BMW aftermarket window tint?
 

I know we beat this horse to death... plenty of posts and I probably read them all...

i'm just looking to hear from those who have had it done by their dealer..

I am still waiting for delivery and would like to get the front sides to match the factory tint shade on the rears sides that comes with the premium pkg...

i'm reading great arguments for 50 and 35 as the ones to match... not sure who wins here... :dunno:

but the dealer (or whoever they sub it to..) will guarrantee the job for life.

they will match the shade (whatever that is) and replace it, fix it, whatever, for free as long as you own the vehicle...

has anyone done this? I'm no expert in tinting so I wouldn't know what type, brand, shade, etc to request or expect... :dunno:

don't care how much they charge as long as it's done right and they stand behind it...

thoughts?

it is my opinion that 99% of the dealers have an aftermarket tinter do the work. So paying a dealer is foolish.

What I suggest is calling a few BMW dealers and MB dealers and asking 'who does your tinting'...surprisingly the receptionists will often say "Oh, I know that answer" and tell you. ;)

Factory privacy glass rears are ~ 30%, if you want to match get 35%. Which will end up being almost 30% (stock fronts 0.82 x 0.36-0.38 % tint = ~ 0.3). Not sure why you're considering 50% if you want to match.

And, keep in mind the NY window tint laws...30% max for side windows, if I recall from my years living there. Actually, I think the code is 'more than 70%' light transmission, but most tint joints do that "30". Darker is just asking for a potential problem, or having to find a greasy inspection joint that will let more than 30 slide through.
GL, mD

I saw an E53 with factory rears and the fronts where tinted, but they matched exactly! That is the only exact match I have ever seen. I'm not sure what they used or how they did it, but i was an exact match, same colour/shade. If I had not examined it closely, I would have thought that It was the aftermarket 30% all round.

go to any tint shop and do color matching with existing tint, much cheaper and quality is the same.

dealer hire vendors to do the work so u might as well avoid the most expensive middleman in auto industry

In my area most local shops charge $50 to $100 for two front windows..

if a dealer charges $25 or even $50 more for the same job but will provide lifetime warranty and replacement if it peels, cracks or comes apart then why would I want to deal with a local street vendor that will no longer honor the job the moment I drive off??

these local spots are always jammed doing window tints, dub wheel upgrades and radio/alarm installations... and you expect them to be interested in my bitchin about a tint they did three weeks ago that is now peeling?

you pay more but you usually get more.. i have no problems dropping off the truck at the dealer and picking it up later when it is perfect.

after all it is an $80k truck!!

oh BTW... i agree it seems more like 35 is the way to go to match the factory tinted sides...

is this still considered legal in NYC?

+1 for 35% tint.

Also, it has been said by many that the Pinnacle brand is the closest match for tint & colour - I'm sure there other opinions about this.