Problem with Rear Window Tint -- Light refracting

[Threemaples]

Hi all

My first post here. Picked up my 2016 EX this weekend. Got rear back windows tinted -- 35% (transmissivity=65%). While I recognize tint is still curing, I am seeing headlights refracted across the entire back windshield. While I understand that this is a common occurrence with the angle of certain windshields, thickness of defroster lines, type/thickness of print and application, I am curious whether others who have rear window tints are having this problem.

I will likely ask the dealer to remove it and try again....just not sure if this will change anything.

Anyone experiencing this with the new civic?

Much thanks in advance

R

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[Ultrafrozen]

Hi all

My first post here. Picked up my 2016 EX this weekend. Got rear back windows tinted -- 35% (transmissivity=65%). While I recognize tint is still curing, I am seeing headlights refracted across the entire back windshield. While I understand that this is a common occurrence with the angle of certain windshields, thickness of defroster lines, type/thickness of print and application, I am curious whether others who have rear window tints are having this problem.

I will likely ask the dealer to remove it and try again....just not sure if this will change anything.

Anyone experiencing this with the new civic?

Much thanks in advance

R

Congrats on the new Civic and welcome to the forum. I'm going to get mine done with 35% as well and will have to talk to the installer about this issue.

By the way 35% is the transmissivity rating = 65% absorption. For example very dark limo tint is 5% only allowing 5% of light through.

 

[Ultrafrozen]

Post some pics if you have them, I'd like to see what it looks like with the tint installed. Your Civic wouldn't happen to be black would it?

 

[Threemaples]

Congrats on the new Civic and welcome to the forum. I'm going to get mine done with 35% as well and will have to talk to the installer about this issue.

By the way 35% is the transmissivity rating = 65% absorption. For example very dark limo tint is 5% only allowing 5% of light through.

Hmm. I thought I got 25% on the front sides a d 35 on the rears...front windows are lighter so thought numbers were transmissibility and not absorption

Interested in hearing what your installer has to say.

Thanks

 

[Threemaples]

Post some pics if you have them, I'd like to see what it looks like with the tint installed. Your Civic wouldn't happen to be black would it?

See pic below...it looks just like this...BTW car is dark grey.

 

[Ultrafrozen]

Looks pretty wild, I'm sending the pic to my guy in the morning to see what he has to say.

If you can, I'd appreciate if could post pictures of the outside. My first choice was dark gray (modern steel metallic) but when a Crystal Black Pearl came in before the grey I fell in love with the interior black and ivory colour. The black/ ivory is not available in exterior colours apart from black in Canada or I may have waited for the grey. The dark gray car still hasn't arrived at the dealer yet so I'm happy with my choice.

 

[Ultrafrozen]

See snippings of the email conversation between me and the installer. He is a very busy and well respected installer in North Bay and the Honda dealer uses him. Thorogh should read thorough.

 

[spets]

That's known to happen when the rear window is tinted, especially if it is sloped aggressively. the light bounces around between the glass, defrost strips, and tint.

I could get better once it fully dries, or it may be an issue with the type of film used.

 

[DrivenSoul]

I put 3M Colorstable tint on a Lexus IS350 and there is much of the same problem here. My 08' Honda Fit on the other hand with crappy tint never had this problem, but the glass is pretty much not raked at all. The tinting process requires using a solvent to be able to move the film around before securing it, so maybe the leftover solvent is causing some streaks, but I doubt it's the main issue.

 

[Threemaples]

See snippings of the email conversation between me and the installer. He is a very busy and well respected installer in North Bay and the Honda dealer uses him. Thorogh should read thorough.

Thanks for following up. Dealer is checking with tinter and will get back to me. Let me know how yours works out.

R

 

[tnmz6i]

According to my tint guy, Honda's defrost lines tend to be on the thicker side compared to other manufacturers. On my Accord Coupe, the refraction is pretty noticeable, especially since the slope of the coupe rear window is more severe than a sedan. I also had ceramic tint (Huper Optik) installed which is thicker than dyed or metallized films, which creates even more of a gap between the edges of the defrost lines and the tint.

 

[scsi]

I had the same problem on my 98 Civic coupe rear window with 3M metal tint. It looked pretty great and held up for 15 years at least, but did have this refraction problem.

 

[10thG]

Tends to happen on coupes even more because of the more heavily raked rear window but the 2016 sedan with its fastback rear has a coupe's rake so I'm not surprised this is happening. Assuming the tint's being applied properly the only way to minimize might be finding as thin of a tint film as possible to help reduce the gap between the tint and the edges of the defrost lines. If only there was tint film that could be applied to exterior of windows instead.

 

[Dahbehr]

I had my car done with 30% Formula One Pinnacle. Turned out amazing. I do have streaking on the rear window. I just had the tint done last night and my guy said it could have a hazy look for several days to a week. I will let you know if it improves.

 

[Threemaples]

I had my car done with 30% Formula One Pinnacle. Turned out amazing. I do have streaking on the rear window. I just had the tint done last night and my guy said it could have a hazy look for several days to a week. I will let you know if it improves.

Looks great...let me know if headlights behind you are "lighting up" the defroster lines. Spoke to the tinting shop who did mine and he said given the size of the defroster lines and the raked back of the new civic he doesn't think he can improve upon the job...even if he did it again. We did agree to let it cure some more...it's slow curing up here in the great white north.

R

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