint something like a 1/4 of it.

I would highly recomend only tinting darkest legal...



Cheers...... Kev

P.S. Sorry but your quote seems pricey.

[Rodp]

Lifetime guarantee and the tint has been going strong for near 3 years for half the price of your quote. Was their top of the line tint as well with a special tint on the rear window due to the aerial being in the glass of the BA.

I would love to have gone darker on mine but it's not worth the hassle of being pulled over and defected because of it and/or having an insurance company waive my policy if I was involved in an accident due to illegal tint. While I was getting my tint done, a number of doof doof cars came in to get illegal tint done and they were presented with waivers (presumably to point out that the customer has been advised that the tint is illegal and they hold no responsibility over what happens when the car rolls out of their garage).

So is it worth being a cop magnet and having any insurance you may have waived for 17% darker?

[RAREV8]

As others have said, stick with the legal limit.....if your interior is dark, the tint looks good and dark anyway.

[RG]

My AU is darkest legal and my old EL was 15% or something like that. I'd definately recommend going darkest legal because I found the 15% just plain annoying at night. $440 seems way too pricey to me too.

[Riksta]

My AU has 35% on it, although at times it looks darker than what it is.

I think the dark interior gives some illusion that the tint is darker too.

I wouldn't go any further than the legal tint personally, not worth any hassle.

[prydey]

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/Ar...eID=5182&vf=24

http://www.southcoasttint.com.au/auto.html

seems us south aussies get bent over here as well. according to these 2 articles, window tint on front windows is basically illegal. one says can't have tint, the other says must have light transmitance of at least 70% with 35% possible on windows not affecting drivers view of the road.

tried searching trans s.a. website but obviously i looked in the wrong spot as couldn't find anything.

this does agree with what i was told at regency though. for those who don't know, regency is where you go to get most defects lifted or to get a car from interstate inspected. this is how i got done as i bought my car in nsw and before i could register it here it has to pass through regency.

[Unco]

Originally Posted by prydey

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/Ar...eID=5182&vf=24

http://www.southcoasttint.com.au/auto.html

seems us south aussies get bent over here as well. according to these 2 articles, window tint on front windows is basically illegal. one says can't have tint, the other says must have light transmitance of at least 70% with 35% possible on windows not affecting drivers view of the road.

tried searching trans s.a. website but obviously i looked in the wrong spot as couldn't find anything.

this does agree with what i was told at regency though. for those who don't know, regency is where you go to get most defects lifted or to get a car from interstate inspected. this is how i got done as i bought my car in nsw and before i could register it here it has to pass through regency.

you just need to look a bit harder: http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/pdfs/...e_vehicles.pdf

it makes reference to the Road Traffic Vehicle Standards Rules 1999...

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/s...99308/s44.html

cheers

[trick_xd]

only to top 10% of your windscreen or to the bottom of your sun visors .. what ever is smaller ...

[Unco]

Originally Posted by trick_xd

only to top 10% of your windscreen or to the bottom of your sun visors .. what ever is smaller ...

you can tint your windscreen in VIC as long as it transmits at least 70% of visible light on vehicles built prior to 1971. All others must transmit at least 75%. the band that you're referring to can be tinted to less than 75% transmittance if you want to but it is actually measured to the top of the wiper arc area, not your sun visors. either that or the top 10% of the windscreen height. and yes, whichever one is smaller.

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rd...621/0/VSI2.pdf

[X000BOSS]

dont think you'll have dramas with the police, but you will have a problem with going too dark on the front windows. i found it was a pain to see any side street or even my driveway with out opening the front windows.