Tint Disaster!

[ntron1]

Well, I had my 5 tinted today at a local shop. It is a disaster!!!!

They melted the plastic molding on the outside of the sliding doors. I noticed it when I got home as it was raining when I picked it up. They had to know they did it when it happened!!! Tomorrow I will be at their shop 8:00 AM to see the shop owner.

I realize that mistakes happen but how could they think I would not notice???

After I visit them, I'll run to the dealer to order the new parts. I can't believe I trusted some else to touch my car.

[l2eedy]

shoulda did em yourself

[jandree22]

be sure to let us know how this turns out for you. sorry to hear you had this miserable experience, good luck!

[ntron1]

Well, I went to the dealer and ordered the parts. $116.00 for the pair. Took it to the shop and they paid me for the new parts. They claim the owner never saw it but we agreed that the installer must have known he did it.

[TheMAN]

this same shit happened to my friend who just got a 5... to add insult to injurty it was the dealership themselves that did the tint! needless to say I saw that shit when they were buying the car and told those bitches to fix that shit

[meackerman]

They melted the plastic molding on the outside of the sliding doors.

Alright showing my ignorance here, what would have caused them to melt the plastic by adding tint to the windows? I thought aftermarket tinting was just a film that was applied to the inside of the window. I don't doubt what you're saying, I'm just trying to understand.

[romecandleboy]

Alright showing my ignorance here, what would have caused them to melt the plastic by adding tint to the windows? I thought aftermarket tinting was just a film that was applied to the inside of the window. I don't doubt what you're saying, I'm just trying to understand.

I think they use a really powerful blow dryer to cure the tint after it's applied. Not sure though.

[civicexracer]

they heat the tint to make it stick i believe. good thing the shop paid for it, that sounds like a real big mistake on their part..

[ntron1]

they heat the tint to make it stick i believe. good thing the shop paid for it, that sounds like a real big mistake on their part..

Yup, They use a heat gun on the outside to start the curing process of the adhesive. Hold the heat gun in one place for too long and plastic melts.

[meackerman]

Yup, They use a heat gun on the outside to start the curing process of the adhesive. Hold the heat gun in one place for too long and plastic melts.

got it. thanks. I thought they just applied it with some sort of liquid and squeegied out as much as they could and let it dry, like the windows on my house were done.

[TheMAN]

yeah... the tint on my pro was that way... the dude sprayed some liquid on the glass, slapped the tint film on and squeeged the shit out.... it worked just fine.... the tint on my pro is still holding up good too.... I don't recall him ever using a heat gun on my pro's windows

[ntron1]

I have the new parts and am waiting to install them until the windows are re done. Here is a pic of the damaged piece.

BTW, the grainyness of the pic is from the flash not the car or tint.

[7red7]

The tint shop that did the tint on my 5 didn't use a heat gun either...Simple spray of the outside windows and a mock cut with a razor blade, and the film was then applied to the soapy interior window and squeegied into place...

Perfect fit, and no bubbling or hazing at all :D

[jandree22]

Is it possible to do a quality tint job DIY? I'll probably use a professional regardless, but just wondering if a quality bond (no bubbles) was actually possible for a rookie.

[Dugg E Fresh]

Years ago, I knew a guy who did his own. It was his first time doing it, he just took his sweet time. It turned out friggin' awesome. Don't know where he picked up the film though.
Edit: Sorry to hear about them f'in up your stuff man. At least they made it right by paying for the parts, just too bad it happened in the first place.

[TheMAN]

is it me or is the black part of the door frame roasted also?

[7red7]

Is it possible to do a quality tint job DIY? I'll probably use a professional regardless, but just wondering if a quality bond (no bubbles) was actually possible for a rookie.

Sure is...Not sure about PA, but here in Cali you can but static cling window film from any Kragen auto parts store...A buddy of mine used it on his tC windows and I used it to smoke a set of tail lights...Soapy water, a squeegie, and a razorblade and you're all set :D

The best part about it is if you get pulled over or dislike how it looks, you can always pull it right off :D

[03MSP]

Yeah, Advance Auto parts is where I got the film to do my old MX-6. I was a first timer and it came out pretty damn good imo; though on the MSP I didn't want to take a chance and got it done professionally.

I used a blowdryer when I did it myself, not sure if it is necessary, most likely just speeds up the process.

[camerazn]

One of the issues window tinters have is that most auto glass is compound curved, like a sphere (as opposed to single curved, like a cylinder). Tint doesn't like to be curved like this, so you use the heat gun to soften parts of the tint just enough so you can smush the jaggies that form flat.

[Zoom5Zoom]

good point Camerazn

[camerazn]

[This is the part where Camerazn's foot finds his mouth]
Actually, now that I look at the picture, it's on the outside. So yeah, I'm down with the curing-the-tint theory.

[Tasty]

Tinting is NOT an easy DIY type thing. That is why you see so many hoopties with shitty ass tint jobs rolling around. Turns purple, peels off, bubbles like hell. Also, how high quality do you think the tint sold at auto parts stores or Wal-Mart really is?

[DeanSweet]

they normally use a heat gun when it is on a really convexed or concaved part of glass. They use the gun to allow you to stretch the plastic ever so slightly and also ensure it gets glued down before the bubble can return.... My tinter uses a bottle of distilled water and a few drops of dish soap as the lubricant and has rarely used the gun unless it was a particularly difficult part of the window. They should've never used heat at the point where it melted because I don't see how it could've merit'ed the use. I would guess an apprentice did this job while the main dude was out of the office. The gun gets so warm that it wouldnt be that hard to melt that black plastic.