Window Tinting

[sloopee]

I just took delivery of a new Model S and am interested in getting some tinting done mainly for heat rejection and not really for the looks. Most people here in Hong Kong seem to recommend the 3m crystalline series but my DS just said that the Model S windows already reject 80+% IR (ie. heat) but I can't seem to see an official reference to this. The only official reference on the specs suggest the front windscreen and pano roof only and nothing about side and rear windows. Interestingly the mechanic who happened to be around also said the side windows and rear window had no heat rejection abilities either. Does anyone have any ideas about the heat rejection ability of the windows or maybe even some window film insights?

 

[Wuggado?]

I can't answer your question about heat rejection, although 80+% seems unlikely to me. I guess I fall into the camp that thinks the car looks way better with tinting. Being in sunny California I would want it for the heat rejection alone, but when I see a sporty car without tinting, I can't help but think how much sportier it would look with tinting. Even my non-sporty cars look better with tinting in my book.

 

[gordo]

A lot of Tesla owners in the US (myself included) have gone with Spectra Photosync, due largely to its excellent heat/IR rejecting properties: http://www.prestige-films.com/docs/photosync_datasheet_072114.pdf

 

[sharma158]

3M Crystalline here @ 50% never been happier.

 

[sloopee]

I totally agree tinting looks better but here in hk, strict laws restrict the minimum light transmission to 70% front windows and windscreen and 44% for the rest. Problem is the Tesla windows are pretty much at 75% VLT to start with so the guys here say the max legal u can use is pretty much crystalline 90 which is practically no tint. Rear windows can use a darker tint but some say it looks even uglier with front and rear windows having different tints! What do you guys think?

 

[Wuggado?]

I totally agree tinting looks better but here in hk, strict laws restrict the minimum light transmission to 70% front windows and windscreen and 44% for the rest. Problem is the Tesla windows are pretty much at 75% VLT to start with so the guys here say the max legal u can use is pretty much crystalline 90 which is practically no tint. Rear windows can use a darker tint but some say it looks even uglier with front and rear windows having different tints! What do you guys think?

In California it is illegal to tint the front sides, although many people still do. I typically tint the rear sides and back window about 50% and the front sides only a little. It looks fine to me, but what do I know about window fashion.

 

[tstafford]

Here's a thread with extensive coverage on tinting.

Model S - Window Tinting

 

[DDotJ]

I think the 80% IR heat blockage he was referring to was the Model S's Panoramic Roof. It has 98% blockage of UV light and 81% of heat.

Personally, I would get the side windows tinted for sure. If you don't want the color tint, you can go with the 3M crystalline tint which has really good heat rejection and is lightly tinted. When I first got my car I didn't have my car tinted. As summer rolled around, I noticed that even when the HVAC was running at a very low temperature and high fan speed, I would still be really hot in the car especially when driving in the sun for long periods of time. I would need to set the AC to very low temperatures to cool down which did not bode well for my efficiency numbers. I realized that the problem was that the side windows were heating me up as well as the interior faster than my car was cooling it down. I got my car tinted with Llumar ATC tint, which isn't the most expensive stuff, but it did the trick. It really helped cool down the interior of the car and now I can leave my auto temp at 69-69 degrees and still feel comfortable.

 

[sloopee]

Right thanks. Im trying to get the mechanic to let me know the actual numbers for the windows. Last thing i want would be sticking on crystalline film and realising there's absolutely no difference.