Acura RSX, ILX and Honda EP3 Forum banner

Tinting nightmare!

2K views 22 replies 10 participants last post by  Silver RSX-S 
#1 ·
I got all 5 of my windows tinted a few days ago, and i just started to roll my windows down today.

It went down REALLY REALLY slow, and when I tried to roll it back up, something was stuck! The rubber trim that clamps next to the window got stuck on some parts, so i pryed it out with a credit card.

But on the passenger side I didn't use any protection with the credit card and scratched up my tint. There are about 20 hairline scratches, argh. I'm so stupid!!

Some of the rubber trim was kinda cut up too! Nothing major, but just annoything it happened.

On my rear right window, i saw some light scratches too! Man! Damn amateurs! I guess I got what I paid for. $150 for all 5.

The shop asked me if I want the top of the rear hatch window tinted as it would not stick, and i told them not to tint that part, but my friend saids the tint should go right over it. I think I got screwed over! How am I suppose to cover the top strip now?
 
#2 ·
Sorry to hear about the bad experiance. I have had three cars tinted without problems for just over 200 ea car. Everytime the hatch was not done due to the problems of it not sticking. I was told that it is not the inside that you should be consirned about but how it looks from the outside.
My RSX was tinted by an individual who had never tinted one before but he did a great job installing (some tinter use knives and cut into the car) and explaining all the tints available. The only thing I did have a problem with was the window seal had stuck to the glass but I had seen this and freed the seal before rolling down my window.
 
#3 ·
n8236 said:
I got all 5 of my windows tinted a few days ago, and i just started to roll my windows down today.

It went down REALLY REALLY slow, and when I tried to roll it back up, something was stuck! The rubber trim that clamps next to the window got stuck on some parts, so i pryed it out with a credit card.

But on the passenger side I didn't use any protection with the credit card and scratched up my tint. There are about 20 hairline scratches, argh. I'm so stupid!!

Some of the rubber trim was kinda cut up too! Nothing major, but just annoything it happened.

On my rear right window, i saw some light scratches too! Man! Damn amateurs! I guess I got what I paid for. $150 for all 5.

The shop asked me if I want the top of the rear hatch window tinted as it would not stick, and i told them not to tint that part, but my friend saids the tint should go right over it. I think I got screwed over! How am I suppose to cover the top strip now?
Dude, I feel for you. You should have tinted the Rear window one piece and tint the rest yourself. U can try it now, if the tint shop won't do it again. Just take some time to do it right. I did all my sides, and everyone thought it was done OEM. U can't even see where the window and tint cross on the top of driver/passenger side. Just take your time and you'll will come out better than the shop. Just take ti back to the shop, and ask them to do it over. They should come with lifetime warranty, mine did.
 
#4 ·
The problem is this. My first attempt me and and my friend went by Kragen's and got some tint and thought we could do it ourselves, but it turned out a lot more difficult than we expected. So I went to the tint shop and told them to tint my windows with the tint I bought.

Thus they will only cover lifetime warranty on labor ( ie bubbles ) only and not the tint.

I asked a friend the other night and he said the back window, the whole piece should just go over it w/o problems.

With the scuff and scratch marks on my passenger side window. Since I was the one who caused it due to the window being stuck, which is shouldn't be, the shop should hopefully cover me on this. There was no way I would leave my passenger side window down for weeks until I go back to the city again to get the tint redone. :(

The scuff marks are noticable if u sit right next to it, but thank God it is at the top portion of the window.
 
#6 ·
I think either you brought bad tint or the tint guy screw u over big time. Where u buy the tint? U know you can buy scratch resistant tint right? $175 and u have to give them the tint, u got shit prices there. Did u bother shopping around first? Anyway, if they won't do it, then just do it yourself or leave it. I think there are instructions on this site for tinting, just do a search. Its not that hard. I tinited 3 of my cars already, I tinted one of them in the middle of the night with a flash light once. And it turned out ok. Oh heat gun will help, if not just find the hottest hair dryer.
 
#8 ·
i got mine tinted at a "professional tinting shop" for about $220 which included 20% tint all around including a 5% strip across the top of the windshield. and btw they were professionals because the job they did rocked! like not a single air bubble was in the tint, and when i did find 1 or 2 in the strip, i went back, and they took them right out! what they suggested about the strip on the back was get a vinyl strip put on in the inside as tint would not stick right to that area (the matrix dots) and it would look all cloudly if they did. i took thier advice, got a custom black vinyl strip, and they even put it on for me (for like $10)! the car looks so much better with the back windshield all one color now and not having that exposed strip not tinted at all.
 
