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Model S - Window Tinting

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Thanks Bert. As usual, good advice from you. Getting my baby on Tuesday. I haven't made the appointment to get it tinted yet, but probably will at some point. Maybe I'll do as you suggested and get the sides and back done first, see how it is, and then decide if the roof needs it. Did you go with a ceramic tint? I am looking at either the Llumar ceramic or the newer 3M Crystalline.
NP. Oh, the last couple of days are the hardest waiting... esp with a weekend and idle time upon you. ;) I can see your post count increasing a lot over the next 48 hours. AHAHAHAHA

I went with Photosync. Extremely happy with it in every way -- only slight color variation, haze, and minimal rainbow effects compared to others, with really awesome UV/heat rejection. It's the best film I've had on any of my vehicles over the years without question. The disadvantage to Photosync is it's one of the most expensive films and has perhaps a smaller number of professional installers compared to some, so you'll have to do a bit of hunting.

Be sure before making your decision, you go to the installer (or a couple), and look at pieces of the tint you are considering next to your windows in different lighting conditions (esp dark and bright sun), and look at it from inside and out of the vehicle with and without whatever sunglasses you may wear. The film will appear a little different when applied and cured, but IMHO pictures on the net are only a starting point in one's decision, and nothing like seeing the specific film in person.
 
So, not sure if this is a dumb question or not, but going to ask anyway . . .

Has anyone tinted the pano roof? I realize there is a factory tint to the glass, but I'm curious if additional tint may be needed for places like CA and FL.
After doing all windows and the windshield, I could feel the heat on top of my ears since the rest were rejecting heat so well.

I used Llunar CTX 45 and AirBlue 80 and have been very happy with it. Sure other films could reject more heat, but also cost a good bit more. This was sufficient for the temps I experience.
 
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NP. Oh, the last couple of days are the hardest waiting... esp with a weekend and idle time upon you. ;) I can see your post count increasing a lot over the next 48 hours. AHAHAHAHA

I went with Photosync. Extremely happy with it in every way -- only slight color variation, haze, and minimal rainbow effects compared to others, with really awesome UV/heat rejection. It's the best film I've had on any of my vehicles over the years without question. The disadvantage to Photosync is it's one of the most expensive films and has perhaps a smaller number of professional installers compared to some, so you'll have to do a bit of hunting.

Be sure before making your decision, you go to the installer (or a couple), and look at pieces of the tint you are considering next to your windows in different lighting conditions (esp dark and bright sun), and look at it from inside and out of the vehicle with and without whatever sunglasses you may wear. The film will appear a little different when applied and cured, but IMHO pictures on the net are only a starting point in one's decision, and nothing like seeing the specific film in person.

I too went with Photosynch and very happy with it. It is the best film out there and it does cost a pretty penny. For us, this was a retirement gift to ourselves, so we splurged a little. Little did we know that we handed the car down to our son and his family. They have little ones so I am glad I have the very best film on the car to protect them from the heat and ultraviolet.
 
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Has anyone done Photosynch 35 on the pano ? Curious if it's too dark. Also the local dealer in SD is recommending 65 on the windshield but I almost think it's only cause he's currently out of stock of 75. Thoughts?
Personally, I don't know why you'd want something so dark on the pano... Will very much darken the interior during the day, and especially at night. Perhaps if you're having second thoughts on the pano or the glare is too much for you, that makes sense.

I personally did not consider it it on my windshield, even though the installer I suspect you are referring to who did my work as well here in San Diego said 65 (or 75) was what they used on windshields. Look back in this thread if you don't get a reply, as I believe there is at least one -- if not two -- others that put tint on their windshield down here -- just can't remember details.
 
Glad to hear more great reviews from MS owners whom have had SPH (Spectra Photosync) applied. It's not for everyone but it truly is the best looking and performing product not the market hands down.

For windshield I wouldn't recommend anything darker than 75 due to legality reasons. The last thing you want is to have to remove your (expensive) tint if you get pulled over due to the windshield being darker. Although the difference between 65/75 isn't a huge jump.

We are located in Carlsbad and currently have access to Prestige' Ceraluxe Films and soon will be a Photosync dealer as well.
 

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Varies widely by market (possibly $100's of difference) -- meaning both physical region and each installer sets their own price, how much you have done at the same time, as well as if there is any additional prep (like removing old film) will come into play.

