Tinting front windows to match rear

[ZuerstBMW]

I believe they are 30%

[spacegreyx]

Just guessing, but i would say 20%, I'm taking mine in soon for them to tint the front windows as well. Same guys been tinting my cars for almost 20 years, always does a great job, he'll let me know what percentage is, will post after.

[stockguru]

definitely not 20%. Keep in mind that the standard factory option needs to conform to state laws. For example in NY, the legal limit is 30%. There is no way BMW would risk a fine for the standard factory option.

I was told by my BMW service that it was approx 35% and that if I wanted something more than 30% I'd have to take it to an independent shop since they could get fined for installing it.

[BGM]

Originally Posted by stockguru

definitely not 20%. Keep in mind that the standard factory option needs to conform to state laws. For example in NY, the legal limit is 30%. There is no way BMW would risk a fine for the standard factory option.

I was told by my BMW service that it was approx 35% and that if I wanted something more than 30% I'd have to take it to an independent shop since they could get fined for installing it.

Yeah definitely not 20%. I just had my fronts re-done and it was 35% which looks to be as close as you can get to match the rears (and 35% is the lowest you can go on driver/passenger fronts in Texas--the backs you can as low as 20%).

[wsmeyer]

I'm sure you all are on pins and needles waiting to see what I did so... I found a tint shop highly rated on Yelp and went in to talk to them. I explained that I didn't like the way it looked and wanted the fronts windows to match the rears. He said that the rears are 35 and there's the rub, the fronts aren't 100 so if he puts 35 on them, in most lighting conditions it will look exactly the same but in really bright sunlight it will look slightly darker. Because of this he suggested 50 and like the 35, in most conditions it would look the same, but in bright sunlight it would look slightly lighter. This sounded much more appealing to me than slightly darker so that's what I did. That was one week ago today and I have since seen them in all sorts of different lighting and am completely happy. In bright sunlight it is obvious they are slightly lighter but in those conditions I am actually glad as the rears look really dark.

Willliam.

*** edit

No window tint is legal on the front here in California so his recommendation was also based on his experience of my being less likely to get pulled over

[stockguru]

Originally Posted by wsmeyer

No window tint is legal on the front here in California so his recommendation was also based on his experience of my being less likely to get pulled over

These guys seem to imply you can do a 30% in CA.

Automotive Window Tint Law

[Thesmaz]

On my 2011 the shop that did my fronts said that the rear factor tint was 28% and the fronts have a very slight green tint to them. They put on 20% in the front and I'm still deciding if I like it. I may go back and have them put 35 or 50 on the rear

[cube4da99]

it is 35%

[wsmeyer]

Originally Posted by stockguru

These guys seem to imply you can do a 30% in CA.

Automotive Window Tint Law

Widow tint numbers refer to the % of light transmission, so they are saying you can do a 70% tint which isn't much at all. Plus, they seem to be focusing on this section of the vehicle code:

(2) The window glazing with the material applied meets all requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205 (49 C.F.R. 571.205), including the specified minimum light transmittance of 70 percent and the abrasion resistance of AS-14 glazing, as specified in that federal standard.

But ignoring the section directly before:

(1) The material has a minimum visible light transmittance of 88 percent.

From my understanding the window tint film itself would have to be at least an 88% tint and the film plus the glass no more than %70.

I think this is why most shops just say none.

William.

[wsmeyer]

Originally Posted by cube4da99

it is 35%

No offense but that's exactly what I didn't want. You can clearly see that the fronts are slightly darker than the rears.

William.