#9 ·
I can't find any vinyl shops around the area I live. I've looked in the Yellow Pages and found one, but they don't do automobiles.

Any chance you can get that strip for me from the shop somehow? I can transfer funds over to you. I guess I can stick it on myself. I have 20% in the back window right now, so I guess whatever the tint% would work with it.

Do you even have any pin hole sized bubbles? I'm guessing those are normal? :confused:

My hatchwindow, it's not even cut evenly. Jeez, I feel so ripped off now! :(
 
#10 ·
nope...no bubbles whatsoever. i've looked too. like i said, the ones i did find in the strip were just moisture and they took that out right away with a straight edge. if you find bubbles, chances are it is just moisture and you can use a blowdryer or try using a straight edge to push it out.

as for the vinyl strip, look for an automobile expressions place or something like that. a place that specializes in decals and exterior dressup. i got mine at a place just like that in the local mall like right near where the tinting place was. the two places knew of each other so that's why they recommended one another for work. the tinting place just told me to go over there, get the strip, and bring it back for installation. like i said, it goes on the inside, so it was like a pefect match to what was already there, i am very happy with it and happy that i did it ecspecially since it only cost like $20! i'll try to post some pics of it when i get a chance. the only bad thing is since the tint and the strip are two different pieces, you can see a faint almost clear line from where the tint ends and where the strip begins. no biggie though.

if you still cannot find any place around that will do the black vinyl strip, let me know, and we can work somthing out.
 
#11 ·
Well, my friend, you seem to have no option but to strip off the old tint, kick yourself squarely in the ass for trying to be a cheap bastard, and pay a decent shop whatever they charge you to do it right. Chalk it up to experience. Sorry.
 
#12 ·
Kilo said:
Well, my friend, you seem to have no option but to strip off the old tint, kick yourself squarely in the ass for trying to be a cheap bastard, and pay a decent shop whatever they charge you to do it right. Chalk it up to experience. Sorry.
He already paid $200, its more than enough for 'good quality' tint.
 
#13 ·
Yeah, but to save a few bucks, he bought his own tint at Kragen and of course nobody is going to warranty that. Then he paid somebody else to put it on. Shoulda just gone to a good tint place to start with. He wouldn't have paid much more and he'd be covered for life. Some shit just ain't worth doing yourself.
 
#14 ·
Kilo said:
Yeah, but to save a few bucks, he bought his own tint at Kragen and of course nobody is going to warranty that. Then he paid somebody else to put it on. Shoulda just gone to a good tint place to start with. He wouldn't have paid much more and he'd be covered for life. Some shit just ain't worth doing yourself.
Agreed, he should have done more research if he was going to buy the tint. But u gotta admit the shop rip him off for $200 with him supplying the tint. That's just freaking BS for the shop to do that.
 
#18 ·
I really recommend doing this, it makes the back of the car look so much better! oh, and don't worry, you can't see the vinyl strip at all when you are looking through the rearviewmirror...it is up too high on the back windshield for it to obstruct any vision. peace!
 
#19 ·
OMG i just got my tints done a couple days ago and after waiting the obligatory 48 hrs i rolled them down and the windows dont roll down right! the rubber and shit gets in the way or something and the whole rubber thing around the window pushes down when the window is rolled down ! :firemad: AHHH! Im gonna go yell at him sooo much tomorrow!
 
#21 ·
I have a question/idea...

Can't you get a bottle of those tint spray paint, and spray it into a cup until you fill the cup, so its very liquidly, then get a brush and dip lightly and paint over the dot matrix?

Or

get some sticky substance and put over the dot matrix, and use a card to make it smooth so there isnt any holes left and then tint?

Just an idea, it could be stupid but i thought i would share lol
 
#22 ·
i went back this morning, he said:

"Wow this is so cool! This is how you know you've got an expensive car! Your car is so cool that it has 2 rubber strips to prevent dust from getting in! most cars only have 1! See the window was snagging on that secondary one!" And then precedes to disassemble my door and remove the rubber thingy.

Its fine now at least.
:smilemad:
 
#23 ·
my windows too got stuck the first time i rolled them down, just carefully pry it free and it'll be fine.

and i had the top part of my back windsheild coverd...not tinted and its just like the pics above, it looks great, i had a front strip added at 20% for no addition cost. so all 5 windows and the strip cost me $180 including covering the dots on the back with vinyl. lifetime warranty which i had to use because the tint and vinyl overlaid a little and looked funny, but it wa fixed for free
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top