I'm going to do the sides, not the front but can't decide if I should do the back/top window or not. I park in a garage most of the day so sun shouldn't be an issue most of the time but it still might be nice to have it. Has anyone done/not done it?
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To tint back/top window or not
- Thread starter RyanDe
- Start date
tropical1
Member
Definitely the back.
I held off on the top (tinted all other parts) to see if it becomes an issue as the weather warms up. So far not an issue but as summer approaches will see if rejects enough heat. The car sitting in bright sunshine in high 70’s weather had negligible heat when feeling the glass from inside. Promising, but a big diff between high 70’s heat and 90/100 degree heat.
EnrgyNDpndnce
Member
I am very interested in how you (and other current M3 owners) feel about the glass roof factory tint as we move into summer. I’m in Georgia and have concerns that my head will constantly feel hot under that glass roof during 90+ degree summer days. Please all of you report back occasionally on this. I won’t order until Q4 of this year so fortunately I have some time to get your feedback. Thank you in advance!
Also curious about the roof glass. Granted, the sunshade is like $35, but it would cost the same or a little bit more to just get it tinted with the rest of the windows/windshield.
Also, has glare from the sun been a problem on the screen at all for anyone?
Also, has glare from the sun been a problem on the screen at all for anyone?
Isn't the back and top the same piece?
Edit: Oh, so the back is large and the top if just the little section? you're saying, do the large back but not the top?
Edit: Oh, so the back is large and the top if just the little section? you're saying, do the large back but not the top?
LoL Rick
Like Buttah
Tint the sides and not the back just as you said. Live with it for a while and see if you like it. You can always have the back done later. No harm done.
Jason Bourne
Member
I had my Model3 tinted last week. I had all 4 doors and the entire back glass (in 1 piece) done with SolarGuard HP 35%. Not the 'sunroof' area above the driver. Definitely the right decision. The top half of the back glass that has factory tint on it doesn't look much different with the tint on it, from either the inside or the outside. But not having a seam is really nice. The 35% is just the right darkness (30% would be fine too) where it does not affect too much how well you can see from inside the car to the outside, but gives the car a great look from the outside and of course blocks almost all non-visible light.
I had a hard time finding a shop that could do the entire rear glass all in one piece. Some places don't have tint rolls wider than 40" but I went to a tint shop that does residential/commercial as well as cars, so they have wider rolls. Despite me telling him in both writing and on the phone that I had a Model 3 and not an S and that the back window is larger than 40" in both dimensions, he was surprised and flustered when I arrived and he realized he had been thinking I had an S.
I had a hard time finding a shop that could do the entire rear glass all in one piece. Some places don't have tint rolls wider than 40" but I went to a tint shop that does residential/commercial as well as cars, so they have wider rolls. Despite me telling him in both writing and on the phone that I had a Model 3 and not an S and that the back window is larger than 40" in both dimensions, he was surprised and flustered when I arrived and he realized he had been thinking I had an S.
Isn't the back and top the same piece?
Edit: Oh, so the back is large and the top if just the little section? you're saying, do the large back but not the top?
Yup. And as a previous poster said, one can always try the car out for awhile with the roof glass as-is and get them tinted later on.
The glass roof has a ton of tint already. I live in SoCal where it’s sunny all the time and it’s not a problem. I really would not waste money putting more tint.
If anything it has too much tint because we really can’t see much. Visibility is so limited indeed that I kind of wonder the point of the glass roof to begin with (extra clearance is nice though for me)
alseTrick
Active Member
I plan on doing 70 or 80 on the windshield and 45ish on the sides and back (one piece only). I expect I'll probably do the top in 70 or 80 as well. I can't imagine it not providing some level of benefit in the Florida heat.
If I were to do the top sunroof, I would do it in 75. The tint is already pretty dark and as another poster mentions, you wouldn't want to darken it further--otherwise what is the point in having the glass roof? I like having light come in from the roof, makes the whole car seem more spacious.
I did buy the Tesla sunshade for my wife's M3 as she simply didn't want more UV coming from the roof (tried to explain UV rejection properties from the sunroof, but likes having something physically blocking the light).
This is exactly what we've decided to do. We tinted the sides and we'll decide in September if the heat of the north Texas summer warrants tinting the back and top.
My experience with my X's windshield is that with that much glass, the car gets really hot. So with no tint in the back, I expect to transmit a lot of heat. that is why I did that portion (despite the cost). With regards to the top, that has dark tint already, so I left it alone.
alseTrick
Active Member
I was at a highly rated (by Yelpers) tint shop in socal Orange County. They said that they have not been able to obtain in writing from Tesla the exact factory tint specs. Also, most factory tint does not have UV protection, mainly just privacy and some heat rejection. I was originally not planning to tint the sunroof area and just do the sides and back pano in one piece. But if the factory sunroof doesn’t protect against UV, then I would consider putting a light film on it as well, something like a 40% all throughout. Has anyone heard about having no UV protection? With so much glass on the car, UV would be very important in addition to heat rejection.
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