My 55 on sides and rear IIRC was $674. Your and everyone's else's situation will vary.
 
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If you want to go darker, this is a very good option using Ceraluxe. The technology is similar to Photosynch and made by the same company as well, so you know it is a very high quality and stable product. I had the Ceraluxe 20% put to rear and 45% on the front and their 75% to the windshield. I could not justify spending the Photosynch money on our Honda Accord, but the Ceraluxe has very impressive numbers and from comparison only second to Photosynch.

Has a very nice color and gives a good amount of privacy with the 20% for the back side. I personally like it along with my wife. From the inside looking out, it is not noticeable about it at all, which is the same from our experience with Photosynch.


Nice I'll have to check this out!
 
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Glad to hear more great reviews from MS owners whom have had SPH (Spectra Photosync) applied. It's not for everyone but it truly is the best looking and performing product not the market hands down.

For windshield I wouldn't recommend anything darker than 75 due to legality reasons. The last thing you want is to have to remove your (expensive) tint if you get pulled over due to the windshield being darker. Although the difference between 65/75 isn't a huge jump.

We are located in Carlsbad and currently have access to Prestige' Ceraluxe Films and soon will be a Photosync dealer as well.

We really like it especially in the back windows for extra privacy with the 20% on Ceraluxe.
 
I'm wanting to get my windows tinted but I'm debating how dark to go. I'm mostly interested in blocking the heat while also offering more privacy than I have now, so it looks like I'll be going with a ceramic tint.

It seems like the pano roof of my Feb 2016 car has a pretty good tint; when I emailed to ask for specifics, they wouldn't give me any and said any professional installer would be able to match it. I thought they would be able to provide specifics but apparently not. Ideally, I'd love to match it but I'm not sure what type of tint or percentage they are using already to keep it consistent, if possible. Should it even matter?

Also, when I had my car wrapped with Xpel Ultimate, the installer seemed against the idea of having a darker tint in the back windows with a lighter tint for the front windows. He also said any windshield tint would be "off the books" and paid separately in cash. In any case, he seemed to imply that three different tints (windshield at lowest tint, driver/passenger doors at lowest tint and remaining rear windows somewhere between) would seem tacky/undesirable.

I'm not even sure what to do now.
 
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I'm wanting to get my windows tinted but I'm debating how dark to go. I'm mostly interested in blocking the heat while also offering more privacy than I have now, so it looks like I'll be going with a ceramic tint.

It seems like the pano roof of my Feb 2016 car has a pretty good tint; when I emailed to ask for specifics, they wouldn't give me any and said any professional installer would be able to match it. I thought they would be able to provide specifics but apparently not. Ideally, I'd love to match it but I'm not sure what type of tint or percentage they are using already to keep it consistent, if possible. Should it even matter?

Also, when I had my car wrapped with Xpel Ultimate, the installer seemed against the idea of having a darker tint in the back windows with a lighter tint for the front windows. He also said any windshield tint would be "off the books" and paid separately in cash. In any case, he seemed to imply that three different tints (windshield at lowest tint, driver/passenger doors at lowest tint and remaining rear windows somewhere between) would seem tacky/undesirable.

I'm not even sure what to do now.

rfmurphy81 - I had the same issue. On our P85+, we went with Photosynch 35 or 45 all the way around (at my age I really do not remember the number). Well, whatever the number it was, we chose the same so it was consistent. On our Accord, this too was a challenge because we loved how effective Photosynch was in keeping the burning summer months in control, but we wanted the greater privacy Ceraluxe 20 offered. We did not want to get pulled over because our installer warned that the 20 is too dark for the front. Ultimately, we had the Ceraluxe put on two tone and we love it.
 

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I'm wanting to get my windows tinted but I'm debating how dark to go. I'm mostly interested in blocking the heat while also offering more privacy than I have now, so it looks like I'll be going with a ceramic tint.

It seems like the pano roof of my Feb 2016 car has a pretty good tint; when I emailed to ask for specifics, they wouldn't give me any and said any professional installer would be able to match it. I thought they would be able to provide specifics but apparently not. Ideally, I'd love to match it but I'm not sure what type of tint or percentage they are using already to keep it consistent, if possible. Should it even matter?

