Model S - Window Tinting

[Premier Mobile]

Thank you for using these tests. Substantiates my decision to go with Photosync in a couple months. We'll add the windshield at 65 with Crystalline. Should help more. The MS has a huge windshield.

No problem! Here in the US, us window tinters use various equipment to show the performance of products. We can't rely solely on manufacturer data as we have burned before (e.g. a ceramic tint manufacturer claimed no metals are used in their product yet we had radio reception issues as well as keyless entry system complaints after we installed their ceramic tint. We later found out that this ceramic tint indeed have metals in them!)

Fortunately, units like this spectrum analyzer was made available to us professionals. Though expensive, but worthwhile as it is measuring w/ high US spec conforming to NFRC300 standards.

Let us know if you guys have further questions.

 

[CA2NJ]

I haven't decided yet on what I'm putting on. As mine is going to be Black with Tan interior, I am thinking either 3M crystalline 40% all around, or 3M Ceramic 30% all around. hmm............I wish I had some good pictures to know exactly what it would look like. I see the above 20% all around which looks great but I think would cause me to get stopped too many times. I also want the car to remain a little more 'classier' and less 'ghetto'. Don't get me wrong, I love that 20% all around. But I'm thinking that 3M crystalline 40% all around, or 3M Ceramic 30% all around would look perfect for what I'm going for...

I also know that one post has pics of Ceramic 40% all around which does look good but may be a bit on the lighter side. It's really hard to tell which is darker, the 3M crystalline 40% or 3M Ceramic 30%... I know 30% would be but it is a different kind of film so not really easily comparable without exact photos of them.

Hi, I see you are in NJ so am I. Isn't cold weather the biggest battery concern for MS? Does window tint with IR/heat shield have any effects on that? Just wondering because while solar heat is bad in the summer, it is good for the winter.

 

[yobigd20]

Hi, I see you are in NJ so am I. Isn't cold weather the biggest battery concern for MS? Does window tint with IR/heat shield have any effects on that? Just wondering because while solar heat is bad in the summer, it is good for the winter.

There are 0 concerns over weather for the MS because of the thermal battery management system that is part of the enclosed battery pack. It doesn't matter if it's -20 degrees in Norway or 120 degrees in Arizona the thermal management will keep the battery temps within stable safe limits so that temps have 0 effect on the batteries. This has been proven through analysis of Tesla's battery's and range loss vs non thermal cooled batteries in other cars. There's many reasons why Tesla is the number 1 selling car in Norway and this is just one of them.

So tint has 0 effect on battery. It does however keep the interior a bit cooler and that will make the interior finishes last longer (no fading, cracking, etc).

 

[CA2NJ]

Am wondering if there is also any heat insulation effect from the tint film in winter...just confirmed my MS reservation so doing homework now to prep for delivery which is next July - so still long time away bc need to save up first

 

[yobigd20]

Am wondering if there is also any heat insulation effect from the tint film in winter...just confirmed my MS reservation so doing homework now to prep for delivery which is next July - so still long time away bc need to save up first

Many of us here will recommend Lee and Greg at Leeberbs https://www.facebook.com/Leeberbs for paint correction, paint protection film (XPEL), tint, and coatings. They must have done like 60-70 Tesla's by now if not more. Excellent work.

 

[darthvdr]

Thank you for using these tests. Substantiates my decision to go with Photosync in a couple months. We'll add the windshield at 65 with Crystalline. Should help more. The MS has a huge windshield.

Invaluable information provided by Premier Mobile. Validates what we feel every time we get into our MS on a sunny day.

 

[iffatall]

...just confirmed my MS reservation so doing homework now to prep for delivery which is next July...

OMG, the scheduled delivery is next July for orders placed now? Or did you mean you intentionally deferred delivery to July?

 

[Barry]

Never mind. Thought I was in the MX forum.

 

[Premier Mobile]

Hi, I see you are in NJ so am I. Isn't cold weather the biggest battery concern for MS? Does window tint with IR/heat shield have any effects on that? Just wondering because while solar heat is bad in the summer, it is good for the winter.

For PhotoSync, its performance is not only beneficial for the hot summer months, but also for the winter. Heat retention is just as important and PhotoSync works very well to minimize heat dissipation through the windows.

- - - Updated - - -

Thank you for using these tests. Substantiates my decision to go with Photosync in a couple months. We'll add the windshield at 65 with Crystalline. Should help more. The MS has a huge windshield.

Wherever you go, just make sure you confirm that the company you go to is an Authorized Spectra Dealer. We ("Spectra Dealers") are the only ones allowed to carry photosync. If you are unsure, contact Prestige directly to confirm. Prestige is actually quite particular about the dealers allowed to carry this window film. Good luck!

