Model S - Window Tinting

[SCDrJ]

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.

Thanks for all this info! Do you have any data on UVA rejection specifically on PhotoSync vs competitive products? It seems they all block UVB well but vary in the longer UVA wavelengths.

 

[BobtheV]

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.

I exaggerated the tint level to make a point.

 

[tekstrand24]

My S is getting tinted on Sunday. I am going to get the Air Blue 80 on the windshield and 15% on everything else.

 

[tekstrand24]

Just got back from the tint shop. Car looks amazing.

 

[Planned_Apathy]

Just got back from the tint shop. Car looks amazing.

View attachment 59691

View attachment 59692

Looks great. Any concern about California tinting laws? Or does that tint comply?

 

[Kofi]

For Sacramento area owners, you might want to try http://genesistinting.com/. They have stores near the Roseville and Elk Grove Auto Malls.

 

[darthvdr]

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!).

Looks to me you are super happy with Photosynch. We have had it for over a year now and absolutely love the amount of heat it cuts down. We have done many road trips with the grandkids and family. Indeed helps with improved efficiency via lowered HVAC usage. From what I recall our consumption is improved by 30kwh.

 

[tekstrand24]

Everything complies but the front windows.

 

[lloyds]

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.

You guys look like a happy Honda family. I haven't heard of Ceralux before, but sounds promising. If it's made by Prestige, then I'm sure it's Quality. Perhaps if I end up getting the Model 3, this would be on my list. Thanks for sharing Darth.

 

[scaesare]

Any recommendations for tint film-safe window cleaner?

 

[yobigd20]

Any recommendations for tint film-safe window cleaner?

Clean water.

 

[Gear]

My Photosync is starting to get several scratches from rolling the window up and down on the driver side window. Anybody know off hand what the warranty is or if it covers this? I had it done at the preferred installer in the LA area (can't remember the name off-hand).

 

[MoeMistry]

Any recommendations for tint film-safe window cleaner?

Most ceramic tints will be fine with most glass cleaners...just make sure it doesn't have vinegar or ammonia. I think diluted windex, 1 part windex 10 parts water, should be easy to mix up for most. Make sure to use DI water if you can get it. Helps in cleaning and no streaks. Quality mf glass towels are important as well.

 

[scaesare]

Thanks for the suggestions...

 

[SCDrJ]

Thanks for all the great info here. People really seem to love the PhotoSync - although I am worried that with the rear child seats it just might be too bright for them in the AZ sun based on photos I've seen, and I do commute with the sun coming through the back window both ways. Thoughts? I do plan on getting the rear mesh sunshade as well. The ultra-high TSER of the PhotoSync is enticing.

Other brands I have considered:

SolarGard Ultra Performance - had this on a Land Rover and liked a lot, can do 10%, 20% etc. 10% on sunroof with mesh covering just about made it so you could look at the sun. (almost)
FormulaOne Pinnacle - seems to have solid TSER and darker shades.
Wincos - seems to get a little less love.

The Huper (have it in current car) and Crystalline seem to both be too amber for my liking, not to mention Crystalline is 40% VLT at darkest.

 

[TexasEV]

Any recommendations for tint film-safe window cleaner?

Stoner Invisible Glass. That's what my window film installer used.

 

[scaesare]

Stoner Invisible Glass. That's what my window film installer used.

Thanks.. with a name like "Stoner" it's gotta be good!

 

[Premier Mobile]

Thanks for all this info! Do you have any data on UVA rejection specifically on PhotoSync vs competitive products? It seems they all block UVB well but vary in the longer UVA wavelengths.

For photosync, from what we have seen in specs for SPH (spectra photosync), it blocks out UVA and UVB - 99%+ from 290-380nm. Where SPH really excels is in its heat rejection compared to other films on the market. So far, we have not had a single customer come back unhappy with photosync (that is w/ 450+ Teslas since late 2012), so this is a very good record.

We recently received Prestige Film Tech's latest ceramic film - CeraLuxe Quantum Ceramic, which doesn't perform quite as good as SPH, but is well ahead of everything else out there. This seems to be a great option since it costs 20% less than SPH.

 

[Hawaii J]

This seems to be a great option since it costs 20% less than SPH.

Are you comfortable saying what a conservative estimate for SPH application on a model S is? I live in Hawaii and wanted to ask around to see if anyone carries it and it would be nice to know what it costs.

Thanks

 

[tekstrand24]

I'm loving how it looks with the tint.