Tinting Rear Window

[pkalhan]

Hi Everyone,

I am expecting to pickup my Model 3 this Friday and will be dropping it off to my detailer on Saturday to get some items done. I was thinking/wanting to get the rear window tinted to match the side windows and was wondering if people had any issues. i only ask because I read somewhere that there have been some talk about some owners rear window cracking after getting it tinted. Is that true? Would it look silly if I got the side tinted and left the back as is? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

 

[Sneakerhead]

Hi Everyone,

I am expecting to pickup my Model 3 this Friday and will be dropping it off to my detailer on Saturday to get some items done. I was thinking/wanting to get the rear window tinted to match the side windows and was wondering if people had any issues. i only ask because I read somewhere that there have been some talk about some owners rear window cracking after getting it tinted. Is that true? Would it look silly if I got the side tinted and left the back as is? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

Got mine tinted 2 days after without any issues. (All windows front and sunroof).

 

[TheLocNar]

Got my rear tinted in one piece 2 days after accepting the car as well. No issues.

 

[drawfour]

I just got mine tinted yesterday. So we'll see.

But IIRC, there was speculation that the cracking was fixed in July 2018, when Tesla changed the way the glass was made. That's the same time the orange hue when it rains went away. So if your car gets the orange hue when it rains, it could crack due to tinting. If it does not, then you're probably OK.

Again, I don't think this was confirmed, but was speculation. My car does not get the orange hue when it rains, and is a July 2018 build. I'll see how the glass holds up after tinting.

 

[gambit48]

I have the orange hue. Built before July (picked up before July). Have tinting and with the heat in this area, I was concerned about cracking. Nothing yet.

 

[pkalhan]

When did you other guys get your cars? Just curious. Would it look stupid to get all the other windows tinted and not the back?

 

[MikeATL]

I did 35 sides and 50 rear and top.

 

[untilcomplete]

Tinting does not cause cracked windows.

 

[haromaem]

Had ours done today but not the back as we were not sure what to do with it. He couldn't do it in one piece so I wasn't sure whether to proceed. So far I'm ok with it because when you look from the side you can't notice the lack of tint on the back because most is tinted from factory. And looking from the back you can't see the side windows. But it was just today so will see how I feel in a week .

 

[C3XGarage]

I can’t imagine tinting causing it to crack, maybe the installer. Picked mine up this past weekend and was quoted 950 today for crystalline for the sides and rear. Thought that was pretty expensive since I got crystalline on the sides of my X for 400. That’s 550 to do the rear window in one piece.

 

[MikeATL]

He couldn't do it in one piece so I wasn't sure whether to proceed.

The best Tint installers can do the rear window in one single piece. It’s not easy, but it can be done. It requires ordering larger rolls of material they wouldn’t normally buy, but if they’re any good then they are getting a lot of Model 3’s to tint and it makes sense to stock the material.

 

[untilcomplete]

I can’t imagine tinting causing it to crack, maybe the installer. Picked mine up this past weekend and was quoted 950 today for crystalline for the sides and rear. Thought that was pretty expensive since I got crystalline on the sides of my X for 400. That’s 550 to do the rear window in one piece.

That's alot. Been quoted $550-600 ceramic for the sides and rear glass.

 

[C3XGarage]

That's alot. Been quoted $550-600 ceramic for the sides and rear glass.

That’s what I was expecting

 

[Qzic]

Tinting does not cause cracked windows.

I got my rear window tinted (Suntek CIR 30%) and I'm not too concerned about cracking but there is a slight risk.

The reason tinting *might* cause cracking is because the rear glass is laminated (2 panes of glass sandwiched together). If the temperature gradient between the inner and outer panes gets too high, they might crack. Additionally, with the dark tint on the top and light tint on the bottom there will also be a temperature gradient across the panes.

IR tints reflect heat back which results in glass heating up more than if there wasn't tint. This might contribute to a larger temp gradient between the different zones (inner/outer panes and high/low tint areas) potentially increasing the chance of the glass cracking.

Again, I wasn't worried enough about it to not get it tinted.

 

[ebmcs03]

I have the orange hue. Built before July (picked up before July). Have tinting and with the heat in this area, I was concerned about cracking. Nothing yet.

Not cal has no heat. Try Phoenix.

 

[ebmcs03]

When did you other guys get your cars? Just curious. Would it look stupid to get all the other windows tinted and not the back?

June 1. Tinted within two weeks at 35% and all is good

 

[gambit48]

Not cal has no heat. Try Phoenix.

Come visit the North Valley (ie Sacramento region). We routinely get 115+ days.

It's 97 today where I'm at. Phoenix is 101 today. Not that far off.

 

[ebmcs03]

Come visit the North Valley (ie Sacramento region). We routinely get 115+ days.

It's 97 today where I'm at. Phoenix is 101 today. Not that far off.

Oh. Nor Cal is more than just San Francisco? LoL

 

[lorenzotint]

I got my rear window tinted (Suntek CIR 30%) and I'm not too concerned about cracking but there is a slight risk.

The reason tinting *might* cause cracking is because the rear glass is laminated (2 panes of glass sandwiched together). If the temperature gradient between the inner and outer panes gets too high, they might crack. Additionally, with the dark tint on the top and light tint on the bottom there will also be a temperature gradient across the panes.

IR tints reflect heat back which results in glass heating up more than if there wasn't tint. This might contribute to a larger temp gradient between the different zones (inner/outer panes and high/low tint areas) potentially increasing the chance of the glass cracking.

Again, I wasn't worried enough about it to not get it tinted.

This is very accurate information regarding what is known as THERMAL/ SPONTANEOUS GLASS BREAKAGE. this can happen to any car with Laminated or even Tempered glass with or without window films. In northeast we have sudden temperature changes in winter over short period of time.

 

[Tom_Tom]

I did 35 sides and 50 rear and top.

I'm going to have mine tint next week and thinking to do the same as you. 35% sides and 50% rear. Does it looks weird the sides and the rear are not matched? Does the tinted area of the roof looks too dark? Thanks.