 

[Premier Mobile]

We recently had several inquiries about whether or not Photosync is truly metallic, so we decided to do a very simple test and document it. We have been burned before on manufacturer claims, so we are skeptical until proven otherwise. The plasma globe's electrodes react to metal conductors. We used a metallic 55% tint, a ceramic based 60% and 40% tint, and compared them to PhotoSync 75 and 55.

 

[darthvdr]

We just dropped off our 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In to get tint. We did not get the Photosynch as it costed a little too much for this car. We did not mind it for the P85+, but on this car, we chose Ceralux. Had a long discussion with my tint installer Premiere and this was the most practical choice. Ceralux is made by Prestige, which is the same company for Photosynch, so I trusted their tint 100%. It also helped that Dave showed me the heat lamp display comparing several brands and believe me. We both felt a difference putting our hands inside the heat box.

I wanted the 33% (we had Photosynch 35 for the doors and 75 for the windscreen), but my wife did not want it that dark. (my name is darthvdr for a reason ) We compromised and chose to get the 45% on the doors and 73% for the windscreen. We will be picking the car up tomorrow, so I will post back here with feedback. Footnote: Ceralux does cost less than Photosynch. For us, we paid about 1/3 less than our tab with Photosynch. Excited!

 

[darthvdr]

OUR REVIEW OF CERALUX We have had one week with our Accord PlugIn and it is a lot toastier than our P85+ obviously. We were hesitant to have Photosynch put on because of the price tag (we are retired and need to be smart about our spending), not that it is not worth it, just not worth the pricing commensurate to the price of our $50,000 Plugin. If we were to do it again with the P85+, I would not think twice with Photosynch. We could not justify it for the Accord. The process was fairly standard. We scheduled an appointment with Premiere and David spent a great deal of time explaining to us the details about Ceralux ceramic tint as a viable alternative to Photosynch. There seems to be a fair performance delta between Photosynch and Ceralux, which are both made by the same company - Prestige. I recall it was about 8%-10% difference in heat block. When we compared the numbers between Ceralux and the other ceramic tints, Ceralux still out-performed. This tint comes in several shades and we got the 73 for the windscreen and 45 for everything else. The 45 blocks out 58% of heat (easy to remember, because that is my wife's age), but I do not remember what it is exactly for the 73. What was also very important to us is that this is not a metallic tint. Premiere assured us by doing a demo the test on the plasma globe with the tint and there was no reaction to it. We are quite happy with Ceralux and how we feel sitting inside on a hot day. We did drive the P85+ there, so the first thing we did was sit inside the Accord to get an immediate comparison. We do feel a difference in heat block between our Photosynched P85+ and the Ceraluxed Accord, but I think the pricing is factored into it. I do not have the invoice with me, but I believe it was about $600 for everything and $200s for the windscreen, which is several hundred less than Photosynch. The heat block aside, what I also like about this tint is how clear it is. Photosynch 10 out of 10 starsCeralux 8.5 out of 10 stars (and that is for comparing it to a tint of Photosynch's caliber)Highly recommended.

 

[darthvdr]

Proud owner of new Accord Plug-In. Handing over our 14 year old Accord to our son and we will enjoy this one for ourselves. Here's our 1 week old 2014 Accord Plug-In! Not anywhere near the status and power of the P85+, but certainly not bad in the green department and not short of power as well.

 

[jgsuperstar29]

Review of Spectra PhotoSync and Glareshield

I had my P85+ "PhotoSync-ed" last week and wanted to share my experience. Like some others on this forum, I had it done at Premier Protective Films Int'l in Fremont and I can't say enough of how friendly the staff was to deal with, and how they really made great efforts to educate me on PhotoSync's capabilities. They have a small heat lamp setup to help demonstrate the heat-rejection properties of PhotSync - they let me put my hand under the heat lamp, then blocked the heat with a piece of glass tinted with different levels of PhotoSync (and some other products on the market) so I could feel the difference...and it really is a huge difference! I was also impressed with how up-front they were with as couple of the things some folks see as "issues" of having PhotoSync, such as the rainbow affect on the windshield when wearing polarized sunglasses and some glare at nigh-time through the rear window on the defroster lines. Overall the staff at Premier were great and I'd give them an A+.

Quick background on my car/personal specifics: My P+ has the flat-white exterior, but I have the black interior so it heats up pretty quickly. I live in the San Jose area and have two kids <5 and have the rear facing jump-seats so it was important to me to get darker tint in the rear of the car.