Also, when I had my car wrapped with Xpel Ultimate, the installer seemed against the idea of having a darker tint in the back windows with a lighter tint for the front windows. He also said any windshield tint would be "off the books" and paid separately in cash. In any case, he seemed to imply that three different tints (windshield at lowest tint, driver/passenger doors at lowest tint and remaining rear windows somewhere between) would seem tacky/undesirable.

I'm not even sure what to do now.
IMHO, only you can be the one to first decide on the legality points and your risk tolerance for all-around tint application... CA has laws against tint on the front windshield (except a small strip at the top) and front side windows. As discussed in this and other threads, to what degree you add it could both cause challenges with your insurance if you ever have a claim, as well as could provide a visible way for law enforcement to more easily identify you have tint on your windows when you shouldn't. The legal aspect may well be why your installer wants cash and "off the record" for some applications, IDK.

All that being said, many people elect to put tint on all their windows as you've read here. Besides the legal aspect, I personally would never put tint on my front window because I've found even the best have a slight haze and rainbow effect In certain light that I could never accept. I also don't like the gangster/movie-star black-out look that some do., but honestly as I get older, I want more light into my cabin at two ghost and night -- too dark tint is a major problem for me. I would suggest not applying tint to the pano unless you REALLY need the extra UV/heat block it provides. I don't get why anyone would buy the pano, then apply say 35 tint to it, effectively eliminating see-thru at night and to a large degree the enjoyKent of a more open cockpit during the day, but that's just me. I would consider making the sides and rear have a more or less similar darkness from how the esthetics will appear outside... IMHO, too many shades horizontally across the windows makes it look like you tinted your car, not like something that has a more uniform look and appeal that I enjoy -- but again, that's just me.

Maybe you should look for some weekend car gatherings around you and head down there to look at some variations in person. Seeing examples in person is probably your best bet to determine what is best for your needs and desire.

...BTW, I'm a Photosync 55 kinda guy on my sides and rear only.

Good luck with your decision.
 
For our soon to be delivered X, we will be getting photosync 75 on the front windscreen, still undecided on the others. On our Ss, our first 2 had photosync 35 on the sides. Our latest P90DL has 45 on the front windows and 35 on everything else. Go take a look at it in person. Would be very helpful in helping the decision. Either way, you're getting the best tint out there.
 
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Here is another Model S being worked on. We applied Spectra PhotoSync 45 to all the windows. In this test, we are using a Spectrum Analyzer to show th efficacy of PhotoSync. The top number shows that only 3% of Infrared passes through at 1700nm while only 1% of infrared goes through from 900-1000nm. Many products out there including 3m Crystalline claims high IR, but when tested with this machine shows their IR numbers drop into the 80s in the 1700nm range.

This analyzer measures according to NFRC 300 standards, so these are true performance figures.
 
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I put 3M Crystalline 40 on the sides/rear/sunroof and 70 on the front on all my cars. I have been using Crystalline for years and it works great. Particularly good at blocking the heat. The 70 on the front is great and is barely noticeable but still stops most of the heat. Even thought is illegal to put tint on the front on most states, it's almost clear and has never been a problem with law enforcement.

I use the Tint Guy in Woodstock, GA who does great work.
 
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Any recommended places to get Photosync installed in the Bay Area? I don't mind driving out all the way to Sac.

It seems a little pricey going at $1300 in the Bay.

With photo sync pricing is going to be on the high end of the spectrum as your paying for performance and the experience of the installer. Prestige dealers are hand picked and thus are few and far between. One of the most experienced PhotoSync dealers in your area "Premier Protective" would be my recommendation for photo sync as they do have the most experience and longest track record of installations.
 
Any recommended places to get Photosync installed in the Bay Area? I don't mind driving out all the way to Sac.

It seems a little pricey going at $1300 in the Bay.

I got it done two years ago at an authorized installer in Soquel (near Santa Cruz). No problems. For my upcoming model S I will likely go for 3M though. Photosync is more expensive and specs are slightly better for heat reduction.
 
I got it done two years ago at an authorized installer in Soquel (near Santa Cruz). No problems. For my upcoming model S I will likely go for 3M though. Photosync is more expensive and specs are slightly better for heat reduction.

I have personally used 3M Crystalline on about 5 vehicles over the years and NEVER had an issue. I have seen some other brands on friends cars and some of them turned a purple color after they had a few years on them. My 3M installs has never changed color or bubbled up on me. I had not heard of Photosync before I joined this group. I will likely check it out just because I like to know about different products out there.