Here are the levels I had done:
Windshield: 75%
Front Side Windows: 65%
Rear Side Windows: 35%
Rear Hatch: 35%
Pano Roof: 75%

(I went a bit back and forth regarding getting the pano tinted at all, but I am bald so figured it'd probably be a good idea - and I'm glad I did!)

I can say after a few days of driving that PhotoSync has made a huge difference. Generally it has been pretty hot in the Bay Area lately (80s/90s). This past weekend our family went on a couple of outings where we left the car outside in 80+ degree weather, and when we came back to the car, it was noticeably cooler than it was before getting PhotoSync. Sure it was still pretty hot, but it wasn't nearly as hot as it would've been before. And of course this means that to get the car cooler it will not have to use as much battery power, therefore preserving range. I also once used the mobile app to pre-cool the car, and noticed that the beginning temperature was around 80 degrees inside the car as opposed to the 110-115 it had been a couple days before in similar weather. I also think it looks really sharp and adds an element of privacy for the rear of the car. I wear polarized sunglasses so I have noticed the rainbow affect on when looking toward the top of the windshield, but it doesn't bother me at all since that's not where my focus is when driving (nor should it be for anyone!). So I think generally it's a total non-issue. And I barely even noticed the glare in the rear windshield defroster lines at night - if they hadn't mentioned it to me beforehand, I don't think I would've even noticed it at all. So overall I'm extremely happy with the product and give it an A+ too.

Finally, slightly off-topic from tinting, but something new that Premier is also offering now is a Glareshield for the big touch-screen. When I first took delivery of the car and started playing around with the touchscreen, I noticed that the screen really is quite a fingerprint magnet. Tesla provides a cloth to help wipe it down, but it's a little inconvenient to use it all the time. I didn't know about the Glareshield when I went in for my tint appointment, but the folks at Premier showed me a car that had it done as an example, and I thought it looked pretty good so decided to have them install it (relative to tinting the rest of the car, it's very cheap at about $60 installed). After using it for a few days, I'm really impressed by it. It definitely reduces glare on the screen and it make a huge difference with regards to fingerprints. It's kind of like the covers you can get for a smart-phone, which I've always used. The screen still responds exactly as it should when touching it. Glareshield gets an A+ from me as well.

So if you're thinking of getting your Telsa windows tinted and live in the Bay Area, I would highly recommend getting PhotoSync and Glareshield at Premier in Fremont. And even if you don't live in the Bay Area, I'd say it's worth the drive (who wouldn't want to drive their Model S around more anyhow? Seems like a good excuse for a road-trip to me!).

 

[Hawaii J]

Tint is the first thing I add to all my cars. Lately with my current vehicles I have put the lightest tint on the front windshield also. It makes a huge difference in the heat penetration and helps protect the dash. I met a trucker who had skin cancer on his hands from the sun hitting them as he drove. While I don't drive as much as he did, your hands are exposed when driving. Plus it helps increase distance as the A/C doesn't need to work as hard to cool the cabin, thus improving range.

 

[dsm363]

Why does every single state have a rule against tint on the windshield? You'd think they would allow some very very light tint there. In an accident could the person with a tinted windshield be assigned extra blame for braking that law?

 

[Cosmacelf]

Anti tint laws are yet another example of excessive regulation. Anyone wearing sunglasses has way more tint covering their eyes that any window tinting. Having said that, the main reason for the windshield and front car anti tint laws has more to do with people outside the car being able to see where the driver is looking...

 

[dsm363]

Anti tint laws are yet another example of excessive regulation. Anyone wearing sunglasses has way more tint covering their eyes that any window tinting. Having said that, the main reason for the windshield and front car anti tint laws has more to do with people outside the car being able to see where the driver is looking...

Great point. I would think a 90% tint that even blocked 30% of heat would be better than nothing and should be allowed.

Even the side driver and passenger front windows should be uniform across states. I find a number of people who tint so darkly you can't see what the driver is up to.

 

[BobtheV]

Sunglasses are in fact a problem but they are easily removed. Anybody remove their 35% windshield tint for nighttime driving?

 

[lloyds]

Sunglasses are in fact a problem but they are easily removed. Anybody remove their 35% windshield tint for nighttime driving?

I have not heard of any MS owners getting 35% tint on the windshield. That is pretty darn dark! I have Photosync 75 on the windshield and really can't tell that there's anything on there day or night. I use my aircon much less now after getting Photosync on all of my windows. When I do turn on the aircon, it's default setting is at Speed 1 on 80 degree days and Speed 2 on 90 degree days.